University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Conclude Successful 2002 Season At 6-6
12/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
UConn Schedule/Results Date Opponent (TV) Time/Score 8/31 (ESPN Reg.) L, 16-24 9/7 (YES) L, 14-31 9/14 (YES) W, 24-3 9/21 (WFSB) W, 37-19 9/28 L, 21-24 OT 10/5 L, 14-48 10/19 (WFSB) L, 24-38 10/26 (WFSB) L, 24-28 11/2 (WFSB) W, 61-14 11/9 W, 63-21 11/16 (WFSB) W, 38-0 11/23 W, 37-20 UConn In the (Dec. 8) Team Category (Stat) Rank Pass Defense (160.42 ypg) 9th Pass Efficiency Def. (102.44 rating) 16th Total Defense (316.08 ypg) 19th Scoring Defense (22.5 ppg) 38th Scoring Offense (31.08 ppg) 35th Turnover Margin (+1.00 pg) 14th Interceptions (20) 10th Turnovers Gained (32) 18th Net Punting (35.44 ypp) 39th Individual Category (Stat) Rank Caulley Rushing (124.7 ypg) 11th Caulley All-Purpose (145.20 ypg) 21st Caulley Scoring (9.6 ppg) 10th Orlovsky Pass. Eff. (128.60 rating) 39th Hopkins INTs (0.50 pg) 15th
THE COACH
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH RANDY EDSALL
A veteran of 20 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 15-30 career record in his four seasons at UConn, including a career-high six wins this past season. 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.
SQUAD NOTES
HUSKIES GO 6-6 TO EARN FIRST .500 RECORD SINCE 1998
UConn won six games in 2002, its best showing since winning 10 games in 1998, a season that saw the Huskies go 10-3 overall and advance to the NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals. UConn’s six wins in 2002 were more than the Huskies recorded in 2000 (three) and 2001 (two) combined. Further, five of UConn’s wins came over Division I-A schools, more than doubling the previous high of two set in both 2000 (Buffalo and Akron) and 2001 (Rutgers and Eastern Michigan). UConn’s active four-game winning streak is the Huskies’ longest since winning four in a row in October of 1998, beating Hofstra, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Northeastern between October 10 and October 31.
A PERFECT 4-0: NO NOVEMBER RAIN FOR CONNECTICUT
The Huskies went a perfect 4-0 in the month of November, defeating Florida Atlantic (Nov. 2), Kent State (Nov. 9), Navy (Nov. 16) and Iowa State (Nov. 23). It is the first time that UConn has won four games in the month of November and the first time that UConn has been 4-0 or better in a single month since posting a 4-0 mark in September 1995. UConn’s other 4-0 months came in October 1952 and October,1956. The run also marks the longest winning streak to close out a season since winning the final four games of the 1989 campaign.
HUSKIES MOST IMPROVED I-A TEAM DURING 2002
According to College Football News’ Top 117 rankings, UConn made the largest improvement from its preseason predicted finish of any team in the country during the 2002 regular season. UConn was tabbed at No. 114 in the publication’s preseason prognostication and finished the regular season at No. 62, a jump of 52 places. Notre Dame was second with a 46 spot improvement, followed by West Virginia’s 44 place jump. UConn also ranked high for its 2002 improvement in CBS Sportsline’s Top 117 rankings, as the Huskies tied Toledo for the eighth-biggest jump, shooting up 34 spots from No. 111 to No. 77. South Florida ran away with the CBS crown, improving 66 places from No. 93 to No. 27, followed by Iowa (48) and West Virginia (45).
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
In 2002, Connecticut showed a marked improvement over it’s totals from the 2001 season in several major categories. An impressive facet of this dramatic improvement is that the 2002 season was played against a harder schedule than the 2001 slate. The 2002 slate featured four bowl-bound bowl teams in BC, Georgia Tech, Iowa State and defending national champion Miami, four MAC schools and six members of BCS conferences. In 2001, UConn faced just one national power in Virginia Tech, three BCS conference members and also lost at home to Division I-AA Eastern Washington. The chart on page three of the of this document illustrates some of the dramatic differences that UConn made. Every single team category improved from 2001 to 2002.
