University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Head To Atlanta To Face Georgia Tech
9/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH RANDY EDSALL
A veteran in his 23rd year of major college coaching with three years in the NFL, Edsall has tackled the challenge of bringing a former NCAA Division I-AA team up to par with the BIG EAST in a six year span head on, guiding the Huskies to victory in the 2004 Motor City Bowl. He has compiled a 33-37 career record in his seventh seasons at UConn, including wins in 22 of UConn’s last 29 games. Immediately prior to becoming UConn’s head coach in 1998, Edsall served as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech in 1998 under George O’Leary. Edsall began his coaching career at his alma mater, Syracuse, from 1980-1990, working under Frank Maloney and Dick MacPherson in a variety of capacities. Amongst his highlights at Syracuse was being a part of the 1987 team that went undefeated at 11-0-1, tying Auburn, 16-16, in the Sugar Bowl. Edsall moved on to Boston College where he coached defensive backs under Tom Coughlin from 1991-93 before following Coughlin to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, staying on the First Coast through the 1997 season. Edsall is a native of Glen Rock, Pa., and graduated from Susquehannock High School. Last winter, he was inducted into the York Area Sports Hall of Fame.
GEORGIA TECH HEAD COACH CHAN GAILEY
Chan Gailey is 23-17 in his fourth year as head coach at Georgia Tech, 47-28 in his seven-year collegiate coaching career, and 77-49-1 in his 11-year overall coaching career. He is 2-0 vs. UConn. Gailey has led the Yellow Jackets to bowl berths in each of his first three years on North Ave., including appearances in the 2002 Silicon Valley Classic, 2004 Humanitarian Bowl and 2004 Champs Sports Bowl. Gailey also has head coaching experience with the Dallas Cowboys (1998-99), guiding the team to the 1998 NFC Eastern Division title. He served as head coach of the Birmingham Fire of the WLAF in 1991-92, was head coach at Samford in 1993 and Troy State in 1983-84, guiding the Trojans to the 1984 NCAA Division II Championship with a 12-1 record. He has been an assistant in the professional ranks with the Denver Broncos (1985-90) Pittsburgh Steelers (1994-97) and Miami Dolphins (2000-01). He was a collegiate assistant at Florida (1974-75), Troy State (1976-78) and Air Force (1979-82). A 1974 Florida graduate, where he played quarterback, Gailey is a native of Gainesville, Ga.
RADIO TV COVERAGE
ESPNU-CONN
The Huskies will make the first of at least five national television appearances this season when ESPNU carries the Georgia Tech game live from Atlanta at 6:45 p.m. Mike Adamle (play by play) and Charles Arbuckle (color) have the call.
RADIO COVERAGE
For the 14th consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada. Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Bob Joyce on the sidelines. The UConn pregame show begins 90 minutes prior to kickoff, while at home games, the UConn Tailgate Show will air two and a half hours prior to the game with Arnold Dean and Kevin Nathan. The UConn Football Radio Network also includes WILI 1400-AM in Willimantic, WXLM, 102.3-FM in New London, WLIS 1420-AM in Old Saybrook, WMRD 1150-AM in Middletown and WLAD 800-AM in Danbury. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com.
SERIES NOTES
GEORGIA (TECH) ON MY MIND
UConn is facing Georgia Tech in football for the third time. The Yellow Jackets came to UConn’s old home, Memorial Stadium, on Sept. 7, 2002 and took a 31-14 decision behind the strength of four rushing touchdowns by Tony Hollings. UConn returned to Atlanta on Nov. 13, 2004 and dropped a 30-10 decision. This is the only two-for-one scheduling agreement UConn signed during its transitional years and was done because the Yellow Jackets came to Memorial Stadium as opposed to Rentschler Field. While the 16,751 fans in attendance set a Memorial Stadium record, it was the smallest regular season crowd to see Georgia Tech play a non-conference game since 15,061 came to GT’s game against Memphis State at the Liberty Bowl on Sept. 25, 1982. UConn is 2-3 against active ACC members since moving to Division I-A. The Huskies twice lost games to Georgia Tech and dropped one at NC State while defeating Wake Forest and Duke. In its previous incarnation, UConn dropped a 1990 contest at North Carolina, 48-21. The Huskies faced Maryland in 1942 before the ACC was formed and faced Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech when they competed in the BIG EAST.
LEAVING ON A MID-DAY PLANE TO GEORGIA
UConn has a trio of players from Georgia, all of which hail from metro-Atlanta. Sophomore linebacker Julius Williams is from Decatur (Towers HS) while redshirt freshman offensive tackle Matt Wood is from Lawrenceville (Brookwood HS) and true freshman lineman Brad Plunkett is from Peachtree City (McIntosh HS). Wood was a high school teammate of Georgia Tech’s Mansfield Wrotto...UConn head coach Randy Edsall served as Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator in 1998, helping the Yellow Jackets to a 10-2 record, a share of the ACC title and a Gator Bowl win over Notre Dame...UConn defensive tackle Afa Anoai and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Joe Anoai are cousins. Their fathers, Afa and Sika, formed the WWF tog team champion Wild Samoans in the 1980s.
KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL
Following last year’s game at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field, the Huskies have played in each of the nation’s four oldest active college football stadiums. First built in 1913, the home of the Yellow Jackets is the nation’s oldest Division I-A facility and ranks third overall. Franklin Field in Philadelphia is the oldest, dating to 1895. UConn has never faced the Penn Quakers, but has played Temple at the venerable facility. Harvard Stadium is the second oldest (1903) while the Yale Bowl ranks fourth (1914). The oldest stadium never to play host the Huskies is Mississippi State’s Scott Field, which saw its first game in 1915. The Huskies will also play in the nation’s sixth-oldest stadium this fall when they travel to Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium (1916) on Oct. 15.
