University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies To Battle Flames at Rentschler Field
9/6/2005 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.
LIBERTY HEAD COACH KEN KARCHER
Ken Karcher is 21-36 in his sixth year as head coach at Liberty. A native of Glenshaw, Pa. (suburban Pittsburgh), Karcher attended Notre Dame before transferring to Tulane, graduating in 1986. Karcher spent three seasons as a backup to John Elway and Gary Kubiak with the Denver Broncos, including the 1987 team that advanced to Super Bowl XXII. He has served as a collegiate assistant with Idaho State (1989), North Texas (1991) and Pittsburgh (1993-96). Additionally, Karcher coaches professional players with the World League’s Orlando Thunder (1992) and NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire (1997-99). He helped the Thunder to the World Bowl as offensive coordinator and held the same role as he helped coach the Fire to the 1998 World Bowl Championship and a runner-up spot in 1997.
RADIO TV COVERAGE
NO TELEVISION COVERAGE
The Liberty game will not be televised. On Sept. 17, 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.
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, WICC 600-AM in Bridgeport and WLAD 800-AM in Danbury. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com.
SERIES NOTES
GIVE ME LIBERTY!!!
This game is the first meeting between UConn and Liberty. The Huskies have faced one Division I-AA school in each of its Division I-A seasons, going 3-0 in the previous encounters and 2-0 at Rentschler Field. Last fall, UConn opened the season with a 52-14 win over Murray State on Sept. 4. In 2003, UConn defeated Lehigh, 35-17, on Oct. 4 at Rentschler Field. The 2002 season saw the Huskies roll to a 61-14 win over Florida Atlantic in the penultimate game at Memorial Stadium. FAU has since moved up to the Division I-A level...UConn is 0-1-1 against active members of the Big South Conference, with both games coming against VMI. UConn lost to the Keydets, 13-3, at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 29, 1975 and tied them, 13-13, on Nov. 3, 1979 in Lexington, Va...The Huskies used to compete alongside Virginia’s James Madison and Richmond as members of the Atlantic 10 (formerly Yankee) Conference. The Huskies are 1-4 vs. JMU and 9-1 vs. Richmond all-time. UConn’s last encounter with a Virginia-based team was a 47-13 loss at No. 5 Virginia Tech on Sept. 27, 2003.
LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
UConn has one native Virginian in wide receiver Matt D’Agata of McLean, a graduate of Langley High School. No Flames are Connecticut natives...UConn’s Allan Barnes and Josh Weaver of Liberty were teammates at Bradford County High School in Starke, Fla...Liberty SID Todd Wetmore is a native of Killingworth, Conn.
I WENT DOWN, DOWN, DOWN AND AND THE FLAMES WENT HIGHER
The largest evangelical Christian school in the world, Liberty University was founded in 1971 as Lynchburg (Va.) Baptist College by Dr. Jerry Falwell, who still presides as the school’s chancellor. A minister and founder of the “religious right” political movement, Falwell is also known to journalists as the plaintiff in the landmark 1988 Supreme Court libel case of Falwell v. Flynt. The Flames have played football since 1973, mainly under the guidance of Sam Rutigliano, a UConn assistant from 1964-65. Those two seasons at UConn featured a coaching staff that included three future NFL head coaches in Rutigliano (Cleveland), Lou Holtz (New York Jets) and Rick Forzano (Detroit). Rutigliano compiled a 67-53 record coaching Liberty from 1989-99. In nine of his 11 seasons, the Flames were nationally ranked at some point during the year. Liberty joined the Big South Conference in 2002 after previously competing as an independent. The team was 6-5 last fall with a 3-1 mark in league games. It is the seventh straight year that the Flames have faced at least one Division I-A foe.
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 21-7 record in regular season games (22-7 overall including the Motor City Bowl). The 21 wins are amongst most regular-season wins of any school in the nation over that span. Oklahoma and USC share the national lead with 28, followed by Boise State with 27.
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 29 games, UConn has outgained its opponent 25 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 29 game span, UConn has averaged 453.5 yards per game of total offense and 314.9 yards per game of total defense. In its last 18 games, UConn has eclipsed 500 yards of total offense seven 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 32 scoring drives of at least 80 yards while the Husky defense has surrendered just 15 such marches. UConn also holds a 7-2 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).
Active Career Game Ball Leaders: Cornell Brockington (4), Terry Caulley (4), Larry Taylor (4), James Hargrave (3), Dan Murray (2), Matt Nuzie (2), Jason Williams (2), Allan Barnes, Matt Bonislawski, Shane Hussar, 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
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 four true freshmen saw action against Buffalo (Anthony Barksdale, Cody Brown, Jimmy McClam and Courtney Robinson), 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.
