Ramblings from The Runway

A look at the new UConn recruiting class

2012-02-01T17:21:00.003-05:00

UConn announced its new recruiting class today. There are 25 in all: 20 coming for summer preseason camp, five currently enrolled. One, Bristol's Drew Ghio, is a preferred walk-on. Here's the list with some interesting tidbits on each.

Brendan Battles-Santos, DE, 6-3/250, Eastham, Mass.: A Boston Globe, Boston Herald and ESPN Boston all-star pick who doubled as a quarterback last fall. Also one of the top wrestlers in New England.

Kyle Bockeloh, C, 6-2/286, Houston, Texas: Already enrolled and set for the spring. Also a Greater Houston Academic all-state pick.

Rennick Bryan, C/OG, 6-2/319, New Haven: Hillhouse star has major size and Pasqualoni says is athletic enough to play either guard slot as well as center.

Jazzmar Clax, FB/LB, 5-11/236, Freehold, N.J.: Made 156 tackles (72 solo) as Neptune HS won its first Central Jersey Group 3 title since 1998. Pasqualoni sees Clax as more of a fullback at this point.

Casey Cochran, QB, 6-0/216, Monroe: Two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut set career passing yards record. Already enrolled. Cochran needs some work on footwork and other little things, Pasqualoni said, but may get a real chance to win the starting job this fall.

Jordan Floyd, FS, 6-1/205, Bel Air, Md.: All-State honorable mention by Baltimore Sun who also played receiver.

Drew Ghio, OG, 6-1/297, Bristol: Former Loomis Chaffee and Bristol Central grad was all-city and all-CCC.

John Green, WR, 5-11/175, Miami, Fla.: Had 13 receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns last fall for Felix Varela. Also runs track.

Ricky Gutierrez, WR, 6-1/170, Hialeah, Fla.: Son of ex-major league baseball player Ricky Gutierrez, a 12-year veteran who played on 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series team. Pasqualoni said Gutierrez missed seven games with a broken collarbone last fall, which is why he fell by the wayside. A leaper with big hands, Pasqualoni thinks he has great potential.

Jonathan Hicks, LB, 6-3/245, Palmyra, Pa.: One of the top recruits in the class. Will participate in the prestigious Big 33 all-star game (Pennsylvania vs. Ohio), the first player from his high school to play in the game since 1977.

Richard Levy, OT, 6-6/280, Trenton, N.J.: A two-way lineman who also wrestles.

Ellis Marder, FS, 6-1/185, Windemere, Fla.: A Central Florida high school all-star who had other schools attempting to lure him away as recently as Tuesday night. Marder told them he was committed to UConn, and one of the many Pasqualoni is high on.

Obi Melifonwu, FS, 6-3/194, South Grafton, Mass.: A running back and defensive back in high school who rushed for 1,394 yards and 17 touchdowns. An ESPN Boston all-state pick. Ran for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Leichester.

Mikal Myers, DT, 6-0/300, Newburgh, N.Y.: First team Class AA all-state as a senior, second-team as a junior. Had 10 sacks last fall.

Elijah Norris, DE, 6-4/230, Upper Marlboro, Md.: Also a receiver, he made 102 tackles with 16 sacks. Pasqualoni called him a super athlete with the potential to be a tight end. Has excellent edge speed and room to grow, which is why he's coming in as a DE.

Bobby Puyol, K, 6-0/170, North Palm Beach, Fla.: Considered one of the top 10 high school kickers in the country by some recruiting services, Puyol broke the school record with a 54-yard field goal last fall. Also played baseball for Frank Torre Jr., son of the ex-major leaguer and nephew of Joe Torre.

Zach Rugg, OG, 6-5/285, Windber, Pa.: All-area pick by the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat who had 72 tackles last fall and 99 as a junior.

Tyler Samra, OG, 6-3/250, Wycoff, N.J.: First team all-state pick by the Newark Star Ledger, helped team to 11-0 record and Group 4 state title.

Neil Shortell, TE, 6-3/250, Mission Hills, Kan.: Transfer from Butler CC who will have two years of eligibility at UConn. Had four catches for 60 yards last fall, but will be a monster blocker. Can bench 460 pounds.

Omaine Stephens, LB, 6-4/220, East Orange, N.J.: All-Area pick by the Newark Star Ledger who made 70 tackles with 13 sacks last fall.

Jason Sylva, LB, 6-3/235, Marion, Mass.: Made 72 tackles and 10 sacks for Tabor Academy last fall. Also rushed for 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. Two-time All-New England pick.

Wyatt Vinci, LB/FB, 6-3/238, Ridgewood, N.J.: Out of the Hun School, where UConn receiver Nick Williams went, Vinci was termed an explosive athlete who will get a chance to play fullback or linebacker.

Joseph Williams, TB, 5-11, 197, Allentown, Pa.: Already enrolled at UConn, spent last semester at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. Rushed for 1,243 yards as a senior at Emmaus (Pa.). Also a track star who has been timed at 10.6 seconds in the 100 meters.

Jhavon Williams, CB, 5-11/185, Wellington, Fla.: Played in the Florida Atlantic Coaches' Association North-South All-Star Game after his senior year.

Chandler Whitmer, QB, 6-1/188, Newnan, Ga.: Already enrolled at UConn. Originally committed to Illinois before heading to Butler CC in Kansas last fall. Threw for 3,022 yards and 25 touchdowns for the nation's second-ranked Juco team.

McCombs a freshman All-American

2012-01-10T14:48:00.001-05:00

UConn Athletic Communications – January 10, 2012 – McCombs Freshman All-American

STORRS, Conn. (January 10, 2012) -- University of Connecticut freshman tailback Lyle McCombs (Staten Island, N.Y.) has been named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team. McCombs rushed for 1,115 yards this season - the ninth-highest in school single-season history and the second among freshmen at UConn.

McCombs was the 29th-leading rusher in the country and second in the BIG EAST. He was a Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection.

McCombs was one of two tailbacks on the team and he was joined by Giovani Bernard of North Carolina. McCombs was the second-leading freshman rusher in the country – just 0.4 yards per game behind Bernard.

**

University of Connecticut senior defensive tackle Kendall Reyes (Nashua, N.H.) and senior kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) have both been named to the 2011 ECAC Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Star team.

Reyes was a First Team All-BIG EAST Conference pick for the second time in a row this season. He started 41 games during his UConn career and was third on the UConn team with 13.5 tackles for loss while making 46 total tackles in 2011. For his career, he had 32.5 tackles for a loss - tenth in school history.

Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) was also a First Team All-BIG EAST pick. Teggart was a four-year standout and holds the UConn career records for field goals (74), extra points (128) and points (350). Teggart kicked a field goal in 22 of his final 25 collegiate games and had multiple field goals in eight games this year and had 11 career games with three or more field goals.

Don Brown turns down Yale

2012-01-10T00:10:00.003-05:00

And, just like that, the Yale job remains open. Don Brown, offered the position, decided late Monday to remain at UConn.

Don Brown is Yale's choice

2012-01-09T16:57:00.006-05:00

Don Brown will be the new head coach at Yale, according to sources. The deal is not final, but expected to be finalized soon. It was a swift-moving search that drew plenty of interest, with some interesting names popping up along the way. Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly and Harvard assistant Tony Reno were among those to also interview.

And there were plenty of well-known names who wanted the job but weren't granted an interview. Former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski contacted Yale AD Tom Beckett to pitch himself. Stanford assistant Brian Polian, son of recently fired Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian, had TV exec Dick Ebersol make a phone call to Yale AD Tom Beckett on his behalf.

Ultimately, Brown gets a gig that still carries some major clout considering the heavy hitting alumni and the type of bright young minds coming through the program every year. The exact salary for Brown is unknown, and will likely stay under wraps. But it's believed the job pays in the neighborhood of $300,000 annually, a nice raise from what he made this year at UConn.

UConn will now be in search of a new defensive coordinator. Paul Pasqualoni is heavily connected, and certainly already has several names in mind to replace Brown.

Don Brown a candidate at Yale

2012-01-04T11:50:00.009-05:00

There is mutual interest between Yale and UConn defensive coordinator Don Brown for the vacant head coaching position at Yale, according to multiple sources. Last week, Yale athletic director Tom Beckett contacted UConn interim athletic director Paul Pendergast regarding Brown, sources said.

It was unclear as to whether Brown interviewed earlier this week or if he is interviewing in New Haven today.

But Yale is moving quickly in the process, and is expected to name a candidate by next week.

The school forced the resignation of Tom Williams in December after inconsistencies on his resume. One source indicated that Yale, looking to make a safe and clean hire, is interviewing only candidates with previous head coaching experience. Brown was head coach at Northeastern (2000-03) and UMass (2004-08). He was one of Yale's top candidates in 2008 to replace retiring Jack Siedlecki as coach, but eventually pulled his name from the running and the job went to Williams.

EDIT TO ADD: Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly is among those who has already interviewed at Yale, according to a source.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T09:50:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm posting a table tennis video. These are the best shots of 2011, and simply incredible...No. 5 and No. 9 might be the greatest things I've seen...maybe ever. Merry Christmas.