REVERSING THE QUARTERLY TRENDS
For the first half season, UConn dominated in the first quarter and dominant in the fourth quarter, but the second half of the season saw a reversal of those fortunes. After posting just 13 first quarter points through six games, UConn scored 76 first quarter points in the last six games. UConn held an 89-62 scoring advantage for the season in the opening quarter after entering the Vanderbilt game on Oct. 26 being outscored 62-16. The Huskies will take an 82:20 first quarter shutout streak into the 2003 season. UConn’s 7-0 lead after 15 minutes of the Vanderbilt game on Oct. 26 was the first time it 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 held just a 46-43 edge in the fourth quarter of its final five games.
TREMENDOUS FIRST HALF PRODUCTION IN THE SECOND HALF RUN
UConn outscored its opponents 122-0 in the first half during the three consecutive lopsided wins over Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Navy from Nov. 2-16. UConn led 42-0 at the break against FAU, 49-0 against KSU and held a 31-0 advantage at the half over the Midshipmen in Annapolis. UConn had scored on 17 of its 24 first half possessions in those three games (6-of-9 vs. FAU, 6-of-8 vs. Kent State and 5-of-7 at Navy) and held an aggregate 987 to 222 advantage in first half total offense (327-49 vs. FAU, 308-109 vs. Kent State and 352-64 at Navy).
NOT HALF BAD AT MIAMI
UConn outscored Miami 14-6 in the second half of its game at the Orange Bowl on Oct. 5, which is a very rare accomplishment. In its current 34-game winning streak, Miami has lost just nine of its 68 halves. Of those nine 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 six lost halves came against Florida State (2000 and 2002), Virginia Tech (2000, 2001 and 2002) and Nebraska (2002 Rose Bowl). All of those teams were ranked 18th or better at the time.
WIN THIRD DOWN AND WIN THE GAME
Third down conversions, while a critical element in any football game, proved to be the key to success in several 2002 UConn games. The team that posted a better third down conversion percentage has won each of UConn’s 12 games. 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. Three of UConn’s biggest wins (Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Navy) 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 LEARNS TO MAKE THE MOST OF ITS OPPORTUNITIES
After lagging badly behind its opponents for much of the season in terms of taking advantage of opposing miscues, UConn caught up to its foes in points off of turnovers with a drastic advantage late in the season. UConn tallied 90 points off of turnovers in the final six games after scoring just 20 in the first six games of the year. UConn held a staggering 83-0 aggregate advantage in points scored off of turnovers in the final five games of the year. The Vanderbilt game marked the only instance this year in which the team with more points off of turnovers did not go on to win the game. For the season, UConn was able to produce 110 points off of its 32 gained turnovers while UConn’s opponents scored 49 off of UConn’s 20 miscues.
HUSKIES GET A HAPPY ENDING
UConn won its season finale for the first time since 1995, when UConn posted a 20-7 win over UMass. UConn then lost each of its next six season finales, including a NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal game at Georgia Southern in 1998. Prior to beating Iowa State, UConn had never defeated a team from outside of New England to close its season, posting a 0-12 mark in such instances, dating back to a 13-7 loss to Rensselear in 1925. UConn’s four game winning streak to end the season ties for its longest since winning six straight to open the 1995 campaign. The four game winning streak ties the 1987 and 1989 seasons for the longest season-ending Husky winning streak since winning five in a row to close out the 1945 campaign.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
In 2002, Connecticut showed a marked improvement over it’s totals from the 2001 season in several major categories. An impressive facet of this dramatic improvement is that the 2002 season was played against a harder schedule than the 2001 slate. The 2002 slate featured four bowl-bound bowl teams in BC, Georgia Tech, Iowa State and defending national champion Miami, four MAC schools and six members of BCS conferences. In 2001, UConn had faced just one national power in Virginia Tech, three BCS conference members and also lost at home to Division I-AA Eastern Washington. The chart at the right illustrates some of the dramatic differences that UConn made. Every single team category improved from 2001 to 2002.
HUSKIES HOLD NINTH LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN THE NATION
Connecticut’s four-game winning streak is tied for the ninth longest active streak in the nation, entering bowl season. Miami by far leads the way with 34 consecutive wins, followed by Ohio State (13) and Boise State (10). With four wins, UConn stands tied with Central Florida, Fresno State, Marshall, Penn State and West Virginia. UConn will move up at least two spots by attrition during bowl season because Miami (34 games) and Ohio State (13) face each other in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl while Iowa (9) and USC (7) will play in the FedEx Orange Bowl.
