University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Prepare For South Carolina
12/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 21, 2009
STORRS, Conn. - As the University of Connecticut football team prepares for the Papajohns.com Bowl where they will face South Carolina in Birmingham, Ala. on January 2 at 2 p.m. ET, they took some time to sit down with the media on Monday to talk about the upcoming event.
Edsall | Hurd | Easley | McClain | Lutrus | Cullen | Todman | Frazer
Randy Edsall's Opening Statement
It is good to be talking to you at this time of the year because you know that something good has happened with your team in terms of getting the number of wins needed to get to a bowl game. We have had some time here and now to be able to practice, time for the players to take there finals, and now we can just focus and concentrate on football which we have been doing as of Saturday. We are looking forward to practicing this week and late Wednesday morning they will be heading home for the holidays and will be coming back on the 26th and we will practice here on the 27th and 28th with a light walk through on the 29th where we will head out at 3 p.m. on Tuesday to Birmingham where we will look forward to playing the game against South Carolina.
South Carolina on tape has a really fast and aggressive defense that is ranked 15th in the country in total defense. Eric Norwood their linebacker that plays defensive end on pass rushing downs is an All-American and very good player. Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews their other two defensive ends are explosive players and Stephon Gilmore the cornerback also doubles as their wildcat guy on offense that they used against Clemson and is very athletic. We are going to have our hands full as we go against their defense.
Offensively, everyone thinks with Steve Spurrier they just throw the ball around but they are very balanced in terms of what they do offensively. Stephen Garcia is playing very well for them this year and they have two outstanding wide receivers in Alshawn Jeffery and Moe Brown and are very effective up front. Their offensive line consists of big guys that play well together and there are a number of running backs offensively. South Carolina is also sound and solid in the kicking game so we are going to have our hands full as we go and prepare and head down to play South Carolina. We are looking forward to the opportunity and the good thing for us is that we are as healthy as you can be at this time of the year with a few exceptions.
How South Carolina compares to a BIG EAST Team
Defensively, you see the speed, quickness and athleticism of a West Virginia type defense. Offensively, they run the read zone and read option which is similar to the West Virginia offense this season with Jarrett Brown as the quarterback.
On the improvement of the young cornerbacks this season
Blidi [Wreh-Wilson]has progressed, the unfortunate thing with Blidi is that once the bowl game is over he is going to have to have surgery on his shoulder. He is a tough guy though that gets better and better all the time and understands the game. He had a big game against Notre Dame and you can see the progression where he has gotten better but he still has a lot of work to do. For the situation that he had to go in on and be thrown in there he has done a very good job for us. He is a guy that has to continue to work his technique and be good fundamentally and he has a chance to be a great player.
Dwayne [Gratz] and Blidi just have to be more consistant all of the time. They have done some outstanding things and then because of not executing their technique the proper way they have put themselves in situations that aren't as adventagous to get the job done. They have made strides and came along this year but he bar is set pretty high for the level that we want them to get to.
On the offensive line this season
The offensive line from where we started at the beginning of the year and to where we are at the end of the year has made improvements. We made a couple changes in there with Eric [Kurazea] and Mike Ryan at left tackle and left guard and Mathieu [Olivier] has come back in the last couple of games and stepped in. They have come together and learned to work well together and they are a group that doesn't get a lot of credit anyhow, but they go out and do their job. They are a bunch of lunch pail guys that don't take themselves too seriously and Mike Foley has done a great job helping them go out and execute. Anytime you have had the productivity that we've had, they are probably going to have two 1,000 yard rushers; Jordan [Todman] and Andre [Dixon] are the first ones to tell you that it is because of the offensive line. You can throw Ryan Griffin, John Delahunt, Anthony Sherman and Anthony Davis in there as well. Our guys take a lot of pride in the fact that we are going to run the football and be effective and because of the running game and how the quarterbacks have developed it has made our passing game that much better. Their best days are still ahead of them, I don't think they have had their best days yet.
How about recruiting coming out of high school?
"Temple was the first offer and then I committed to UConn a day later. I knew I wanted to come here, local, my Mom is out by herself and my two grandparents, my two sisters, my nephew and my niece. I wanted to stay close so they could go to all the games."
Congratulations, First-Team All-BIG EAST, what did that mean?
"It meant a lot you know, a lot of hard work goes into the season and lot of people think that this is an individual accomplishment. But its really not I couldn't have done it without Mike Hicks over on the right side, he makes me look good sometimes and I make him look good when either one of us gets off balance or does the wrong technique wise. It's a great honor to get that, being one of the best guards in the BIG EAST is huge and shows all the hard work has paid off, getting the right amount of sleep, eating the right foods, getting the extra workouts in. It all paid off. It feels good to get that at the end of the season."
What was the reaction of your teammates when you made All-BIG EAST, besides giving you a hard time?
"Besides giving me a hard time, they all texted me straight away, I got texts from Dan [Ryan], Mike [Hicks], Mo [Muhammad Petrus], Mo was the first one to text me to congratulate me, Coach Brenner. Other than that it stopped there pretty much, they got on me. In practice, if I was getting water or something and they were doing a drill and I was taking a little break or something, they be like or `Mr. BIG EAST doesn't have to do something now.'"
Can you carry the momentum of the last three games of the regular season into the Bowl Game, considering it will be a month before you play South Carolina?
