By Andrew Hornback

With football season quickly approaching, reigning Big East Freshman of the Year Victor Anderson and last year’s leading returning rusher in the Big East Noel Devine are not only looking to compete against each other for the Big East rushing title, but also to lead their respective teams to a BCS bowl game.
“We’ve been working hard in the spring,” Anderson said. “Everyone looks good and in shape. Our goal is a Big East championship and a BCS bowl appearance, everyone will have to do their part though, especially with the inexperience at quarterback.”
Anderson, who finished fifth in the Big East last year with 1,047 yards, doesn’t down play the idea of winning the Big East rushing crown, but is putting the team first.
“I don’t really worry about an individual competition against the other running backs,” Anderson said. “I’m focused on how I can work hard to help the team as a whole accomplish our goals.”
As for Devine, who saw his team go from being a game away from playing for the national championship his freshman season to missing out on a BCS game completely last season, the outlook is the same.
“On the field and in the weight room we’ve been pushing ourselves to the limit,” Devine said. “It would be an honor to lead the Big East in rushing but my focus is on helping get my team back to where we were my freshman year. I know we can make it to a BCS game, we just have to work hard and win the Big East; which we have the talent to do if we play well.”
For two running backs who were almost teammates when Anderson initially decided to go to West Virginia before deciding to stay home and go to Louisville, the similarity in their outlook on the upcoming season isn’t the only thing that connects the two.
“I knew he [Anderson] was potentially coming here, but I never got to know him personally,” Devine said. “But he is a great player on the field.”
Both are 5’8”, 170 lb backs who were stars in high school but were viewed as undersized by many college scouts.
“I told all of those people who said I was too small it isn’t the size of the person, it’s the size of the heart. I know what I’m capable of and I can’t let people try and hold me back with words like undersized,” Devine said.
Anderson agreed with the critiques.
“Look at Warrick Dunn, Darren Sproles. Size isn’t everything, especially when you play hard and work even harder,” Anderson said.
The Cards will head to Morgantown on Nov. 7 to face Devine and the Mountaineers, giving Anderson and Devine a chance to face off.
“It’s always tough playing them [Louisville],” Devine said. “They aren’t necessarily where they were a few years ago, but that team plays real hard. It’s a developing rivalry and I think both teams look forward to playing and competing against each other.”