University of Connecticut Athletics
Football Gets Ready For The Bulls
11/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 23, 2008) – Here are the UConn football notes for the Huskies game this Sunday against South Florida -- plus photos of a Sunday morning workout at Raymond James Stadium.
THE COACHES
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 57-58 career record in his 10th season at UConn, including wins in 46 of UConn’s last 73 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.
SOUTH FLORIDA COACH JIM LEAVITT
Jim Leavitt is the only coach in the history of the South Florida program since the team starting playing football in 1997. He has led the Bulls to appearances in three bowl games. Prior to starting the South Florida program, he was an assistant coach at Kansas State from 1990-95.
He is a 1978 graduate from Missouri and played defensive back at the school. He also worked at Iowa (1988 and ‘89), Morningside (1982-87) and Dubuque (1980-81).
RADIO & TV COVERAGE
TV COVERAGE
The UConn vs. South Florida game will be televised on ESPN. Joe Tessitore is on play-by-play while Rod Gilmore is the color announcer and Chris Pfeiffer 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 Kevin Nathan (color commentary) call the action with former Husky Sean Mulcahy on the sidelines and Eric Davis on production. Mulcahy is pictured above at the workout with UConn Special Adviser for Athletics Dee Rowe.
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. SOUTH FLORIDA ALL-TIME
Sunday’s game is the fifth meeting between UConn and South Florida with USF holding a 3-2 edge. UConn holds a 2-1 edge in BIG EAST games with both wins coming at Rentschler Field -- including last year’s 22-15 win on October 27. South Florida was ranked 11th in the country at the time of the game and it marked UConn’s first win over an Associated Press ranked team at the time of the game. The win propelled UConn to a #16 national ranking the following week -- the first in UConn history. The only previous game between the schools in East Hartford was UConn’s other win, a 15-10 decision on Nov. 26, 2005. The teams met for the first time on Oct. 28, 2000 at Memorial Stadium in Storrs with the Bulls taking a 21-13 victory. UConn returned the trip on Oct. 13, 2001 and faced the Bulls at Raymond James Stadium during USF’s inaugural I-A season. The Huskies, still transitioning to I-A, fell 40-21. In 2006, Matt Grothe’s 228 total yards helped the Bulls to a 38-16 win at RJS.
SOUTH FLORIDA CONN-ECTIONS
UConn has nine players from the state of state of Florida...UConn’s Jasper Howard attended Miami’s Edison High School as did USF’s Marc Dile and Brouce Mompremier...USF brothers Keith and Kevin McKaskill attended Tallahassee’s Godby High School with UConn’s Ellis Gaulden.
SQUAD NOTES
HUSKIES ARE BOWL ELIGIBLE
With the win over Cincinnati on Oct. 25, UConn won its sixth game of 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 12 points in the USA Today poll and two in the Associated Press version. During the 2008 season, UConn has been ranked in the AP top 25 one week and have received votes in seven of the other 12 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 14-18 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.
TWO BIG EAST ROAD WINS IS A SEASON HIGH
UConn owns an all-time mark of 4-12 in BIG EAST Conference road games, since joining the league in 2004, after the wins at Louisville and Syracuse and the loss at Rutgers. The 2008 season marks the fist time that UConn won more than one BIG EAST road game.
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 15-21 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 17th at 209.10 (Second in BIG EAST)
Passing Defense 12th at 170.90 (First in BIG EAST)
Pass Eff. Def. 9th at 98.95 (First in BIG EAST)
Total Defense 16th at 290.20 (First in BIG EAST)
Scoring Defense 19th at 18.60 (Second in BIG EAST)
Punt Returns 21st at 12.95 (First in BIG EAST)
Interceptions t11th with 15 (First in BIG EAST)
Sacks t29th with 2.50 (Second in BIG EAST)
Sacks Allowed t10th 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 three 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.
Taylor had an unbelievable playoff game on Saturday as he returned two punts for TDs in the CFL East Division Final in a 36-26 victory over Edmonton. Montreal now plays Calgary for the Grey Cup on Sunday.
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).
SYRACUSE
Casey Turner (offense), Sio Moore (defense), Ryan Griffin (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).
SYRACUSE
Keith Gray (offense), Julius Williams (defense), Robbie Frey (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), Keith Gray (3), Steve Brouse (2), Robbie Frey (2), D.J. Hernandez (2), Jasper Howard (2), Mike Hicks (2), Lawrence Wilson (2), Terry Baltimore, Tony Ciaravino, Anthony Davis, Dahna Deleston, Robbie Frey, Alex LaMagdelaine, Tyler Lorenzen, Rob Lunn, Robert McClain, Moe Petrus, Anthony Sherman, Dave Teggart, Julius Williams.
