2010 UConn Football Preview and Predictions

Practice has started and kickoff is just under two weeks away for the 2010 UConn Football team. The Huskies are still in the midst of Fall camp, as they prepare for the 2010 season, a season with much hope, promise, and high expectations.

Coming off an 8-5 campaign, which ended with four straight victories including a victory over South Carolina in the 2010 Papa John’s.com Bowl , and saw the Huskies lose five games by a total of 15 points, as well as lose a teammate in Jasper Howard, UConn is coming into this season with a lot of optimism.

UConn enters the season considered by many college football experts as one of the favorites to win the Big East title and make it to a BCS Bowl Game. Head Coach Randy Edsall has the best team ever during his 12 year stay in Storrs. With 16 starters returning, a favorable schedule, and one of the nation’s best coaches at the helm, the Huskies look primed for a breakout year.

The Fighting Randy Edsalls are lead by a power running game, two veteran linebackers, and a crop of young talented players. This team will continue the tradition under Edsall of being a hard-nosed football team that will run the football, play good defense, take care of the football, and play with discipline.

Last year, the Huskies were introduced to a new offense under new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. They produced one of the best offensive seasons in recent UConn history. With another spring practice, summer, and fall camp under their belts, the offense looks to continue their improvement and become a juggernaut in the Big East. Lead by senior quarterback Zach Frazer, junior running back Jordan Todman, and senior guard Zach Hurd, the offense will look to keep a balance of power running and a stable passing game. UConn lost Andre Dixon and Marcus Easley to graduation, but their production will be looked to be picked up by USC transfer D.J. Shoemate at running back and junior receiver Kashif Moore.

On Defense, the Huskies will lean heavily on the linebacker duo of Lawrence Wilson and Scott Lutrus. The two fifth year seniors are in their fourth years as starters. Both have been All-Big East selections. They will need to play up to their potential, as UConn will be without linebacker Greg Lloyd (knee) and defensive end Marcus Campball (knee) for the season due to injury. The secondary, which was awful to say the least last season, will look for some stability from corners Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, and safeties Jerome Junior and Kijuan Dabney. If the secondary can play well the Huskies will have one of the best defenses in the Big East.

With Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Cincinnati all coming to East Hartford, UConn will have its biggest conference games at home. Away games include at Michigan (Sept. 4th), Temple (Sept. 18th), Rutgers (Oct. 8th), Louisville (Oct. 23rd), Syracuse (Nov. 20th), and South Florida (Dec. 4th).

In what looks to be a very competitive Big East, UConn will have its work cut out for them. Pittsburgh, Cincy, and West Virginia all could be title contenders, but if UConn can stay healthy, play as a complete team, limit the big plays on defense, control the ball on offense, and finish games, then they have a great chance at heading down to Miami to represent the Big East in the BCS’ Orange Bowl.

Here is my Win-Loss breakdown of my predictions for the 2010 Season:

Sat. Sept.4 at Michigan —- Win (1-0)

Sat. Sept.11 TEXAS SOUTHERN —- Win (2-0)

Sat. Sept.18 at Temple —- Win (3-0)

Sat. Sept.25 BUFFALO —- Win (4-0)

Sat. Oct.2 VANDERBILT (HC) —- Win (5-0)

Fri. Oct.8 at Rutgers* —- Win (6-0)

Sat. Oct.23 at Louisville* —- Win (7-0)

Fri. Oct.29 WEST VIRGINIA* —- Win (8-0)

Thur. Nov.11 PITTSBURGH* —- Win (9-0)

Sat. Nov.20 at Syracuse* —- Win (10-0)

Sat. Nov.27 CINCINNATI* —- Loss (10-1)

Sat. Dec.4 at USF* —- Win (11-1)

* – BIG EAST Conference game / HC – Homecoming

That’s right I’m picking the Huskies to go 11-1 (6-1 in Big East), which I think will give them the outright Big East title, and a trip to a BCS game. UConn has come close in recent years, but I got a feeling this is the year. As the student section shirt says…”Whatever Better Place Than Here, What Better Time Then Now”….I guess time will tell, but this could very well be THE season for the UConn Football program.

