University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Football Sets Sail For Navy
11/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE COACHES
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH RANDY EDSALL
A veteran of 19 years of major college coaching with three years in the NFL, Edsall has tackled the challenge of bringing a former NCAA Division I-AA team up to par with the BIG EAST in a six year span head on. He has compiled a 13-30 career record in his fourth season at UConn and has never faced Navy. Immediately prior to becoming UConn’s 27th head coach on December 21, 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 McPherson in a variety of capacities. Amongst his highlights at Syracuse was being a part of the 1987 team that went undefeated at 11-0-1, tying Auburn, 16-16, in the Sugar Bowl. 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.
NAVY HEAD COACH PAUL JOHNSON
Paul Johnson is 1-8 in his first season at Navy, 63-18 in his six years as a head coach overall and 1-0 against UConn, beating the Huskies in the 1998 NCAA Quarterfinals while at Georgia Southern. Johnson served at the head coach at Georgia Southern from 1997-2001, guiding the Eagles to the 1999 and 2000 Division I-AA National Championships. He was named the National Coach of the Year for I-AA in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He is one of only four Division I coaches to ever win 50 games over a four year period, joining Walter Camp amongst others. Prior to GSU, Johnson served at offensive coordinator at Navy (1995-96), offensive coordinator at Hawai’i (1987-94) and offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern (1983-86) in addition to stints at Lees McRae Junior College and Avery County (N.C.) High School. Johnson is a native of Newland, N.C. and a 1979 graduate of Western Carolina. He earned his Master’s from Appalachian State in 1982.
RADIO/TV COVERAGE NOTES
RADIO COVERAGE
For the 11th consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford will serve as the flagship station for the UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt clear channel 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 Bob Joyce on the sidelines. The UConn pregame show begins one hour prior to kickoff while at home games, the UConn Tailgate Show will air two hours prior with Arnold Dean. The UConn Radio Network is comprised of: WILI 1400-AM in Willimantic, WLIS-1420 AM in Old Saybrook, WMRD 1150-AM in Middletown, WICC 600-AM in Bridgeport and WSUB 980-AM in Groton. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet, with assistance from Yahoo!, at www.UConnHuskies.com.
THIS WEEK’S TV
For the fifth and final time this season, WFSB TV-3, Hartford’s CBS affiliate, will broadcast the Huskies live, this week from Annapolis. The station also carried the Ohio, Temple, Vanderbilt and Florida Atlantic games with Joe Tessitore, Don McPherson and Eric Clemons calling the action. WFSB is also the home of Randy Edsall’s weekly coaches show on Sunday nights at 11:45 pm...HDNet television will also air the game for Navy (Pete Medhurst and Omar Nelson). It is available on DirecTV Channel 199, but only if you have a high definition TV.
THE UCONN HUSKIES: MUST SEE TV
UConn will have eight of its 12 games broadcast on live television this year. The BC game was an ESPN Regional production which aired on both NESN and MSG. The YES Network carried UConn’s games against Georgia Tech and Buffalo. WFSB-TV 3, Hartford’s CBS affiliate, is carrying five games as they Huskies battle Ohio, Temple, Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic and Navy. With eight total TV games, it is by far the most football games that UConn has ever had televised in a single season. Curiously, former Syracuse star Don McPherson will serve as UConn’s color commentator for seven of these eight games, appearing on three different networks.
EDSALL ON THE AIR
UConn head coach Randy Edsall will have weekly television and radio shows this year. The television show will air on Sunday nights at 11:45 pm on WFSB TV 3 in Hartford with Eric Clemons. Edsall, along with a selected player each week, will also be featured on an hour-long radio call-in show Thursday nights from 6:00 to 7:00 pm on WTIC 1080-AM with Joe D’Ambrosio and Arnold Dean.
SERIES NOTES
UCONN-NAVY HISTORY
UConn is 0-5 all-time against Navy with all five losses coming between 1975-79. All five games were comfortable wins for the Midshipmen with the closest score being a 21-10 decision in Annapolis on Sept. 22, 1979. That 1979 season saw UConn play three military academies as the Huskies faced Army, Navy and Virginia Military Institute. Navy will make a return trip to Rentschler Field in 2006 with the teams then playing at alternating home sites through the 2010 season. Coupled with a 2003-04 home-and-home series against Army, UConn will face a service academy in eight of the next nine years.
HEY, DON’T I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE?
Navy secondary coach Keith Jones was UConn defensive backs coach Torrian Gray’s position coach at Virginia Tech in 1993...Navy linebackers coach and special team coordinator Kevin Kelly was a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 1986-87 when UConn head coach Randy Edsall was there. Kelly is also a 1982 graduate of Springfield College and a teammate there of UConn defensive coordinator Hank Hughes. He also served as outside linebackers coach at Southern Connecticut State in New Haven in 1984-85...Navy head coach Paul Johnson ended perhaps UConn’s best season ever when his Georgia Southern team beat the Huskies, 52-30, in the NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals on Dec. 5, 1998...UConn has six players from Maryland (Terry Caulley - Lusby, Ernest Cole - Upper Marlboro, M.J. Estep - Mechanicsville, Michael McIntosh - Edgewood, Greg Smoot - Edgewood and Brandon Young - Morganza). Although Navy has players from 25 different states, none of the Midshipmen hail from Connecticut, or any New England state for that matter.
