University of Connecticut Athletics
Hernandez Shares Weekly BIG EAST Football Offensive Honor
11/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
STORRS, Conn. (Nov. 13, 2006) – University of Connecticut sophomore quarterback D.J. Hernandez (Bristol, Conn.) was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the BIG EAST Conference on Monday. It is his first such career honor. In addition, freshman tailback Donald Brown II (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) was named to the league’s weekly honor roll. Both were recognized for their exemplary performances in UConn’s 46-45 double overtime win over Pittsburgh on Saturday at Rentschler Field.
Hernandez completed 20-of-29 passes for 164 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran the ball 17 times for 130 yards. In addition, he provided the game’s winning margin by scampering in for a game-winning two-point conversion in the second overtime. Hernandez set career highs with his 20 completions, four touchdown passes and 130 rushing yards. He became the first UConn quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in a game since Ken Sweitzer did so against Maine on Oct. 25, 1980. It is the second-highest rushing total ever by a UConn quarterback, topped only by Pete Petrillo’s 185 yards against Boston University in 1968. Hernandez’s on-field leadership was crucial as UConn erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to top the Panthers. He led UConn on touchdown drives of 98 and 77 yards in the fourth quarter, the latter producing the game-tying touchdown pass to tight end Dan Murray (Gloucester, Mass.) with three seconds to play in regulation. Hernandez led UConn to touchdowns on each of its two overtime possessions and then kept the ball to run in for the game-winning two-point conversion in the second overtime.
Hernandez shared the award with South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe who threw for a USF record 364 yards, and ran for 45 more, in the Bulls’ 27-10 win over Syracuse on Saturday in Tampa.
Brown, making just his second career start, ran 43 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns while also catching four passes for 26 yards and a score. It is the 14th 200-yard rushing game in UConn history and the first since Chris Bellamy ran for 212 on Oct. 18, 2003 at Kent State. It is the best performance on the ground by a UConn freshman since Tory Taylor ran for 254 against Boston University on Nov. 4, 1995. It is the second-most rushing yards nationally by a freshman in 2006, topped only by Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill who ran for 257 against Northwestern on Oct. 7. Of Brown’s three scores against Pitt, the most noteworthy was his 10-yard touchdown run in the second overtime when he broke through two Pitt tacklers to gain the corner before scampering on to paydirt. The 43 carries is just one shy of the school record of 44 set by Russ Clarke against Vermont on Sept. 21, 1974. It ranks second in BIG EAST history behind only the 48 rushes by Temple’s Tanardo Sharps against Rutgers on Nov. 16, 2002. His 43 carries are the most by any player in the country this year and the most nationally since current New England Patriot Laurence Maroney ran the ball 46 times for 217 yards for Minnesota against Purdue on Sept. 24, 2005.
The Huskies are 4-5 on the year heading into Saturday’s game against Syracuse (3-7) at the Carrier Dome at 12 noon. It is being televised as the BIG EAST Game of the Week and will air locally on WTIC FOX61 and MSG.