How do you think the Huskies will do this season? VOTE BELOW!

More Huskies Headed to the NFL

On Saturday, two former UConn Huskies heard their names called during the 2010 NFL Draft. Receiver Marcus Easley, 4th round by the Buffalo Bills, and defensive back Robert McClain, 7th round by the Carolina Panthers, became NFL Draft picks. It was the second year in a row UConn has had multiple players drafted.

While Easley and McClain had their names called on national television, six other Huskies didn’t have that pleasure, but that doesn’t mean their NFL hopes are over. Andre Dixon, Desi Cullen, Lindsey Witten, Mike Hicks, Dan Ryan, and Robbie Vaughn, will all head into a NFL Rookie Camp.

Desi Cullen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears. He has a great chance at making the roster due to the fact the Bears have an aging punter in Brad Maynard.

Lindsey Witten has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Witten, who many thought would be drafted, will go into camp with a chip on his shoulder and will be ready to prove himself.

Robbie Vaughn signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent.

Mike Hicks, Dan Ryan, and Andre Dixon will all attend NFL Rookie Mini Camps, but they will attend on a tryout basis. This means they have not signed a contract, but will be given the chance to prove themselves and earn a NFL contract. Hicks will attend the Detroit Lions camp, while Ryan will head down to South Florida and tryout with the Miami Dolphins.

Dixon is an interesting story. A player who has had an up-and-down career, continued that trend this past weekend. Many experts expected Dixon, who was the MVP of the Papa Johns.com Bowl back in January, to be drafted. Once he didn’t hear his name, he was hoping to get a contract as an undrafted free agent…well that didn’t happen either, even though someone had reported that he had signed with the Steelers. He didn’t sign with anyone and will now head to the New York Giants camp on the tryout basis.

UConn Football: Spring Recap

This past Saturday, UConn held it’s annual Spring Game aka The Blue-White Game. The event that concludes spring practice, was a time for the Huskies to show off their potential for next season for the first time in public. Due to the bad weather, only 2500 fans attended the game, but that didn’t stop the Huskies from putting on a show….Offensively at least. The Blue team(first team offense, second team defense) beat the White team(second team offense, first team defense) 30-13.

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

The UConn offense showed a giant spark, as the passing game that has been close to dormant in recent years, was alive and well on Saturday. Quarterback Zach Frazer completed 8 of 14 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Five of his completions and 207 yards went to receiver Mike Smith, who had touchdown grabs of 69, 75 and 57 yards. Other receivers who had big days were Kashif Moore, Redshirt freshman Malik Generett, and Isiah Moore. The passing game will be a key contributor to the team next season. It will be the first time in close to six years that opposing defenses will have to fear the passing game along with the running game. Frazer has progressed nicely since mid-way through last season and into this spring. The offense looks solid, even with the losses of Andre Dixon and Marcus Easley. Offensive Coordinator Joe Moorhead has the unit looking good, and will look to add in a few players to add new dimensions to the offense. One player that will find his way on the field, in one position or another, is freshman quarterback Leon Kinnard. The 5-11 speedster, is a great athlete who can bring some excitement to the offense. He could be used as a nice tempo changer in the offense.

The defense didn’t have nearly as good a day as the offense, but there were a few positive signs for the future. The front four and the linebackers look solid and look to have a lot of depth. Reserve defensive end A.J. Portee had 11 tackles, including three sacks. Seniors Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson looked sharp as usual. The problem for the defense came from the secondary. The defensive backs were a weak spot last season, and still look to be having problems. The group is talented, just inexperienced.

Courtesy of The Hartford Courant

“We didn’t do too well, could have done better,” said cornerback Dwayne Gratz, who had a good day. “The thing to remember is we’re young back there. There’s still a lot for us to learn. We have to strive to get better. We’re going to get better.”

Coach Randy Edsall seemed pleased with the overall production in the game and spring practice season.

“All in all, we got a lot accomplished,” Edsall said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, which I think any coach in America will tell you after spring practice. But I think what’s happened is, you’re able to find out much more about your team and who you feel like can get it done for you and who’s got work to do. I think we got those answers.”