Nine Huskies make All-Big East

2011-12-08T12:09:00.003-05:00

Center Moe Petrus, kicker Dave Teggart and defensive lineman Kendall Reyes were named first-team All-Big East Conference today.

On the second-team, UConn placed tailback Lyle McCombs, tight end Ryan Griffin, offensive lineman Mike Ryan, cornerback Dwayne Gratz, defensive end Trevardo Williams and punter Cole Wagner.

Appetizers (and a bowl game) on the line at Cincinnati this weekend

2011-11-29T13:00:00.003-05:00

So UConn will have a shot at a bowl game after all. Big test awaiting at Cincinnati, but it's clear the Huskies can compete with anyone in the conference. A few notes from today:

Pasqualoni said there's "no need to muddy the water at all" with regard to talking about what's at stake this week. Everyone already knows. The focus is where it should be, on the task at hand.
We've finally gotten to see exactly what Pasqualoni and George DeLeone had in mind with this two quarterback system. It forced opposing defenses to prepare for two completely different offenses, depending on who's under center. And it changes mid-series. They have to prepare for the McCummings run package, and they have to prepare for the McEntee pro sets. It was run efficiently against Rutgers. DeLeone said it's not necessarily that the players are understanding the system better, but the coaches realize what their players do best. "Every week McCummings is getting a bigger part of the game plan, and it's helped us run the ball tremendously and taken a lot of pressure off Johnny," DeLeone said. "I don't think the players have ever been a problem. It's us finally finding, it took us this long, finding what we do best and finding what we can win with at this level. We're starting to get into a groove of what we think we can do. If you listen to post-game reaction from these coaches, and listen to what they're saying during the week, defenses are struggling with it. They have a lot to prepare for, and it's gven us a little bit of an edge. They have a wide scope of plays they have to defend."
UConn hasn't won consecutive games all season, and its never won at Nippert Stadium. Cincinnati, even without Zach Collaros, showed it still has a dangerous offense led by Isaiah Pead, and a stout defense that's only once allowed more than 24 points to an opponent (a 37-34 win over USF).
A quick bowl prediction scenario: If UConn beats Cincinnati, it clinches Louisville's spot in the BCS bowl (likely Orange). Since the Champs Sports Bowl would be nuts not to take Notre Dame, West Virginia would likely wind up in Charlotte. Rutgers would then be snatched up for the Yankee Stadium bowl. The Liberty Bowl, by virtue of having no SEC-eligible team, would choose between Pittsburgh and UConn, and would go with Pitt. The Huskies would be left for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in St. Pete, and it would enjoy a complementary order of potato skins from the title sponsor and a Conference USA opponent.
Of course, if Syracuse knocks off Pittsburgh, UConn may wind up at the Liberty Bowl over the Orange. And should USF upset West Virginia, I think the Mountaineers still wind up in Charlotte, with UConn at the Liberty Bowl and South Florida staying home in St. Pete. In those scenarios, I'm betting the Huskies are more attractive to the folks in Memphis than Syracuse and USF simply by virtue of a better Big East record.

McCombs wants leadership role

2011-11-22T15:32:00.002-05:00

Lyle McCombs spent a good portion of preseason training camp dealing with questions about whether his body could withstand a season’s worth of pounding.

He understood it came with the territory of being a tailback listed as 5-foot-8 and a very generous 172 pounds.

“Soaking wet,” says McCombs, who is probably an inch shorter and seven pounds lighter.

Those queries ended rather quickly. McCombs not only proved he could handle a full workload and bounce up from every big tackle, but remain productive as the carries mounted.

Last week, McCombs became the second freshman and 14th runner to top 1,000 yards in a season. He also leads the Big East in rushing yardage (1,014) and carries (234) heading into the Huskies penultimate regular season game with Rutgers on Saturday at Rentschler Field (noon, ESPN2).

“A thousand yards means everything,” McCombs said Tuesday. “That’s what a running back wants to see, as far as numbers go, is 100-yard games and 1,000-yard seasons. That’s usually the goal, and I’m happy I achieved that, especially as a freshman. But we need more wins.”

Back in training camp, McCombs was expected to share the running duties with senior D.J. Shoemate, a converted fullback with the ideal frame in a UConn version of the thunder and lightning attack.

Injuries ended Shoemate’s season after one game, and McCombs was so far ahead of the Huskies’ other tailbacks that none has received more the two carries in a game since backup Jonathan Jean-Louis had five against Fordham in the season-opener.

McCombs has topped 100 yards in six of 10 games, his most impressive days in wins over South Florida (32 carries, 130 yards) and Syracuse (24-152, one touchdown).

His 10 carries and 33 yards against Louisville last week was a season low, partly because the Huskies were forced to change the game plan when they fell behind by 14 points in the first quarter.

Otherwise, McCombs has endeared himself to the UConn coaching staff with his quickness, toughness and understanding of the offense.

“He does other things, well, He can catch the ball well, he’s very good in protection and knows who to block, what the protections are,” UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “This has been a real god first year for Lyle. He has a chance to improve on this, and we’re going to need him to. He just has to keep going.”

Looking ahead, McCombs knows he needs to add weight and get stronger in the weight room. While he excels at making would-be tacklers miss, he rarely breaks a tackle and is often down on the initial hit.

McCombs would also like to take on more of a leadership role.

“I think I need to be more vocal,” McCombs said. “I’m a young guy and taking sort of an unexpected role. So I’m out here trying to do my job. But I need to do more than that with the role I play in the offense. That’s more of a vocal leadership.”

No title defense for UConn

2011-11-19T17:00:00.003-05:00

Yeesh. Just not a heck of a lot to say after a loss like that. But, here goes...

Johnny McEntee had big problems throwing the ball again (18-for-43, 253 yards, one interception), but to be fair he wasn't helped by his receivers. We counted at least 10 drops, and the number may well have been higher. Of course, McEntee's penchant for badly overthrowing open receivers didn't help matters.
It would have been quite a fun final two weeks had the Huskies won this one. Five teams are tied with two losses, thanks to Rutgers knocking off Cincinnati, and the Big East is anyone's to win. Now, UConn will be unable to defend its title and may well wind up home for the holidays for the first time since 2006.
I don't think UConn changes anything on offense, but it's clear this team needs some major improvements in quarterback play if it wants any chance of being competitive next season. McEntee, at least the way he's played this season, isn't the answer. McCummings, as we saw Saturday, isn't an accurate passer. Nebrich apparently isn't ready, which says a lot considering what we've seen from others at the position. Could Casey Cochrane be a true freshman starter?
Not sure why UConn didn't elect to kick the field goal earlier (Teggart's 37-yarder came with 13 seconds left and after the Huskies faced 2nd-and-15 and 3rd-and-20). Pasqualoni was asked about it after the game, and said he didn't think about kicking earlier. Not sure if he misunderstood the question, but his reasoning doesn't make sense. In fact, he talks like kicking the field goal earlier was the better option. "Not at that point," he said. "We felt like with 55 seconds to go, we had the time out, we would have liked to get the ball into the end zone and gone for the on-sides kick. We needed a couple of plays. You're on-siding from the 30, so it's difficult if you only have one play. At the end of the day it's one play, you've got to get it launched into the end zone, and that's a hard thing to do from 60 yards out. We were just trying to come up with enough time to run two or three plays. That was it."

Call of Duty, New Haven football and yogurt. A little Louisville, too.

2011-11-15T13:06:00.005-05:00

Seems like ages since UConn last played a game. Bye weeks can be weird like that. A few quick notes from today's media session...