CONNECTICUT’S NAUTICAL WHEELERS
While UConn and Navy aren’t linked in football leagues, they are tightly linked 20,000 leagues under the sea. The state of Connecticut has strong naval ties from its shoreline along Long Island Sound. The New London Naval Submarine Base in Groton was the first the Navy’s first submarine base. SUBASE NLON, as it is referred to tin Naval jargon, operates under the motto "The First and Finest" and has housed submarines since 1915 after first opening its doors in 1872. Amongst the area’s prized naval accomplishments was the construction of the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered submarine, who’s keel was laid in Groton by President Harry S. Truman himself. The USS Nautilus is now a permanent part of the popular Submarine Force Museum in Groton. The Electric Boat division of the General Dynamics Corporation is based in Groton and is instrumental to the success of the Navy’s submarine fleet. Additionally, the United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London.
SQUAD NOTES
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!!!
UConn’s win over Kent State was its fourth of the year and marks the Huskies’ most productive season since beginning the transition from Division I-AA to Division I-A UConn won four games in 1999, Randy Edsall’s first in Storrs and the Huskies’ last in the Atlantic 10 Conference. UConn won three games in 2000 and just two last year. Three of the four wins in 2002 have come over Division I-A teams (Buffalo, Ohio and Kent State), establishing a school record. UConn have previously beaten two I-A teams in a season twice, coming in 2000 (Buffalo and Akron) and 2001 (Rutgers and Eastern Michigan).
REVERSING THE QUARTERLY TRENDS
For the first half season, UConn dominated in the first quarter and dominant in the fourth quarter, but the past few weeks has seen a reversal of those fortunes. After just posting just 13 first quarter points through six games, UConn has scored 52 first quarter points in the last four games. UConn now holds a 65-62 scoring advantage for the season in the opening quarter where as it entered the Vanderbilt game on Oct. 26 being outscored 62-16. UConn’s 7-0 lead after 15 minutes of the Vanderbilt game was the first time it was won the opening stanza since the season opener at Boston College. Conversely, UConn did not allow a single fourth quarter point for 91:08 after allowing a touchdown at BC in week one of the season but then allowed a total of 22 fourth quarter points against Temple and Vanderbilt, sealing tough losses. After entering the Temple game with a 66-7 fourth quarter scoring advantage for the season, UConn has been outscored 43-33 in the fourth quarter of its past three games.
NOT HALF BAD AT MIAMI
UConn outscored Miami 14-6 in the second half of its game there on Oct. 5 which is a very rare accomplishment. In its current 31-game winning streak, Miami has lost just eight of its 62 halves. Of those eight lost halves, only three have come against an unranked team, as UConn joins Louisiana Tech (Oct. 28, 2000) and Rutgers (Nov. 2, 2002) in that regard. Miami’s other five lost halves came against Florida State (2000 and 2002), Virginia Tech (2000 and 2001) and Nebraska (2002 Rose Bowl). All of those teams were ranked 14th or better at the time.
WIN THIRD DOWN AND WIN THE GAME
Third down conversions, while a critical element in any football game, have proven to be the key to success in several UConn games this year. The team that has posted a better third down conversion percentage has won each of UConn’s 10 games this season. Interestingly, the discrepancies in the percentages are often similar to the scores of the game. UConn’s two biggest losses (Georgia Tech and Miami) were also its worst conversion percentage differentials. Two of UConn’s three biggest wins (Buffalo and Florida Atlantic) saw its largest positive margins. The narrow overtime loss against Ball State saw less than a percentage point advantage for the Cardinals (47.0%-46.7%).
UCONN STARTING TO MAKE THE MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES
After lagging badly behind its opponents for much of the season in terms of taking advantage of opposing miscues, UConn has caught up to its foes in points off of turnovers. UConn has been able to produce 76 points off of its 24 gained turnovers while UConn’s opponents have scored 49 off of UConn’s 16 miscues. After getting 28 points off of Kent State’s five miscues, UConn has scored 56 points off of turnovers in the past four games after scoring just 20 in the first six games of the year. The Vanderbilt game marked the only instance this year in which the team with more points off of turnovers has not gone on to win the game. The stat was especially critical in the overtime loss to Ball State when the Cardinals scored 14 points off of UConn miscues while the Huskies were shutout in a pair of chances.
