Big East is full of comeback stories

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, October 23, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

College Football
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If the Big East were to award a Comeback of the Year award, this would be a good season for candidates.

True, you can scratch Reed Willams from the list -- the West Virginia linebacker was shut down for the season last week with continuing shoulder problems.

Elsewhere, however, inspiring stories abound. Like those of ....

BILL STULL. The Pitt quarterback won a three-way battle to become the starter at the beginning of 2007, only to injure the thumb on his throwing hand in a season-opening victory over Eastern Michigan. Frustrated but determined, Stull worked hard to stay in shape and beat out Pat Bostick and Kevan Smith again this year.

"He's got the respect of all the coaches and all the players," says Panther coach Dave Wannstedt, who has watched Stull lead his team to a 5-1 start.

True, the junior's numbers don't exactly leap off the stat sheet -- four touchdown passes, five interceptions. But he has developed a recent connection with fleet freshman Jonathan Baldwin, with whom he has collaborated on 50- and 60-yard scoring strikes over the past two games, and his game management is improving weekly. He's also doing an increasingly good job of handing off to LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling.

"He's getting better every game," Wannstedt said.

KORDELL YOUNG. Young returned to the Rutgers lineup last week after missing three games with a sore knee, then rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown in a 12-10 victory over Connecticut. The problem was his left knee -- the one he injured prior to the 2007 season and had operated on -- but team doctors said the soreness wasn't connected to the previous damage. With Young out and Ray Rice gone to graduation, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano juggled redshirt freshmen Jourdan Brooks and Joe Martinek in an effort to get a running game going, but Young has the most experience.

"He was just a cut away from a big-time game," Schiano said of Young after he gained 94 yards versus Fresno state in the season opener. "He reminded me of Ray Rice a couple of times."

Now, Schiano will settle for being reminded of Kordell Young.

CURTIS BRINKLEY. After missing most of the 2007 season with a variety of injuries (knee and ankle), Brinkley has proved one of the few bright spots for Syracuse this fall. He's averaging 104 yards a game and 5.6 yards a carry and has reeled off a number of long runs. Operating behind a somewhat improved offensive line, the Philadelphia-area product has been able to find creases through which to launch himself, finding the end zone four times. He went over 100 yards in the first half against a tough South Florida defense last week, although the Bulls shut him down thereafter.

DEREK KINDER. Like Kordell Young, Kinder was hurt by "friendly fire" -- injured during a preseason scrimmage against his own teammates. Pitt's leading receiver in 2006, he grabbed 19 Stull passes through the first four games this season and is evolving into the middle-of-the-field complement to Jonathan Baldwin's deep routes.

With a knee injury healed, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Kinder has also resumed blocking with the same ferocity that made him an instant YouTube hit in 2006, when he cleared out two defenders with one block in helping spring Darrelle Revis for a long scoring punt return.

TRENT GUY. The Cardinals wide receiver was shot in the back outside a nightclub in downtown Lousville over the summer, one of those "nothing good can happen after 1 a.m." incidents. Miraculously, the bullet not only missed any vital organs, but failed to slow the diminutive Guy down. Back in the Cardinals' lineup from the get-go this season, he has emerged as a home run threat for Hunter Cantwell, averaging 27 yards on his seven catches. Two weeks ago, he caught a 43-yard scoring pass and hauled back a kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown in a shootout (oops -- bad choice of words) victory over Memphis.

BROUCE MOMPREMIER. After he collided with teamate Carlton Williams while making a tackle against Florida International on Sept. 20, the University of South Florida linebacker lay motionless on the turf, unable to feel his arms or legs. He was taken to a hospital trauma unit by helicopter, and later told ESPN: "The thing that kept flashing through my mind was, 'How am I going to live the rest of my life?'"

Less than a month later, after tests proved negative and doctors gave him the OK, Mompremier was back in the lineup against Syracuse, registering three tackles.

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