Blidi Wreh-Wilson will be a game-time decision for Saturday, according to coach Pasqualoni. He's not on the depth chart, so my instincts say he's unlikely to play, and if he does he won't be starting.
It's nearly impossible to get a hard copy of a team media guide these days. Printing costs don't make sense given everyone can just access it online. But Louisville not only has printed out his media guide, it's a bound, hard-cover edition that looks like it belongs on Regis Philbin's coffee table. It's a coffee table book about Louisville football.
Louisville, at 3-2 in the Big East, is a part of the log jam of team's with two losses. But the Cardinals squandered a chance to elevate themselves with a loss to Pitt last week, an opportunity coach Charlie Strong partly attributed to "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3". Had Louisville spent a little less time gaming, it might not be in this mess. Here's the story link. It's a stretch, and a pretty weak argument. I'm sure Pitt, and every other school in the county, has plenty of guys gaming, too. Maybe this week, should they lose, Strong will blame the distraction he caused with this story, which has gained national attention.
The bye week provides time to rest and heal, and since UConn played a Wednesday night game just before Halloween, it will have played only two games over a 35-day stretch when it takes the field Saturday. Louisville, on the other hand, had a bye on Sept. 24 and will be playing its eighth game in eight weeks.
Mike Osiecki was able to take advantage of the bye week to see his brother, Ryan, play quarterback for the University of New Haven in its final regular season game at St. Anselm in New Hampshire. Ryan Osiecki has thrown of 2,694 yards and 30 touchdowns for a New Haven (10-1) offense averaging 43 points per game. The Chargers are ranked second in their region, and have a first-round bye in the Division II playoffs that begin this week. They'll play a home game on Nov. 26 against the Kutztown-Concord winner. Kutztown, by the way, is led by a tailback on the verge of 1,000 yards this season. His name is Robbie Frey. UConn fans might remember him.
Speaking of New Haven, offensive coordinator George DeLeone was back in his hometown over the weekend to see a couple of high school football games. Obviously, he had to get some pizza. Pepe's or Sally's? Nope. DeLeone knows the best pies are made at Modern Apizza. Smart man.
Pasqualoni not only played for Joe Paterno at Penn State, he knows Jerry Sandusky fairly well. Sandusky was Pasqualoni's linebackers coach there in the late 60s and early 70s. Pasqualoni was as shocked and disgusted by the story as anyone else."For everbody, it's been difficult," he said. "For me, there's a couple sides to it. I feel, as I'm sure all Penn State alums do, very bad about it. I got in this business of coaching to be a college coach and an educator. I was an elementary school teacher for seven years. My core values and ideals, philosophical approach to my career is as a teacher. Even in the NFL, I saw myself as a teacher. I was just teaching older guys. Penn State is a great institution. The board of trustees are special people. They know what's good for the institution, and they did what they feel is the best thing to do for Penn State. Penn State is much more than a football school. There's much more to it than just that. It's been pretty difficult."

Trevardo Williams isn't a big fan of the training table food at UConn. When he's there, he'll usually load up a salad bowl full of yogurt. "I eat about a pound of yogurt a week," he said. "And I still maintain my weight (he's listed at 231 pounds)." Rather surprised, I had to ask how he could eat so much yogurt and not lose weight. "I eat other things, too," he smiled. "It's not an all-yogurt diet." Ah. Of course. The lesson, as usual? I'm not all that bright.
Williams says he works year-round on his technique, which, now three years into his UConn career, is finally paying big dividends. His speed certainly helps, too. Williams said he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds not long ago. A few years back, the 100-yard dash at the spring high school track State Open, featured Williams, Marcus Campbell and a kid from Hillhouse named Terrell Wilks. Williams, only a junior, ran a 10.74, but finished third. Wilks, who went on to become an All-American sprinter at Florida, won it with a 10.42. "I haven't been timed in a 100 since high school," Williams said. "But I think I could still run a 10.7."

Ugly? Yes. UConn will take it.

2011-11-05T17:24:00.003-04:00

If there was an uglier first half in the history of college football, this one rivaled it for sure. But it was a rather well-played, exciting second half. Here's a few postgame notes.

Paul Pasqualoni credited the players and coaches for remaining cool at halftime and devising a plan for the second half. A lesser group may have fallen apart after five turnovers and generally looking like it was the first time they had every played the game of football.
There were some boos raining down late in the first half after two McEntee throws went way out of bounds, and he was sacked and lost a fumble on the next play. The players heard them, too. "I understand why," center Moe Petrus said. "But it would be better if they stuck with us through thick and thin." Nicely said.
Using McCummings more was a big part of the Huskies halftime adjustment. McEntee simply wasn't getting it done, though he was better in his limited snaps in the second half. UConn has been a better second-half team, anyway. "I don't know what it is," Pasqualoni said. "Maybe they just get settled down, maybe they have a better picture of what they're doing before they go back out." The McCummings change up was as effective as its been all season, and showed the vision of what Pasqualoni and George DeLeone saw with the two QB rotation.
It certainly helped UConn's confidence that as bad as they were, the game was tied 7-7 at halftime. Syracuse certainly did itself no favors, scoring zero points off the five turnovers.
The team presented game balls to Pasqualoni and DeLeone for beating their longtime employer. Luckily, there won't be any more questions about Pasqualoni coaching against Syracuse. Until next year, at least. Can't wait for the UConn-Maryland Edsall week, too.
Nick Williams had his best day returning kicks, and was a huge help in terms of field position. Like it or not, this offense needs as much help from every phase it can get. Five trips to the red zone resulted in four touchdowns.

Pasqualoni prepares for a taste of Orange

2011-11-01T12:56:00.003-04:00

A quick recap of the last 12 months: three winter snowstorms each dumping in excess of 24 inches, an earthquake, a hurricane, terrible flooding, an October blizzard, two separate power outages leaving most of the state in the dark for days, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria! This month?...I fully expect a 50-foot Stay-Puft marshmallow man to wreak havoc on downtown Hartford.

The quick news and notes of today's media session:

Apparently, the Syracuse media is hyping the "Pasqualoni against his old team" angle to death. It won't get as much play in Connecticut, as it understandably means more to Syracuse. Pasqualoni isn't exactly feeding into it either. Just be prepared for a parade of Randy Edsall takes on UConn stories next season.
The storm on Saturday is taking its toll on the coaches, many of whom have moved their families to hotels simply to keep them warm and fed. It's added stress to a stressful job.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson is not on the depth chart, and it seems unlikely he'll be ready this week. We're coming up on six weeks since he injured his knee. He didn't have surgery, at least one that was made public, so you'd think he's getting close to a return. Pasqualoni said he'll be doing more work at practice this week, and he's anxious to see how he looks.
In the four games Wreh-Wilson has missed, opposing quarterbacks have topped 400 yards passing three times. Pitt's Tino Sunseri, who isn't exactly drawing comparisons with Dan Marino, is probably the last Big East quarterback expected to put up that kind of yardage. Pasqualoni admits the team misses Wreh-Wilson, and that the team was forced to shuffle a safety (Byron Jones) to corner, and said the reorganization has slowed the defensive development.
The Big East announced it will extend invitations to both football-only and all-sports members today to replenish following the recent raids. But, commissioner John Marinatto would not identify the teams. Not a good sign, there. Means he's not sure all of them will accept. For the conference's sake, better pray Boise State is one that will accept.
Jory Johnson said the defense is working hard to improve on the bubble screens and short passes that have destroyed UConn of late. "Those short plays have turned into 40 and 50 yard gains, and that's the most frustrating thing," Johnson said. "The secondary hasn't been giving up a lot of chunk throws or deep, down-field shots. We just haven't been good as a defense. That's unacceptable. All we have to do (on those plays) is run to the ball and get them on the ground."
Johnny McEntee's struggle to spark the passing game hasn't put his job in jeopardy. He'll start again Saturday. A lot of that, I suspect, is that changing to Scott McCummings would mean the whole offense would have to be overhauled. McEntee is running a pro-style base set, allowing the fullbacks and tight ends to be used as targets. McCummings excels in run packages, but his accuracy and consistency as a passer -- from what we saw during preseason training camp -- aren't his strengths at this point.
As for Michael Nebrich? Pasqualoni says he's getting plenty or reps in practice, and that he can fill in to run the plays designed for either McEntee or McCummings. "His preparation hasn't changed since day one, other than we've stayed with Johnny or we've put Scotty in the game," Pasqualoni said. "Mike can go in the game at any time, for Johnny or Scott. Mike's repping everything. He's doing a good job. We're not in any different mindset or approach with Mike. He's working hard." Fact is, he's not being used, and there's no real reason as to why other than the coaches feel he's third-best. Hard to believe. At some point this season, Nebrich has to get more of a chance to play.

Pittsburgh loss...it's a wrap

2011-10-27T12:48:00.002-04:00

Here's a little of what Paul Pasqualoni had to say today after watching film of last night's ugly loss at Pittsburgh. Most everyone is wondering about quarterback, and it looks like Johnny McEntee will remain the starter heading into next week's game prep for Syracuse. Pasqualoni is happy with the production he's getting from Scott McCummings, but sounds like he still doesn't trust him to run the passing attack. Some quotes...

(On the defense): "We didn't play well enough in the pass coverage aspect of it. We missed a couple of assignments, missed some technique. The little things, when they're not taken care of, become big things when you're playing a team playing the way Pitt did last night. What we're doing is good, it just needs to be executed better. The good news is those are issues that can be corrected, will be corrected and we'll move on."

(On Scott McCummings performance): "For the second week in a row when Scotty's gone into the game, it clearly has been a productive part of the game for us. Sometimes, some of that is based on how the game is going. If we could have kept it at a one-score game, we may have seen a little more of Scott. When you're down a couple scores, you feel in your heart that in order to get back in it you need to be in a drop-back mode rather than in run-it mode. Those things, the conditions of game, the climate, the time on clock, all of that comes into it. Certainly we're going to continue with the development of Scott McCummings."

(On whether McCumming will unseat McEntee) "It's a competition still. Johnny clearly is the starter. Every position is a competition every day."

(On whether he considered making a change at quarterback last night) "We got it back to eight points, it was a one-score game, we were where we needed to be. If we get the ball right back, maybe it's tied and then we're back in business. No, I wasn't considering (a change at QB last night)."

