It was the first quarter of Friday night’s Syracuse-Connecticut game and the two Big East teams were both scoreless. SU linebacker Kelvin Smith came streaking toward UConn quarterback Matt Bonislawski, sacking him with enough force to dislodge the ball from Bonislawski’s hands. Smith recovered the fumble on UConn’s 47-yard line and the Orange offense lined up with formidable field position and its best scoring chance yet.

Then the whistle blew.

The stoppage indicated an official’s review of instant replay, a new rule instituted in the Big East over the offseason. A replay official sitting in a booth above the field determines whether a play must be reviewed. If so, an on-field official watches the replay. If there is indisputable video evidence to change the call, the official switches the ruling. If not, the play on the field stands.

On Friday, it was determined that Bonislawski’s arm was going forward in a throwing motion at the time of the fumble, thus an incomplete pass. It was but one example of a play that’s been called for an extra look this season.

Now a month into the experiment, instant replay is something Big East coaches are receptive toward after initial trepidations by some.

‘I was a little bit skeptical about the way we were doing it here, putting everything on the replay official in the box,’ Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt said. ‘But they’ve done a nice job. If they see something that might be incorrect, they’ve done a nice job of stopping and taking a look.’

Of the 11 Division I-A conferences, all but two (Sun Belt and Western Athletic Conference) use instant replay. The Big East uses the Big 10’s model, which was employed on an experimental basis last season. That model was also adopted by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Pacific-10 and Mid-American Conference. Different variations of it are used in the Southeastern Conference, Big 12 and Conference-USA.

The Mountain West Conference uses a replay system similar to the NFL model, where coaches get the right to actually challenge a call. In the Big East, the coaches are afforded no such option.

‘I do think there are times when I would like to maybe have an official look at it – and they probably are upstairs – but it would be nice to have a couple of challenges from a coaching standpoint where you’d say, ‘I think that’s something you might want to look at,” West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez said. ‘I think right now what we’re doing is a positive, but we can tweak anything at the end of the year to make it better.’

A coach’s right to challenge is the big debate in college football instant replay. Some coaches – like Rodriguez – would prefer to have the opportunity to challenge a play. But Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said he prefers the Big East model to the NFL’s.

‘These are officials upstairs viewing it as opposed to a coach on the sideline who maybe thought he saw something,’ Robinson said. ‘It’s leaving the officiating to the officials. You are counting on the replay system to find the bugs that are always there.’

There has been controversy, though. Robinson talked about frustration in a reversed call against Florida State on a halfback pass. Rodriguez complained about a play that wasn’t reviewed against Virginia Tech. Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino had reservations with a sideline play early in the season where a player was forced out but the referee said the play was not reviewable. Petrino said he later saw a game where that same type of play was reviewable.

The replay process in the Big East – and around the nation – is still in its primitive stages. It will continue to improve, and the consensus among coaches is that it’s a good addition, but there will always be errors.

‘I think our system is equipped to be very, very good,’ Robinson said. ‘But all in all, the system setup is still human beings up there in the booth and they might see it differently than others.’

They’re Ba-aack

After South Florida upset Louisville, 45-14, on Sept. 24, there was concern about the Big East’s national status considering the vulnerability of the conference’s favorite.

But the Cardinals tallied 61 points against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 1 and 69 points against North Carolina on Saturday.

‘I was looking at the scoreboard all night. You can really get mesmerized by that thing,’ North Carolina head coach John Bunting said after the 69-14 rout. ‘It goes on and the fireworks continue to go off. I thought at one point they might run out of fireworks. That’s a big number and basically I’m just numb at this point.’

Clearly, Louisville is back.

Quarterback Brian Brohm completed all but five of his 22 passes, amassing 304 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Michael Bush ran for three touchdowns as well.

Defensive end Elvis Dumervil notched three sacks, two forced fumbles and his first career interception. It raises his sack total to 15 on the season. The senior is on pace for 33 sacks.

‘We had to accept and learn from the South Florida game and that’s what we’ve done as a team,’ Dumervil said after the game. ‘Teams can scheme to stop things, but with a team like ours, we can still make plays.’

Performer of the Week

Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia

There was a collection of conference standouts this weekend, but the Mountaineers’ freshman running back was the most unexpected. In a crowded backfield, Slaton didn’t even enter the season as West Virginia’s top freshman running back, much less top running back. On Saturday against Rutgers, Slaton carried 25 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 35 yards, ensuring he’ll leave defensive coordinators sleepless for the next few seasons.

Game to Watch

Louisville at West Virginia, 3:30, ABC

The winner of this game is a good bet to represent the Big East in the Bowl Championship Series. Louisville’s explosive offense surpassed 60 points in its last two games. West Virginia’s played smart, methodical football this season, and its defense keeps the Mountaineers competitive. At 4-1 with their lone loss coming to No. 3 Virginia Tech, WVU sits atop the Big East standings. The humbled Cardinals seek to ensure it doesn’t stay that way.

Around the Conference

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm won Big East Offensive Player of the Week. Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil was the top defensive player. West Virginia’s Thandi Smith won the special teams honors after blocking a kick and returning it for a touchdown. … UConn head coach Randy Edsall reported QB Matt Bonislawski had successful surgery on his broken collarbone on Sunday. The time frame for his recovery is 6 to 8 weeks. … Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart is the school’s all-time leading passer, but he’s no longer the school’s fulltime quarterback. Mike Teel spelled Hart for almost the entire second quarter, leading RU to a touchdown.

Published on October 9, 2005 at 12:00 pm