News and Notes on UConn Football and Basketball From the Past Month

In case you missed anything over the past month concerning UConn football or basketball, this “News and Notes” post will fill you in with anything and everything UConn.

UCONN FOOTBALL

- UConn started spring practice on March 16 in Storrs. They practice three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

- Head Coach Randy Edsall is excited about the 2010 season, and is looking for younger players to step during spring drills.

- The Spring Game aka the “Blue and White Game” will be held April 17, at Noon at The Rent. The event will be a little different this year, as Coach Edsall has decided to bring back former players to be the Honorary Captains of the two teams. The former players selected were Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Krug and Alfred Fincher from the 2004 team that won the first ever bowl game in program history, as well as Donald Brown and Tyler Lorenzen from the 2008 team.

- UConn held its annual Pro-day on March 25. UConn seniors that participated were Robert McClain, Andre Dixon, Marcus Easley, Lindsey Witten, Brandon Dillon, Robbie Vaughan, Mike Hicks, Dan Ryan, Desi Cullen, Brad Kanuch. Over 25 NFL scouts were on hand for the event. Many experts expect that up to four Huskies will be drafted in April’s NFL Draft. The players who have a good shot at being drafted include, running back Andre Dixon, receiver Marcus Easley, defensive end Lindsey Witten, and cornerback Robert McClain.

- Head Coach Randy Edsall made a few position changes after the first week and a half of practice. Senior outside linebacker Kijuan Dabney will be moved to safety, and freshman safety Andrew Opoku, who is 6 feet 4, will move to outside linebacker. The ‘ole swith-er-roo.

- The Huskies begin their season on September 4th, when they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the college football powerhouse Michigan Wolverines.

UCONN BASKETBALL

- After a disappointing finish to a very disappointing season, as the Huskies lost in the second round of the NIT at Virginia Tech, the Huskies have begun to move forward, as they are forgetting about this past season and starting to prepare for next year.

- UConn will head into the offseason with a few question marks: Who will replace the production of Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, and Gavin Edwards? Will Kemba Walker stay for his Junior year? Will UConn land another top-flight recruit? Will Alex Oriahki and Ater Majok improve and become more consistent? Will any players transfer?

- Speaking of transfering…it is almost certain that the Huskies will have at least one, possibly two players transfer from the program. The most likely candidates are Darius Smith and Jamaal Trice.

- The Huskies got a commitment from two players this past weekend. One is still in high school, while the other is already on the team. Kemba Walker will return for his Junior season, and will most likely be one of, if not the best, point guards in the nation next year. The other player to commit to the Huskies is point guard Shabazz Napier of Lawrence Academy. Napier is currently listed as a Junior, but is in the process of reclassifying as a Senior, and will most likely be the fifth recruit for the 2010-2011 season. He is currently ranked the 9th best point guard in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com.

- The Huskies got a verbal commitment from an in-state product. E.O. Smith Forward Tyler Olander, a three-star prospect, made his verbal commitment to his hometown Huskies. He picked UConn over offers from Florida, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

- Speaking of recruiting….Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant put together an update of how this years recruiting is going. Possibly really good news for the Huskies.

- Coach Jim Calhoun has pledged he is close to signing a contract extension that will keep him at the school for 5 more years.

Dixon, Easley and Witten Set to Participate in 2010 NFL Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine begins this weekend and will run till March 2. The combine, which is basically a “career fair” for prospective NFL players, features the top college football players in the nation, who perform a variety of workouts infront of NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers.

The UConn Huskies have three members of their 2009-2010 football team in Indianapolis this week for the event. Running back Andre Dixon, receiver Marcus Easley, and defensive end Lindsey Witten. All three have been working out in preparation for the event. The combine can really improve a player’s draft stock, which would ultimately increase the amount of money the player makes in his first contract.