(On the Huskies slim margin of error) "It's not one play, it's an accumulation of plays. The margin of error is not that great. We have to execute better, we have to play better on third down. Sometimes it's the QB, but it's not consistently the QB, it's not consistently the offensive line, it's not consistently the backs picking up pass protection, which we did a great job of last night. At key times of the game, we just have to execute better.

Quick pre-Pitt update

2011-10-24T13:15:00.003-04:00

The pregame update teleconference for Wednesday's game at Pitt with Paul Pasqualoni just ended. Short and sweet as usual. No new injuries for UConn. Safety Jerome Junior (ankle) is "fine", and Pasqualoni added TB Martin Hyppolite and LB Jerome Williams are "more ready" and could play this week.

The Big East race is wide open again, thanks to Syracuse knocking off West Virginia. That, coupled with the win over South Florida, should have the Huskies ready to play.

On a local side note, Chris Mike, a former star at West Haven High and a walk-on fullback at Pitt, has "retired" after a severe knee injury suffered during spring practice. He is currently serving as an undergraduate assistant coach, helping with the day-to-day preparation.

Friday is now Tuesday; Wednesday will be Saturday

2011-10-21T11:30:00.004-04:00

A rare Friday media luncheon at UConn in preparation for Wednesday night's game at Pitt. It's the start of the week for the Huskies, who practiced Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and got yesterday off.

It's seven games into the season, but also seven months into the new offensive and defensive schemes instituted by the new coaches. There have been some (at times a lot) of struggles as the team adjusts. Paul Pasqualoni says the struggles now aren't due as much to the installation but simply playing good, consistent football. "To me, the 'what if' is if we didn't turn that ball over, if we didn't give up that play," Pasqualoni said. "There haven't been that many, but there have been a few, and we might be sitting here with one or two or three more wins right now. That's the challenge. The challenge of getting the system in is a work in progress. The more time we spend on the concepts, the better the kids will be."
Pasqualoni said opposing defensive coaches, noting that Johnny McEntee is a new, relatively inexperienced quarterback, have made a concerted effort to pressure him more in the hopes that he'll make a mistake. West Virginia and South Florida both came in with some new pass rush schemes that weren't on film, which caused problems. "Once we saw them, and we got them straightened out on the sidelines and at halftime we were fine," Pasqualoni said. "But you have to see those things to get them (straight). Johnny recognizes things well. But if it's brand new, and you've never seen it, and you have all these other things you're looking for, and they bring in a different alignment and different concept, I don't care who the quarterback is it takes a snap or two to figure it out."
Safety Jerome Junior was at the complex with a walking boot on his foot. Pasqualoni said it's a mild ankle sprain, and Junior is expected to be fine by Wednesday. No chance of Blidi Wreh-Wilson playing this week. Linebacker Jerome Williams and tailback Martin Hyppolite, both coming off knee injuries, are back on the two-deep this week.
Perhaps it's only because he has to (he still has to recruit, of course) but Pasqualoni talked of the potential new Big East lineup with excitement. He gets questions on the recruiting trail about the future of the league, and has a fair and honest pitch. The league has a chance to emerge from the latest defections in decent shape should Boise State, Houston, SMU and Air Force get invitations. "I'm hear what you guys hear," Pasqualoni said. "Put (Boise, SMU, Houston and Air Force) in the Western (division) with Cincinnati and Louisville, you got something special there. Add Navy and Central Florida in the Eastern Division with Connecticut, South Florida and Rutgers. Have two divisions, have your division play two cross-over games every year to the Western division. Play four non-conference games, select who you want to play, guaranteed BCS berth based on the quality of those teams, no issues there. Pretty exciting to me."
Pasqualoni also said the chance to be in Houston and the Dallas/Forth Worth market would be a major bonus in recruiting, as well. "I'd love it, and George DeLeone is as well known in Houston as anybody, and I know a few guys in the Metroplex Dallas area," Pasqualoni said. "I think it would be without exaggerating, one heck of a deal. I'd love Connecticut's place in that. I'm hoping that's the way it goes, the sooner the better."
Yes, Pasqualoni did leave out West Virginia in his quote breaking down the Eastern and Western Division lines. Did he simply overlook them? Maybe Does he know something? Probably.

UConn brings the 'ish'

2011-10-15T20:54:00.003-04:00

Quite a win. Some notes from Saturday.

UConn managed only 253 yards of total offense (as opposed to USF's 339) but still found a way to win. It's also the second win in a row over South Florida without an offensive touchdown.
Boston Red Sox fans have Bucky Bleepin' Dent, South Florida fans have Dave Bleepin' Teggart. No dramatics Saturday, but Teggart was 3-for-3. USF was just 1-for-3 on field goals.
The unhip media got a lesson in slang from Sio Moore. "It was kind of a 'bring your ish kind of weekend'," Moore said. No one had any idea what he meant by saying 'ish', though the popular theory was that it was short for 'finish', as in finishing the game. We're dorks. Thanks to a Google search by Ken Davis, we got the definition from the Urban Dictionary. 'Ish' is slang term to replace the word, uh, poo. I can't wait to use it at my next dinner party.
Paul Pasqualoni was pleased with the entire defensive unit, but singled out the play of Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones. "I felt really good for (Brown and Jones)," Pasqualoni said. "They had it tough last week. They really did. So it was great for them to come back out and make some plays. It felt great for the defense overall, but it felt great for those two young kids. They put together a game like this against a quality opponent."
There's a big difference between being 0-2 and 1-1 in the conference. UConn saved its season for the moment. " Puts us right back in the race,” UConn linebacker Sio Moore said. “Through the years you see how it goes in the Big East. It can be anybody’s championship. Now, we have to be sure to take this momentum and build on it. That’s when the good teams show what they’re really made of.” With the Big East lacking a truly dominant team -- save for West Virginia, and we'll see how long that lasts -- the BCS berth is up for grabs.
Johnny McEntee was sacked seven times, partly because USF changed things up and blitzed combinations of the strong safety and inside or outside linebackers. "That was something new," Pasqualoni said. Adjustments were made, and the Huskies dealt with it a little better in the second half.
Dwayne Gratz said the defense was sick of losing, and that it was "a matter of pride" that it establish itself again Saturday. Moore agreed, sort of.Our pride wasn’t shattered (the previous two games),” Moore said. “We just needed to make sure we came back to what we do and how we do it. That’s solving your problems with aggression. As long as we did that, we would be OK. Part of that was putting it all on the line. That’s playing with pride. It doesn’t matter where the ball is put down on the field, we’re going to stop them.”
Former UConn coach Skip Holtz is now 0-2 against his former team.

At 2-4, UConn facing another rough opponent

2011-10-11T11:31:00.003-04:00

Here's what went down at the UConn media luncheon this afternoon.

Blidi Wreh Wilson (knee) is out again this week for South Florida. Byron Jones will start at cornerback. Ty-Meer Brown is getting the start at safety ahead of Harris Agbor.

UConn's passing defense has had big problems the past couple of weeks. B.J. Daniels, the USF quarterback, brings another dimension with his ability to run.

UConn receivers Tebucky Jones and Geremy Davis showed potential during spring and preseason camp, but have just eight catches between them. They "are still learning what it takes to be a wide receiver at this level".

Pasqualoni is hoping the Big East acts quickly in regard to expansion. "I think the teams they're talking about can add to the conference," he said. "I'd like the movement to get done, that we get this settled quickly.

Ty-Meer Brown was recruited to play Division I basketball and football coming out of high school in McKeesport, Pa. Pittsburgh said it would allow him to play both. Robert Morris, Duquesne, Akron and Buffalo also liked him as a basketball player. An option quarterback in high school, Toledo piqued his interest when it recruited him as a quarterback. But he realized he'd be better off on defense in college.

Tuesday notes: West Virginia on tap

2011-10-04T11:15:00.005-04:00

When exactly did Connecticut become part of the Pacific Northwest? It's been raining for the last week and a half here. The news and notes of the day from Storrs.

Depth chart updates: Johnny McEntee finally listed as the starter at quarterback; Lyle McCombs at tailback. Of course, it should have looked that way a month ago. J-J Louis and Deshon Foxx are 'OR' as backup tailbacks; McCummings and Nebrich the same behind McEntee.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen is the spitting image of Phil Collins circa 1987. That was confirmed after watching VH1's Genesis "Behind the Music" over the weekend. Just call him Coach Sussudio.

Linebacker Jerome Williams and tailback Martin Hyppolite are both "working" to get back into the lineup after knee injuries. Pasqualoni doesn't know yet if they'll be ready by Saturday, but Hyppolite would be the fourth tailback. Williams, expected to be a starter before his injury, would likely also be used in a backup role if he can play.

At 2-3 and coming off a disappointing loss to Western Michigan, it's easy to count UConn out for the rest of the season. But this team has been in this situation before. Last year, the Huskies looked done after starting 1-2 in Big East play with bad losses to Rutgers and Louisville. Facing elimination from the race with each game, they came back to win the next four for the league title. "When you come back in here Sunday and put the film on, it's clear that if we get some things cleaned up we're capable of being a good team," Pasqualoni said. "When it's time to make plays, you have to be in the right spot and you have to make plays."

