University of Connecticut Athletics
Checking Out The Dome
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
STORRS, Conn. (Nov. 11, 2008) – Here are the UConn football notes for the Huskies game this Saturday against Syracuse.
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH RANDY EDSALL
A semifinalist for the 2007 Bryant and Munger Coach of the Year Awards, Randy Edsall has tackled the challenge of bringing a former NCAA Division I-AA team up to par with the BIG EAST in a brief 10-year span head on, guiding the Huskies to the 2007 BIG EAST Championship and its first two bowl games.
He has compiled a 56-58 career record in his 10th season at UConn, including wins in 45 of UConn’s last 72 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. 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. He was inducted into the York Area Sports Hall of Fame.
SYRACUSE COACH GREG ROBINSON
Greg Robinson is in his fourth season as the head coach at Syracuse. Prior to taking over the Orange program, he served as the co-defensive coordinator at Texas in 2004 and was in the NFL as an assistant coach from 1990 through 2003 with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. While he was with the Broncos, the team won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
He also served collegiate assistant coaching stints at Pacific (1975-76), Cal State-Fullerton (1977-79), North Carolina State (1980-81) and UCLA (1982-89).
Robinson is a 1975 graduate of Pacific and was a center, tight end and linebacker at the school.
RADIO & TV COVERAGE
TV COVERAGE
The UConn vs. Syracuse game will be televised on ESPNU. Clay Matvick is on play-by-play while David Diaz-Infante is the color announcer and Steve Melton is the producer.
RADIO COVERAGE
For the 16th 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 Kevin Nathan on the sidelines and Eric Davis on production.
The UConn pregame show begins 90 minutes prior to kickoff and is hosted by Bob Joyce, while at home games, the UConn Tailgate Show will air two and a half hours prior to the game with Arnold Dean.
The UConn Football Radio Network also includes WILI 1400-AM in Willimantic, WINE 940-AM in Danbury and WPUT-1510 AM in Brewster, N.Y. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com.
SERIES NOTES
HUSKIES VS. SYRACUSE ALL-TIME
Saturday’s game is the fifth meeting all-time between UConn and Syracuse with the series dating back to UConn joining the BIG EAST Conference in 2004. The home team has won each of the previous four meetings with the series split at 2-2.
Last season, UConn was ranked No. 25 in the country and defeated Syracuse by a 30-7 score at Rentschler Field on Nov. 17. Quarterback Tyler Lorenzen threw for 213 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies picked up their ninth win of the season and completed a perfect 7-0 home season.
In UConn’s last trip to Syracuse, the Orange topped UConn, 20-14, on Nov. 18, 2006 at the Carrier Dome, as three interceptions helped undo the Huskies. UConn downed Syracuse, 26-7, on Oct. 7, 2005 at Rentschler Field and dropped a frustrating 42-30 decision on Oct. 30, 2004 at the Carrier Dome. That 2004 game saw the Huskies rack up 566 yards of total offense but shoot themselves in the foot with five turnovers. Dan Orlovsky set a UConn and Carrier Dome record with his 445 passing yards in the contest.
SYRACUSE CONN-ECTIONS
UConn head coach Randy Edsall is a 1980 Syracuse graduate and served as an assistant coach for the Orange from 1980-90. Edsall’s wife, Eileen, is also a Syracuse graduate who played basketball and volleyball there...UConn running backs coach Terry Richardson played for Syracuse from 1989-93 and was given the honor of wearing the coveted number 44 as a senior...UConn defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos was a graduate assistant coach for Syracuse during the 1992 and 1993 seasons...UConn strength and conditioning coordinator Jerry Martin is a 1978 Syracuse graduate and a four-year letterman for the Orange...Orange wide receivers coach Chris White was a GA at Syracuse during the 1992-93 seasons when Terry Richardson played there. His first season at Syracuse, 1990, was also Edsall’s final year there as an assistant. White was followed as GA at Syracuse by current Husky DB’s mentor Scott Lakatos. White’s uncle, Gerry White, lettered at UConn from 1960-62 and holds the record for longest run in school history with his 99-yard TD scamper against Rhode Island on Nov. 12, 1960...Syracuse operations director Desmond Robinson was an assistant at UConn from 1982-87. He also coached at West Virginia from 1988-91 and 1995-96 alongside current Husky tight ends coach Dave McMichael....The Huskies have six native New Yorkers -- Brandon Dillon is from Rochester, Rob Lunn and Kevin Poles are from Penfield in the Rochester area, Yianni Apostolakos is from Pittsford, also near Rochester...Terry Balimore is from Central Nyack and Mike Cox is from West Hempstead. The Orange do not have any Connecticut natives on their roster.