BETTER NOT LEAVE EARLY
Six of UConn’s 12 games this year were not 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 issued 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 for 2002 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
Navy QB Shane Fogarty DB Ernest Cole
Iowa State TE Ziggy Goryn DT Clewi Challenger
2002 GAME BALLS RECIPIENTS: ENOUGH TO KEEP WILSON IN BUSINESS
These Huskies earned game balls for their performances in UConn’s six wins in 2002:
BUFFALO (Terry Caulley - offense, Roy Hopkins, defense, Jason Dellaselva, special teams)
OHIO (Matt Cutaia - offense, James Hargrave - defense, Marc Hickok - special teams)
FLA. ATLANTIC (Dan Orlovsky - offense, Uyi Osunde - defense and special teams)
KENT STATE (Terry Caulley - offense, Chris Meyer - defense, Dwaun Black and Marc Hickok - special teams)
NAVY (Offensive Line and Tight Ends (Tommy Collins, Steve Cully, LeAndre Dupree, Billy Irwin, Ryan Krug, Tim Lassen, Brian Markowski) - offense, Maurice Lloyd - defense, Adam Coles - special teams)
IOWA STATE (Terry Caulley - offense, Roy Hopkins - defense, James Hargrave - special teams)
HONORABLE HUSKIES
Three Huskies earned post season honors from collegefootballnews.com. Terry Caulley, Tommy Collins and Ryan Krug were named All-Independent while Caulley earned freshman All-America honors and was named the Independent Rookie of the Year by both that organization and ESPN.com.
HUSKIES SHOW VAST IMPROVEMENT AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Throughout the course of its 24-16 loss at Boston College on August 31, UConn demonstrated dramatic improvements over its 55-3 loss at the Heights on Oct. 7, 2000. It would be a taste of what was to come throughout the 2002 season. In its first apples vs. apples comparison game (same opponent, same stadium) since beginning its march to Division I-A, the 2002 Huskies came out ahead in this, their first season with a full compliment of 85 available scholarships. Below are some major categories from the 2000 and 2002 BC games that demonstrate a more potent Husky defense in particular:
Category 2000 2002
Halftime Score BC, 41-3 UC, 16-10
Completion Pct. 50% (20-40) 63% (24-38)
Rushing Defense 361 114
Total Defense 635 353
Time of Possession 18:25 30:58
Turnover Margin -3 +1
Scoring Margin -52 -8
Longest UConn Drive 50 yds. 90 yds.
UCONN PARTIES LIKE IT’S 1999
The Buffalo game 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 played for UConn in 2002. Brandon Young earned a slot in the wide receiver rotation while also serving for a while as UConn’s top punt returner. James Hargrave played 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. Cathlyn Clarke made his Husky debut against Georgia Tech, while Ernest Cole and Rhema Fuller also saw limited action.
YOUNG GUNS
Frequent redshirting of players over the past couple of seasons and drastic expansion in the total number of available scholarships to 85, enabled head coach Randy Edsall to put together a fairly young team in 2002. This was especially true on the offensive side of the ball. UConn had just five offensive scholarship seniors and 70% of scholarship players were sophomores or younger on offense. UConn will return 16 of its 22 starters next season, plus punter Adam Coles.
2002 Scholarship Chart
Class Off. Def. Spec.
Sr. (13) 5 7 1
Jr. (20) 8 11 1
So. (17) 10 7 0
RFr. (13) 10 3 0
TFr. (21) 10 10 1
Total (84) 43 38 3
OUR OWN LITTLE EPCOT CENTER HERE IN STORRS
While the overwhelming majority of the 2002 UConn football team was comprised of players from the northeastern United States, the Huskies had a far greater foreign influence than your typical college football team with players hailing from three different continents. UConn had 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 in the Virgin Islands.
