University of Connecticut Athletics
Final NCAA Stats Reflect UConn's Progress
1/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
January 6, 2003
STORRS, CONN. - The University of Connecticut football team ranked fifth in the nation in passing defense while TB Terry Caulley was the nation's 10th leading rusher and first amongst freshmen, highlighting the final NCAA Division I-A Football stats. For the first time ever, these numbers take into affect bowl games.
UConn's defense soared through the NCAA charts in 2002 after improving nearly 100 yards per game from its 2001 totals. UConn's 160.42 passing yards per game against ranked fifth in the nation behind only Miami, LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee. The Huskies ranked 18th in the nation in passing efficiency defense with a 102.44 rating and led the nation in one component of this stat, making an interception on 6.21% of its opponents' passing attempts. Second place Oklahoma was comfortably behind UConn with an interception on 5.56% of its opponents' passing attempts. The Huskies ranked 19th in the country in total defense at 316.08 yards per game. UConn was also 36th in scoring defense, yielding 22.5 points per game.
Turnovers were critical to UConn's success in 2002 and the Huskies ranked highly here in the final NCAA leaders. With a turnover margin of +1.00 per game, UConn tied for 16th in the country. Interestingly, every team ahead of UConn on this chart that is not on probation, other than South Florida, went to a bowl game this year where they posted a combined 8-4 record with two of those losses (Iowa vs. USC and West Virginia vs. Virginia) coming to teams also on the list. Helping UConn post this total was its 20 interceptions, a total that ranked tied for 14th nationally. Again, all but three of the teams ahead of UConn on this list (San Jose St., USF and Northern Illinois) went to bowl games, playing at least a 13th game. UConn's 32 total turnovers gained tied for 23rd in the nation after the bowls.
UConn's special teams also got some recognition as the Huskies ranked 37th in the nation in net punting.
Caulley highlights the individual stat leaders. Cauley led the nation in freshman rushing yardage (1,247), rushing average (124.7 ypg) and all-purpose rushing (145.20 ypg). Caulley ranked 10th overall in rushing and 19th in all-purpose running, despite not serving as either a punt or kickoff returner. Caulley also tied for 10th in the nation in scoring with 9.60 points per game. Caulley's 16 TDs was third in the nation overall for a freshman behind Maurice Clarett of Ohio State and T.A. McLendon of NC State who both had 18. Both Clarett and McLendon scored a pair of touchdowns in their respective bowl games to break what was a three-way tie entering bowl season.
Cornerback Roy Hopkins ranked 15th in the country by making 0.50 interceptions per game.
Quarterback Dan Orlovsky placed in the 30s of three major passing categories. Orlovsky finished the year 38th in passing efficiency with a 128.6 rating, 30th in completions with 18.42 per game and 36th in points responsible for with 11.50 per game.
In the NCAA's rankings of subjective defensive categories, Roy Hopkins came out ranking third in the nation with 2.00 passes defended per game, recording 18 break ups and six interceptions in his 12 games played. Uyi Osunde tied for 20th in the nation in sacks per game with his 0.79 (9.5 in 12 games). Chris Meyer tied for 11th in forced fumbles by forcing five in 12 games. Maurice Lloyd also appeared twice on the charts, tying for 25th in solo tackles and 28th in tackles for loss.