SQUAD NOTES
HUSKIES ARE BOWL ELIGIBLE
With the win over Cincinnati on Oct. 25, UConn now has six victories on the season and is “bowl eligible”. UConn makes the mark for the fourth time in the past six seasons. In 2003, UConn was 9-3, but did not go to a bowl because of its independent status. In 2004, the Huskies went 7-4 in the regular season and played in the Motor City Bowl and last year, UConn was 9-3 in the regular season and went on to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
HUSKIES MAKE NATIONAL POLLS
Connecticut earned a spot in both national polls on Sunday, Sept. 28 following its win at Louisville. UConn was ranked 23rd in the USA Today coaches’ poll and 24th in the Associated Press poll. The Huskies fell out of both polls following the loss to North Carolina.
In the latest set of polls, UConn is receiving eight points in the USA Today poll. During the 2008 season, UConn has been ranked in the AP top 25 one week and have received votes in six of the other 11 polls. In the USA Today poll, UConn has been ARV in every week but one.
UConn earned its first national rankings last year as it appeared in four AP polls: 16 on Oct. 28, 16 on Nov. 14, 25 on Nov. 11 and 20 on Nov. 18. It also appeared in three USA Today polls: 20 on Oct. 28, 16 on Nov. 4 and 21 on Nov. 18.
HUSKIES WHEN RANKED
UConn is 2-3 all-time when it is ranked nationally in the Associated Press poll after its loss to North Carolina.
UConn made its debut as a ranked team on Nov. 3, 2007 when the Huskies downed Rutgers, 38-19, at Rentschler Field. At the time, UConn was ranked No. 16 by the AP and No. 20 by the coaches.
The Huskies lost, 27-3, on Nov. 10, 2007 at Cincinnati when they were ranked No. 16 in both polls.
UConn was ranked No. 25 by the AP for its win over Syracuse on Nov. 17, 2007 and was ranked No. 20 entering its loss at West Virginia on Nov. 24, 2007.
FASTEST FROM DIVISION I-AA TO THE POLLS
SCHOOL I-A DEBUT FIRST RANKING
Marshall 1997 Two years, four weeks (9/12/99)
CONNECTICUT 2002 Five years, 10 weeks (10/28/07)
South Florida 2001 Six years, three weeks (9/9/07)
Boise State 1996 Six years, 13 weeks (11/10/02)
UCONN HONORED BY AFCA FOR GRADUATION RATE
The University of Connecticut football program has been honored by the American Football Coaches Association for its graduation of student-athletes as part of its Academic Achievement Award program. This recognition is the fourth time in the past six years that the UConn program has been honored. UConn was also recognized by the AFCA in 2003, ’05 and ’07.
The Academic Achievement Award program was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The awards recognize CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institutions with high graduation rates among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award and conduct a graduation rate survey that encompassed all members of the FBS.
This year's award marks the first time the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) formula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007 the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and the AFCA.
HUSKIES VS. THE BIG EAST
UConn owns an all-time mark of 13-18 in BIG EAST Conference games since joining the league for football in 2004.
The Huskies posted their best conference record with a 5-2 mark in 2007 after tallying a combined mark of 6-14 over their first three seasons in the league.
HUSKIES ON THE BIG EAST ROAD
UConn owns an all-time mark of 3-12 in BIG EAST Conference road games, since joining the league in 2004, after the win at Louisville and the loss at Rutgers.
The Huskies posted a 1-2 mark in BIG EAST road games in 2007 with a win over Pittsburgh and losses at West Virginia and Pittsburgh.
HUSKIES ON THE ROAD SINCE 2002
The Huskies have put together a 14-21 road record since 2002.