CONNECTICUT TRI-CAPTAINS
Senior tight end Tommy Collins, senior linebacker Jamal Lundy and senior defensive tackle Greg Smoot served as the Huskies’ three captains for the 2002 season. All three were regular contributors since their true freshmen year in 1999 and eventually developed into regular starters and team leaders. Smoot started 44 of his 45 career games as a Husky while Lundy finished seventh in school history with his 320 career tackles. Showing their team-first mentalities, all three made 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’s 124.70 ypg rushing average ranks 11th in the nation overall and first amongst freshmen. Caulley also leads all freshmen nationally (21st overall) in all-purpose yardage (145.20 ypg) despite not returning either punts or kickoffs. Caulley ranks tied for 10th in the nation in scoring (9.60 ppg) overall and first for freshmen with Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett. 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. He went over 100 yards in each of UConn’s four season-ending wins, including a career-high 191 at Iowa State. In all, Caulley eclipsed the 100-yard rushing plateau seven times in his first 10 collegiate games, tying Eric Torkelson’s UConn record of seven 100-yard rushing games in one season, set in 1973. In Randy Edsall’s first three years as head coach at UConn combined, the Huskies posted just five 100-yard rushing games. Called both "Mighty Mouse" and "Squeak" by his teammates for his 5-7 frame, Caulley has also caught 25 passes out of the backfield for 205 yards, even leading UConn with five receptions during the win at Buffalo. Meanwhile, his blocking ability, excellent for his youth and size, enabled UConn to utilize him as a third down back.
LONG DISTANCE CAULLEY
Terry Caulley’s 1,247 rushing yards on the 2002 season are the most by a Division I-A true freshman since Jamal Lewis of Tennessee ran for 1,364 in 1997. At Navy, Terry Caulley became the 55th overall freshman to ever rush for 1,000 yards in a season in NCAA Division I-A history. Caulley’s feat is all the more impressive when you consider that he missed two games and played only until halftime in blowout wins over Florida Atlantic and Kent State. The national Division I-A freshman record of 1,863 was set in 1996 by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne, a true freshman that year. Caulley reached 1,000 yards in his ninth game, two shy of the record of seven set by Emmitt Smith of Florida in 1987 and equaled San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk in 1991.
HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!!
True freshman Terry Caulley ran for 1,247 yards in his 10 games played this year. As a team, UConn ran for 852 yards in 2001 and 907 in 2000. Caulley’s 1,247 rushing yards were just 15 shy of tying Tory Taylor’s school record of 1,262 set in 1995. His 15 rushing touchdowns this year are the most ever for a UConn freshman and third best overall for a single season. His 16 overall TDs on the year also tie for the third most in UConn history. Caulley’s 16 TDs were four times more than UConn’s 2001 leader, Taber Small, who reached the end zone just four times on the season. UConn went 6-4 this year when he played and was 0-2 in the two games that he missed.
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 PAY DIRT
The running game was productive in terms of generating points for the Huskies in 2002. UConn has posted 22 rushing TDs in 2002, tied for fourth-best in school history. With 15 TD carries (in just 10 games played), Terry Caulley more than tripled up UConn’s 2001 leader in rushing TDs, Taber Small, who had four.
OFFENSE PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
With 373 points scored in 2002, UConn posted the third highest scoring season in school history. The Huskies tallied 461 points in 1998 and 398 in 1997.
PERFECT BALANCE
In 2002 UConn attempted 421 rushing plays and 421 passing plays after adjusting the 29 sacks against (the NCAA credits these as rushes).
NO SACKS ALLOWED
The UConn offensive line allowed 26 sacks in the first seven games of the year, including eight against Temple. However, UConn did not allow a sack in any of its next four games (Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Navy). UConn went 132 consecutive passing attempts without yielding a sack until the first quarter of the Iowa State game. Oddly, the last sack recorded against UConn before this streak was by Temple’s aptly named defensive tackle, Rob Sack.
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, was steady as the Huskies’ starting quarterback for all 12 games in 2002, posting solid numbers. Orlovsky hit on 221-of-366 passes (60.4%) for 2,488 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. With a TD pass in each of UConn’s 12 games, Orlovsky joined Shane Stafford (1997) as the only Huskies to throw a TD pass in every game for an entire season. His 128.60 passing efficiency rating ranks 39th in the nation and ahead of Eli Manning of Ole Miss, Dave Ragone of Louisville, Brian St. Pierre of Boston College, Rex Grossman of Florida and John Navare of Michigan, 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 early in the season and at Navy hit on each of his first 11 passes to open the game. At Iowa State, he led UConn on touchdown drives of 88, 80 and 96 yards. Helping make Orlovsky more effective was his improved running ability. Orlovsky’s positive rushes (non-sacks/TFLs) accounted for 132 yards in 2002 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 served as an integral part of the UConn passing attack from his tight end post in 2002. Collins led the Huskies with 39 receptions, 497 receiving yards and six touchdowns, all career seasonal highs. Collins had a TD catch in six of UConn’s 12 games after making just four total TD catches in his career entering the 2002 season. His seven catches against Temple were a career high and accompanied 84 yards and a touchdown. Doing a little bit of everything, Collins did a fine job as a blocker at tight end, served as the punt team’s long snapper for the first eight games and made six tackles on special teams, including four solos.