GIVING IT THE OLD COLLEGE TRY
This week UConn will face the first of three former NFL head coaches as the Huskies meet up with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets under the direction of former Dallas Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey. In addition to Gailey, who coached Dallas in 1998-99, the Huskies will take on Army Oct. 1, led by Bobby Ross. Ross previously coached the San Diego Chargers (1992-96) and Detroit Lions (1997-2000). On Nov. 12, UConn heads to Heinz Field (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers) to face the Pittsburgh Panthers and their new head coach Dave Wannstedt. Wannstedt coached the Chicago Bears (1993-98) and Miami Dolphins (2000-04). Other former NFL head coaches currently heading up college programs include Hawaii’s June Jones (Atlanta and San Diego), Kentucky’s Rich Brooks (St. Louis), Nebraska’s Bill Callahan (Oakland), South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier (Washington), USC’s Pete Carroll (NY Jets, New England) and Virginia’s Al Groh (NY Jets).
HUSKIES VS. RANKED TEAMS
UConn is facing a ranked Division I-A team for the fifth time this week and looking for its first such win. The Huskies last saw a ranked team when they fell, 31-19, to No. 17 West Virginia on Oct. 13, 2004 at Rentschler Field, the first time a ranked team had ventured to East Hartford. UConn has also lost twice to ranked Virginia Tech teams on the road, and fell at No. 1 Miami on Oct. 5, 2002 at the Orange Bowl.
SQUAD NOTES
HUSKY WIN TOTAL STANDS STRONG AMONGST NATIONAL ELITE
It has been quite a run for the UConn football program. Since Nov. 1, 2002, the Huskies have posted a 22-7 record in regular season games (23-7 overall including the Motor City Bowl). The 22 wins are amongst most regular-season wins of any school in the nation over that span. Oklahoma holds national lead with 29, followed by USC with 28 and Boise State with 27 victories.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING!!!
UConn is presently riding a five-game winning streak, tied with Oregon State for the sixth-longest in the nation. USC leads the way with an active 23-game tear while Utah has won 18 in a row. The next longest is Texas’ nine-game run, followed by Louisville (eight) and Fresno State (seven). This current string is UConn’s third winning streak of at least five games during its brief 38-game Division I-A existence. The Huskies rattled off seven straight wins from Oct. 18, 2003-Sept. 11, 2004 and six straight from Nov. 2, 2002 to Sept. 6, 2003. Prior to these three runs, UConn hadn’t strung together five consecutive wins since taking seven straight from Nov. 19, 1994 to Oct. 14, 1995.
CONNECTICUT’S MOST SUCCESSFUL THREE-YEAR RUN EVER
The Huskies have posted .500 or better seasons in each of their past three campaigns, the school’s first three Division I-A seasons, finishing at 6-6 in 2002, 9-3 in 2003 and 8-4 in 2004. The 23 combined wins over the 2002-04 seasons mark the winningest three-year span in school history. UConn had previously won 22 games over a three-year period three times, from 1996-98, 1987-89 and 1986-88.
AN ELITE EIGHT
UConn finished the 2004 season ranked 19th nationally in total offense (429.8 ypg) and 27th in total defense (327.42 ypg). Nationally, UConn was one of only eight well-balanced teams to rank in the top 27 of both categories, joining Auburn, California, Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and USC. All but No. 23 Virginia finished the year ranked in the top nine of both polls, while the Cavaliers did climb as high as number six during the season. The elite octet also includes three of the four BCS bowl game winners (USC - Orange, Auburn - Sugar and Texas - Rose).
HUSKIES DOMINATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL
Over the past 30 games, UConn has outgained its opponent 26 times. The first exception came when UConn was outgained by Rutgers 455-321 on Nov. 8, 2003 in its home finale, a game the Huskies won 38-31. The other three were on Sept. 17, 2004 at Boston College when the Eagles held a 334-291 edge, on Oct. 13, 2004 when West Virginia held a 462-365 advantage and on Nov. 13, 2004 when Georgia Tech outgained UConn 410-225. The Rutgers contest marked the first time since losing at Vanderbilt on Oct. 26, 2002 that UConn had been outgained. Over this 30 game span, UConn has averaged 458.4 yards per game of total offense and 309.8 yards per game of total defense. In its last 19 games, UConn has eclipsed 500 yards of total offense eight times.
CONN-TROLLING THE FLOW OF THE GAME
A telling sign of UConn’s strong performance on both sides of the ball during its brief tenure as a Division I-A program has been its ability to both record and prevent long drives. Since the start of the 2002 season, UConn’s offense has strung together 36 scoring drives of at least 80 yards while the Husky defense has surrendered just 15 such marches. UConn also holds an 8-2 advantage over its opponents in the number of 90-yard and over drives since becoming a I-A program.
GAME BALLS
After each UConn victory, head coach Randy Edsall awards game balls for the team’s top performer on offense, defense and special teams. This year’s game ball recipients will receive a slightly different prize though. UConn has switched to Nike 3005 model game balls from the Wilson GST model balls that the team used from 2002-04. The 2005 recipients are listed below.
Buffalo: Matt Bonislawski (offense), Deon McPhee (defense), Larry Taylor (special teams).
Liberty: Matt Bonislawski (offense), Danny Lansanah (defense), Matt Nuzie (special teams)
Active Career Game Ball Leaders: Cornell Brockington (4), Terry Caulley (4), Larry Taylor (4), James Hargrave (3), Matt Nuzie (3), Matt Bonislawski (2), Dan Murray (2), Jason Williams (2), Allan Barnes, Shane Hussar, Danny Lansanah, Deon McPhee, Grant Preston, Brandon Young.