In non-conference road affairs over that same span, Connecticut has posted a mark of 12-9 and has won four of its last six such games, including this season’s win against Temple.
The Huskies posted a 1-1 mark in non-conference road games in 2008 with a win at Temple and a loss at North Carolina. Last year, UConn won at Duke but had a loss at Virginia.
In 2006, the Huskies won at Indiana and in 2005 they defeated Army and lost at Georgia Tech.
HUSKIES VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES SINCE 2002
Connecticut boasts a 33-15 record against non-conference opponents in the regular season since making the move to Division I-A in 2002.
The Huskies have won eight of their last 10 non-league games overall with the only blemishes coming via a one-point loss at Virginia (17-16) in 2007 and the loss to North Carolina this year.
UConn has posted the following records in non-conference games: 6-6 (2002), 9-3 (2003), 4-1 (2004), 3-1 (2005), 3-2 (2006), 4-1 (2007), 4-1 (2008).
HUSKIES UNDER THE LIGHTS
After defeating Baylor on Sept. 19 at Rentschler Field, the Huskies are boasting an all-time mark of 10-3 when playing under the lights at Rentschler Field.
The Huskies have won each of their last six night games played at Rentschler Field with wins over Rutgers, Louisville, Hofstra, Maine, Virginia and Baylor during the stretch.
Connecticut last dropped a home night game on Oct. 20, 2006 against West Virginia.
HOME SWEET HOME
The loss to West Virginia on Nov. 1 at Rentschler Field ended an 11-game home winning streak for the Huskies. UConn had won those 11 games by an average margin of 20.5 ppg.
The Huskies joined the 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers in 2007 as the only teams in BIG EAST history to ever record a perfect 7-0 home record.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COACH EDSALL
Wednesday, August 27 marked head coach Randy Edsall’s 50th birthday. Much like his team the past few seasons, Edsall is young but experienced as he enters his 10th year at the helm of the UConn program at just 50 years old.
He is tied for the 12th longest tenured FBS coach at his current job.
In addition to Edsall, Clemson’s Tommy Bowden, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (a UConn graduate), Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville were all hired for their current jobs heading into the 1999 season.
The entire nation of course trails Joe Paterno who is in his 43rd year as head coach at Penn State.
LONG ROAD AHEAD
For the third time in four years, UConn is playing on both the first and last permissible playing dates in a season.
The Huskies started off the Thursday before Labor Day (Aug. 28) with a 35-3 win against Hofstra and will finish up on the first Saturday of December (Dec. 6) when they play host to Pittsburgh.
UConn is one of three teams nationally facing this type of schedule along with Cincinnati and Troy.
Several teams can join the Huskies, Bearcats and Trojans if they reach their respective conference championship games.
UConn also went the distance in 2005 and 2006. In each case UConn won its opener defeating Buffalo in 2005 and Rhode Island in 2006, but lost its finale, falling twice to Louisville.
HUSKIES IN TEAM NCAA STATISTICS
Here’s the categories where UConn is in the top 30 in the latest NCAA statistics:
Rushing Offense 20th at 203.56 (Second in BIG EAST)
Passing Defense 29th at 184.22 (Second in BIG EAST)
Pass Eff. Def. 21st at 108.52 (Second in BIG EAST)
Total Defense 27th at 306.11 (Third in BIG EAST)
Scoring Defense 24th at 19.11 (Third in BIG EAST)
Interceptions t27th with 12 (Tied for first in BIG EAST)
Sacks Allowed t9th at 1.00 (First in BIG EAST)
TOUGH SLATE IN 2008 FOR HUSKIES
Three of UConn’s non-conference opponents this fall were members of BCS Conferences as the Huskies defeated Virginia of the ACC and Baylor of the Big 12. but lost to North Carolina of the ACC.
UConn is one of just three schools who are members of a BCS conference to play three fellow BCS conference members out of league, joining Baylor and Wake Forest.
BIG EAST COACHES TAB HUSKIES SIXTH
Despite UConn earning a share of the conference title in 2007 and returning a total of 35 lettermen and 19 starters from that championship squad, the BIG EAST coaches have tabbed the Huskies to finish sixth in the preseason poll.