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 19-11 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 the wins over Cincinnati and Syracuse.
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 (115 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 57-58 career record at UConn, including a 48-34 (.585) mark through the first 82 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 73 games, UConn has outgained its opponent 48 times, including seven of 10 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 153.70 yards per game.
Shonn Greene of Iowa is next at 144.09 and Javon Ringer of Michigan State is third at 140.73 per game and The next BIG EAST Conference performer is LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh who is 12th at 115.89.
Brown is also tied for 13th in the country in scoring at 9.60 points per game. He is tied for ninth in all-purpose running at 165.10..
Donald Brown is the leading rusher and second-leading scorer in the BIG EAST, is seventh in total offense and also first in all purpose yards (165.1) per game.
BROWN SETS CAREER RUSHING MARK
Here is a summary of where Donald Brown, still a junior, is in the Husky career records books.
Brown now has 3,254 career rushing yards, which is first in school history. He broke the record of Terry Caulley (2002-06) on Saturday night at Syracuse. Caulley’s totat was 3,187.
His 31 rushing touchdowns places him tied for second in school history. Wilbur Gilliard (1992-95) leads the way with 34 and Caulley also had 31.
Brown now has 607 career rushing attempts, which places him first 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 1,537 yards of rushing is already the UConn single-season record -- topping the mark of 1,262 set by Tory Taylor in 1995.
His 16 rushing touchdowns is the third-highest in single-season history. Walt Trojanowski is the leader with 22 in 1945 while Wilbur Gilliard had 17 in 1993.
His 276 carries this year is tied as the highest in school history with Eric Torkelson having the same amount 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 DOAK WALKER AWARD
Donald Brown has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2008 Doak Walker Award presented by The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum. The award is annually presented to the top running back in the country.
The 162 members of the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast their votes to determine the 2008 finalists. On Monday, November 24, three finalists will be named, and a second vote by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will determine the recipient. The 2008 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 11.
The semifinalists (in alphabetical order) are: Donald Brown (Jr.), Connecticut; Glen Coffee (Jr.), Alabama; Tyrell Fenroy (Sr.), Louisiana-Lafayette; Shonn Greene (Jr.), Iowa; Kendall Hunter (So.), Oklahoma State; LeSean McCoy (So.), Pittsburgh; Knowshon Moreno (So.), Georgia; Javon Ringer (Sr.), Michigan State; Jacquizz Rodgers (Fr.), Oregon State; Evan Royster (So.), Penn State.
BROWN PLAYER TO WATCH WITH "WALTER CAMP"
Donald Brown has been named one of 15 “Players to Watch” by The Walter Camp Football Foundation for its 2008 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest individual college football award in the nation.
A list of five finalists will be announced on Tuesday, December 2. The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on Thursday, December 11 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN SportsCenter.
The 15 “Players to Watch” for the 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year award include: Sam Bradford, Sophomore, QB, Oklahoma; Donald Brown, Junior, RB, Connecticut; Michael Crabtree, Sophomore, WR, Texas Tech; Chase Daniel, Senior, QB, Missouri; Jarrett Dillard, Senior, WR, Rice; Graham Harrell, Senior, QB, Texas Tech; Jerry Hughes, Junior, DL, TCU; James Laurinaitis, Senior, LB, Ohio State; Jeremy Maclin, Sophomore, WR/KR, Missouri; Rey Maualuga, Senior, LB, USC; Aaron Maybin, Sophomore, DL, Penn State; Colt McCoy, Junior, QB, Texas; Scott McKillop, Senior, LB, Pittsburgh; Javon Ringer, Senior, RB, Michigan State; Tim Tebow, Junior, QB, Florida.
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 nine of 10 games this season and 15 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, the sixth week for his game against UNC and last week for his effort against Syracuse.
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. He now has 15 receptions for 238 yards in 2008.
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. He is the fourth-leading receiver on the Husky squad with 16 for 171 yards.
MOORE IS LEADING RECEIVERS
Redshirt freshman Kashif Moore is the leading receiver on the team this year with 22 catches for 239 yards for an average of 23.9 yards of receiving per game.
Moore had four receptions in his first college game vs. Hofstra and then had three against Virginia and three on Saturday vs. Syracuse.
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.
LORENZEN BACK IN THE LINEUP
Tyler Lorenzen returned to the UConn lineup on Saturday night against Syracuse as the Huskies’ starting quarterback. Lorenzen had missed the previous four games due to a broken foot. The Huskies now have a 15-4 record over the past two years with Lorenzen as the starter. Lorenzen was 7-of-15 in the air for 70 yards against the Orange.