Paperwork will be filed for medical hardship cases for D.J. Shoemate (shoulder) and Jimmy Bennet (knee). Both are eligible. It's up to the NCAA to decide whether they get them, and certainly no guarantee they will be approved.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson is out again this week, and Pasqualoni said it's "a stretch" to think he might be ready for the Oct. 15 game with USF.

Wrapping up Western Michigan

2011-10-02T13:04:00.003-04:00

A couple of quick notes from Pasqualoni's call with state media today.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson is still on crutches, and is "clearly out for the West Virginia game". UConn will work some different combinations in the secondary, like it did against Western Michigan.

On the offensive line, UConn will go back to the same lineup it used Saturday.

Of his defense, Pasqualoni said "with the pass, we had more of an issue with the inside slot receiver. Some issues witht he ourside slot receivers. We needed to play tighter, closer (with the inside receiver). When you play a good tema with a good quarterback, you've got to be more detailed then we were. There were times we handled the inside guy well, but we have to be more consistent."

Pasqualoni reiterated much of what he said last night with regard to taking care of the "little things" like finishing plays, blocks, correct technique, etc. He added the defensive game plan was to make Western Michigan one-dimensional, which they did. The run game was shut off. But it didn't matter considering how effective the Broncos were in the pass.

Western Michigan makes mince meat of UConn secondary

2011-10-01T20:45:00.002-04:00

At least this one was entertaining for a change. Of course, the result was disastrous for UConn, which is looking more and more like it will go from playing in the Fiesta Bowl to being home for the holidays. A few postgame notes.

UConn had dominated the MAC since elevating to Division I-A, but have now lost to Temple and Western Michigan in the last two seasons. It's disconcerting that a MAC team is that much more skilled on offense than UConn, with Alex Carder pulling a Tom Brady with 479 yards passing and five TDs on 37-of-51. He absolutely embarrassed the Huskies in the fourth quarter, with the 2-play, 60-yard drive to score the winning touchdown coming in just 28 seconds the equivalent of giving UConn an atomic wedgie in front of its home crowd.
To be fair, Western Michigan has to be considered one of the favorites to win the MAC. That's a big team with a lethal offense. Of course, the defense leaves a lot to be desired. And it's still a bad loss for UConn.
Pasqualoni said the passing numbers from Carder were due to UConn's inability to get to him and cause disruption. The secondary didn't do itself any favors, failing to stop the receivers over and over. “Our defense has to hold its weight,” UConn safety Byron Jones said. “They have a solid quarterback who made a lot of tough throws fitting the ball in there. At the end of the day, we have to cover those guys.”
Western Michigan has produced some big time NFL talent, most notably Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings. Jordan White sure looked like an NFL talent. At 6-foot, 215-pounds, he has to be considered a mid-round pick at the least.
D.J. Shoemate is done for the season. He'll require surgery on a shoulder he injured against Iowa State, and will need six to nine months to recover, Pasqualoni said. UConn has filed the paperwork to apply for a medical hardship. The NCAA can approve or deny.
Jimmy Bennett is also done for the year after a torn ACL suffered in practice on Thursday. It's not the same knee Bennett injured earlier in his career, and it's a blow for the offensive line. UConn was back to its old lineup with Kevin Friend at left tackle and Steve Green at right guard.
It was an excellent day for Johnny McEntee. He shook off a slow start to finish with 300 yards and four touchdowns on 22-of-39 passing. I think the throw that showed just how far he's come from a confidence standpoint was the 26-yard TD to Nick Williams. With the game on the line at 4th-and-5, he rolled out of the pocket. He had Lyle McCombs wide open a few yards ahead for what would have been an easy first down to keep the chains moving. Instead, he had the guts to thread one through a defender to Williams in the corner of the end zone. That was a big-time throw, and it took big-time onions.
Nick Williams' coming out party last week was encouraging, but he made just the one catch today. Don't think there's much to be concerned about there. UConn has had three different receivers step up the last three games. McEntee didn't try to force anything, and is riding the hot guy that particular game.
Tons of mistakes by UConn. Penalties were brutal, personal fouls inexcusable. Cole Wagner had a tough night punting, but Chad Christen's kickoff OB to set up the winning drive really hurt (though, considering how things were going, probably wasn't going to do much to slow Western Michigan anyway). Pasqualoni said Ryan Griffin was just being a competitor making a play when he fumbled. Griffin certainly didn't protect the ball as he was going down, he left it high and there for the taking. A nice swipe by the safety, and hard to fault Griffin for thinking end zone there. There were more mistakes, of course.
Can UConn go 4-3 to get bowl eligible? Can it go 5-2 to assure itself a bowl bid? Everyone counted them out after awful losses to Rutgers, Temple and Louisville last season, too. We'll see what this group is made of starting next weekend.

Martin Hyppolite practicing, other Thursday notes

2011-09-29T12:38:00.004-04:00

Not too much from Paul Pasqualoni's Thursday conference call.

No injuries or depth chart changes.

Martin Hyppolite is practicing, and has confidence in his knee, but Pasqualoni says it's too early to say whether or not he'll play. Hard to believe he'll be used this week. It takes time to get back into game shape, and used to game speed. Pasqualoni wouldn't say much about his running backs. Lyle McCombs has been the featured back, the question is where does D.J. Shoemate fit in, if at all? "We'd like to have balance," Pasqualoni said. "We sure would. At the end of the day, it's who's hot?"

Johnny McEntee will start at quarterback, but we knew that. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but all three will be ready if needed.

Last night was a great night for baseball. As a Yankees fan, I'm not about to rub it in about the Red Sox. But enough with comparing this collapse to 1978, at least from a fan's perspective. "This is what it felt like in '78...The Sawx are CHO-KAHS!" Come on. In 1978, it had been a full 60 years since the Red Sox had won a title. There was every reason to believe in curses. Now? Boston hasn't made the playoffs the last two years, but its still won two of the last eight World Series. No need to whine, though I think most Sox fans would rather wallow in their misery.

I actually watched more of the Red Sox game than the Yankees last night for the first time in my life -- even missed the entire Tampa Bay comeback. Couple observations. Papelbon always stuck me as a phony, and his postgame interview from Tuesday's big save kind of confirmed that. He mentioned how, "if you looked at my face, I was smiling a little. I love those situations", or something to that effect. Yeah, you looked like a regular Slappy White out there. Wonder if he thought he was smiling last night, too. Also, not a routine play by any means, but a pretty half-hearted effort by Carl Crawford on Andino's single. Be decisive in what you're going to do.

Finally, Sox fans should be pumped about Ryan Lavarnway. I covered him a few times when he was at Yale, and followed his progress through the minors. With his ability to hit for power and average, his greatly improved catching skills (he was an outfielder, and only switched to catcher for his last two seasons at Yale) and his smarts, the kid has a chance to be a great player in Boston for the next 15 years.

UConn notes: George DeLeone on the offense and Johnny Mac

2011-09-27T12:53:00.004-04:00

Some news and notes from today's media session.

As Paul Pasqualoni said Sunday, Johnny McEntee has put himself in position to be the every down quarterback. Even though the depth chart still doesn't reflect it, all indications are McEntee will be the guy from here on out. Count offensive coordinator George DeLeone among those in McEntee's corner. DeLeone was fired up talking about him today. "Here's a kid whose a walk-on, never played, never did anything, just a walk-on kind of hanging around. All of a sudden he's the starting quarterback. Next thing you know, he has two tough outings. Now, the son of a gun could have shriveled up, taken his ball and gone home. But he worked his tail off in practice last week in practice. I could see it in his eyes. It was different. He was focused, and it resulted in a better outing. Whether he can start stringing a few of those together...to be continued, as they say. But that's what has to happen or else it's going to become more and more difficult to run this offense."

DeLeone said it was a bunch of missed opportunities in the passing game against Iowa State that led to Buffalo devising a defensive game plan with the sole intention of stopping UConn's run game. Buffalo had 10 men in the box on some sets. "All we did by missing those passes is encourage people to do what (Buffalo) did," DeLeon said, still fired up. "We have to be more productive in the pass game to have us respect the pass game more. No. 2, our offensive line has to play better. They know it, we know it, everyone knows it. They have to play better. And they're playing OK. I'm not being critical. But they have to play great. No. 3, we've got to be more creative and try to find unique ways to run the ball into these run-committed defensive structures. It's a combination of those three things."

Blidi Wreh-Wilson will be out a couple of weeks with a knee sprain. Gary Wilburn, whom Pasqualoni called perhaps the best athlete on the team, will finally get his chance to show his stuff. Wilburn, who earned 11 varsity letters in football and basketball in high school, is thrilled for the opportunity. "I've been waiting a long time," Wilburn said. "No one's happy that Blidi is out. He's a great player. But for me, it's an opportunity to show what I can do as well."