SHARING THE WEALTH
When Randy Edsall talked in the preseason about having a deep rotation at wide receiver to choose from, he knew what he was talking about. Seven different Huskies caught at least 20 passes in 2002. Tommy Collins led the way with 39 receptions, followed by Shaun Feldeisen (33), Wes Timko (29), Terry Caulley (25), Jason Williams (23), Brandon Young (22) and O’Neil Wilson (20). In addition, Matt Cutaia had a team-high 14 catches through the first four games when he injured his knee and missed the remainder of the season. UConn’s seven 20 reception players tied for fourth in the nation during the regular season. Texas Tech had nine players reach the plateau while Duke and Hawaii had eight each. UConn’s seven equals Marshall, Miami of Ohio and Washington.
FELDEISEN SLICIN’ AND DICIN’
Shaun Feldeisen stepped up his play in some of UConn’s biggest games of the year. The junior had a breakout game against Georgia Tech hauling in six passes for 101 yards with a long play of 49 yards, all comfortably career highs. The performance matched UConn’s 100-yard game total from all of the 2001 season. Making a perfect bookend, Feldeisen broke that career high by leading the Huskies with eight catches in their big win at Iowa State, good for 85 yards. Most importantly, he helped sustain drives and move the chains as six of Feldeisen’s catches against the Cyclones were good for first downs, three of them coming on critical third down plays. Feldeisen, a redshirt junior, walked on to the team in 1999 and was rewarded with a scholarship on August 26, 2002, just five days before catching his first career touchdown at Boston College, less than an hour from his Stow, Massachusetts home.
TAKING THE LONG ROAD
Showing increased poise and maturity, the UConn offense was able to string together some long drives this season. UConn’s 43 touchdown drives averaged 60.2 yards in 2002, including 14 of 80 yards or longer and four of 90 yards or longer. Only 14 times (seven coming against FAU and Navy) did UConn start 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. At Iowa State, UConn had three TD drives of at least 80 yards, including a season-long 96 yard drive.
THOSE SWINGING 60’s
This season, for the first time in school history, UConn 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.
CODE RED
UConn had a streak in 2002 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. For the season, UConn was 37-for-41 (90%) in the red zone with 30 touchdowns (73%).
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 13 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. Entering the Fiesta Bowl, Boston College, Florida and Tennessee, amongst others, have not thrown for a TD in their games against Miami in 2002.
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. Henry made five catches on the year for 62 yards.
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. The Huskies would go on to post 237 rushing yards against Navy.
YOUTH REIGNS IN CONNECTICUT BACKFIELD
UConn started 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 the 2001 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 did not disappoint, picking up 119 yards this year on 34 carries, with a TD, while blocking well.
DEFENSE NOTES
HUSKY PASS DEFENSE RANKS HIGH NATIONALLY
The Huskies were able to slow down its opposition’s passing attack fairly well in 2002. UConn ranked ninth in the nation in passing defense by averaging just 160.42 yards per game and 16th in passing efficiency defense with a rating of 102.44. This contributed to a total defense figure of 316.08 that ranks 19th in the country. Nine of UConn’s 12 opponents this year completed 15 or fewer passes, including a scant three by Navy. With 20 interceptions to its credit, the UConn defense tied for 10th nationally.
BUT HUSKIES NEEDED TO STOP THE RUN BETTER
While UConn did a good job against the pass this year, the Huskies did not have as much success against the run. UConn was 59th in the nation in rush defense, allowing 155.7 yards per game. Every UConn opponent this season, except for Buffalo, FAU, Navy and Iowa State produced a 100-yard rusher against the Huskies, but none had a 100-yard receiver. When UConn did stop the run though it was 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. The UConn defense swamped Navy’s option attack on Nov. 16. Entering the game fourth in the country with a 275.1 ypg average, Navy was held to just 35 yards rushing against UConn.