EAGLE SCOUTS
Each week head coach Randy Edsall issues an award for the Scout Team Player of the Week on both offense and defense. In recognition of their often-overlooked hard work, those players earn a spot on the Husky travel squad and dress list for that week’s game. The weekly honorees are listed below.
Game Offense Defense
Buffalo OL Jared Pratt DB Terry Baltimore
Liberty WR Todd Dorcelus DL Brandon Dillon
NFL UPDATE
A total of six members of the 2004 UConn football team, and eight former Huskies overall, worked their way into NFL training camps this fall. Three Huskies have made their respective squads, giving UConn three active players in the league for the first time since 1989 when Glenn Antrum (New England), John Dorsey (Green Bay) and Eric Napolski (Indianapolis) all carried the UConn flag in the professional ranks. Alfred Fincher was a third round selection of the New Orleans Saints and was joined there by free agent signee Keron Henry. Fincher broke his right hand in a preseason game against Baltimore on Aug. 26 and will make his debut in a few weeks after starting the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Henry was cut on Sept. 3 but retained on the Saints’ practice squad. Dan Orlovsky was a fifth round selection of the Detroit Lions and was expected to make the club as the number three quarterback. Now, he will likely be the top backup to Joey Harrington in the wake of Jeff Garcia’s broken leg, suffered on Sept. 2. Tyler King (Arizona), Ryan Krug (New England) and Justin Perkins (Kansas City) all signed free agent deals but did not make their respective teams. King and Krug were briefly signed to their clubs' practice squads but have since been released. Uyi Osunde, a team captain in 2003, was in Buffalo’s camp after spending the 2004 season on the Bills’ practice squad, but was cut by the team on Aug. 28. Brian Kozlowski will suit up for the Washington Redskins in 2005, his 12th season in the NFL.
FEWER FRESH FACES
With the development of the Husky program the past few seasons, UConn has been able to redshirt more players and rely less on true freshmen to make an immediate impact just months removed from high school. Only five true freshmen saw action against Buffalo and/or Liberty (Anthony Barksdale, Cody Brown, Jimmy McClam, Courtney Robinson and walk-on Anthony Rouzier), all of them in either reserve roles or on special teams. Eight true freshmen appeared for UConn a year ago while six true freshmen played for the Huskies in 2003.
WE ARE THE WORLD
While the overwhelming majority of the 2005 UConn football team is comprised of players from the northeastern United States and Florida, the Huskies have a far greater international influence than a typical college football team with players hailing from three different foreign countries. UConn has two Canadian players, in the Quebecois duo of Shawn Mayne and Jason Ward. Offensive tackle Aloys Manga is a native of Duana, Cameroon while defensive tackle Deon McPhee is from the Bahamas.
CONNECTICUT CO-CAPTAINS
Senior linebacker James Hargrave and defensive tackle Deon McPhee were named as team captains prior to the start of spring drills. It marked a departure for UConn which typically names captains after the conclusion of spring ball, but head coach Randy Edsall thought it was a better idea to have a leadership group in place earlier with such a young team. With only 51 varsity letters earned by the combined 2005 Husky squad, it ranks as the fifth least experienced in the nation.
OFFENSE NOTES
A BONUS FROM BONES
Matt Bonislawski’s 26-yard touchdown run against Buffalo was the first by a UConn quarterback since Nov. 9, 2002 when Dan Orlovsky scored from one-yard out against Kent State in the final game at Memorial Stadium. It was the longest TD run by a UConn signal caller since Peter Lane scored on a 30-yard rush against Northeastern on Sept. 14, 1985 at Memorial Stadium. Bonislawski's 71 rushing yards in the game are the most by a UConn quarterback since Brian Hoffmann also ran for 71 on Oct. 2, 1999 in a 20-9 win over Rhode Island.
BONES’ BREAKTHROUGH
Matt Bonislawski became the sixth quarterback to make his first career start under Randy Edsall and is just the second to win that game, joining Dan Orlovsky. Completing 11-of-18 passes, he is also only the second to complete over 50-percent of his passes, joining Chris Willis, and the second to throw multiple touchdowns, joining Ryan Tracey’s three. Against Liberty, he became the first Husky quarterback to win his first two starts since Brian Hoffmann won three straight to begin his tenure as starter in 1998.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
UConn has an aggregate total of just 18 varsity letters earned by its current offensive players, tying for the second fewest of any team in the nation. Navy returns just a combined total of 17 offensive letters while UConn’s 18 equals Louisiana-Lafayette. Although inexperienced, UConn’s current two-deep is loaded with some of the most talented players to ever come into the Husky program as the program’s recruiting has improved dramatically with the ever-improving stature of the team and UConn’s facilities. Proof positive that a low number of returnees can still be reason for optimism is the team in fourth place directly behind UConn and ULL...near-unanimous preseason No. 1 Southern California.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL
A year ago, UConn was benefitting from an offensive line that combined to start an incredible 174 career games and powered the Huskies to the BIG EAST’s top spot in both scoring and total offense. In 2005, seven of the 10 student-athletes on UConn’s two-deep had never played a single down on the Huskies’ offensive line prior to this season. Grant Preston (37 career starts) and Craig Berry (14 career starts) are the two veteran members of the line corps and have shifted roles to anchor the group from the tackle sports. Those two will be asked to help bring the unit along, in addition to position coaches Norries Wilson (centers and guards) and Dave McMichael (tackles). Randy Edsall has taken non-line duties off of the plates of both assistants so that they can focus more on the daily development of the linemen. Reports out of both spring practice and fall camp were that the group was progressing quickly, but practice experience is no substitute for game experience, something the group sorely lacks. Against Buffalo, UConn started redshirt freshmen making their UConn debuts at both center (Trey Tonsing) and right guard (Immanuel Hutcherson). The starting left guard was junior Matt Applebaum, a converted defensive lineman had played sparingly in eight career games on defense. Of the five backups, three are redshirt freshmen and only sophomore left guard Brian Kersmanc (three games played) had ever seen action for the blue and white prior to the Buffalo game.