Tailback Martin Hyppolite is cleared to return to full participation in practice, and will enter the mix at tailback. D.J. Shoemate hasn't been 100 percent, Pasqualoni said, which is why he hasn't been used much. Jerome Williams will do limited work at linebacker as he recovers from a major knee injury. Fullback Mark Hinkley rolled his ankle shortly after his first career TD catch, but will be OK for Western Michigan.

Western Michigan hasn't made a plane trip for a game since the 2008 season; it managed to play the entire 2009 and 2010 seasons without getting on a plane. They were also able to bus it to Michigan and Illinois for their two road games so far this fall. The MAC may be the only FBS conference left that something like this can be accomplished, and even at that it's still impressive.

Fairfield's Rich Nagy, a standout running back at Trinity from 1983-87, is the safeties coach for Western Michigan. His younger brother is former UConn All-American and AL All-Star pitcher Charles Nagy.

McEntee has "clearly separated himself"

2011-09-25T12:57:00.002-04:00

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni -- who was stuck in an elevator for an hour at the team hotel in Buffalo and arrived late to the game -- had his Sunday media teleconference, here's what he had to say.

Johnny McEntee has "clearly separated himself" from the pack as the quarterback. UConn went into the Buffalo game with the intent of playing McEntee in the first quarter and Michael Nebrich in the second, like always, put it was McEntee for most of the game aside from the one series for Nebrich and McCummings' set plays. "Johnny played his best game of the year," Pasqualoni said. "He was able to make some key plays in the passing game, and avoided the pass rush to make a first down with his feet. He made good decisions. He wasn't perfect. But we've got something to build off of."

Blidi Wreh-Wilson fell awkwardly in the first half, and didn't return with a knee injury. Pasqualoni wouldn't speculate on how long Blidi might be out until the results of his MRI.

Buffalo's defensive approach was to stack nine and 10 men in the box to stop the run and make UConn beat it through the air. While the Bulls limited the run game, UConn was able to make enough plays through the air to win, Nick Williams coming through both times. "Going into this, we wanted to run to take the pressure off the quarterback," Pasqualoni said. "What happened against Buffalo is we were able to get the ball out in the passing game some and hurt the D in that regard. We have to make people respect the pass. We're going to run regardless, but sometimes its hard to do that."

Jerome Junior served a one-game suspension Saturday, and didn't make the trip. The punishment is over, and Junior is back in the facility and in meetings today.

The game ball went to the entire defense for the effort Saturday.

Pasqualoni like his three QBs (and seafood marinara)

2011-09-22T13:10:00.007-04:00

A quick update from coach Pasqualoni's Thursday media session.

No update on where he stands at quarterback, other than the standard response that "all three will be ready to play." Coach P says Thursday practice is a bit like a dress rehearsal, and that today's practice will help finalize his decision.

It would seem that if there's going to be change in the current quarterback setup, the two likely scenarios would be a) more McCummings, less McEntee or b) more McCummings and Nebrich, less McEntee. Pasqualoni was asked specifically about Nebrich and what he needs to do to play more this week. "Michael has worked hard this week," he said. "I think he's gaining a better understanding of what this takes, and a Division I quarterback each week, each day as we go through this. His sense of urgency on the little things, the detail, the preparation, I see more attention to those things. I see more focus on those details, like footwork, taking care of the ball, those types of things. He's going to be ready to go when his number is called. I'm looking for him to be productive, and that's what it's going to take for him to play."

There are no injuries since Tuesday, and no real changes to the depth chart, Pasqualoni said.

D.J. Shoemate has been running well this week, and Pasqualoni said the situation with his four tailbacks (McCombs, Jean-Louis and Foxx the other three) is "healthy", and it sounds like all four could be called upon to contribute. "I can't predict who's going to be in the game when," Pasqualoni said. "But when your number is called, regardless if it's third down or first or second down, just be productive."

Pasqualoni, who a connoisseur of Italian restaurants, recommends Ilio DiPaolos -- an Italian wrestler turned restaurateur in Blasdell, N.Y. -- for anyone making the drive up to Buffalo. Coach P says try the shrimp and scallops with Ilio's marinara.

That call made me very hungry...thinking it might be a good day for lunch at Leon's in New Haven.

Big East in trouble, but Huskies have big game at Buffalo

2011-09-20T11:28:00.004-04:00

Some news and notes from today's media session at UConn.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Paul Pasqualoni says all three quarterbacks will be ready to play Saturday at Buffalo. He remains confident in all three, which he kind of has to say, but I do believe he's sincere about. But he noted these are still new offensive concepts, and players are still learning. "It's not a system you can learn in three games," Pasqualoni said, adding that he doesn't believe sticking with one quarterback will solve any of the current problems. A decision will be made later in the week, but it's hard not to envision a scenario where Scott McCummings isn't at least more involved.
Jesse Joseph is back healthy from a knee injury that has kept him on the shelf for about a month. It's huge, Pasqualoni says, in that Joseph is a quality player and that Teddy Jennings was able to not only get some experience but excel with the opportunity. Look to see Joseph, Jennings and Trevardo Williams used more as a three-man rotation this week. Here's the link to today's story on Joseph.
Joseph is thrilled to be back -- he's spent the last four weeks rehabbing his knee and tweeting. He said he returned to full participation in practice on Sunday, and has no limitations or pain. "It's just like riding a bike," he said.
Pasqualoni reiterated his thoughts on Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving for the ACC, and that he feels strongly about having regional rivalries. Since he was hired in January, Pasqualoni, among other things, has seen a major donor threaten to pull his name off the team's training complex (mostly because Pasqualoni was given the job), the ouster of the athletic director who hired him and a seismic shift in the Big East that could spell the demise of the conference. Asked how he's doing through all the turmoil, Pasqualoni laughed. "I'm great," he said. "As long as I've got a game to coach, I'm great."

D.J. Shoemate's fumble last week was a direct result of being hurt and not getting the reps in practice -- and Pasqualoni blames himself. "What happens is his footwork is off a bit," Pasqualoni said. "At the end of the day, he runs into (fullback Mark) Hinkley and Hinkley causes the fumble." Sounds like Shoemate will still be a part of the equation at tailback along with Lyle McCombs.
Freshman Deshon Foxx has been added to the kick return unit, and that's because UConn would like to get the ball in his hands more.
Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn, asked about the challenges of preparing for three quarterbacks, laughed and said the real challenge is preparing for UConn's offensive line. "That's a big bunch of guys," he said. "Very physical."
It's been billed as a three-man quarterback rotation, but Michael Nebrich has been the odd-man out with very little playing time the last two weeks. Nebrich, for his part, hasn't let it get him down. "Coach Pasqualoni has his reasons for what he's doing," Nebrich said. "I support him whatever he does." Asked to comment on how the scenario has played out to this point, he said, "Pasqualoni has made his decisions, and we just have to run with it. I'd much rather him make a decision and win a game than me getting on the field and lose. Our main focus is getting back on track."

Pasqualoni: Too many mistakes against Iowa State

2011-09-17T12:58:00.004-04:00

Some comments from Pasqualoni's conference call with state media this afternoon...

The coach didn't offer an opinion on the apparent defections of Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC, saying he's so focused on his own team he hasn't paid too much attention to the recent reports.

The coaches were finishing their grading of the film from last night, and hadn't made a decision on where to go with the quarterback scenario. "They each did some good things, they each did things they need to do better," Pasqualoni said. "No one has separated themselves from the pack. We still have three, all of them can execute more than they did."

If there's anything to read between the lines with what Pasqualoni said, he did offer that McCummings was the most productive guy last night, though he can't continue to miss open receivers. McEntee "made good reads" but was "not throwing as accurately as he usually does". Pasqualoni also doesn't believe the disruption of constantly changing quarterbacks is an issue.

The run game struggled because there were "missed blocks and assignments". The passing game stalled because the quarterbacks "missed too many open receivers". Pasqualoni liked the shuffle of the offensive line, with Jimmy Bennett moving up to start at left tackle and Mike Ryan moving to right tackle, while Kevin Friend shifted guard slots. But "it's not easy" to go from the left to right and vice versa at tackle and guard, and there were issues with footwork and technique from Ryan and Friend that will be solved with practce and more reps.

Post-game notes from the Iowa State loss

2011-09-17T00:37:00.002-04:00

The one thing about 8 p.m. kickoff games for media is it really creates deadline havoc. Since I couldn't do much with postgame interviews -- most of the players were repeating the same mantra about lack of execution -- I'll do what I can with this late night blog post.