UCONN DEFENSE STOPS NAVY’S FLEET FEET
The following are some notes from the Husky defense’s stellar performance against Navy on Nov. 16...Navy ran just 40 offensive plays in the game. The 40 offensive plays were the fewest in the nation for all of Division I since Sept. 30, 2000 when Tennessee Tech held UT-Martin to 37. It is the most for a I-A school since at least the 1999 season but NCAA records prior to that are not complete in this area...The Huskies set a UConn record by holding Navy to just three first downs in the game. The old mark of four had been set against Maine in 1978 and equalled at Yale in 1984...The UConn defense held Navy to 82 yards of total offense, its best performance since holding Yale to 65 yards in 1984. The Midshipmen had just 18 yards of total offense in the second half...The 82 yards of total defense was fourth best in the nation in 2002 against a I-A school...UConn recorded its first shutout of the year and its first ever against a Division I-A school on the road...UConn was perfect in the clutch, holding Navy to a 0-for-12 mark in third down conversion attempts. The last time UConn had been perfect defensively on third down was on Nov. 21, 1992 when the Huskies held Rhode Island on each of 11 third down attempts...Navy, which entered the game fourth in the nation with 275.1 rushing yards per game, was held to just 35 rushing yards by the UConn defense...UConn forced a Navy three-and-out on eight of the Midshipmen’s 12 possessions...Navy completed just three passes in the contest.
DEFENSE SCORES AT RECORD PACE
While UConn’s offense had a successful season in 2002, the Husky defense also did its part to put points on the board. UConn set a school record in 2002 by returning three interceptions for touchdowns. Four times UConn had produced two interception return touchdowns in a season, most recently in 1998. In 2002, 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).
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER SHUTOUT
With UConn’s 38-0 shutout of Navy, the Huskies have recorded a shutout in three of Randy Edsall’s four years at the Husky helm and have whitewashed a foe for the second year in a row. UConn shutout Eastern Michigan, 19-0 on Oct. 6, 2001 and Buffalo, 23-0 on Sept. 18, 1999. With shutouts in both 2001 and 2002, it marks the first time UConn has recorded a shutout in consecutive seasons since 1967-68 when UConn blanked Maine and Holy Cross in 1967 and Vermont and Maine in 1968. The Navy shutout was UConn’s first ever shutout over a Division I-A team on the road and UConn’s first away from Memorial Stadium since beating Yale 28-0 on Sept. 27, 1997 at the Yale Bowl.
MORE TURNOVERS THAN AN AU BON PAN
The UConn defense has forced 32 turnovers in 2002, making 20 interceptions and recovering 12 lost fumbles. The 32 turnovers were tied for 18th in the nation at the end of the regular season and, coupled with the UConn offense holding on to the ball, helped the Huskies tie for 14th in the nation in turnover margin at +1.00 per game. UConn’s 20 interceptions tie for 10th nationally. UConn’s 32 forced turnovers were its most since forcing 36 over 11 games played in 1992.
QUIETLY MAKING NOISE
Although the unit’s tackle totals do not necessarily reflect it, the Husky defensive line made great strides over its 2001 performance and the evidence is in the tackle totals of the Husky linebackers and defensive backs. In 2001 the defensive line got eaten up at the line of scrimmage and the opposing blockers were able to contain the UConn linebackers, forcing Husky defensive backs to make too many big-play saving tackles. In 2002, with the defensive linemen doing a better job of tying up blockers, the UConn linebackers were able to roam free as Maurice Lloyd, Alfred Fincher and Jamal Lundy finished first, third and fourth, respectively, on the team in tackles.
CAN’T AVOID LLOYD
Sophomore Maurice Lloyd had a hot hand during the second half of the 2002 season from the weakside linebacker spot. Lloyd assumed the team lead in tackles with 113 on the year after leading the Huskies in five of the last six games. Lloyd hit double digits five times in 2002, coming against Ohio, Ball State, Temple, Vanderbilt and Iowa State. He also recorded two TFLs in the Temple and Vanderbilt games and overall, Lloyd made multiple TFLs in six out of UConn’s 12 games this season and with 18 on the year fell just one shy of the UConn seasonal record.
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 in the 2002 fall camp. Fincher finished third for UConn with 92 total tackles on the year and has 10.5 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 of the 2002 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 10th place in the NCAA by averaging 0.50 interceptions a game (six in 12 games). One of only three UConn fifth-year seniors in 2002, joining Marc Hickok and Frank Quagliano, Hopkins’ six interceptions topped his total for the rest of his career combined (four) and marked the best performance by a Husky since Mark Chapman picked off eight passes in 1992. Hopkins by far led UConn in 2002 with his 18 pass breakups while making a solid 53 tackles. Amongst the 18 breakups was a diving swat in the end zone of a certain touchdown pass at Iowa State. Hopkins also blocked an extra point kick against Temple. Hopkins played in a school record 48 games during his career, starting 44.