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.
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.
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 is tied for the team lead in interceptions this year with three.
He is second on the Husky team in tackles with 61. He has started all 22 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 against vs. West Virginia as UConn had five turnovers (three int., two fumbles) and the Mountaineers scored three touchdowns on those TOs.
UConn did not commit any turnovers against Syracuse.
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 19th in the country and second in the BIG EAST at 18.60 points per game and is 16th in the nation and first in the BIG EAST in total defense, giving up just 290.20 yards per game. UConn is also first in the league in pass efficiency defense and ninth in the country.
LUTRUS LEADS THE WAY
UConn sophomore Scott Lutrus currently leads the Huskies in tackles with 76 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 the 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 TDs.
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 seven tacklers are Cody Brown and Dahna Deleston.
McCLAIN MAKES FIRST START OF SEASON
Husky junior cornerback Robert McClain made his first start of the season on Saturday vs. Syracuse in placed of the injured Darius Butler. McClain made the most of his opportunity as he returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of the game.
McClain is tied for the team lead in interceptions with three -- and has returned two for TDs.
CODY BROWN IS BIG EAST SACK LEADER
Husky senior defensive end Cody Brown has 10 sacks on the season for a total loss of 60 yards. He is first in the BIG EAST in that category and ninth in the country.
He is second in the BIG EAST in total tackles for loss (1.35 per game).
Brown has played in 39 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 ALREADY IN RECORD BOOK
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 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 and had three field goals vs. Syracuse of 23, 37 and 21 yards.
Teggart is already a two-time BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week -- earning the honor after the Cincinnati and Syracuse games.
He has made the first nine field goal attempts of his collegiate career and the nine-straight is already tied for the second-longest streak in school history. Nuzie made 10 straight in 2004 while current Husky Tony Ciaravino had nine in 2007 as did David DeArmas in 1994.
Teggart is the first kicker in school history to successfully convert his first nine field goal attempts. In addition, he is also a perfect nine-for-nine in extra point attempts.
KENTUCKY HAMMER NAILS HIS AUDITION
Louisville native Desi Cullen, the self-proclaimed “Kentucky Hammer,” solidified his role as the team’s starting punter and kickoff specialist in 2007 and received a game ball in his first collegiate game -- a win over Duke. He also earned a game ball this season in the wins over Virginia and Louisville.
Last season, Cullen averaged 40.7 yards on his 75 punts and also handled kickoffs with 11 touchbacks on 74 kicks.
Cullen has also showed a tendency towards not staying back in coverage as he has aggressively made five tackles on the season and already has four this year.
JASPER THE RETURNER
UConn sophomore cornerback Jasper Howard is also the Huskies punt returner. He currently is first in the BIG EAST in punt returns with an average of 17.63 yards per return, which is also good for 17th in the country.
On Saturday against Syracuse, he had his first career punt return for a TD with a 69-yard effort in the third quarter.
Howard earned the special teams game ball in the win over Baylor.
Defensively, he had a career-high nine tackles against Louisville on Sept. 26.
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.
A HOT TICKET
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.
UConn sold 28,000 season tickets in 2008 and sold its entire allotment of student season tickets at 4,700. The opening game against Hofstra saw over 5,000 Husky students attend the game. These figures are staggering sums considering that the entire 2001 season ticket base was around 4,000. In 2002, the number reached 11,300 in the final season of Memorial Stadium. 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 later in 2004. UConn reached an all-time high of 32,000 season tickets in 2005.
SELLOUTS THE NORM
The Huskies have sold out 25 of their first 38 dates at Rentschler Field, including a stretch of 12 in a row.
UConn has played to 96-percent of capacity all-time in East Hartford, drawing 1,465,049 fans, or an average of 38,554 per game.
RENTSCHLER FIELD PROVES FRIENDLY FOR HUSKIES
The Huskies went 7-0 at home in 2007 at Rentschler Field and 4-2 in 2005 after compiling a 6-1 home record in 2004.
UConn’s 3-4 mark at home in 2006 was its only sub-.500 record at Rentschler Field.
The seven home wins in 2007 set a school record for a single season which was previously set in 2004. In the process, the Huskies joined the 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers as the only BIG EAST schools to ever post a perfect 7-0 home record.
UConn presently stands at 29-9 all-time at Rentschler Field including an 18-3 mark in non-conference gamesUP NEXT
UConn plays its final game of the 2008 regular season on Saturday, December 6 against Pittsburgh at Rentschler Field. The game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 at a time to be announced
Players Mentioned