BETTER NOT LEAVE EARLY
Six of UConn’s 10 games this year have not been settled until late in the fourth quarter. The season opener at Boston College was not secured until UConn’s last gasp drive stalled out on downs with 1:06 to play. UConn led Buffalo just 10-3 midway through the fourth quarter before a pair of TDs put the game away. A week later, UConn trailed 19-13 after the third quarter but 24 unanswered fourth quarter points gave the Huskies a 37-19 win. The next week, Dan Orlovsky led UConn on a 95-yard TD drive to tie up Ball State with 0:29 to play in a game the Cardinals would take in overtime. Against Temple, UConn was within a single score until the Owls put it away on a touchdown with 2:48 to play. The thrilling Vanderbilt game saw four fourth quarter lead changes until the Commodores got the game-winner with 1:14 to play.
EAGLE SCOUTS
Each week head coach Randy Edsall issues an award for the Scout Team Player of the Week on both offense and defense. In recognition of their often-overlooked hard work, those players earn a spot on the Husky travel squad and dress list for that week’s game. The weekly honorees are listed below.
Game Offense Defense
Boston College RB Cornell Brockington DB Ryan DeRubertis
Georgia Tech WR Joe Villapiano LB Darius Leak
Buffalo WR Conn Davis LB Kinnan Herriott
Ohio FB Gary Whitehill LB Justin Quinn
Ball State OG LeAndre Dupree DB M.J. Estep
Miami RB Jonathan Wholley LB Darius Leak
Temple OT Brendan Borowski DT Chris Clarke
Vanderbilt FB Jeff Batulevitz DE Matt Applebaum
Florida Atlantic WR David Sanchez LB Robert Hornbuckle
Kent State QB Matt Bonislawski LB Mike McIntosh
UCONN PARTIES LIKE IT’S 1999
The Buffalo game nearly evoked a recurrence of the 1999 season, Randy Edsall’s first at UConn. Just like in 2002, the 1999 Huskies opened 0-2 after losing to a pair of tough teams. UConn fell to I-AA power Hofstra in the season opener and then lost 45-14 at SEC member Kentucky against Hal Mumme’s "Air Raid" offense in 1999. Each time, UConn drew Buffalo in week three and came away with a comfortable win (23-0 in ‘99, 24-3 in ‘02). The 1999 win triggered a three-game winning streak. UConn won two straight in 2002 before a narrow overtime loss to Ball State. In 1999, UConn’s first win after having its winning streak snapped was on the first Saturday in November (29-24 vs. Northeastern on Nov. 6). The same thing happened in 2002 as UConn’s losing skid ended on the first Saturday in November with a 61-14 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 2.
YOUTH IS SERVED
Five true freshmen appeared in the Huskies season opener at Boston College, including an all-true freshman starting back field featuring fullback Deon Anderson and tailback Terry Caulley. Overall, seven true freshman have played for UConn this season. Brandon Young earned a slot in the wide receiver rotation while also serving for a while as UConn’s top punt returner. James Hargrave plays a backup role at Husky linebacker and on special teams. He started for the injured Jamal Lundy against Ohio and led UConn with 17 tackles. Ernest Cole has also seen time, mainly on special teams, while Rhema Fuller and Cathlyn Clarke made their Husky debuts against Georgia Tech.
YOUNG GUNS
Frequent redshirting of players over the past couple of seasons and drastic expansion in the total number of available scholarships to 85, has enabled head coach Randy Edsall to put together a fairly young team. This is especially true on the offensive side of the ball. UConn has just four offensive scholarship seniors and 70% of scholarship players are sophomores or younger on offense.
OUR OWN LITTLE EPCOT CENTER HERE IN STORRS
While the overwhelming majority of the UConn football team is comprised of players from the northeastern United States, the Huskies have a far greater foreign influence than your typical college football team with players hailing from three different continents. UConn has five Canadian players, two from Ontario (Hakeem Kashama and O’Neil Wilson) and a trio of Quebecois (Dan Desriveaux, Shawn Mayne and Jason Ward). Although now a Canadian citizen, Kashama was actually born in Zaire. Punter Adam Coles is a native Australian while offensive tackle Aloys Manga is a native of Duana, Cameroon. Although not a foreign nation, UConn’s Conn Davis grew up outside of the 50 states as a native of the Virgin Islands.
CONNECTICUT TRI-CAPTAINS
Senior tight end Tommy Collins, senior linebacker Jamal Lundy and senior defensive tackle Greg Smoot are the Huskies’ three captains for the 2002 season. All three have been regular contributors since their true freshmen year in 1999 and eventually developed into regular starters and team leaders. Smoot has started 42 of his 43 career games as a Husky while Lundy has been the first or second leading tackler in each of the past two years. Showing their team-first mentalities, all three have had a position change during their UConn careers with Collins shifting from fullback to tight end, Lundy moving from safety to linebacker and Smoot pushing inward from defensive end to defensive tackle.
OFFENSE NOTES
WHO YOU GONNA CAULLEY?
