University of Connecticut Athletics
Louisville Tops UConn 48-17 In Football Season Finale
12/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (December 2, 2006) – Junior quarterback Brian Brohm passed for 341 yards and four touchdowns as Louisville rolled for 562 yards of total offense to post a 48-17 victory over the University of Connecticut football team before a crowd of 38,476 at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
UConn concludes its season with a 4-8 record and a 1-6 mark in BIG EAST play while Louisville is 11-1 overall and 6-1 in the BIG EAST and awaits its bowl fate.
Husky redshirt freshman Donald Brown II (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) was the leading rusher in the game with 21 carries for 122 yards – marking his fourth 100-yard performance of the season and the third in his five BIG EAST starts.
Brohm’s three favorite targets on the day all had five receptions. Junior Harry Douglas had 149 yards of receiving and two touchdowns. Gary Barnidge had 88 yards for one score while Mario Urrutia had 78 yards.
Louisville posted 350 yards of total offense in the first half alone and set the tempo for the game early as it marched 65 yards on 11 plays in the opening drive of the game as Anthony Allen rushed for a one-yard score.
Husky senior quarterback Matt Bonislawski (Natrona Heights, Pa.)played his final career game and was seven of 19 in the air.
Senior running back Terry Caulley (Lusby, Md.), UConn's all-time leading rusher, ended his career with a one-yard TD run with 2:40 left in the game. He had six carries for 37 yards on the day.
UConn sophomore kicker Tony Ciaravino (Boca Raton, Fla.) scored the first Husky points of the game on a 21-yard field goal with 6:59 left in the opening quarter. UConn gained possession of the ball on the Cardinal eight after a fumbled punt, but the Huskies could only gain four yards.
Louisville got its margin back to seven on its next drive as junior Art Carmody kicked a 37-yard field goal with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
The Cardinals scored on a 67-yard TD pass from Brohm to Douglas with 11:08 left in the second quarter to make it 17-3 Louisville, but the Huskies came right back with a touchdown of their own on a 79 yards, six play drive as Brown rushed for 75 of them. Sophomore fullback Lou Allen (Salem, Conn.) picked up the score on a one-yard rush to make it 17-10.
Louisville added a touchdown on a 25-yard pass from Brohm to Douglas and a 22-yard field goal by Carmody completed the first half scoring for a 27-10 halftime lead.
The Cardinals scored the only points of the third quarter on their first possession of the second half on a 11 play-75 yard drive that ended with a five-yard pass from Brohm to Brock Bolen.
Louisville added touchdowns with 13:54 left to go in the game on a three-yard run by Anthony Allen and with 8:40 to go on a 32-yard pass from Brohm to Gary Barnidge.
TEAM NOTES
w Louisville’s 48 points today tie for the most scored against UConn in the Division I-A era. The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes also tallied 48 in a 48-14 win over the Huskies on Oct. 5, 2002 at the Orange Bowl.
w Dan Murray and Anthony Barksdale became the 21st and 22nd different Huskies to start a game on offense this year. Ten of those 22 made their first career starts. In all, 39 different Huskies started a game this season, including nine offensive linemen and eight defensive backs. UConn also used a total of four different place kickers during the season.
w Today’s game marks the first time that a quarterback has thrown for 300 yards against the Huskies since Nov. 1, 2003 when Western Michigan’s Jon Drach threw for 391 in a 41-27 UConn win.
w Today’s game was the sixth time that the Huskies have surrendered a score on the opponents’ opening drive. Last year it happened just twice.
w With injuries mounting, UConn brought just 58 players to Louisville. Only 55 of those players were available for play today discounting injured corner back Jahi Smith (concussion) and fullback Deon Anderson (stinger) along with redshirting quarterback Dennis Brown.
w The Huskies dip to 0-3 all-time against Louisville and 0-2 at PJCS.
w The Huskies are now 1-9 in road BIG EAST play with the one win coming by a 41-35 score at Rutgers on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 25, 2004. Of UConn’s 26 Division I-A losses, 16 have come on the road.
w UConn is 0-10 against ranked teams in the Division I-A era. Checking in at No. 6, U of L is the third-highest ranked team that UConn has faced behind No. 1 Miami (Oct. 5, 2002) and No. 4 West Virginia (Oct. 20, 2006).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
w Donald Brown II’s 100-yard rushing game today is his fourth of the year and the third in his five BIG EAST starts. Four 100-yard rushing games are the most for a Husky since Terry Caulley had seven in 2002.
w Danny Lansanah (left) intercepted his fourth pass of the year, tying backup quarterback Darius Butler for the team lead. It is the sixth of his career.
w Matt Bonislawski’s 35-yard pass to Brad Kanuch early in the third quarter was UConn’s fourth longest passing play of the year. Number two and three are also Bonislawski-Kanuch hookups.
w Brown’s 47-yard second quarter scamper was UConn’s sixth-longest of the year and the longest since Brown ran 65 yards for a touchdown at Rutgers on Oct. 29.
w Tony Ciaravino’s first quarter field goal was the second of his career.
w Chris Pavasaris’ 78-yard first quarter punt was a career-long, topping the 69-yard boot that he had at USF on Oct. 7.
w Senior Dan Murray made his first start of an injury-plagued senior season today as the Huskies opened with a two-tight end package. He had 25 career starts entering the year.
w Sophomore Anthony Barksdale made his first start of the year today in place of an injured Deon Anderson. He started twice a year ago.
w Right tackle Mike Hicks returned to the starting lineup after missing the Syracuse and Cincinnati games with an ankle injury. With his availability, Matt Applebaum returned to his customary left guard post where he started each of the first nine games this year.
