A week ago, Tony Ciaravino cost Connecticut the game. Ciaravino missed a field goal on the Huskies’ last possession against Rutgers, ultimately resulting in a 12-10 UConn (6-2, 2-1 Big East) loss to the Scarlet Knights (3-5, 2-2 Big East). It was the fifth-year senior’s third miss of the day.

Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall knew it was time for a change. Edsall had been watching redshirt freshman placekicker David Teggart in practice all season, and thought Teggart could handle the responsibility and perform under pressure.

When Edsall informed Teggart he would start against Cincinnati (5-2, 1-1 Big East) last Saturday, Edsall said Teggart looked noticeably nervous but happy for the opportunity to show what he was capable of.

The week before the game, practice went on as usual for Teggart, but this time he knew he was going to be Connecticut’s starting placekicker.

Teggart did not miss a single field goal during UConn’s 40-16 triumph, converting all four of his field goal attempts in his career debut.

‘He did what I expected him to, I knew he was ready,’ Edsall said. ‘He had been kicking against Tony all of this year and last year, but we went with the fifth-year senior (Ciaravino), but the fifth-year senior was not performing up to his capabilities.

‘We had a young man sitting there that was just as good or better, so we decide to go with Dave, and he did a phenomenal job and we hope he can do that every week.’

Teggart redshirted last season, while Ciaravino delivered a 100-point effort in 2007. This season, Ciaravino has made 9-of-15 field goals (60 percent) for UConn.

During the third quarter of the Huskies’ game against Cincinnati, Teggart kicked a 47-yard field goal to extend Connecticut’s lead to 20-16.

‘I think he was nervous when he stepped onto the field for the first time, too,’ Edsall said. ‘But after nailing the first one it took all the butterflies away, and now he’s our seasoned veteran.’

In high school, Teggart converted 50-of-51 extra point attempts and went 18-of-24 in field goals with a career long of 47 yards.

Teggart earned the Big East special teams player of the week award for his flawless debut.

Teggart is expected to start for the Huskies when they host West Virginia at noon Saturday. He will get the chance to prove his performance against the Bearcats was not a fluke.

Teel breaks out against Pittsburgh

Mike Teel was performing below-par for the first seven games of Rutgers’ 2008 season. Teel had thrown only three touchdown passes in seven games, and Rutgers sat at the bottom of the Big East rankings, feeling the absence of former All-American Ray Rice.

Then, last Saturday came. Rutgers upset then-No. 17 Pittsburgh, 54-34, behind Teel’s record-breaking performance.

‘(Teel) has had some real struggle this first half of the season,’ Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said. ‘But I thought he played really excellent (against Pittsburgh).’

Teel connected for six touchdown passes in the victory. His first five passes came in the first half, but when he completed the sixth in the second half, Teel broke the school record for most touchdown passes in a game.

Teel completed 14-of-21 passes for 361 yards, and earned Big East offensive player of the week and USA Today national player of the week honors.

‘It could have been very easy for him to throw in the towel this first half of the season,’ Schiano said. ‘I’m very glad he didn’t because we needed his performance as a program, and Mike individually needed it.’

The Panthers (5-2, 2-1 Big East), meanwhile, suffered a severe blow at quarterback. In the third quarter, Bill Stull’s neck snapped backward while being tackled by Rutgers’ David Row. Stull was taken off the field in a stretcher.

Stull suffered a concussion and was kept overnight at a local Pittsburgh hospital. He is questionable for Pittsburgh’s matchup at Notre Dame Saturday. Pat Bostick took over for the Panthers, completing 6-of-11 passes for 69 yards.

Mountaineers stay undefeated

This weekend featured a pair of upsets, with Louisville defeating South Florida, 24-20, and Connecticut defeating Cincinnati for the Bearcats’ first loss, 40-16.

West Virginia remains the only team unbeaten in the Big East. The Mountaineers took the weekend off from conference play, but cruised to a 34-17 victory over Auburn. West Virginia travels to Connecticut this weekend.

Noel Devine, West Virginia’s sophomore running back, has led the Mountaineers’ this season. Devine ranks second in rushing yards in the Big East to Connecticut’s Donald Brown with 849 yards.

Devine averages 121.3 rushing yards per game, while Brown averages 165.5. The two will face off Saturday when UConn tries to serve West Virginia its first loss.

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on October 28, 2008 at 12:00 pm