True freshman tailback Terry Caulley has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing plateau five times in his first eight collegiate games (Buffalo, Ohio, Ball State, Florida Atlantic and Kent State) and he became the first Husky to post three straight 100-yard rushing games since Wilbur Gilliard ran for over 100 yards in the first four games of the 1995 season. Caulley’s 112.38 ypg average ranks 20th in the nation overall and second amongst freshmen, behind only Ohio State phoneme Maurice Clarett (119.00). Caulley also ranks 10th in the nation in scoring (9.75 ppg) and 29th in the nation in total offense (133.75 ypg). After rushing for 62 yards in his debut against BC and missing the Georgia Tech game with a shoulder injury, Caulley had his breakthrough game at Buffalo, rushing for 136 yards, a performance he followed up with 117 yards against Ohio and 131 against Ball State. Called both "Mighty Mouse" and "Squeak" by his teammates for his 5-7 frame, Caulley has also caught 21 passes out of the backfield for 171 yards, even leading UConn with five receptions during the win at Buffalo. His 12 rushing touchdowns this year are the most ever for a UConn freshman and tied for fifth best overall for a single season.
CAULLEY COLLECTS NCAA RECORD
Terry Caulley tied a NCAA Division I-A record against Kent State when he scored four touchdowns in one quarter. In the second quarter, Caulley had TD runs of 10, 30 and 60 yards with a 35-yard TD reception, against the Golden Flashes. The feat had previously been accomplished five times in Division I-A history, joining Dick Felt (BYU vs. San Jose State, Nov. 8, 1952), Howard Griffith (Illinois vs. Southern Illinois, Sept. 22, 1990), Eric Bieniemy (Colorado vs. Nebraska (Nov. 2, 1990), Corey Dillon (Washington vs. San Jose State, Nov. 16, 1996) and Frank Moreau (Louisville vs. East Carolina, Nov. 1, 1997).
RUNNING TO PAYDIRT
Although UConn has not rushed the ball as well as it would have liked to so far this season, the running game has been productive in terms of generating points. UConn has already posted 19 rushing TDs this year, tied for ninth-best in school history. With 12 TD carries (in just eight games played), Terry Caulley has tripled up UConn’s 2001 leader in rushing TDs, Taber Small, who had four.
DAN-O PUTTING ON A SHOW
Sophomore Dan Orlovsky, a high school All-American and the Connecticut Player of the Year in 2000 at Shelton High School, has been steady as the Huskies’ starting quarterback this season, posting solid numbers. Orlovsky has hit on 172-of-293 passes (58.7%) for 1,983 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. With a TD pass in each of UConn’s 10 games this year, Orlovsky is looking to join Shane Stafford (1997) as the only Huskies to throw a TD pass in every game for an entire season. His 124.05 passing efficiency rating ranks 56th in the nation and ahead of Brian St. Pierre of Boston College, Carlyle Holiday of Notre Dame and Rex Grossman of Florida, amongst others. Orlovsky started the season off on the right foot as he showed great poise in leading UConn on a 12-play, 90-yard TD drive on the game’s opening possession at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium. That drive was UConn’s longest TD drive since going 92 for a score against Northeastern on Sept. 23, 2000, and for Orlovsky was part of a monster half that saw him hit on 14-of-17 attempts (82%) for 132 yards. He also led UConn in two 95-yard touchdown drives against Ball State, the latter one tying the game with 0:29 to play. He had a streak of 77 consecutive passes without an interception snapped when throwing the ball up for grabs on a Hail Mary play at the end of the first half of the Ohio game. Helping make Orlovsky more effective has been his improved running ability. Orlovsky’s positive rushes (non-sacks/TFLs) have accounted for 85 yards so far this season after rushing positively for just 43 yards in 2001. He has also rushed for four touchdowns in 2002, second best on the team.
TOUCHDOWN TOMMY COLLINS
Senior tri-captain Tommy Collins has been an integral part of the UConn passing attack from his tight end post this season. Collins leads the Huskies with 34 receptions, 450 receiving yards and five touchdowns, all career seasonal highs. Collins has a TD catch in five of UConn’s 10 games this year after making just four total TD catches in his career entering the season. His career-high seven catches against Temple was also a career high and accompanied 84 yards and a touchdown. Doing a little bit of everything, Collins has also done a fine job as a blocker at tight end, served as the punt team’s long snapper for the first eight games and has made six tackles on special teams, including four solos.
THOSE SWINGING 60’s
For the first time in school history, UConn has scored over 60 points in a game twice in one year. The Huskies put 61 on the board against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 2 and followed that up with a 63-point effort the following week against Kent State. By scoring 124 points in those two consecutive games, UConn set a school record for the most points scored in consecutive games against four-year colleges. In 1949, UConn scored 137 in games against Maine and the Newport Naval Training Station. The previous record against four-year colleges was a combined 107 points against Maine and Boston University to close the 1945 season.
TAKING THE LONG ROAD
Showing increased poise and maturity, the UConn offense has been able to string together some long drives this season. UConn’s 34 touchdown drives have averaged 60.8 yards this season, including 10 of 80 yards or longer and three of 90 yards or longer. Only 10 times this year (four coming against FAU) has UConn started in opposing territory for a TD march, usually earning the six points with a strong drive. Amongst the highlights was a 90 yarder on the season’s opening possession at BC, a pair of 80 yard scoring drives against Georgia Tech and a 95 yarder to tie the Ball State game with 0:29 to play and force overtime.