"Definitely. We had our ups and downs all season, especially after the passing of our teammate. Three close games that we lost after that. To beat Notre Dame, beat Syracuse and finish off our Senior Day with a win over South Florida we are on a high momentum right now. We had a month off, to prepare for South Carolina as well as to rest. We definitely are looking forward to the challenge in front of us."
Does competing against a SEC opponent add to the Bowl experience?
"Definitely. We are going against a tough SEC opponent, a good coach in Steve Spurrier, we have quite a challenge in front of us. And we are also playing for a Bowl Championship. All the things are in the right place to make for a good match up."
With everything you guys have gone through this season, how fitting would it be to end the year by winning the Bowl Game?
"Definitely. We set goals at the end of the year and a Bowl Game was definitely one of them. With the ups and downs all throughout the season, just to finally beat a tough opponent and get that Bowl Game would definitely be huge for us to cap off our season."
You made a great charge by winning the last three games, with everything that had gone on was there a point where you ever thought you wouldn't go to a Bowl Game?
"Never was there a point where I thought that. I knew the way Coach [Randy] Edsall was talking to us, with the close games that we lost, I knew we would come out with a win. Those last three games, it is tough winning games in November, because it is past training camp, summer training and it is finally getting to the end. Everybody gets tired and everybody is feeling the emotions during the last little month in the games we've played. They were still high and they were still we're going to win, we're going to win another Bowl Game and just having that confidence helped us a lot to win those games."
What about South Carolina's offense that you have seen has impressed you?
"Receivers, they have tall athletic receivers. Some of them are young, but they can catch the ball. They have a good offense, they are a balanced offense, they can run and pass. So you can't just stay to one side. They're going to be a good team, they are another SEC team, they play good against some of the opponents they had in the SEC. It is going to be a good game."
On where he thinks the team is at heading into the Bowl Game:
"I think we're coming off a strong winning streak these last three games heading into the Bowl Game. Had some time off and some time to rest. Finals are out of the way and now we're in full South Carolina mode. We are preparing hard just like any other game and had a few extra practices in there to do so. So it's definitely to our advantage getting these extra bowl practices in and being up here without any school and be able to focus all on football right now."
On the South Carolina offense:
"They've shown a lot of things in different games. They showed some things in that last game, pulled out some wild cat and some eight zone option stuff. They are a very dynamic team. They have great athletes. Their an SCC offense and have the athletes down there, it's going to be a huge challenge for us. They will challenge all over, especially at wide receiver. Alshon Jeffery, he is a young guy, a freshman, but he's one of the best in the country. He's going to be a huge challenge and they've got some other threats out there. Their quarterback can throw and make plays with his feet."
On the emotion of playing in the Bowl Game:
"I think this is more of an exciting celebration as far as the last game ended on a good note and going out with a win against an SCC team would be a huge accomplishment for myself and this program."
On how it feels to have time off and then jump back into preparation:
"We are definitely getting back into it because we are practicing in full equipment and we haven't practiced in full equipment in a while. We are getting back into regular game mode, like any other week. It's coming back to us and we know that the game is only getting closer and closer and how important it is and how we want to go out with this big victory. All in all, I am feeling fine and my teammates are too."
On UConn's offensive line:
"Notre Dame was one of them (best game for the offensive line) and I'd also say Cincinnati was another. Our offensive linemen are work horses and coach is a great coach. They're really good. And it's really good to see that we are only losing one offensive lineman from this year to next year. The future is looking pretty good. We definitely had a good game (Notre Dame) rushing the ball and Zach (Frazer) had a good game throwing the ball and had enough time. Those two games are the ones that standout."
How big is it to win the last game for the guys who are leaving?
"It's big. You want to leave with that good taste in your mouth. Some of the guys have been here for five years, some guys for four. We are a family here and so used to being here, and you are going to have memories like this forever from all your games but to go out your last game with a win in enjoyable, definitely.
On the South Carolina Defense being in the Top-15 of the Nation:
"It's definitely a challenge to me and I think that strives me to have a better game against them. I feel that I perform a little better against the higher opponents, good defenses and highly ranked teams. Here's another shot at it for me to compete against great Division I athletes and a good defense. It makes me, Andrea (Dixon) and the offensive line a little more hungry to prove them wrong."
On his confidence:
"I feel pretty good. It feels like our offense is starting to click and it's always nice going through a lot of situations of making third down conversions, fourth down conversions, last minute plays, two overtimes. It builds a lot with the offense. I feel like we're clicking."
On the South Carolina defense:
"Their defense is definitely very fast, very aggressive and our game plan will suit that and we'll attack them in ways that we'll feel confident. The SCC is definitely a difficult conference to play in. They are a tough defense.
I'm excited to play. It's a good opportunity, it's a good opportunity for the University. Tons of players on this team are excited to play against an SCC team. South Carolina will be a good match."
On importance of a win for guys in their last year at UConn:
"Definitely. The last win at Rentschler was important but this is our last game now, so send them out the right way."
On the 2009 Season:
"When you take a step back, it's shocking to think about what happened this year, all the situations that we went through. I think we bonded as a team and came together. We united off the field more than any other team. I feel that we've been through a lot but held things on the field as well, coming through a two-overtime win, close games, stuff like that. We are just trying to build off that going into the Bowl Game.
On representing the BIG EAST against the SEC:
"I feel that we have a tough conference as well. Everyone looks at the SEC, and I think we are going into this a little bit as the underdog but I just want to prove that the University of Connecticut can handle with the SEC."
Players Mentioned