BORN TO RUN
UConn ran for 290 yards on 55 carries against Buffalo in the season opener on Sept. 1, both of which were highs for the Division I-A era. The Huskies surpassed each total a week later when UConn gained 376 yards on 62 carries against Liberty. The previous Division I-A highs of 287 and 50, respectively, both came on Sept. 20, 2003 during a 38-7 win at Buffalo. The 376 yards on the ground against Liberty was the third best performance in school history and the best since gaining 394 at Yale on Sept. 30, 1995. UConn had not rushed for more than 290 yards in a game since scampering for 317 in a 45-7 win against Boston University on Nov. 1, 1997 during the Terriers’ sad final days as a varsity program. Conversely, UConn’s 21 passing attempts in the Buffalo game were its fewest since attempting just 21 passes against Eastern Washington on September 8, 2001.
BROCKING THE HISTORY BOOK
Cornell Brockington, who led the BIG EAST with 1,218 rushing yards in 2004, has an opportunity to make conference history this year. No player has ever led the BIG EAST in rushing twice. Further, should Terry Caulley, or another Husky, emerge as the team’s top threat at tailback, they would also have a chance to make history on behalf of UConn. No single school has ever produced the BIG EAST’s leading rusher in consecutive seasons.
TOTAL RE-CAULL
UConn will welcome the return of junior tailback Terry Caulley in 2005. With his knee not yet 100-percent recovered from a serious injury suffered on September 27, 2003 at Virginia Tech, head coach Randy Edsall decided prior to the start of fall 2004 drills to air on the side of caution and redshirt Caulley for the season. Caulley, who played as a true freshman in 2002 when he was named to the Freshman All-America team, has two years of eligibility remaining. The shifty Caulley was leading the nation with 601 rushing yards in 2003 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury on a non-contact play as he made a cut on just his second carry of the game against the Hokies.
CAULL-ECTING 100-YARD GAMES
With his 14-carry, 100-yard effort against Buffalo on Sept. 1, Terry Caulley has reached the century mark in 11 of his 17 career games played. His 11 career 100-yard rushing games rank second in school history, just one shy of equaling the benchmark number of 12 set by Vinny Clements from 1968-70. Not included on UConn’s 2006 schedule, Buffalo will be happy to never face Caulley again. In three career games played against the Bulls, Caulley racked up 470 rushing yards (156.7 ypg) on 67 carries (7.0 ypc) with five touchdowns.
LONG DISTANCE CAULLEY
Terry Caulley ranks second in the nation amongst active players in average rushing yards per game (minimum 2,000 career yards), trailing only Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson. Caulley is averaging 119.1 yards for each of his 17 career games played, while Peterson averages 147.2 over his 15. Cornell Brockington (1,994 career rushing yards) would rank ninth on this chart as well if he had just six more yards gained in his career.
EDSALL’S RUNNING NON-ISSUE
While the depth chart includes an “or” at tailback between team-players Cornell Brockington and Terry Caulley, head coach Randy Edsall views this as a strength of his entire team as opposed to a lightning rod for controversy. Mutually respecting each other, both players are content to share time and Edsall will use both regularly, citing the creativity it will allow the offense to have by using the two weapons either situationally or in tandem. In releasing the depth chart on August 25, Edsall said “to me, we really don’t have a starter in the traditional sense of the role. I feel totally confident in both (of their) abilities which they have each demonstrated consistently both in games the past few years and practices this fall. They are both going to get a significant amount of playing time this year. There isn’t a true starter there. I look at them as equals for the most part and they can both do many things to help this team.” A quick glance at the stats enforces this assessment. Entering the 2005 season, Brockington had 1,861 career rushing yards while Caulley had 1,854. Caulley had rushed for 22 touchdowns while Brockington had rushed for 21. Brockington had 41 career receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns while Caulley had 39 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
ROLL THE BONES
Junior Matt Bonislawski earned the starting nod at quarterback as the season opens. Used as a backup the past two years, throwing seven career passes, the majority of Bonislawski’s previous playing time had come as the holder for Matt Nuzie’s kicks. Bonislawski’s experience with UConn’s system from his practice time over the years was a major factor in him holding off a charge from redshirt freshman D.J. Hernandez during their competition for the starting spot this past spring and fall preseason. It marked the first time that a UConn quarterback has made a starting debut since Dan Orlovsky was pressed into action against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 6, 2001 after Keron Henry suffered an injury the previous week at Rutgers. Orlovsky’s numbers were average but effective that day as he completed 14-of-32 passes for 180 yards with one touchdown and one interception in UConn’s 19-0 win. Orlovsky had started each of UConn’s last 41 games entering the 2005 season, including all 36 contests of the Division I-A era.
THE EAST HARTFORD 500
In eight of its last 19 games, UConn has recorded at least 500 yards of total offense. The Huskies posted an even 600 yards of offense against Liberty on Sept. 10, the third best effort in school history. UConn opened its 2004 season with a 530-yard offensive effort against Murray State and picked up 503 more against Army. The Huskies racked up 512 yards of total offense against Temple and 566 at Syracuse the following week. In the final five games of the 2003 campaign, UConn posted 515 at Kent State (Oct. 18), 568 against Western Michigan (Nov. 1) and 536 at Wake Forest (Nov. 15). Earlier in the 2003 season, UConn had recorded 613 yards of total offense at Buffalo (Sept. 20), a total that was just five yards shy of the school record mark of 618 set on Sept. 30, 1995 at Yale.