CODE RED
UConn just came off of a streak of almost seven full games without a red zone miscue. The Huskies steak saw the team convert on each of 21 consecutive red zone possessions, scoring 17 touchdowns and four field goals. UConn’s run started on Sept. 14 at Buffalo with a Marc Hickok field goal with 14 seconds left in the first half, and ended on Nov. 2 with a fumble by walk-on RB Jonathan Wholley at the goal line with 6:46 to play in UConn’s 61-14 win over Florida Atlantic.
STANDING STRONG IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE
While Dan Orlovsky’s third-quarter touchdown pass to Tommy Collins at Miami may have not meant much in the final outcome of the game it was very significant in the notebook. It was one of only nine passing TDs that Miami had allowed over the past two seasons combined. The 2001 season saw national powers like Syracuse, Washington, Virginia Tech and Nebraska play a full 60 minutes against the ‘Canes without throwing for a touchdown. Thus far in 2002, Boston College, Florida and Tennessee, amongst others, have not thrown for a TD in their games against Miami.
REGARDING HENRY
Backup quarterback Keron Henry was moved to wide receiver on the Monday after the Miami game and after a bye week made his debut as a wide receiver against Temple. Henry played on 11 snaps against the Owls, making one catch for zero yards. The move was designed to get the athletic 6-2 sophomore an opportunity to make more plays down field. Jermell Williams has replaced Henry as the backup quarterback behind Dan Orlovsky.
HUSKY GROUND GAME SHUFFLES THROUGH BUFFALO, FAU
When UConn posted 187 rushing yards in its 24-3 win at Buffalo on Sept. 14 and 214 against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 2, each proved to be a pretty significant total in the program’s recent history. The Buffalo sum marked the best single-game rushing output for the Huskies in a road game since racking up 203 in a triple-OT game at Maine on Oct. 11, 1997. The 214 against the Owls marked UConn’s best rushing performance overall of the Randy Edsall era and was it’s first 200-yard rushing game since gaining 203 against Rhode Island on Oct. 24, 1998.
YOUTH REIGNS IN CONNECTICUT BACKFIELD
UConn is starting true freshmen at both fullback and tailback in Deon Anderson and Terry Caulley, respectively. The diminutive, 5-7 Caulley dazzled in the fall camp, demonstrating the solid instincts that led him to be named last years’ Maryland offensive player of the year. Anderson took charge early on at the fullback spot. The three sport (football, wrestling and track) standout at Providence’s Hope High School and Connecticut’s Avon Old Farms Prep picked up the Husky offense quickly and won a starting nod. Anderson has not disappointed, picking up 115 yards this year on 33 carries, with a TD, while blocking well.
DEFENSE NOTES
HUSKY PASS DEFENSE RANKS HIGH NATIONALLY
The Huskies have been able to slow down its opposition’s passing attacked fairly well in 2002. UConn ranks 12th in the nation in passing defense by averaging just 166.20 yards per game and 36th in passing efficiency defense with a rating of 110.76. This has contributed to a total defense figure of 334.30 that ranks 32nd in the country. Eight of UConn’s 10 opponents this year have completed 15 or fewer passes, including as season low of eight by Temple. With 15 interceptions to its credit, the UConn defense is tied for 18th nationally and is not far behind NCAA leader San Jose State’s 20.
BUT HUSKIES NEED TO STOP THE RUN BETTER
While UConn has done a good job against the pass this year, the Huskies have not had as much success against the run. UConn is 78th in the nation in rush defense, allowing 168.10 yards per game. Every UConn opponent this season, except for Buffalo and FAU, has produced a 100-yard rusher against the Huskies, but none have had a 100-yard receiver. When UConn has stopped the run though it has been with a monumental figure. UConn held Buffalo to just 45 yards on the ground when the Huskies faced the Bulls on Sept. 14 while the Nov. 2 game against Florida Atlantic saw UConn set a school record by holding the Owls to minus-12 yards rushing. The previous low was minus-eight, set by Yale on Sept., 29, 1984.
DEFENSE SCORING AT RECORD PACE
While UConn’s offense has been hot of late, the Husky defense has also done its part to put points on the board. UConn has set a school record this year by returning three interceptions for touchdowns. Four times UConn had produced two interception return touchdowns in a season, most recently in 1998. This year, Jamal Lundy returned an INT 62 yards for a TD against Temple, Razul Wallace ran one back 31 yards for a TD against Florida Atlantic and Chris Meyer posted a 63-yard interception return for a TD against Kent State. The UConn record for defensive touchdowns in a season is four set in 1997 (two INT returns, two fumble returns).
CAN’T AVOID LLOYD
Sophomore Maurice Lloyd has had a hot hand of late from the weakside linebacker spot. Lloyd has assumed the team lead in tackles with 91 on the year after hitting double digits in four of the last seven games. Lloyd recently led the Huskies for three straight games in tackles with his 14 against Temple, 11 at Vanderbilt and seven against Florida Atlantic. He also recorded two TFLs in the Temple and Vanderbilt games and overall, Lloyd has made multiple TFLs in five out of UConn’s 10 games this season.