NFL UPDATE
Three former UConn football players have made NFL rosters after a total of six members of the 2004 squad, and eight former Huskies overall, worked their way into NFL training camps this fall. UConn now has 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. Three more Huskies find themselves an injury away from the NFL as they were retained on practice squads. 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 wrist in a preseason game against Baltimore on Aug. 26 but was not put on injured reserve and is expected to make his NFL debut in late September. 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, however, signed to their clubs' practice squads. 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.
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 Hoffman 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.
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 benefiting 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 (36 career starts) and Craig Berry (13 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.
BULL RUSH
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 previous highs of 287 and 50, respectively, both came on Sept. 20, 2003 during a 38-7 win at Buffalo. UConn has 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 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.
LONG DISTANCE CAULLEY
With his 14-carry, 100-yard effort against Buffalo on Sept. 1, Terry Caulley has now reached the century mark in 11 of his 16 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.
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 seven of its last 18 games, UConn has recorded at least 500 yards of total offense. 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 135 of 153 (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.
BALANCE ATTACKED
Head coach Randy Edsall preaches a balanced offensive attack, evenly mixing rushing and passing plays throughout his tenure at UConn. The 2004 season saw UConn trail late in several games and forced the passing play count to swell for the first time since UConn was fully welcomed into Division I-A. Adjusting the 15 sacks allowed (which the NCAA counts as rushes), the Huskies had 479 passing plays to their credit last fall and 406 rushing plays. The 2003 season more closely followed the traditional Edsall offensive pattern. That year, the Huskies attempted 483 passing plays and 463 rushing plays. In 2002, the sum was exactly even with 421 rushing and passing plays attempted.
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 9,752 passing yards over the past three-plus seasons combined (263.6 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 marks 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 had one catch for 15 yards against Buffalo.
QUARTERLY CONSISTENCY
UConn has scored points in 17 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 was 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 38-0 margin was UConn’s most lopsided shutout since blanking Navy, 38-0, on Nov. 16, 2002 in Annapolis…It marks UConn’s first shutout in a home season opener since a 7-0 whitewashing of Vermont on Sept. 23, 1972…The Huskies have not recorded shutout in each of their first two games of a season since 1928 when UConn shut out each of its first seven opponents...UConn now has at least one shutout in three of its four Division I-A seasons, along with the fore mentioned blankings of Navy and Buffalo. UConn has not recorded a shutout in three out of four seasons since 1967-70…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, it is 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…UConn and Iowa were the only schools in the nation to record opening day shutouts. The Hawkeyes (coached by UConn alum Kirk Ferentz) blanked Ball State, 56-0.
IT’S JUST ONE GAME BUT...
UConn presently leads the nation in total, scoring and passing defense while ranking fifth in passing efficiency defense. This was made possible by UConn forcing punts on 11 of Buffalo’s 12 possessions, including eight three-and-outs. The Bulls did not run an offensive play from UConn territory in the entire game.
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 211 career stops, 29.5 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 32 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 (eight career tackles), 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 heading into the Buffalo game. Junior Allan Barnes and sophomore Tyvon Branch have both started games in the past for UConn but will start the season as 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 seven 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 169 punts while booting the ball away just 118 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. Army punted eight times on its 12 possessions against UConn and Pittsburgh eight times on its 16. West Virginia’s six punts against UConn exceeded its season average. 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.
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 ranks 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’ 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.
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 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 nine of their first 14 dates at Rentschler Field and each of the last seven. UConn has played to 96-percent of capacity all-time in East Hartford, drawing 537,485 fans, or an average of 38,392 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 12-2 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.
RATINGS BOOM CONTINUES INTO 2004
UConn made its national television debut on Sept. 17, 2004 at Boston College and, despite a lopsided final score, America took notice. The game drew a 1.54 national cable rating, the second best ever for Friday night college football on ESPN2. The only Friday game to ever top that on the deuce was the 1999 MAC Championship Game when Chad Pennington rallied Marshall from a 23-0 third quarter deficit to beat Western Michigan, 34-30. The overall record for ESPN on a Friday night (excluding bowl games) is the 2.0 recorded by Minnesota and Michigan last Oct. 10 in a game moved at the last minute due to a conflict with a Twins playoff game at the Metrodome. Locally, UConn-BC got a 5.2 cable rating in Hartford and a 2.9 in Boston which are large numbers for a Friday night, especially since it aired opposite a Red Sox-Yankees game. Numbers are courtesy of NCAA/Nielsen Media Research.
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. UConn opened its 2002 season on Aug. 31, dropping a 24-16 decision at Boston College.
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.