Connecticut garnered a total of 97 points, just one shy of fifth-place choice Cincinnati (96) and 28 in front of seventh-place Louisville (69).
West Virginia (189), USF (149) and Pittsburgh (128) were ranked 1-3 according to the preseason list.
UConn will be hoping for a repeat of 2007, when it was able to prove the prognosticators wrong by capturing a piece of the league crown after being selected to finish seventh in the conference in the preseason by the coaches.
HUSKIES IN THE NFL
UConn currently has six former players that are currently on NFL rosters.
The veterans of the group are both entering their fourth year in the league. Quarterback Dan Orlovsky is in his fourth year with the Detroit Lions and has started four games this season although he is now out with an injury .Linebacker Alfred Fincher is in his first year with the Washington Redskins after playing his first three years with New Orleans.
Fullback Deon Anderson is in his second year with the Dallas Cowboys after starting four games for the team last year before an injury ended his season.
UConn currently has three rookies on NFL rosters: offensive lineman Donald Thomas with the Miami Dolphins – a sixth round draft pick who started opening day but suffered a season-ending injury -- and defensive back Tyvon Branch of the Oakland Raiders – a fourth round pick who has made 10 tackles in the first 10 weeks of the season and has also had an interception. Danny Lansanah was a free agent signee of the Green Bay Packers last year and was placed on the 53-man roster on Oct. 7 and has played in two games this year. Defensive tackle Dan Davis was in camp with the Indianapolis Colts, but was released.
HUSKIES IN THE CFL
In addition, there are six former Huskies that played in the Canadian Football League this year – O’Neill Wilson (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and Jordan Younger (Edmonton Eskimos), who were both fifth-year players in the league.
Maurice Lloyd (Saskatchewan Roughriders) was is in his third year with the team after earning a Grey Cup ring with the team last year; Terry Caulley (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) was in his second year; Shawn Mayne (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), in his second year and Larry Taylor (Montreal Alouettes) was a rookie.
Younger and the Eskimos won a first-round play game this past weekend over Mayne and his Winnipeg team. Lloyd’s Roughriders lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Next weekend, Taylor and Montreal play Edmonton in the East Finals.
SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Each week head coach Randy Edsall issues an award for the Scout Team Players of the Week.
In recognition of their often-overlooked hard work, those players earn a spot on the Husky travel squad and the dress list for that week’s game. The weekly honorees are listed below.
HOFSTRA
Ben Chapman (offense), Dwayne Gratz (defense), Sio Moore (special teams).
TEMPLE
Corey Manning (offense), Ryan Wirth (defense), Jerome Williams (special teams).
VIRGINIA
Erik Kuraczea (offense), Blidi Wreh-Wilson (defense), Jerome Junior (special teams).
BAYLOR
Isiah Moore (offense), Beau Brunelli (defense), Dwayne Gratz (special teams).
LOUISVILLE
Joss Tillard (offense), Sio Moore (defense), Jerome Williams (special teams).
NORTH CAROLINA
Adam Masters (offense), Sio Moore (defense), Blidi Wreh-Wilson (special teams).
RUTGERS
Jimmy Bennett (offense), Beau Brunelli (defense), Mark Hinkley (special teams).
CINCINNATI
Corey Manning (offense), Ryan Wirth (defense), Dwayne Gratz (special teams).
WEST VIRGINIA
Adam Masters (offense), Ryan Wirth (defense), Dwayne Gratz (special teams).
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. The 2008 recipients are listed below.
HOFSTRA
Donald Brown (offense), Cody Brown (defense), Robbie Frey (special teams).
TEMPLE
Donald Brown (offense), Darius Butler (defense), Jasper Howard (special teams).
VIRGINIA
Will Beatty, Moe Petrus, Keith Gray, Mike Hicks, Zac Hurd, Steve Brouse, Anthony Sherman, Anthony Davis (offense), Scott Lutrus (defense), Desi Cullen (special teams).
BAYLOR
Donald Brown (offense), Jasper Howard (defense), Robbie Frey (special teams).
LOUISVILLE
Darius Butler (offense), Lawrence Wilson (defense), Desi Cullen (special teams).
CINCINNATI
Donald Brown (offense), Cody Brown, Robert McClain (defense), Dave Teggart (special teams).
ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS:
Donald Brown (6), Darius Butler (5), Cody Brown (5), Andre Dixon (3), Scott Lutrus (3), William Beatty (3), Desi Cullen (3), Steve Brouse (2), Robbie Frey (2), Keith Gray (2), D.J. Hernandez (2), Jasper Howard (2), Mike Hicks (2), Lawrence Wilson (2), Terry Baltimore, Tony Ciaravino, Anthony Davis, Dahna Deleston, Alex LaMagdelaine, Tyler Lorenzen, Rob Lunn, Robert McClain, Moe Petrus, Anthony Sherman, Dave Teggart.
UCONN ASSISTANTS KNOW HOW THE “HEAD” GUY FEELS
Three members of Connecticut’s coaching staff boast head coaching experience from previous stops in their coaching career.
Offensive Coordinator Rob Ambrose was the head coach at Catholic University (Washington, D.C.) in 2001 just prior to his arrival at UConn in 2002.
Offensive line coach Mike Foley was the head man at Colgate from 1987-92 and current Director of Football Operations Tim Pendergast served as head coach at Cornell from 2001-03 and Hamilton College (N.Y.) in 2000.
HUSKIES NINE WINS IN 2007 NEAR 109-YEAR MARK
UConn’s 9-4 record in 2007 tied for the second-winningest season in the school’s 109 years of football.
UConn won a school-record 10 games in 1998 as it advanced to the Division I-AA Quarterfinals.
The Huskies also won nine games in 2003. UConn had previously won eight games in a season six times (1901, 1973, 1986, 1989, 1995 and 2004).
HUSKIES ON THE REBOUND
UConn is now 18-11 in games following a loss since Oct. 26, 2002, with its 35-3 win over Hofstra on August 28, the 12-10 loss to Rutgers on October 18 and last Saturday’s win over Cincinnati.
The Huskies posted a 3-1 in such games in 2007. The Huskies downed Duke to open the 2007 season on the heels of a three-game losing skid to end the 2006 campaign. 
The team later beat Louisville six days after losing at Virginia on Oct. 13. The Huskies downed Syracuse, 30-7 on Nov. 17 a week after losing at Cincinnati. UConn went 4-4 following a loss in 2006.
EDSALL ERA HITS THE CENTURY MARK
Connecticut’s win over USF on Oct. 27, 2007 was the 100th game in Randy Edsall’s 10-year tenure as head coach at Connecticut.Edsall (114 games) is the fourth coach to lead the Huskies into 100 career games, joining J.O. Christian (121), Tom Jackson (119) and Robert Ingalls (106).
On a national level, his 10-year tenure at UConn is tied for the 13th-longest tenure at his current school of any coach at an active FBS school.
Within the BIG EAST, only USF’s Jim Leavitt at 12 years has been in his current position longer than Edsall.
EDSALL HITS 50-WIN MARK - AND COUNTING....
Randy Edsall currently owns a 56-58 career record at UConn, including a 47-34 (.580) mark through the first 81 games of UConn’s tenure at the FBS (Division I-A) level. By beating Syracuse on Nov. 17, 2007, for his 50th win at UConn, Edsall became just the third Husky mentor to ever win 50 games at the school, joining J.O. Christian (66) and Tom Jackson (62).
BALL CONTROL IS THE KEY
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 63 scoring drives of at least 80 yards while the Husky defense has surrendered just 34 such marches.
UConn also holds a 16-5 advantage over its opponents in the number of 90-yard and over drives since becoming a I-A program.
HUSKIES DOMINATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL
Over the past 72 games, UConn has outgained its opponent 47 times, including six of nine games in 2008.
This stretch, like many UConn trends, dates back to a disheartening 28-24 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 26, 2002.
CONNECTICUT’S FOUR CAPTAINS
The UConn team selected four team captains for the 2008 season, Darius Butler, Donald Brown, Tyler Lorenzen and D.J. Hernandez. Butler and Hernandez will be serving as captains for the second season, after also holding the responsibility during their junior campaigns.
OFFENSE NOTES
BROWN LEADS THE NATION IN RUSHING
UConn junior running back Donald Brown currently leads the nation in rushing yards at 156.22 yards per game.