FINCHER PHENOMENAL IN NEW STARTING ROLE
Sophomore Alfred Fincher, a native of Norwood, Mass., made the most of his opportunity after beating out incumbent middle linebacker Razul Wallace this fall. Fincher third for UConn with 81 total tackles on the year and has 7.5 tackles for loss. At BC, in his first career start, Fincher tied for the team lead with seven solo tackles and was credited with a team-best 15 total to accompany a pair of tackles for loss, a pass deflection and his first career interception which he ran back 19 yards to the BC 42 yard line late in the third quarter. His only missed start this season came against Temple when UConn played most of the game in a nickel package against the Owls’ spread offense.
ROY’S A NATURAL
Hopkins is part of a tie for 17th place in the NCAA by averaging 0.50 interceptions a game (five in 10 games). UConn’s only three fifth-year seniors on the team, joining Marc Hickok and Frank Quagliano, Hopkins’ five interceptions this season tops his total for the rest of his career combined (four). Hopkins by far leads UConn with his 14 pass breakups this year while making a solid 40 tackles. Hopkins also blocked an extra point kick against Temple.
MY OH MEYER
Junior safety Chris Meyer has made his presence known both with some hard hits and also with the sheer quantity of them. Meyer is second on the team to Maurice Lloyd with 60 solo tackles and 84 total tackles. Meyer has three interceptions. His first of the year plus a 17-yard return, coming late in the Ohio game, was one of the most important factors in the momentum swing that secured a Husky victory. Meyer also had 10 solo tackles against the Bobcats. He ran an interception back 63 yards for a touchdown against Kent State.
UCONN FORCES BUFFALO TO GO THE DISTANCE
Critical to the success of the Husky defense at Buffalo was its good work on first and second down in forcing the Bulls into several third-and-long situations. UB was forced to convert on third-and-10 or more eight times against UConn and were denied on all eight attempts. Against BC and Georgia Tech combined, UConn’s foes only faced double-digit distances on third down five times (converting two). The Bulls faced third-and-15 or more four times. UB was 1-for-14 overall on third down (7%) after BC and Georgia Tech converted on a combined 32% (9-for-28) of its total tries. As a result of their tough defense, UConn forced six three-and-outs at Buffalo, a percentage that represents 40% of UB’ 15 possessions. UConn forced five more three-and-outs against Ohio but forced an average of 2.75 in its four games after that, all losses. UConn fixed this by forcing five three-and-outs against FAU and six more against Kent State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
THE CROCODILE PUNTER
Junior Adam Coles, a native of Gladesville, Australia, and a former Australian Rules Football player, has made a solid transition to the American version of football and is quietly making noise in UConn’s record book. Coles is presently second all-time at UConn with a 39.87 average for a minimum of 80 career punts and ranks amongst the top five in school history for both number of punts and yardage. Coles hasn’t disappointed this season, kicking for a 40.2 average, including a long of 64 at Miami. In that game, Coles showed his AFL background on a punt in the second quarter when the snap went well over his head and he had to back peddle about 20 yards, finally getting off what he termed a "snap kick" at his own seven yard line just before being flattened by Miami’s Marcus Maxey. Although it went in the book as a 24 yard boot, it went about 50 yards in the air. Coles was named to the Ray Guy Award’s preseason watch list.
ON THE MARC
Senior Marc Hickok broke a pair of school records in UConn’s win over Kent State on Nov. 9. Hickok was a perfect nine-for-nine in his extra point attempts against the Golden Flashes, eclipsing the previous school record of eight successful PATs done three times, including once by Hickok just the week before against Florida Atlantic. The nine PATs extended Hickok’s streak to 38 consecutive successful PAT tries, breaking Rob Moons’ school record on 29 set in 1988. Hickok shanked his first PAT try of the year (5:20 into the Boston College game) and has not missed since.
CHASIN’ JASON
Junior Jason Dellaselva has made his presence known this year on special teams. Dellaselva is tied for second on UConn with seven special teams tackles, covering both kickoffs and punts. He also serves as the team’s kick returner, averaging 20.8 yards on his 20 returns, including a long of 47 yards against Miami, a team that held its opponents to a scant 13.8 yards per return entering the UConn game. Dellaselva’s was the longest kick return against Miami since Larry Johnson of Penn State ran one back 69 yards on Sept. 1, 2001. No one has returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Canes since 1998 (Kevin Johnson of Syracuse). Dellaselva also recovered the fumble off of a muffed punt by Miami.
BETTER BLOCK BACK-BREAKING BLOCKER BLACK BETTER
Senior Dwaun Black floated around the UConn roster for years looking for a niche and he appears to have found it in 2002. Black has blocked two punts this year, both of which were scooped up and returned for UConn touchdowns. Black is the first Husky with multiple blocked kicks of any time in one season since UConn started keeping the stat. Black blocked a Freddie Capshaw punt at Miami that Ezra Carey ran in five yards for a touchdown. Against kent State, Jared Fritz had his punt blocked by Black with Cathlyn Clarke this team being the beneficiary of a 31-yard touchdown.
