University of Connecticut Athletics
Ten Football Players Named All-Independent
12/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
December 12, 2003
STORRS, Conn. - After leading the University of Connecticut to a stellar 9-3 record in 2003, ten Huskies were recently named All-Independent by either ESPN.com or CollegeFootballNews.com, led by quarterback Dan Orlovsky (Shelton, CT) who was named ESPN.com’s Independent Offensive MVP.
Orlovsky set nearly every UConn single season passing record in 2003 and was the trigger man on an offense that, heading into the bowl season, ranks seventh in the nation averaging 477.5 yards per game and 10th in passing at 297.9 ypg. Orlovsky ranks eighth in the nation in passing, 13th in total offense, 10th in points responsible for and 32nd in passing efficiency. His 33 passing TDs and 3485 passing yards on the season presently ranks fifth and ninth respectively in the nation.
Joining Orlovsky as offensive All-Independent selections were wide receivers Shaun Feldeisen and O’Neil Wilson, along with offensive linemen Ryan Krug and Brian Markowski. On the defensive side of the ball, five Huskies received All-Independent recognition with the honors going to defensive ends Tyler King and Uyi Osunde, linebackers Alfred Fincher and Maurice Lloyd along with cornerback Justin Perkins.
In addition to Orlovsky’s award, tailback Cornell Brockington was named the Independent Newcomer of the Year by ESPN.com while CFN named Osunde as the Independent Defensive Player of the Year.
Osunde set both the UConn career (49) and single season (24.5) tackles for loss record this fall while positioning himself in second place on the school’s career sack chart (22.5). His 11 sacks this past fall tie for the third best seasonal total in UConn’s recorded history. Through games of Nov. 29, Osunde ranked third in the nation with his 24.5 tackles for loss and was 12th with his 11 sacks. He ranked fourth on the team, and first amongst defensive linemen, with both his 81 tackles and 57 solos.
Brockington, one of three tailbacks who stepped up in the wake of Terry Caulley’s season-ending knee injury on Sept. 27, helped carry the team’s offense down the stretch, scoring 11 touchdowns in the team’s final three games. For the season, he rushed for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games while also catching seven passes for 64 yards with one touchdown. Brockington had his breakthrough game on Nov. 1 when he gained 201 all-purpose yards and scored a total of five touchdowns in UConn’s win over Western Michigan. Two weeks later he ran for 182 yards and four touchdowns in the Huskies’ season-ending 51-17 win at Wake Forest on Nov. 15 in his only start of the season.