MY OH MEYER
Junior safety Chris Meyer made his presence known in 2002 both with some hard hits and also with the sheer quantity of them. Meyer finished second on the team to Maurice Lloyd with 71 solo tackles and 97 total tackles. Meyer had 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.
OSUNDE MAY BE PLAYING ON SUNDAYS SOMEDAY SOON
Junior defensive tackle Uyi Osunde had a break-out season in 2002. Osunde used a prototypical NFL frame to record 76 tackles on the year, fifth on the team and 39 more than any other lineman. Osunde led the 2002 Huskies with 9.5 sacks and 19 forced hurries while ranking second with 15.5 total tackles for loss. Osunde also participated in punt coverage, making five tackles on the season.
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, six more against Kent State and forced staggering eight three-and-outs (in 12 possessions) against Navy.
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 39.7 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 didn’t disappoint in 2002, kicking for a 39.9 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 first of Hickok’s nine PATs against Kent State extended Hickok’s streak to 30 consecutive successful PAT tries, breaking Rob Moons’ school record of 29 set in 1988. The record streak reached 47 as Hickok’s career closed at Iowa State. Hickok shanked his first PAT try of the 2002 season (5:20 into the Boston College game) and never missed again as a Husky.
CHASIN’ JASON
Junior Jason Dellaselva made his presence known this year on special teams. Dellaselva tied for third on UConn with seven special teams tackles, covering both kickoffs and punts. He also served as the team’s kick returner, averaging 20.7 yards on his 23 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 over a 22 game span between Larry Johnson of Penn State running one back 69 yards on Sept. 1, 2001 and Virginia Tech’s Richard Johnson running one back 92 yards on Dec. 7, 2002. No one has returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Canes since 1998 (Kevin Johnson of Syracuse). Against Miami, Dellaselva also recovered the fumble off of a muffed punt.
BETTER BLOCK BACK-BREAKING BLOCKER BLACK BETTER
Senior Dwaun Black floated around the UConn roster for years looking for a niche and he found it in 2002. Black blocked two punts during his senior season, both of which were scooped up and returned for UConn touchdowns. Black was 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 tbeing the beneficiary of a 31-yard touchdown.
EVERYONE GETTING INTO THE MIX
Head coach Randy Edsall stressed 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, 25 different Huskies made a special teams tackle over the course of the 2002 season, led by Deon Anderson with nine, while James Hargrave had eight and Chris Meyer and Jason Dellaselva each added seven tackles on special teams.
RADIO/TV COVERAGE NOTES
THE UCONN HUSKIES: MUST SEE TV
UConn had eight of its 12 games broadcast on live television in 2002. 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, carried five games as the Huskies battled Ohio, Temple, Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic and Navy. With eight total TV games, it was by far the most football games that UConn has ever had televised in a single season. Curiously, former Syracuse star Don McPherson served as UConn’s color commentator for seven of these eight games, appearing on three different networks. UConn went 4-4 in 2002 when on TV.
PLENTY OF FOLKS ARE TUNING IN TOO
UConn’s five games on WFSB drew a good crowd to their televisions in the Nutmeg State, averaging a 4.3 rating and an 11.6 share in the Hartford TV market. The highest rated game was against Navy, which despite a 38-0 final score, drew a strong 6.1 rating and a 16 share. Comparing these numbers with typical Connecticut college football TV audiences, on Nov. 16, the lopsided Navy game blew away ABC’s Big Ten game (Ohio State-Illinois - 1.5) and CBS’s SEC game (Georgia-Auburn - 3.7), each of which went down to the final play and had both national and conference championship implications. The 3.8 rating from the UConn-Vanderbilt game on Oct. 26 held its own that day against undefeated Notre Dame at Florida State, which drew a 4.5, and dwarfed Boston College and Pittsburgh, which drew a 0.2 rating. The Temple game drew a 4.7 rating on Oct. 19 and almost doubled its next closest competitor that day with CBS’s Alabama-Ole Miss clash coming in second with a 2.5 rating. With a 3.7 rating, UConn’s win over Ohio on Sept. 21 beat out a pair of very high-profile games that day, topping Florida-Tennessee (2.9 on CBS) and Notre Dame-Michigan State (2.3 on ABC). The Ohio game also nearly doubled up the New York Yankees-Detroit Tigers baseball game on FOX at the same time (2.1). The only two games to beat UConn’s same-day TV ratings in 2002 were Notre Dame’s contests against Florida State and Boston College.