FINISHING IN THE RED IS GOOD
You wouldn’t want your financial ledgers to be full of red ink, but UConn’s 2004 late season success was in part due to finishing its time in the red zone in style. After going 5-for-5 in the regular season finale at Rutgers with all five scores being touchdowns and 6-of-7 in the Motor City Bowl, UConn scored on 43 of its 48 total red zone possessions last season (90%) with 27 touchdowns. UConn went on a similar tear to wrap up the 2003 season. The Huskies entered the Duke game on Sept. 11, 2004 having scored on each of its last 29 possessions in the red zone, dating back to its Oct. 18, 2003 game at Kent State. In the Division I-A era, UConn has tallied on 143 of 161 (88%) of its red zone possession with only one turnover during that span. Of the 18 non-scoring drives, 11 came as a result of a missed field goal attempt. UConn was a perfect 8-for-8 in the red zone against Liberty on Sept. 10.
SHARING THE WEALTH
Edsall has made a point of having a deep rotation at wide receiver throughout his time at UConn. The plan is the same for this year with senior Jason Williams the most experienced of a group that includes junior Brandon Young and a slew of promising freshmen and sophomores. In fact, eight different Huskies caught a pass against Buffalo even though UConn completed just 14 passes. Regardless of who ends up in the mix, Edsall will keep them involved. During the 2004 season, 13 different Huskies caught a pass, nine hit double digits in receptions and nine different UConn players have caught a touchdown pass. In 2003, 15 different players caught a pass for UConn and eight Huskies hit double figures in receptions. A total of 10 different Huskies caught a touchdown pass in 2003. The stats were similarly diverse in 2002 when seven different Huskies caught at least 20 passes which tied for the fourth in the nation during the regular season. The shared receptions has also created an even distribution of receiving yardage. Despite the fact that UConn has thrown for 9,976 passing yards over the past three-plus seasons combined (262.5 ypg), the Huskies have had just 11 100-yard receiving games, with six different receivers reaching the plateau (Shaun Feldeisen, Keron Henry, Dan Murray, Williams, O’Neil Wilson and Young).
DAN-IMAL HAS NOSE FOR THE END ZONE
Dan Murray caught a pair of passes from his tight end position on Sept. 1 against Buffalo, both of them good for touchdowns. With 7:50 to play in the second quarter, Murray used his 6-5, 244 pound frame to pull down a 15-yard touchdown pass over an undersized Bull defender. Just minutes later, Murray repeated his feat at 4:15 on a 22-yard TD grab in the end zone. It marked consecutive regular season games with two touchdown catches for Murray. He put up career highs with six catches for 135 yards and two TDs on Thanksgiving Day, 2004, helping UConn cap its regular season with a 41-35 win at Rutgers. Murray’s eight career touchdown receptions rank fourth in UConn history.
YOUNG IS RESTLESS
The Huskies welcomed back one of their top wide receivers for the 2005 season. Junior Brandon Young suffered a foot injury in a bad automobile accident in his native Maryland the weekend before fall 2004 training camp started and missed the entire season. In addition to his 28 receptions and four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2003, Young also contributed as a kickoff and punt returner. He returned triumphantly to the starting lineup against Liberty, leading UConn with four catches, 61 yards and a touchdown. He also had one catch for 15 yards in the season opener against Buffalo.
QUARTERLY CONSISTENCY
UConn has scored points in 21 consecutive quarters of action. The last time that UConn went a full 15-minute stanza without putting points on the board was the third quarter of a 30-10 loss at Georgia Tech on Nov. 13, 2004.
DEFENSE NOTES
UCONN DEFENSE RECORDING (DUNKIN’) DONUTS
UConn’s 38-0 shutout of Buffalo on Sept. 1 and 59-0 shutout of Liberty on Sept. 10 were historic on several fronts. Coupled with its 29-0 shutout of Buffalo on Nov. 20, 2004 in its home finale, UConn recorded shutouts in consecutive home games for the first time since a run of three straight home shutouts from 1967-1986. The Huskies closed their 1967 home slate with a 3-0 win over Holy Cross on Nov. 25 and began their 1968 home schedule with shutout wins over Vermont (21-0 on Sept. 20) and Maine (29-0 on Oct. 19)…The 59-0 margin was UConn’s most lopsided shutout since the school’s 125-0 victory over the Newport Naval Training Station in 1949…It marks the first time that UConn has opened its season with consecutive shutouts since 1928 when the Huskies rolled through their first seven games without allowing a score, before dropping 51-13 contest at Boston College on Nov. 24, 1928...The Buffalo game marked UConn’s first shutout in a home season opener since a 7-0 whitewashing of Vermont on Sept. 23, 1972…UConn now has at least one shutout in three of its four Division I-A seasons, along with the blankings of Navy in 2002 and Buffalo in 2004. UConn has not recorded a shutout in three out of four seasons since 1967-70…Prior to Buffalo, UConn last shutout the same team in consecutive seasons by stopping Maine in both 1967 and 1968…Looking beyond the borders of the Nutmeg State, the Buffalo game marked only the second time ever that a BIG EAST school has opened its season with a shutout of a Division I-A opponent, the other being West Virginia’s 34-0 win at Pittsburgh on Aug. 31, 1996.
MOST DOMINANT DEFENSE IN A DECADE
UConn is the first school in a decade to open its season with consecutive shutouts. The last time any team shutout each of its first two opponents was in 1996 when Auburn beat UAB 29-0 and Fresno State 62-0 to open the season. This early success though isn’t a harbinger of great things to come for the Huskies as that Tiger team, under coach Terry Bowden, went 5-4 the rest of the regular season, surrendering a pedestrian average of 27.7 points per game. The closest any team had come to matching those 1996 Tigers since were Texas Tech (1998), Virginia Tech (1998) and Kansas State (2002), each of which allowed just three points in its first two games combined, each throwing a shutout in one game and yielding only a field goal in the other.