I think everyone probably agrees, but UConn needs to end the quarterback rotation and stick with one guy. Michael Nebrich was kind of squeezed out the last two weeks anyway. But at this point, I think the Huskies would be best served using Scott McCummings out of the wildcat, as long as he shows he's capable of throwing with some consistency. If he can't make the throws yet, then go with Nebrich. Johnny McEntee was a little better this week, but 13-for-30 still isn't cutting it. He's 23-for-57 (40 percent) against average defensive units comparable to what he'll see in the Big East.
For his part, it sounded like Paul Pasqualoni knows he needs to pick one guy, too. He said the coaches will grade the film and make a decision tomorrow. Whether we'll know at 1 p.m., when he has his conference call with state media, is debatable. My guess is we'll find out for sure on Tuesday.
McCummings did a nice job moving the ball in the second half, but Pasqualoni went with McEntee for the decisive drive in the fourth quarter because they needed the best passer in there. Still, not sure why McCummings wasn't brought in for the short-yardage plays. McEntee went 0-for-3 passing there in a situation perfectly suited for McCummings.
Could this have been a breakout game for Isiah Moore, who had a career-best eight receptions for 143 yards? True, he had a crucial lost fumble on the first series of the third quarter that led to a big Cyclones score. But he looked like a play-maker tonight. He went up to get balls, ran precise routes and did some things after the catch. "I worked hard in practice this week, and did some film study so I knew where (Iowa State) was going to be," Moore said.
D.J. Shoemate, on the other hand, didn't run well and may have relegated himself back to backup duty with another fumble. He's had trouble hanging onto the ball in the past, and McCombs has clearly been more effective -- although it's been tough sledding for him since his big first quarter against Vanderbilt.
UConn should probably be 3-0 right now. As rough as the last two losses were, there's still real potential with this team, especially considering the Big East lacks a dominant team once again. The next two weeks loom especially large, with MAC opponents Buffalo and Western Michigan. But anything less than two wins there will likely end the bowl chances.

Iowa State pregame

2011-09-16T18:19:00.002-04:00

The Runway is looking great for prime time on ESPN2 tonight. Saw lots of Iowa State jerseys while driving through the Rentschler parking lots. Either some folks made the trip from Ames (wonder how much that flight costs?) or there's a heavy Iowa State alumni base in Connecticut.

Teams are on the field loosening up, so no updates yet. Check the live blog feed below, which will be updated starting now through the final whistle.

Iowa State at UConn

Lots to fix before Iowa State, but "We're in this together."

2011-09-12T13:03:00.005-04:00

Spoke to some players and assistants, here's a little more from today.

Players and coaches rarely admit to reading message boards, blogs or anything else related to media. But most, if not all, are aware of what's being said, especially when there's criticism. Folks tend to be especially hard on the quarterback. It just comes with the territory. Johnny McEntee's three interceptions certainly roused some predictable opinions, the first truly negative public analysis he's had to deal with. By all accounts, McEntee took the loss hard in the post game. On Monday, he still seemed down in the dumps. Depressed would be more accurate. "The less time the better to think about it," McEntee said. "My teammates are behind me, having their support is really helping me out. Yeah, I'm just trying to forget about it and move on."

The coaches are tolerant because they know they have three quarterbacks with no experience. Fordham was hardly a test, so the Vanderbilt game represented the first real competition. "The quarterback probably receives too much credit when things go well and too much blame when things go bad," UConn quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead said. "That's part of the decision to play the position. I told them there's nothing we can do to change the past. We looked at the film, evaluate what we did well, analyze what we did bad and build from there

McEntee says he remains confident in the wake of the game and the competition, where Michael Nebrich and Scott McCummings are still very much in the game plan. "I'm pretty confident it's correctable, the physical things are correctable. A couple of the mental plays I made bad reads on are unacceptable," McEntee said. "That's what I need to worry about. ... The more and more bad things that go wrong, you think I can't keep making these mistakes but you have to try and put them in the back of your head and move on."

Moorhead said the plan for Vanderbilt was to start McEntee, use Nebrich for the first series of the second quarter and the coaches would evaluate at halftime what the best plan for the second half would be. (McCummings has his own packages and plays, and will be used throughout the game). "The flow of the game, and how things were unfolding, dictated for us that we wanted to keep Johnny in there for continuity sake," Moorhead said. "We're moving forward with the same approach for Iowa State."

Over the last three games against FBS competition (South Florida and Oklahoma last season, and the Vandy game), UConn has three defensive touchdowns, two special teams touchdowns (counting Byron Jones' blocked punt and recovery as a special teams TD) and no offensive touchdowns. The Huskies, predictably, are also 1-2 in those three games.

The defense and special teams units can't continue to carry the struggling offense. That's the way its been the last three games, but Sio Moore says things can change in a hurry. "You've got to do what you can, and hope that they can do theirs," Moore said. "Not even hope, believe. ... We talk to the (offensive guys). Before we're teammates, we're friends. We talk to them, keep spirits high. But at the same time they know their problems and what they have to do the same way we know what we have to do. Everybody has to make corrections, and I guarantee they'll be busting their tails at practice, same as us. ... We're in this together, offense, defense and special teams."

Tough loss behind, UConn preps for Iowa State

2011-09-12T11:29:00.003-04:00

Some news and notes from today's media luncheon.

Based upon the first two games, it appears the UConn depth chart is purely for show this season. But, here's what it says this week. D.J. Shoemate and Lyle McCombs are still listed as co-starters at tailback, same for the three quarterbacks and Gary Bardzak and Steve Greene at left guard.

Pasqualoni said Iowa State's offensive line is impressive, and will be a real challenge for the Huskies defensive front.

The route-running by the wide receivers wasn't as sharp as it was in week 1. That's something the coaches have identified and will look to correct this week.

The quarterback situation hasn't changed, and Pasqualoni said he hasn't lost confidence in any of the three. He went with Johnny McEntee more Saturday because he had a better understanding and picture of the opposing defensive schemes, and coach Pasqualoni stuck with him for the continuity. "The mistakes Johnny made are correctable," he said. "You can see why he made some of the decisions he made."

As for Shoemate, Pasqualoni said he's optimistic the rest he's been given the last two weeks will pay off and he expects him to be 100 percent by Thursday. UConn would still like to use a two-back system, which makes sense considering the difference in styles between McCombs and Shoemate.

The wide receivers dropped some key passes, especially on third down, which didn't help the completion percentage of McEntee.

Pasqualoni isn't a big fan of playing on Friday nights. "Friday nights are for high school football," he said. He understands it's a TV thing, but would rather not have anyone doing it. "My heart goes out to the high school coaches."

Defensively, UConn gave up some big plays against Vanderbilt. They also had sacks and turnovers and created points. It's a matter of lining up correctly and avoiding the big plays. "At no level of football can you be considered a sound defense if you're giving up big plays," Pasqualoni said. "The only way to counter that is to go out and get big plays on offense. If you're going to live in the big play world, you're playing with fire."

Heading up to speak to some players now. More notes later this afternoon.

Last notes before Vanderbilt

2011-09-08T13:07:00.002-04:00

A few quick notes from Pasqualoni's call with state media today.

D.J. Shoemate is close to 100 percent, and will resume his starting role once he's deemed healthy enough to play. Sounds like that will happen at Vandy. Pasqualoni said his philosophy is that "a player in our system does not lose his position because of injury. When he's 100 percent, he goes back to where he was before he was hurt." It's a fair practice. Keep in mind Shoemate and McCombs were listed as co-starters anyway, and both will get their share.

There's a role for Jonathan Jean-Louis at tailback, and Pasqualoni said he'll get his work in certain situations.

Everyone on the 2-deep released Monday is healthy, and will make the trip to Nashville.

The offensive line is still being sorted out as far as the rotation, but Pasqualoni mentioned he'd like to get Jimmy Bennett more time at the left tackle with Mike Ryan at right tackle "because their abilities are conducive to that". Obviously, the deeper any team is on the offensive line, with interchangeable parts that can play multiple slots, is beneficial.

The rain in Storrs has kept the Huskies inside most of the week. That's a concern, Pasqualoni said, because it's harder to prepare for the heat and wind and other elements of an outdoor game.

Still a three-headed QB, but for how long?

2011-09-06T12:49:00.002-04:00

Some news and observations from the weekly Tuesday media luncheon...

Still a three-man race for quarterback as UConn prepares for Vanderbilt on Saturday. The snap breakdown against Fordham was McEntee with 32, Nebrich with 20 and McCummings with 14. It was the perfect scenario to get all three game experience. I would expect to see the number tilted more toward McEntee in Nashville, with McCummings' role unchanged. The real question might be how is Nebrich worked into a possible rotation.
All three quarterbacks will continue to prepare as if they are the starter. Pasqualoni will likely end a three-man rotation as soon as possible, and it could be this week. "As soon as it's clear, we'll go in that direction," he said when asked about picking a starter.
D.J. Shoemate said he's at about 90 percent with his ankle, and it sounds like he'll definitely play against Vanderbilt. He's receiving three treatments a day. It's another wait-and-see with regard to the rotation at tailback with Shoemate and Lyle McCombs.
On the depth chart, Gary Bardzak and Steve Greene are still listed as co-starters at left guard. Both played against Fordham. Teddy Jennings will start at defensive end in place of the injured Jesse Joseph, with B.J. McBryde now the top backup.
Taylor Mack is listed as the top punt returner, but Pasqualoni says both Mack and Nick Williams will get work there.
Quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead, in a meeting with Scott McCummings and reviewing his set plays, told McCummings he would throw a long touchdown pass to Ryan Griffin on the play action. It happened, a 55-yard strike. Moorhead wasn't perfect, though. "I think I told him it would be a 43-yarder," he said.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown on linebacker Sio Moore, "He's 240 pounds and can cover as well as any safety. It's kind of freakish."