EVERYONE GETTING INTO THE MIX
Head coach Randy Edsall stresses the importance of special teams every day, even sitting in daily on the UConn special teams meetings. A majority of the team’s players are involved in special teams in some capacity and it shows on the tackle chart. As evidence of this full participation, 24 different Huskies have made a special teams tackle over the course of the 2002 season, led by Deon Anderson with eight, while Chris Meyer and Jason Dellaselva have each added seven tackles on special teams.
SCHEDULE NOTES
WHO ARE YOU? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO?
As a part of their move to Division I-A status the Huskies will face a revamped schedule in 2002, one which features six first time opponents for UConn. The Huskies oppose Georgia Tech, Ohio, Miami (Fla.), Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic and Iowa State for the first time ever on the gridiron this season. In fact, fellow-Division I-A neophyte Buffalo is the only 2002 opponent that UConn has faced more than 10 times with the Huskies and Bulls playing for the 13th time on Sept. 14. Entering the season, a total of just 36 games had been played all-time between UConn and its 2002 opponents combined, fewer than its series with six individual schools, a list led by Rhode Island with 92 meetings. In addition to its new opponents, UConn will face its first ever member of the Big 12 Conference (Iowa State) and faced only its second ever foe from the Southeastern Conference (Vanderbilt). UConn previously travelled to SEC member Kentucky in 1999. The Georgia Tech game marked UConn’s second ever game against an active Atlantic Coast Conference opponent with the Huskies having faced North Carolina in 1990. UConn also played then-Southern Conference member Maryland in 1942 prior to the ACC’s formation in 1953.
HUSKIES PLAYING THE BCS FIELD
UConn faces opponents from four different conferences this season that are amongst the six members of the Bowl Championship Series as the Huskies face foes from the ACC (Georgia Tech), BIG EAST (Boston College, Miami, Temple), Big 12 (Iowa State) and SEC (Vanderbilt). Facing four different BCS conferences ties UConn for the most of any school in the nation in the 2002 season joining Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The one common denominator is that all seven schools play at least one ACC team while all but the Red Raiders face a BIG EAST squad.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN...AND AGAIN
With the decrease in regional scheduling brought about by UConn’s independent status, the Huskies will make some historic road trips in the program’s lineage which dates back to 1896. UConn’s game at Miami marked the furthest south the team has ever travelled for a game, eclipsing its trip to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium for a game last year against South Florida. This mark should hold forever as the Orange Bowl is the southernmost stadium in the continental United States for a I-A school although it is a couple of miles north of the actual UM campus in Coral Gables. UConn’s game at Iowa State in Ames just narrowly misses being its furthest ever western destination, a nod that goes to Dallas, Texas where the Huskies faced SMU in 1989.
SET YOUR WATCHES
The team’s games at Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.) and Iowa State (Ames, Iowa) are significant as they mark just the third and fourth times, respectively, that UConn will ever play outside of the Eastern time zone. Both schools are located in the Central time zone. The Huskies have twice previously played an hour behind Storrs, losing at SMU in Dallas in 1989 and at Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro in 2001. UConn has never played in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones.
MAC-NIFICENT
The Huskies have become quite familiar with the Mid-American Conference as UConn faced four teams from the league in 2002 in Buffalo (W, 24-3), Ohio (W, 37-19), Ball State (L, 21-24 OT) and Kent State (W, 63-21). UConn also faced four MAC teams in 2000, posting a 2-2 record, and three MAC schools in 2001, going 1-2. The Huskies will play four MAC teams in both 2003 and 2004 as well. With their 3-1 mark in 2002, UConn now stands at 13-10 all-time against MAC schools. Eight different MAC schools have three or fewer wins this year within the conference. Six of UConn’s last eight wins overall have come against schools from the MAC.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 2003 and 2004 Connecticut football schedules feature teams from the BIG EAST, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conferences and also include a home-and-home series with Army. The schedules, which were announced in mid-September, will mark the first two years of play for UConn at Rentschler Field in East Hartford and are also the final schedules before the Huskies enter BIG EAST Conference play in 2005. Of the 23 games UConn will play in 2003 and 2004, ten of them will be against teams from Bowl Championship Series Conferences, while two others will be the Army series. The complete 2003 and 2004 Husky football schedules are shown to the right with times and television information to be announced at a later date.
STADIUM/ATTENDANCE NOTES
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, MEMORIAL
The Kent State game was the Huskies’ final at Memorial Stadium after a 50 year run. UConn has posted a 131-102-4 (.561) record all-time in the 16,200 seat facility that opened on October 10, 1953, with a 26-6 win over St. Lawrence. Memorial Stadium will be torn down to make room for the Burton Family Football Complex, a facility which will house coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, locker rooms and other improved facilities. It will also be the site of a multi-sport practice center. To help recognize the 50th and final season at Memorial Stadium, UConn is wearing commemorative patches (pictured) on the chest of their 2002 game uniforms.