BUFFALO AND LIBERTY AREN’T AUBURN AND UNC, BUT...
UConn presently leads the nation in scoring defense, ranks second in total defense, fourth in passing defense and sixth in rushing defense. Though second in the nation, UConn doesn’t even lead the BIG EAST in total defense, trailing West Virginia, and is third in the BIG EAST in passing defense (behind USF and West Virginia) despite ranking fourth in the nation. This was made possible by UConn forcing punts on 17 of Buffalo and Liberty’s combined 24 possessions, including 10 three-and-outs. During the Buffalo game, the Bulls did not run a single offensive play from UConn territory. Neither team even got close enough to attempt a field goal.
THE QUARTERBACK MUST GO DOWN
One of the many benefits of the two lopsided season-opening wins was that it allowed head coach Randy Edsall to use many of his young players in game situations and let them gain experience. Not only did they figuratively get their feet wet, but they performed well too once they got on the field. A total of 14 different UConn defenders factored in a tackle for loss over the first two games and seven different Huskies recorded a sack. All of last season, 17 different UConn players recorded a TFL and nine different players had a sack, numbers that UConn is close to eclipsing after just two games this fall.
DESPITE LOSSES, DEFENSIVE LINE LOOKED FINE
A year ago the defensive line was one of UConn’s biggest areas of concern as the Huskies had to replace three great senior starters from a solid 2003 unit, including one of the program’s best-ever ends in Uyi Osunde. A year later, it is the most experienced area of the defense and a formidable unit at that. Five different active Huskies have started a game on the defensive line entering the 2005 season, with four of those (Rhema Fuller, Shawn Mayne, Deon McPhee and Jason Ward) starting at least half of the games last fall as the Huskies marched to a berth on the Motor City Bowl. All but one face on the current two-deep (true freshman Cody Brown) has prior UConn playing experience, the lone defensive position group that can make that claim. In all, 11 active Huskies have played at least one game for UConn on the defensive line, 12 if you include Matt Applebaum who has since been moved to the offensive line.
SOLID BACKING
Just as talented understudies stepped in to fill big shoes on the defensive line a year ago, similar results will be expected for UConn’s linebackers in 2005. The unit must replace two of the top five tacklers in UConn history in departing seniors Alfred Fincher and Maurice Lloyd. The central figure of the group in 2005 will be senior co-captain James Hargrave who boasts 213 career stops, 30.5 of them for a loss, from his familiar strongside “Husky” linebacker post. Senior Taurien Sowell and sophomore Danny Lansanah held down the other two starting roles as the curtain rose on the 2005 season. Sowell is a fifth-year senior with 33 career games played to his credit, but most of the time was spent on special teams. Lansanah saw action in 11 games last year and made 23 tackles. Backing up the trio are sophomore Ryan Henegan, sophomore Justin DeRubertis and redshirt freshman Jonathon Smith.
SECONDARY HAS PLENTY OF SECONDARY OPTIONS
The UConn defensive backfield is spilling over the brim with comparable talent, giving the Huskies numerous options at this position and ensuring that competition will reign throughout the season as players vie for playing time. Juniors M.J. Estep and Ernest Cole are the most experienced members of a group that has steadily improved during UConn’s time at the Division I-A level due to better recruiting of athleticism. Redshirt freshmen Darius Butler and Dahna Deleston are also starters. Junior Allan Barnes and sophomore Tyvon Branch have both started games in the past for UConn but are presently reserves.
BUFFALO DOESN’T SHUFFLE OFF TO ANYWHERE
UConn’s defense was dominant against Buffalo on Nov. 20, 2004 in the team’s home finale. Needing a win to gain bowl eligibility, the Huskies responded by holding the Bulls to 96 yards of total offense on only 49 snaps. In the game, Buffalo had five first downs, four completions on 21 attempts and punted eight times, seven of them being on three-and-outs. It is one of only nine times a Division I-A team has been held to under 100 yards of total offense over the 2003-05 seasons combined. UConn nearly repeated the feat against the Bulls in 2005, limiting Buffalo to just 125 yards of total offense.
THEY CALL IT FOOTBALL FOR A REASON
In both of the past two-plus seasons, UConn’s defense has done a far better job than its opponents of forcing punts as the Huskies have been able to receive 175 punts while booting the ball away just 119 times. In 2003, UConn forced its opponents to punt a staggering 85 times (7.1 per game). Although the NCAA does not keep this as a category leader, on the flip side, only Arizona (98), Baylor (93), Iowa State (87) and Stanford (86) were forced to punt more times as a team in 2003. By comparison, the UConn offense punted just 60 times in 2003. Amongst the seasonal highlights, the UConn defense swarmed over Buffalo’s offense forcing 11 Bull punts out of 13 UB possessions. The trend continued in the 2004 season opener as UConn forced Murray State to punt 11 times on its 15 possessions. In all, UConn forced 73 punts in 2004 (6.0 per game) while the Huskies punted 54 times. UConn looks to see more of the same in 2005 as for the second consecutive year, UConn forced 11 punts on opening day, this time the victim was Buffalo. A turnover on downs was all that prevented UConn from a perfect 12-for-12 mark in punt forcing against the Bulls on Sept. 1. UConn forced another six punts the following week against Liberty and holds a 17-5 edge in punts forced so far in 2005.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
TAYLOR MADE RETURNS BOOST HUSKIES PAST BULLS
Larry Taylor’s 118 punt return yards against Buffalo marked the eighth-best performance in BIG EAST history and the second-best ever by anyone not wearing either a Miami or Virginia Tech uniform. Taylor was not far off of the UConn record of 145 yards set by Joe Markus at Maine on Oct. 20, 1979. The previous individual high for a Husky during the Division I-A era was the 74 that Taylor had against both Murray State (Sept. 4, 2004) and Pittsburgh (Sept. 30, 2004). Taylor ranked second in the nation after week one with his 118 total punt return yards, trailing only Terrence Nunn of Nebraska who ran back four punts for 135 yards in the Huskers’ opening day win over Maine.