SCHEDULE NOTES
WHO ARE YOU? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO?
As a part of their move to Division I-A status the Huskies faced a revamped schedule in 2002, one which featured six first time opponents for UConn. The Huskies opposed Georgia Tech, Ohio, Miami (Fla.), Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic and Iowa State for the first time ever on the gridiron, posting a 3-3 record in these games. In fact, fellow-Division I-A neophyte Buffalo was the only 2002 opponent that UConn had 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 faced 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 PLAY THE BCS FIELD
UConn faced 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 tied UConn for the most of any school in the nation in the 2002 regular season joining Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The one common denominator is that all seven schools played at least one ACC team while all but the Red Raiders faced a BIG EAST squad.
WHERE EVER I MAY ROAM
UConn’s independent schedule led to some noteworthy road trips in 2002. 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 2001 game 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 missed being its furthest ever western destination, a nod that goes to Dallas, Texas where the Huskies faced SMU in 1989...UConn’s games at Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.) and Iowa State (Ames, Iowa) were significant as they marked just the third and fourth times, respectively, that UConn ever played outside of the Eastern time zone. Both schools are located in the Central time zone. UConn has never played in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones. The win over Iowa State was UConn’s first ever win outside of the Eastern time zone...UConn played three games south of the Mason-Dixon line in 2002 and its win at Navy on Nov. 16 was its first victory in its last nine games in Dixie. UConn is 8-33-1 all-time down south as it prepares to travel to Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and NC State in 2003.
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. Six different MAC schools had three or fewer wins this year within the conference. Six of UConn’s last 10 wins overall have come against schools from the MAC.
WEEK TWELVE????
For just the second time in school history, UConn played 12 games in a season and it was the first time UConn had ever scheduled in advance to do so. The other instance came in 1998 when UConn was chosen for the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs after a 9-2 regular season. UConn defeated Hampton, 42-34, in the first round on Nov. 28 in Storrs in that inaugural 12th game. The Huskies fell at Georgia Southern the following week in its only 13th game to a season. In 2002 and 2003, schools are allowed by the NCAA to schedule 12 games because there are 14 Saturdays between the first permissible playing date and the last playing date in November...November 23 was the latest scheduled finale for UConn since losing 20-10 at Rhode Island on Nov. 23, 1991. UConn faced Temple on Nov. 24, 2001 in a game rescheduled from Sept. 15 due to the September 11th attacks.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 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. Times and television information will 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 posted a 131-102-4 (.561) record 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.
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 stood at a school record of approximately 11,300 while the Huskies have also sold a record of approximately 600 student season-tickets.
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 ranked 23rd in the nation in average attendance based on percentage of capacity. While UConn is not yet a member of the conference, Virginia Tech was the only BIG EAST school amongst the top 25 schools in this category in 2002, while Notre Dame was the only other independent. Nebraska led the nation at 105.25%,
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.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
CONNECTICUT’S NEW CLOTHES
The Huskies wore completely new ensembles in 2002. Blue and white with silver trim, the fashionable look was designed by new sponsor Aéropostale. The uniforms also featured a patch on the right chest commemorating the team’s 50th and final season at Memorial Stadium. Additionally, the 2002 helmets included a white interlocking "UC" logo on a blue background. The helmet logo will be redesigned for the 2003 season as the Huskies search for a mark to form an identity around as the pivotal 2005 season approaches. The 2002 uniforms featured 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 were replaced with silver accents on the 2002 football jerseys. Instead of white uniform pants for home games, UConn often donned silver britches. Also, the front of the jerseys said "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.
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
UConn will return to action with one of the most anticipated games in Connecticut football history as the Huskies will open their new home, $91 million Rentschler Field in East Hartford, on Aug. 30, 2003 against the Indiana Hoosiers - UConn’s first ever game against a Big Ten opponent. The Huskies will also welcome two future BIG EAST rivals to Rentschler Field in 2003 in Boston College (Sept. 13) and Rutgers (Nov. 8).