MEMORIAL MAGIC TAKES ONE LAST GASP
The Huskies sent their home of a half a century out in grand style, breaking their Memorial Stadium scoring record in each of their final two games there. UConn’s 61 points against Florida Atlantic broke the old benchmark of 56 set against Rhode Island in 1980. The new benchmark lasted for exactly seven days as UConn posted 63 points in the stadium’s finale.
STARTING A COMMOTION
Swelling interest in the Husky football program as it gradually moves up into BIG EAST play can be evidenced by a rise in attendance. The Ball State game drew 16,849 fans to Memorial Stadium, the most in the facility’s 50-year history, breaking a mark set on Sept. 7 when 16,751 came out for the Georgia Tech game. The Ohio game drew 15,901, the tenth most ever at Memorial Stadium. UConn’s season-ticket base for 2002 stands at a school record of approximately 11,300 while the Huskies have also sold a record of approximately 600 student season-tickets.
FINAL TOP FIVE CROWDS AT MEMORIAL STADIUM
Attn. Date Opponent Score
16,849 9/28/02 Ball State L, 24-21 (OT)
16,751 9/7/02 Georgia Tech L, 31-14
16,632 9/9/00 Colgate W, 37-7
16,585 10/28/00 South Florida L, 21-13
16,549 9/23/00 Northeastern L, 35-27
SURE COULD USE THOSE EXTRA SEATS RIGHT ABOUT NOW
Operating at 97.58% of capacity at 16,200 seat Memorial Stadium this season, the Huskies presently rank 26th in the nation in average attendance based on percentage of capacity. While UConn is not yet a member of the conference, no BIG EAST school is amongst the top 25 schools in this category, while Notre Dame is the only other independent. Iowa State, which UConn will visit on Nov. 23, leads the nation at 105.87%,
MOVIN’ ON UP TO THE EAST SIDE
The Huskies will move into brand new Rentschler Field in East Hartford for the 2003 season with the stadium set to open its doors on August 30 for a game against the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers. Conveniently located within miles of Interstates 91, 84 and 384, Adriaen’s Landing and downtown Hartford, the new home of the Huskies lies on 75 acres of land donated to the State of Connecticut from the historic Pratt & Whitney Airfield by company founder Frederick Rentschler. The new stadium will hold approximately 40,000 seats and 40 luxury suites in a massive press box tower which will help enclose the natural grass field. The $91 million construction project, part of Governor John Rowland’s economic development program for the Hartford metro-area, is currently about 80% completed and on schedule. The picture above was taken in early November.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
CONNECTICUT’S NEW CLOTHES
The Huskies have been sporting completely new ensembles this season. Blue and white with silver trim, the fashionable look was designed by new sponsor Aéropostale. The uniforms also bear a patch on the right chest commemorating the team’s 50th and final season at Memorial Stadium before moving into Rentschler Field in East Hartford next season. Additionally, this season’s helmets will include a white interlocking "UC" logo on a blue background. The uniforms feature the players’ names on the back for the first time under head coach Randy Edsall’s watch. The red accents commonly found on UConn uniforms have been replaced with silver accents on the 2002 football jerseys. Instead of white uniform pants for home games this year, UConn will don silver britches. Also, the front of the jerseys will say "Connecticut" instead of "UConn," a point that Edsall was especially passionate about. At the team’s August 9th media day he said "We’re Team Connecticut. From Greenwich to Torrington and Norwich to Danbury, we want everybody to know that we’re your team. We want people from all those areas to come up and experience the things that we’ve got going." UConn and Aéropostale recently announced a new corporate partnership that will see the company provide practice and sideline apparel for football and 18 other UConn sports. Aéropostale will also be involved in a number of campus activities.
TAKE A HISTORY LESSON BEFORE HUSKY HOME GAMES
Start off your Connecticut football home game days by touring the new 2,700 square foot J. Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum. Located in the newly expanded UConn Alumni Center and within shouting distance of Memorial Stadium, the museum is the ultimate living document to UConn’s many athletic successes. Long time Husky Sports Information Director Tim Tolokan serves as the museum’s curator and director. Banners, memorabilia and NCAA championship trophies line the display cases while video monitors perpetually replay glorious moments from UConn’s athletic past. The Connecticut Basketball Rotunda is a can’t-miss for any Huskies fan, preserving the memory of the school’s national championships in both men’s and women’s basketball.
ANCHORS AWEIGH!!!
UConn will take a Delta charter to Baltimore on Friday at noon and hold a closed walk through at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The team will stay at the BWI Airport Marriott (410) 859-8300 and fly home immediately following the game.
GO WEST YOUNG MEN
UConn will wrap up its 2002 season next Saturday when the Huskies make their Big 12 debut with a trip to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State. Ames will be the second furthest-west destination in UConn football history behind only Dallas, Texas where the Huskies faced SMU in 1989. The trip marks the fifth straight year that UConn has ended its season on the road.
