Big Day For UConn

What a day it was for the University of Connecticut. The UConn Huskies had two(well three, if you count the Women’s Basketball team’s 91-24 blowout win over Seaton Hall) huge victories on Saturday. The men’s basketball team defeated Big East Rival Notre Dame 82-70, for their first conference win of the year. Led by Stanley Robinson, who finished with 22 points and a career high 16 rebounds, the Huskies were able to beat the Fighting Irish for the third straight time. Robinson had some help from Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker, who both added double-doubles(each had 10 assists).

The second big victory of the day came all way down in Birmingham, Alabama. The UConn football team ended their season with a 20-7 victory over South Carolina in the Papa Johns.com Bowl. The Huskies had a dominating performance as they controlled the clock and the game. Senior Andre Dixon had 126 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries and was named the games MVP. The UConn defense also had a big day as they had countless big hits and sacks on the day, and held the Gamecock offense in check.

UConn head coach Randy Edsall made it clear that this was a huge victory for the Huskies, especially considering all they have gone through this year. “I couldn’t be more happy and thrilled for the players and the assistant coaches,” Edsall said. “We did an excellent job and got the kids to go out and execute and do the things we need to do and we came away with an outstanding victory. I couldn’t be more proud of those young men.”

The Huskies ended the season with an 8-5 record, and will head into next season with a lot of support and even higher expectations. The team returns the majority of their starters and will be heavily considered a preseason top-25 team and Big East favorite.

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.

How UConn Students Take A Study Break

This doesn’t have anything to do with UConn football or basketball, but it’s about the “awesomeness” of UConn students.

The Sunday night before Final Exam week, UConn students decided to take a study break….that is one huge study break. It wasn’t so much a study break…it was more of a RAVE! Somewhere between 5000 and 7000 students showed up at the Student Union on campus and began raving. Gotta love being a UConn Husky! Check out the videos:

NOTICE THE KIDS JUMP!

#12 UConn Loses Heartbreaker to #4 Kentucky

The UConn Huskies came up just short on Wednesday night, as the Kentucky Wildcats prevailed in a close game, 64-61. UConn, who began the game down 12-0, showed a lot of heart and effort, in one of their best performances of the year. However, the upset bid came up three points shy, as the John Wall lead Wildcats defeated the Huskies in Madison Square Garden in the SEC/Big East Invitational.

Wall lead all scores with 25 points, including 12 of Kentucky’s last 15 in the game. The stud freshman lived up to his hype and carried Kentucky to victory.

UConn was lead by Jerome Dyson, who finished with 17 points and 5 rebounds, and Gavin Edwards, who had a season high 16 points to go along with 8 rebounds. The Huskies were able to out-rebound the bigger and deeper Wildcats 38-35.

Coach Jim Calhoun has to be pleased with the effort and toughness his team showed, but disappointed in the outcome. The Huskies drop to 6-2 on the season. UConn will now have 10 days off until their next game, which is December 20th against the University of Central Florida.

Edsall and Notre Dame Have Mutual Interest

It is being reported the UConn Head Coach Randy Edsall, has been contacted by the University of Notre Dame about their head football coaching vacancy. It has been said by sources(ESPN’s Joe Schad) that Edsall has shown interest in coaching at Notre Dame.

UConn beat Notre Dame on November 21, 33-30 in Double Overtime, in the first ever game between the two teams. UConn’s win may have been the final straw for the Irish’s former coach, Charlie Weis.

As a UConn fan and student, I hope Coach Edsall stays at the University of Connecticut. He has built the UConn football program, and has made the Huskies a Big East powerhouse. The way he handled the tragedy of Jasper Howard, with class and grace, was something that has made him a very popular canidate for many coaching vacancies.

Coach Edsall has reason to return, as the Huskies will be playing South Carolina in the Papa Johns.com Bowl on January 2nd. The team also is considered to be a favorite to win the Big East next year, due to the fact that most of the team returns. Only 6 starting players will not return next fall.

UConn vs. South Carolina in the Papa Johns.com Bowl

UConn is going bowling for the third straight season. Randy Edsall‘s Huskies will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Papa Johns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama on January 2nd. South Carolina, who is coached by Steve Spurrier, is out of the SEC, where they finished the year 7-5 and 3-5 in conference play. UConn, who also finished 7-5, is excited about playing in the bowl and against an SEC team.

“The University of Connecticut is very proud to be bringing its football team to Birmingham to play in the Papajohns.com Bowl,” says UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway. “We look forward to playing an SEC opponent and enjoying the Southern hospitality that Birmingham offers to visitors. We encourage all of our fans to make the trip and support our team in its third-consecutive bowl appearance.”

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 vs. South Florida Preview: Video

UConn hopes to end their season on a three game winning streak when the Huskies host South Florida this Saturday at the Rent. It’ll be an emotional night as the seniors will play their last game at home. For more on the game and the seniors, watch the video.

Win Over Notre Dame Means Alot to the Entire UConn Community

UConn defeated Notre Dame 33-30 in Double overtime. It was a big win for not only the UConn players and coaches, but for the entire UConn community. All the fans who traveled out to South Bend to see the game, were treated with an instant classic, and it something many of them are thankful for. Marcus Lynam has more from South Bend.

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