Javon Ringer of Michigan State is second at 140.73 per game and Shonn Greene of Iowa is next at 137.40. The next BIG EAST Conference performer is LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh who is 13th at 115.89.
Brown is also tied for ninth in the country in scoring at 10.00 points per game. He is eighth in all-purpose running at 168.78..
Donald Brown is the leading rusher and scorer in the BIG EAST, is seventh in total offense and also first in all purpose yards (168.8) per game.
BROWN AND THE HUSKY  CAREER RECORD BOOKS
Here is a summary of where Donald Brown, still a junior, is in the Husky career records books.
His 30 rushing touchdowns places him third in school history. Wilbur Gilliard (1992-95) leads the way with 34 and Terry Caulley (2002-06) is second with 31.
Brown now has 3,123 career rushing yards, which is second in school history. Caulley is the leader with 3,187 and Brown now needs 65 yards to break the record.
Brown now has 585 career rushing attempts, which places himfirst in school history. Caulley was the previous leader with 570.
BROWN SETS SINGLE SEASON RUSHING MARK
Here is a summary of where Donald Brown is in the Husky single-season records books for 2007.
His 1,406 yards of rushing is already the UConn single-season record -- topping the mark of 1,262 set by Tory Taylor in 1995.
His 15 rushing touchdowns is tied for the third-highest in single-season history. Walt Trojanowski is the leader with 22 in 1945.
His 254 carries this year is the second-highest in school history while Eric Torkelson leads the way with 276 in 1973.
In the win over Temple on Sept. 6, his 36 carries was the fourth-highest total in school single-game history while his 214 yards was the ninth-highest.
BROWN IS SEMIFINALIST FOR MAXWELL AWARD
Donald Brown was named one of 15 semifinalists for the 72nd Annual Maxwell Award, given annually to the Collegiate Player of the Year by the Maxwell Club of Roslyn, Pa. The announcement of the winner of the Maxwell Award will be made during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN on Thur., December 11, 2008. Three finalists for the award will be in attendance for the ESPN broadcast.
The complete list of semifinalists include: Sam Bradford, So., QB, Oklahoma; Donald Brown, Jr., RB, Connecticut; Darryl Clark, Sr., QB, Penn State, Michael Crabtree, So., WR, Texas Tech; Chase Daniel, Sr., QB, Missouri, Shonn Greene, Jr., RB, Iowa; Graham Harrell, Sr., QB, Texas Tech; Jeremy Maclin, So., WR, Missouri, Colt McCoy, Jr, QB, Texas; LeSean McCoy, So., RB, Pittsburgh; Knowshon Moreno, So., RB, Georgia; Javon Ringer, Sr., RB, Michigan State; Zac Robinson, JR., QB, Oklahoma State; Mark Sanchez, Jr., QB, USC; Tim Tebow, Jr., QB, Florida.
BROWN FOR 100, BROWN FOR 200
Donald Brown has rushed for 100 yards in eight of nine games this season and 14 in his career.
He has rushed for 200 yards in two games this year (214 vs. Temple and 206 vs. Virginia) and now has three 200-yard rushing games, the other vs. Pittsburgh in 2006 with 205.
BROWN HONORED BY BIG EAST
For his effort against Virginia, Donald Brown was honored by the BIG EAST as the league’s offensive player of the week. In the first two weeks of the season, Brown was named to the weekly honor roll and he was also named in the fourth week for his performance against Baylor, the fifth week for his effort vs. Louisville and also the sixth week for his game against UNC.
BROWN AND MULTIPLE TDS
Donald Brown rushed for two touchdowns in UConn’s wins over Baylor on Sept. 19 and Cincinnati on Oct. 25. He has now rushed for multiple TDs in eight games during his career, including four vs. Hofstra in the ‘08 opening and three vs. Virginia two weeks later.
TWO-WAY DARIUS
UConn senior cornerback Darius Butler had been working with the Huskies’ offensive unit during spring drills and also through fall camp. He has seen time on offense in the past five games and against North Carolina he started on both offense and defense. He did suffer a knee injury against West Virginia and is out for an extended period of time.