Andre Dixon has been working out at the Athletic Edge Training Center, in Bradenton, Fla. Dixon, who is coming off a season where we rushed for more than 1000 yards, is excited about the opportunity that awaits him in Indianapolis, and he knows what it could mean for his future. He spoke with Hartford Courant writer Desmond Conner, and had this to say:

“Whatever my outcome is going to be is going to be my outcome. Know what I’m saying? I’m not holding back anything. I’m giving everything I have. Even if I don’t like the way I did a rep I do it over just so I can be satisfied. I just don’t want it to be a situation down the road I look back and ask myself did I give it my all so I’ve been busting my hump.”

Marcus Easley, who came out of nowhere to have an unbelievable senior season, is also excited about his opportunity. Easley knows he has more to prove then the other two Huskies due to the fact he wasn’t even a scholarship player heading into last season, but worked hard enough on the field to give himself a shot at being a NFL player.

“I’m ready to get out there and kill it to be honest with you,” Easley said. “These past couple months, working out twice a day. It’s been hard and I’ve been working hard but I’m ready to get down there and show what I can do.”

One area scouts are interested in seeing how well Easley does, is with his speed. Speed at the combine is measured in a 40 yard dash. When asked by the Courant’s Conner, what his times have been like during his training, Easley responded,”4.3 second forty.”(Which if you didn’t know, is unbelievably fast)

“If I can run (a 4.3 forty-yard dash) at the Combine, in front of the right folks? Then it becomes official.”

Lindsey Witten has been working out in his hometown of Cleveland at the Euclid Sport Plant. The defensive end, is coming off a senior season where he finished in the top-10 in the nation in sacks. Witten knows he has work to do if he wants to be an NFL player, and it continues at the Combine.

“It’s time to go to the combine and work hard and my main goal is to give great effort in every drill,” Witten said.

It’s a great opportunity for these three young men, and they hope to continue the tradition of good performances at the Combine by UConn players, which was started last year by the likes of Donald Brown, Darius Butler, Cody Brown, and William Beatty.

Easley, Dixon, and Witten Invited to NFL Draft Combine

UConn Seniors Marcus Easley, Andre Dixon, and Lindsey Witten have been invited to participate in this year’s NFL Draft Combine. The combine runs from February 24 to March 2 in Indianapolis. The list of players invited has yet to be finalized, meaning other UConn Seniors might get a chance.

The combine gives players a chance to showcase their skills against elite talent from all around the country. Events at the combine include the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, position workouts, bench press, and interview. At last year’s combine, former UConn Huskies Donald Brown, Darius Butler, William Beatty, and Cody Brown all made a name for themselves at the event, which helped their draft stock.

Easley, Dixon, and Witten will be working out until the combine preparing for the different events.

One of the biggest events is the 40-yard dash:

Gameday in Birmingham: UConn Takes on South Carolina in the Papa Johns.Com Bowl

The UConn Huskies will conclude their season today when they take on the South Carolina Gamecocks(7-5) at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama in the 2010 Papa Johns.com Bowl. The Huskies hope to continue their winning streak to four games, and end the season on a positive note.

UConn has faced much adversity this year, with close losses(5 losses by a combined 15 points) and of course the tragic death of teammate Jasper Howard. The team has rallied together though, and hope to end the season with a victory for not only Jasper, but for the seniors as well. It will be the last game for such seniors as Andre Dixon, Lindsey Witten, Robert McClain, and Mike Hicks.

Eric Norwood

The key matchup for UConn is how well the offense holds up against the South Carolina defensive front. Led by Senior All-American Eric Norwood and Junior Cliff Matthews, the Gamecock defense is in top-15 in the nation. Zach Frazer, Jordan Todman, and the rest of the Husky offense have their hands full, but a solid performance by the offensive line could be the difference in the game.

Kick-off is at 2pm eastern time, with the game being televised on ESPN.

Last Second Field Goal Lifts UConn Over South Florida

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Dave Teggart has not had the best year as UConn’s place kicker. Teggart has been very inconsistent all season, however he made up for it all Saturday night. Down 27-26 with less than 40 seconds to go in the game, UConn quarterback Zach Frazer drove the team into field goal range, and Teggart hit a 42-yard field goal as time expired to give the Huskies a 29-27 win.

On senior night, Andre Dixon and Marcus Easley made their last game at the Rent memorable. Dixon finished with only 50 yards, but had two big touchdown runs. Easley, the former walk-on, had another big game; finishing with 122 yards recieving, on 8 catches, and a touchdown.

