University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Shutout at Pittsburgh 24-0
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Nov. 12, 2005) -- Pittsburgh quarterback Tyler Palko was 12 of 21 in the air for 116 yards and the UConn offense failed to score points on a pair of first and goal situations in the first half as the Panthers blanked Connecticut by a 24-0 score on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 35,145 at Heinz Field.
The loss is the fourth in the row for Connecticut and drops to Huskies to 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in the BIG EAST. The Panthers, who started the year with three-straight losses, are now 5-5 overall and 4-2 in the BIG EAST.
UConn started junior Matt Bonislawski (Natrona Heights, Pa.) at quarterback in a game-time decision. Bonislawski was the starting quarterback for the first five games of the season, but broke hit collarbone in the Oct. 7 win over Syracuse and had not seen game action sense.
Bonislawski responded and was 17 of 33 in the air for 152 yards. Running backs Terry Caulley (Lusby, Md.) gained 44 yards on seven carries while Cornell Brockington (Burlington, N.J.) had 82 yards on 20 carries. Junior Brandon Young (Morganza, Md.) had six receptions for 65 yards.
Pittsburgh led 14-0 at halftime despite the Huskies having two first and goal situations in the second quarter. UConn moved the ball effectively in the first half and out-gained the Panthers in total offense by a 209-95 count.
Pittsburgh scored the only points of the first quarter on its first possession of the game when Palko hit Steve Buches on a two-yard touchdown pass. The pass completed a 12 play-79 yard touchdown drive. Palko also hit Buches for an 18-yard pass on a 2nd and 10 that sent the ball from midfield to the Connecticut 32.
UConn had the ball first and goal at the Pittsburgh nine-yard line early in the first quarter but could not gain any yards on three plays. A field goal attempt by junior Matt Nuzie (Trumbull, Conn.) was blocked by the Panthers and returned 71 yards by Josh Lay for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers.
On the final possession of the first half, UConn moved the ball from the Pitt 39 to a first and goal situation on the eight-yard line. Three plays later Nuzie connected on a 20-yard field goal, but UConn accepted a personal foul penalty on Pitt to make it first and goal at the Pitt one-yard line with three second in the half. UConn then decided to try to convert for a touchdown but Brockington was stopped at the line of scrimmage just short of the score.
The UConn offense was stymied in the third quarter as it picked up just 14 yards while Pitt had 79.
Pittsburgh again scored the only points of the third quarter as Palko had a one-yard TD run with 2:02 left in the quarter on a drive that started on the Connecticut 28-yard line.
Connecticut returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 26 when it plays host to South Florida at Rentschler Field. The game time for that contest will be announced on Monday.
CONNECTICUT TEAM NOTES
- UConn had not been shutout in its last 56 games, a streak that encompassed the entire Division I-A era and extended back to a 29-0 season-ending loss at Ball State on Nov. 18, 2000. UConn’s last time being shutout in a conference game was a 10-0 loss to UMass on Oct. 22, 1977 in Yankee Conference action. UConn’s last time being shutout in a road conference game was a 0-0 tie at New Hampshire on Oct. 31, 1964.
- UConn’s 192 yards of total defense marks the third time this season that the Huskies have held an opponent under 200 yards offensively.
- With the loss, UConn drops below .500 for the first time since Nov. 16, 2002.
- Of UConn’s 18 Division I-A losses, 12 have come on the road.
- Today marks just the fourth time in 45 Division I-A games that UConn has had two or more possessions within the red zone where it failed to score. UConn entered the game 160-for-181 (88%) in red zone scoring efficiency as a Division I-A program. The other such games were Sept. 13 against Boston College, Sept. 20, 2003 at Buffalo and Oct. 1, 2005 at Army. The closing drive of the first half, UConn’s 183rd I-A red zone drive, was the first one in which the drive failed to score because the drive ended.
- It is the first time UConn has been shutout in the first half for the first time in 27 games, dating back to Sept. 27, 2003 in a 47-13 loss at No. 5 Virginia Tech. UConn trailed 27-0 at the break in a game infamously remembered for Terry Caulley’s knee injury.
- The 16-play, 83-yard drive that resulted in Matt Nuzie’s blocked field goal tied for its longest as a I-A program by plays. UConn had a 16-play scoring drive at Wake Forest on Nov. 15, 2003 that resulted in a 24-yard Nuzie field goal. The 7:37 time of possession on today’s march is the fourth-best for UConn in the I-A era.
- UConn had a kick blocked for the fifth and sixth times this year. Pitt’s return of Matt Nuzie’s blocked field goal attempt was the second defensive touchdown that UConn has allowed this season (Kenny Scott, Georgia Tech, 21 yard interception return, Sept. 17).
- UConn has now started a different defensive lineup in each of the last seven games and a different middle linebacker in each of its last four games (Taurien Sowell vs. Cincinnati, Danny Lansanah vs. Rutgers, Ryan Henegan vs. West Virginia and Anthony Rouzier vs. Pittsburgh).
- With recent injuries suffered by FB Lou Allen and OT Matt Wood, UConn now has had 19 players from its preseason two-deep miss at least one game due to injury this season.
- Anthony Rouzier became the fourth different true freshman to start a game for UConn this year joining Anthony Barksdale, Cody Brown and Dennis Brown. UConn had never had more than three true freshmen start a game in the I-A era and had just seven true freshmen do so from 2002-04 combined.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Matt Bonislawski’s 18 completions today tied his season high set both against Liberty (Sept. 10) and Army (Oct. 1).
- Terry Caulley’s six receptions tied his career high done three times, last at Army (Oct. 1).
- Darius Butler’s 65-yard kickoff return was by far UConn’s longest of the year and a career high for the freshman. The team’s previous long this year was a 43-yard return by Larry Taylor in the season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 1.
- Anthony Rouzier registered his first career sack today. He is the 13th different Husky to factor in a sack this year and the 21st different player to factor in a TFL.
- Terry Caulley’s 35-yard run in the first quarter was UConn’s fourth longest of the year and Caulley’s longest in a league game. Meanwhile, Matt Bonislawski’s 30-yard pass to Brandon Young in the second quarter was UConn’s second longest completion of the year behind only a 34-yard hook-up at Cincinnati on Oct. 15 between D.J. Hernandez and Dan Murray.
- Matt Bonislwaski returned to the starting lineup today after missing each of the last three games with a cracked left clavicle. .
- Keith Gray made his first career start today at center.
- William Beatty made his second career start at left tackle (also Sept. 17 at Georgia Tech) while Grant Preston made the 25th start of his career as a right tackle.
- Usual right tackle Craig Berry donned #86 today and played as a tight end and fullback.
- M.J. Estep returned to the starting lineup but at string safety instead of his usual free safety.
- True freshman walk-on Anthony Rouzier started at middle linebacker, the first start of his career. He is the first true freshman walk-on to start a game in the Division I-A era.