He now has eight receptions on the year for 107 yards and a TD. In the win over Louisville, he earned the UConn’s offensive game ball, as he made three receptions for 40 yards -- including the first TD reception of his career. That catch was a 13-yard reception from QB Zach Frazer, which was also the first TD throw of his collegiate career. The score came with 4:19 left in the third quarter to make it 21-17 Louisville.
Against Virginia, he carried the ball one time for a 13-yard TD run in the second quarter. Butler also had two receptions for 40 yards, including a 29-yarder. On defense, he made four tackles with half a tackle for a loss.
He was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll for those efforts.
In the win over Baylor, he made two catches for 24 yards on offense, had four tackles and also had two kickoff returns for 47 yards.
HERNANDEZ HAS CAREER HIGHS
UConn senior wide receiver and captain D.J. Hernandez was the Huskies leading receiver against North Carolina with seven receptions for 103 yards -- both career highs. It marked the first time a Husky receiver had 100 yards of receiving in a game since Keron Henry (109) in the 2004 Motor City Bowl against Toledo.
Prior to the UNC game, Hernandez had made just four receptions for 58 yards in the Huskies’ first five games.
GAULDEN BACK IN ACTION
UConn senior wide receiver Ellis Gaulden tallied a career-high 62 yards against Hofstra on four catches. He was also tied for the team lead in receptions with two against Temple.
Gaulden has had an often-injured career with knee issues as he missed the first three games of 2007, the entire 2006 season and played in just one game in 2005.
Gaulden entered the Hofstra game with five career receptions for 29 yards. He almost doubled his reception number and did double his yardage number.
A versatile athlete, Gaulden is a two-time BIG EAST Conference high jump champion.
MOORE IS ONE OF THREE LEADING RECEIVERS
Redshirt freshman Kashif Moore is one of three leading receivers on the team this year with 19 catches for 208 yards for an average of 23.1 yards of receiving per game.
Moore had four receptions in his first college game vs. Hofstra and then had three against Virginia.
Moore, a native of Burlington, N.J., was a second team All-State player as a senior at Burlington Township High School and a two-time All-conference pick.
ENDRES MAKES FIRST STARTS AT QB
Cody Endres made his first collegiate start in the win over Cincinnati on October 25 at quarterback. The redshirt freshman became UConn’s third starting quarterback of 2008 after injuries to Tyler Lorenzen (foot) and Zach Frazer (head).
Endres was 18 of 42 in the air for 196 yards and did not throw an interception.
He also started the West Virginia game and was 17 of 37 for 166 yards.
FRAZER MAKES COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Zach Frazer made his collegiate debut in UConn’s win over Louisville at quarterback for the Huskies. He came into the game late in the first half after starting QB Tyler Lorenzen suffered a broken foot.
Frazer started the North Carolina and Rutgers games for the Huskies at quarterback before suffering a head injury. He originally attended Notre Dame in 2006 and did not play for the Fighting Irish. He sat out last season as a transfer at UConn and finally returned to the playing field against Louisville.
He was eight of 15 in the air for 90 yards and a touchdown -- despite not having played in an organized football game since his high school senior year of 2005 in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
He had his best passing numbers vs. Rutgers with 236 yards and a touchdown.
FROM IOWA TO CONNECTICUT VIA SAN DIEGO
Tyler Lorenzen took a circuitous route to being named UConn’s starting quarterback before breaking his foot in the Louisville game. The native Iowan and first-team All-State quarterback signed with Iowa State out of high school. The Cyclones tried to switch him to wide receiver. Lorenzen, wanting to play quarterback, transferred to Palomar Community College near San Diego where he was named a first-team JuCo All-American in 2006. Lorenzen joined UConn in January and was named the starting quarterback on August 14.
DEFENSE NOTES
WILSON HONORED BY BIG EAST
Husky sophomore linebacker Lawrence Wilson had a career moment on Sept. 26 when he returned an interception 45-yards for the winning touchdown against Louisville. He was honored by the BIG EAST as the Defensive Player of the Week.
Wilson leads the Huskies in interceptions this year with three and is second in the BIG EAST at 0.38 per game. He is 39th in the country in interceptions.