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

The win was the Huskies third in a row, and brought their record to 7-5 on the year. UConn will now head to the Papa Johns Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.

UConn Pounds Syracuse, Become Bowl Eligible

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Led by the running back duo of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon, the UConn Huskies beat the Syracuse Orange easily, 56-31, in front of a sellout crowd at Rentschler Field. With the win, UConn improves its record to 6-5 on the year, and become bowl eligible for the third straight season.

Todman had 123 yards on 25 carries, a touchdown, and went over 1000 yards rushing for the season. Dixon also had a big day, with three touchdowns and 73 yards rushing. Reciever Marcus Easley was another offensive star for the Huskies, as he finished with 6 catches, 105 yards recieving, and 2 touchdowns.

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

While the score shows a Husky blow-out, it’s a little misleading, as the Husky defense had trouble keeping the Greg Paulus led Syracuse offense, contained. Syracuse had over 400 yards of total offense in their last game of the season. While the defense had some issues, linebacker Lawrence Wilson had an unbelievable game. Wilson, whose the Big East’s leading tackler, had a career high 17 tackles, as well as a sack.

The Huskies scored two non-offensive touchdowns, with Mike Lang returning a kickoff 80 yards in the first quarter, then cornerback Dwayne Gratz returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown with 8 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

UConn ends the regular season next Saturday when they host Big East foe, South Florida, at 8pm at Rentschler Field. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Husky fans are encouraged to arrive early to pay tribute to the UConn seniors who will be playing their last game at the Rent.

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Comeback Comes Up Short: UConn Falls To Cincinnati in Heartbreaker

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

In trying to recap UConn’s 47-45 loss to #5 Cincinnati, I feel I could write the same story I’ve written four previous times this year. The Huskies lost for the third straight week, for the fifth time this year, and once again in heartbreaking fashion.

Trailing 30-10 heading into the second half, the Huskies began the comeback. UConn scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter as running back Jordan Todman scored a touchdown on a 46-yard run and senior cornerback Robert McClain had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown. After another Cincinnati score, the Huskies were down 37-24 at the start of the fourth quarter, but two more Todman touchdowns put the Huskies within two at 40-38. UConn went for two, but quarterback Zach Frazer was sacked. Still down two, the Huskies forced the Bearcats into a fourth down with around two minutes to go in the game. Instead of kicking a short field goal Cincinnati elected to go for it. Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead broke free from the UConn defense to run in a 14-yard score putting Cincy back up by nine with just 1:52 remaining in the game. However the Huskies weren’t done yet, as they drove down the field and scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Frazer to reciever Marcus Easley with 13 seconds to go. The Huskies tried an onside kick, which was recovered by Cincy, ending the game.

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros was the difference maker as he thew for 480 yards and accounted for three touchdowns.

The Huskies showed once again that they can compete with anyone on their schedule, even the top-5 rated Cincinnati Bearcats. The heart and effort shown by the Huskies was something special, however they couldn’t get over the hump once again to get the victory. The Huskies pulled off several big plays that took the game down to the closing minutes, just like all of theirs this season. UConn’s five losses have come by a combined 15 points.

“It never gets easier to take,” Todman said. “We’re going to have to deal with it. It’s been a tough, tough year. We have to learn to finish.”

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Todman had a career day for the Huskies, as he had a career best four touchdowns to go along with 162 yards, also a career high.

Frazer, who made just his third start of the season after taking over for the injured Cody Endres, played efficiently. He threw no interceptions and completed 19 of 32 for 261 yards and a touchdown.

UConn, now 4-5 on the year, and 1-4 in the Big East, has the week off. They return to the field November 21st, when they travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Coach Randy Edsall and his entire staff have to be proud of the way the team fought till the end. After the last three weeks, which included three heartbreaking losses and the loss of Jasper Howard, the Huskies are still looking for their first victory since the tragedy.

“I’ll tell you, this team showed grit, determination,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said. “You can use any adjective you want but we just came up short. I’m running out of things to tell them after games like this.”