A LITTLE LT
Diminutive sophomore Larry Taylor returns after an electrifying true freshman season during which he became only the second Husky ever (and the first since 1975) to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same season. Behind Taylor, UConn ranked 18th in the nation in punt returns in 2004 after finishing the previous season ranked 116th out of 117 Division I-A teams. Individually, he ranked second in the nation last fall by averaging 31.3 yards per kickoff return, including his 97-yard return for a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff against Temple on Oct. 23. It is believed to be the first opening kickoff return for a touchdown in school history and it was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown by a Husky at any stage of a game since 1998. Taylor’s punt return for a touchdown came from 68 yards out during the Motor City Bowl and permanently swung the game’s momentum in UConn’s favor during its 39-10 victory over Toledo. Taylor was UConn’s only true freshman to earn a game ball last season, picking up three of them in all.
PUNT AND FIELD GOAL REVERSAL OF FORTUNES
UConn’s punt return, punt coverage and field goal units showed a dramatic improvement from the 2003 to 2004 seasons. The final 12-game season averages are listed below for each season.
THE NUZIE IS GOOD
The roller coaster career of place kicker Matt Nuzie is currently on a positive swing. In 2004, he was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award and second-team All-BIG EAST. Nuzie ranked first in the BIG EAST, and eighth in the nation, by averaging 1.67 field goals per game. His 20 made field goals set a UConn seasonal record. Nuzie capped a school-record streak of 10 consecutive made field goals with a 51-yard boot at Georgia Tech on Nov. 13, UConn’s longest since 1998. Nuzie opened the 2004 season hot as he was perfect against Murray State, hitting all seven of his PAT tries and a 22-yard field goal. A week later against Duke, he hit the game-winning field goal with 3:40 to play in UConn's 22-20 win. After a key miss at Boston College he rebounded though. Against Pittsburgh he kicked his way to BIG EAST Player of the Week honors and a game ball. Nuzie hit on all three of his field goal tries and both of his extra point attempts. The highlight of the field goals was the 49-yard boot he hit as time expired in the first half after two "icing" time outs called by Pittsburgh. It was the longest of his career by 11 yards, topping the old mark of 38 set last year at Buffalo.
WHO BUT HUSSAR???
Sophomore Shane Hussar fended off a challenge over the offseason from Chris Pavasaris to enter the 2005 campaign as UConn’s top punter. Troubled by nagging injuries a a true freshman last year, Hussar punted 46 times for a 36.9 yard average, playing in 11 of the team’s 12 games. Hussar had the best performance of his young UConn career against Pittsburgh on Sept. 30, 2004 when he dropped five of his eight punts inside of the 20. Field position proved critical in the Husky win as UConn started drives at its own 39 as opposed to Pittsburgh beginning its marches at its own 22.
STADIUM/ATTENDANCE NOTES
MOVIN’ ON UP TO THE EAST SIDE
The Huskies moved into brand new Rentschler Field in East Hartford for the 2003 season with the stadium opening its doors on August 30 when UConn defeated Indiana, 34-10. Conveniently located within miles of Interstates 91, 84 and 384, Adriaen’s Landing and downtown Hartford, the new home of the Huskies lies on 75 acres of land donated to the State of Connecticut from the historic Pratt & Whitney Airfield by company founder Frederick Rentschler. The new stadium boasts a capacity of 40,000 with 38 luxury suites in a massive press box tower which helps enclose the natural grass field. The $91.2 million construction project is an integral part of former Governor John Rowland’s economic development program for the Hartford metro-area. While UConn football serves as the primary tenant, the facility also attracts other prominent events to Hartford. Rentschler Field hosted two concerts by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, September 16 and 18 of 2003 and one by the Rolling Stones on Aug. 26, 2005. Several prominent international soccer contests have been played on the pitch at Rentschler Field, most notably a World Cup Qualifier between the United States and Trinidad & Tobago on Aug. 17, 2005. Famed British clubs Liverpool and Glasgow Celtic played a match at Rentschler Field in July, 2004 while the soon to be gold medal winning United States Olympic women’s soccer team played its final state-side exhibition in East Hartford on August 1, 2004 when the Americans defeated China, 3-1.
STARTING A COMMOTION
Swelling interest in the Husky football program as it gradually moved up into BIG EAST play can perhaps be best evidenced by the rise in attendance. For the 2005 season, UConn has sold in excess of 32,000 season tickets at Rentschler Field, selling out 3,800 student season tickets, a pair of staggering sums considering that the 2001 season ticket base was around 4,000. In 2002, fueled by a season-ticket base of 11,300, UConn ranked 23rd in the nation by playing to 97.58% of Memorial Stadium’s 16,200 seat capacity. The burgeoning season ticket base more than doubled to 24,000 for the inaugural season at Rentschler Field and rose to 28,000 a year ago.
40,000 HUSKY FANS CAN’T BE WRONG
The Huskies sold out 10 of their first 15 dates at Rentschler Field and each of the last eight. UConn has played to 96-percent of capacity all-time in East Hartford, drawing 577,485 fans, or an average of 38,499 per game. UConn finished 2004 ranked 26th in the nation in attendance based on percentage of capacity, a sum that led the BIG EAST Conference and ranked ahead of Clemson, Boston College, Auburn and Kansas State, amongst many others. In fact, UConn sold more football tickets last year (275,129) than either men’s (234,109) or women’s (217,815) basketball.
