Take 5

Hate to get in the way of a Clint Eastwood-styled post that could really make. . . your . . .day, but let's quickly deal with a quizzical quintet of local and national questions:

1. To prepare for the World's Largest Cocktail Party, despite the PC police asking us to refrain from calling it that: They shoot Gators, don't they? Guess the Florida newspapers are too busy with the Tampa Bay Rays' weather story to create some online game involving Dawg stuff.

2. So, Pitt fans, whaddya think of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis invoking the B-word in reference to the Irish's motivation for Saturday?

3. Tyrone Willingham's not even cold yet at Washington, but are one former and one current USC assistant  already preparing to wage a cage match for that job opening?

4. Will an injury to Louisville's top receiver further stir a Big East race that seems to get shaken up every week?

5. How do you stop the nation's No. 1 major-college rusher, Donald Brown of Connecticut? Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, easily the Most Valuable Assistant so far this season for a West Virginia that Saturday confronts the difficult Mr. Brown and his 29 carries for 165.5 yards per game, offers this suggestion: "There's no magic formula to stopping a great back. You have to do all the things that are a cliche in football" -- i.e. maintaining gap assignments, sure tackling, escaping blocks, swarming. "The great backs might still beat you at that. And he's a great player. Great player." Brown, about whom the PG plans to profile in Friday's paper, rushed for 129 yards against WVU last November, and everyone agrees he's a muuuch better back this fall.