He is second on the Husky team in tackles with 46. He has started all 21 games of his UConn career after being redshirted in 2006.
DEFENSE DOESN’T LET TURNOVERS PAY
Although the UConn offense committed five turnovers in the opening win over Hofstra, the Husky defense only allowed three points to be scored off those turnovers.
The UConn defense forced a punt, got the ball back on downs, had an interception and the game ended on the other possessions after turnovers.
In the Temple game, the Husky defense only allowed three field goals.
In the win vs. Virginia, UConn gave up its first TD of the year in the 12th quarter of the season.
In the win vs. Baylor, UConn gave up its first passing TD of the year in the 13th quarter of the year. It also marked the first TD that the UConn defense gave up coming off a turnover.
Against Louisville, UConn had one turnover, but the Husky defense then forced a three and out.
That trend changed in the North Carolina game when the Huskies had three interceptions and the Tar Heels converted them to two TDs.
There were no turnovers by either team in the Rutgers game.
In the win vs. Cincinnati, the Bearcats had six turnovers and the Huskies scored on three of them -- two field goals and a touchdown.
The trend went backwards agaisnt vs. West Virginia as UConn had five turnovers (three int., two fumbles) and the Mountaineers scored three touchdowns on those TOs.
DEFENSE AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
UConn’s defensive unit was amongst the best in the nation in 2007 and continues to be this year. In 2008, the UConn scoring defense is ranked 24th in the country and second in the BIG EAST at 19.11 points per game and is 27th in the nation and third in the BIG EAST in total defense, giving up just 306.11 yards per game.
LUTRUS LEADS THE WAY
UConn sophomore Scott Lutrus currently leads the Huskies in tackles with 72 and also had an interception and five pass break-ups this year.
He had 12 tackles vs. Temple and was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll. Lutrus also led UConn in tackles in the win vs. Virginia with six and had 10 tackles and 2.5 for a loss in the win over Baylor. He led UConn with nine tackles in Saturday’s win over Cincinnati.
As a redshirt freshman last year, he make an immediate impact at the strongside linebacker post in 2007. He was third on the squad with 107 tackles, eight of which were for a loss.
He also had four interceptions on the year, returning two for touchdowns to tie both UConn’s season and career records. Lutrus’ four interceptions in 2007 tied for the most in the nation by a linebacker.
YOUTH ON DEFENSE
The Husky defense is a young group as it develops into one of the top units in the country and the BIG EAST.
Of UConn’s top seven tacklers this season, four are in their second year of eligibility (Jasper Howard, Scott Lutrus, Greg Lloyd, Lawrence Wilson) while another is in his third (Robert Vaughn). The only two seniors among UConn’s top six tacklers are Cody Brown and Dahna Deleston.
CODY BROWN IS BIG EAST SACK LEADER
Husky senior defensive end Cody Brown has eight sacks on the season for a total loss of 57 yards. He is first in the BIG EAST in that category.
He is fourth in the BIG EAST in total tackles for loss (1.17 per game).
Brown has played in 38 games over the past four seasons and was the first true freshman at UConn during its FBS era to start on either the offensive or defensive line.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
TEGGART HASIMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Dave Teggart made his collegiate debut on Oct. 25 as the Huskies’ kicker and was an impressive four-for-four on field goals and also made four extra point attempts.
Teggart was honored as the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts and received the Special Teams game ball.
Teggart hit on field goals of 26, 47, 32 and 22 yards. The 47-yarder was even more impressive considering it was kicked into a strong Rentschler Field wind.
The four field goals tied a UConn single-game record with five other Husky kickers -- the most recent being Matt Nuzie against Toledo in the 2004 Motor City Bowl.
He also hit a pair of field goals against West Virginia of 36 and 38 yards.
STADIUM/ATTENDANCE NOTES
RENTSCHLER FIELD
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, the home of the Huskies lies on 75 acres of land donated to the State of Connecticut from the historic Pratt & Whitney Airfield.
The stadium, like the former airfield, is named for that company’s founder, Frederick Rentschler. The stadium boasts a capacity of 40,000 with 38 luxury suites in a massive press box tower which helps enclose the natural grass field. 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, one by the Rolling Stones and one by The Police. 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.
Players Mentioned