RENTSCHLER FIELD PROVES FRIENDLY FOR HUSKIES
With its win over Buffalo on Nov. 20, UConn compiled a 6-1 home record at Rentschler Field last fall. The six home wins in 2004 set a school record for a single season. Six times UConn had won five home games in a season. UConn turned the trick last year and also managed the feat five times at Memorial Stadium, going 5-0 in 1986 and 1989 and posting a 5-1 mark in 1987, 1995 and 1998. UConn presently stands at 13-2 all-time at Rentschler Field.
RENTSCHLER FIELD NATION’S NEWEST STADIUM
Rentschler Field is still the newest stadium in the country to open for college football as no team will inaugurate a new home in 2005. Prior to UConn, the last Division I-A team to open a new facility was Pittsburgh which inaugurated Heinz Field, along with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, in 2001. The last opening of a true college football facility came in 2000 when SMU began play at the 32,000-seat Gerald J. Ford stadium after years of using the Cotton Bowl for home games.
CONSTRUCTION ONGOING FOR NEW CAMPUS FACILITIES
In addition to their new game day home of Rentschler Field, UConn is less than a year away from having a top-notch daily home as well. Construction is progressing smoothly in Storrs on the $42 million Burton Family Football Complex and Mark R. Shenkman Training Center. Due to open this upcoming summer, the two adjacent buildings will house everything from the team’s locker room to coaches offices to a 120-yard indoor practice facility and an 85,000 square foot strength and conditioning center.
RADIO/TV COVERAGE NOTES
ESPN’S HOMETOWN TEAM
When ESPN got its start 25 years ago, it began by broadcasting all sorts of UConn events, including soccer games and swimming meets. The Bristol-based cable television titan returned to its roots last fall as it broadcast five UConn football games on its family of networks and the conglomerate will do likewise this fall. UConn will make its seasonal TV debut on Sept. 17 when ESPNU carries the Huskies’ game at Georgia Tech. A TBA ESPN entity will carry the Army game nationally on Oct. 1. UConn will also appear on ESPN2 twice (Oct. 7 vs. Syracuse and Nov. 2 at West Virginia) and ESPN once (Dec. 3 vs. Louisville).
READY FOR PRIMETIME PLAYERS
Two of UConn’s five ESPN appearances will air in coveted weeknight slots during the prime-time viewing hours. UConn’s tilt with Syracuse on Oct. 7 is slated for an 8:00 p.m. kickoff while the Huskies’ debut game at West Virginia will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2.
SCHEDULE NOTES
WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND
This season, for the second straight year, members of the UConn coaching staff will have plenty of time to relax on Saturdays while most of America is playing games. The team will have six Saturdays off during the 2005 season. UConn has three of bye weeks (Sept. 24, Oct. 29 and Nov. 19), while three weekday games creates three more open Saturdays during the season (Sept. 3, Oct. 8 and Nov. 5). UConn also enjoyed six Saturdays off during the 2004 season, compliments of four midweek games and a pair of byes. In fact, in 2004 UConn played on every day of the week except for Sunday and Tuesday. These schedules stand in sharp contrast to the 2003 season when UConn was one of just eight teams in the nation to play its 12 regular season games consecutively with no byes.
FINALLY FAMILIAR FACES
Now in its fourth year as a Division I-A program and its second as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, UConn’s schedule is starting to take on an air of familiarity that hasn’t existed since the Huskies left the Atlantic 10 Conference after the 1999 season. Of the 11 opponents on the 2005 schedule, UConn has previously faced 10 of them (all but Liberty). Each of the first three seasons at a I-A level brought an annual barrage of new faces to the Husky slate. Of the 36 games played by UConn from 2002-04, 16 of them inaugurated a new series. UConn went 10-6 in those contests, including its historic 39-10 win over Toledo in the Motor City Bowl. Prior to the year 2000 when UConn began its transition to I-A status, Rutgers was the only current BIG EAST team that UConn had ever faced and even that series lay dormant from 1983-2001.
WISHING IT WAS A DIRTY DOZEN
The NCAA schedule reverts back to 12 games for the 2006 season, news which will be welcomed by the Huskies. The NCAA permits only 11 game regular seasons in 2005. In the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons, UConn used its 12th game to post a monumental win. On Nov. 23, 2002, UConn posted a 37-20 win over bowl-bound Iowa State on Senior Day in Ames. On Nov. 15, 2003, the Huskies found more Week 12 magic with a 51-17 rout of Wake Forest, again on the road. The 2004 season was set up for 11 games but the Huskies earned a 12th opportunity to take the field by securing its first ever bowl berth and seized victory, topping Toledo, 39-10, in the Motor City Bowl on Dec. 27, 2004. The Huskies would of course gladly welcome a 12th contest added to the 2005 season as it would come in a bowl game.
START ME UP
September 1 equaled the third-earliest starting date in UConn football’s 107-year history. UConn also started its 2001 season on Sept. 1, falling to No. 9 Virginia Tech, 52-10, in Blacksburg. UConn’s earliest opener came on Aug. 30, 2003 when the Huskies inaugurated Rentschler Field with a 34-10 win over Indiana.
SYMPATHY FOR THE SCHEDULE
Allowing a young team to benefit from three bye weeks, UConn will play the longest regular-season schedule in the nation this year, covering the full 94-day regular season playing period permitted by the NCAA. September 1 is the first permissible playing date for Division I-A football, while UConn is also scheduled to play on the last permissible regular season date when the Huskies welcome Louisville to Rentschler Field on Dec. 3. UConn is the only team in the nation to have a regularly scheduled game on both the first and last days of the season. However, Houston, Marshall, South Carolina, Tulsa, UCF, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest can potentially match UConn’s 94-day regular season. All open their 2005 seasons on Sept. 1 and would also play on Dec. 3 should they advance to their respective conference’s championship games.