Fordham post-game notes

2011-09-03T15:51:00.003-04:00

Some post-game notes and quotes...

It's still a quarterback competition, or so says Paul Pasqualoni. On Friday, he entered the quarterback meeting and informed Johnny McEntee, Scott McCummings and Michael Nebrich that all would be used today. The plan was for McEntee to play the first and third, with Nebrich the second and fourth and McCummings spotting in and out, mainly to run, throughout.

Nebrich wasn't so sure about the competition still being open. He thinks McEntee separated himself the pack today. "If the coaches want to play both of us, that's fine," Nebrich said. "I have to prepare like I'm going to play. Johnny played a great game, but I'm still going to push myself. I'm going to keep practicing like the competition is still open no matter what the decision is."

McEntee, who, by all accounts of those in the know, has had the edge in the competition for the past couple of weeks, wasn't about to proclaim the job as his. "I think we all did pretty well," he said.

D.J. Shoemate sprained an ankle in practice on Thursday. No one was sure how serious it was, but coaches determined he wasn't ready to go in the pregame today. Lyle McCombs found out he would get the start during stretches. He responded well, with 141 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Pasqualoni expects Shoemate to be ready this week, and it seems likely that if he's healthy he'll play against Vanderbilt.

How much did McCombs change the coaches' minds with his effort today? That remains to be seen. Pasqualoni said the competition will be "all the more fierce" with Shoemate, Jonathan Jean-Louis and McCombs this week.

McCombs had 24 carries today, numbers similar to what Jordan Todman did last season (and Donald Brown two years before that). Todman, despite a solid frame, answered questions about whether he was up to that kind of load much of the early season. McCombs, just 172 pounds, was asked the same today, and I liked his feisty answer. "What do you think?" he said. "I got banged up pretty good today, but I'm OK."

The changing quarterbacks had a negative effect on the overall offensive tempo. Pasqualoni said he'd like to see UConn play faster going forward. He also feels the team needs to improve on the punt return, though he was pleased with protection and kickoff return.

Pasqualoni has instituted a new dress code for home games. Players, who usually wore team-issue sweats to Rentschler, are required to wear dress pants and ties. Most of the guys looked like they just stepped off a yacht (or, as Spalding from Caddyshack might say, a scotch ad) with blue blazers, khakis and boat shoes. Nebrich had the "collegiate" look of a navy blue sweater vest over his dress shirt and tie, a look made famous by Boys 2 Men (or by Will Ferrell and the fraternity prior to the academic competition in "Old School"). Dave Teggart (sporting the yachting look) said punter Cole Wagner accidentally dropped $185 on a tie, not realizing what he did until checking the receipt well after the purchase.

How about Fordham going with the quick kick on third down? The last time that play was used in football, Vince Lombardi was still playing at Fordham. Actually, that's a lie. My high school team did it once, though it was by mistake.

UConn-Fordham pregame

2011-09-03T11:10:00.002-04:00

Another season opener about to get underway at the Runway, where the new sod looks fantastic. Hope it holds up better than the old stuff, which had been brown since 2006.

Still waiting on an official announcement on the UConn quarterback for today, but, as I've been hearing since last week, it will be Johnny McEntee. We could see all three at some point, with Michael Nebrich as the No. 2 and Scott McCummings as the No. 3.

Also, Jesse Joseph (knee) is out and could be on the shelf for a couple of weeks. Teddy Jennings gets the start at defensive end.

UConn-Fordham now on for Saturday at noon

2011-08-31T16:52:00.003-04:00

The season opening game for the UConn football team against Fordham at Rentschler Field, originally scheduled for Thursday night, has been rescheduled for Saturday at noon.

All tickets and parking passes for the original date will be honored Saturday.

The game was postponed because Rentschler Field is being used by the Connecticut National Guard as a commodities distribution center for cities and towns in need in the wake of Hurricane Irene. The announcement of the postponement did not come until Tuesday afternoon. The school was forced to wait until today for confirmation on Rentschler being available on Saturday.

The relief effort will run concurrently with the football game, and patrons are being encouraged to arrive early.

Since the two schools share no other open dates, UConn had reached out to find alternative sites for the game. Among those contacted was Yale University to inquire whether the Yale Bowl might be available as an alternative on Saturday.

The Bowl, which had power restored in the wake of the storm, would have been fully prepared for a football game anyway, as Yale will hold its annual preseason scrimmage this weekend, Yale director of sports publicity Steve Conn said.

The last time a UConn football game was postponed was 10 years ago in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when a scheduled game against Temple was replayed in November.

UConn-Fordham postponed

2011-08-30T17:36:00.002-04:00

The season opener on Thursday has been postponed indefinitely, as the Connecticut National Guard is using Rentschler Field as a distribution center for commodities to towns and cities in need in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

UConn is hopeful the game will be rescheduled on Saturday, but it all depends on whether the guard is finished by then. A UConn athletic spokesman said he did not anticipate an official decision being made by tonight.

Irene can't stop the media...some Monday notes

2011-08-29T14:23:00.008-04:00

There's nothing like an ice cold shower to get the juices flowing early in the morning. I also enjoyed brewing coffee on my grill and driving underneath the 1,000-pound tree limb still hanging from the power lines to get out of my driveway. Thanks, Irene!! Actually, I didn't enjoy any of that. But thanks, anyway, you uppity weather system.

Lots of notes from today's media gathering. No lunch, but there was an option offered for a hot shower. Should have brought my soap.

Everyone from Pasqualoni to George DeLeone to the three quarterbacks insists no decision has been made on who will start Thursday at QB. But everyone recited the mantra that all three are ready if needed, and it certainly sounded like at least two will be used -- though that may well be because Fordham could (should) prove to be little more than a glorified exhibition game.

The scuttlebutt from those in the know is that Johnny McEntee has "the edge". But it sounds as if none of the three have been notified, and aren't expecting to know until the 11th hour.

DeLeone says that the learning curve with the three quarterbacks is unusually wide since they're so young and inexperienced. "The great quarterbacks that I've been around have to learn to study on their own, to learn to watch film on their own, take points in the game plan and hone in on watching those specific things important to their position," DeLeon said. "These guys are young. It's like they've got to be told, coached on every step of the way. That's where we are with this bunch."

DeLeone on the QBs: "McCummings is a tremendously conscientious kid. John McEntee is a guy that really has never gotten a chance in his career here; no matter how well he does, someone else is going to surpass him. He's never really been given a chance. In our situation, he's been given a tremendous chance, and he's done some good things. Mike Nebrich is a talented guy, obviously the youngest of the bunch. Has good potential. How far he can come in a short period of time will be in question. His last high school game was the last game he played."

The core of the offense will be the same for all three quarterbacks, DeLeone said, meaning nothing changes dramatically with the less-mobile McEntee at the helm. "I think the issue is going to be what individual plays can best suit each one of the three's talents," DeLeone said. "That's why I'm a big advocate of installing a multiple offense. Once you install it, you can pick from a menu that suits not only your team's abilities, but your quarterbacks."

D.J. Shoemate understands why he earned a reputation as a fumbler last season, but doesn't agree. He says it's never been an issue with him and that he took extra steps to prevent it from becoming an issue again this year. He worked hard on improving his ball-carrying technique -- high and tight. "When you get that reputation, I felt I had to do something about it," Shoemate said. "It helps to get more reps. The more reps, the more familiar you are."

Shoemate said he first met McEntee at the start of 8th grade back in their native Southern California. "I had a 13-inch afro," said Shoemate, who, he noted, is now sports the cue-ball look. During one of the first practices, Shoemate kicked a 50-yard field goal. McEntee remembered it well. "I was like, oh my God, who is this kid?" McEntee said. "We're 11 years old, and he has a beard."

Seems like Connecticut is a long (and obscure) choice for a quarterback from Southern California to come without a scholarship. But McEntee said he didn't have any other options, aside from some Division III schools near his hometown. Some UConn coaches were attending a convention in California, and word got to McEntee that they were looking for a scout team quarterback. He jumped at it, and now has a chance to become the starter.

Wallingford's Brett Biestek is listed as the backup outside linebacker for Fordham, and at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds is only about 10 pounds smaller than some of their offensive and defensive linemen. Biestek was a tremendous athlete at Sheehan, where he set school records as a passing quarterback for the football team, all the rebounding records on a basketball team that won the Class M state title and won the Class MM shot put in outdoor track.

That's it. Time to head home. No cable, no internet. Guess it's time for another classic from my DVD collection to play on the freshly juiced lap top. Anyone else up for Red Dawn?

Starting quarterback will be game time announcement

2011-08-24T18:05:00.003-04:00

Much like the pool at Bushwood Country Club on Caddie Day (caddies welcome! 1:00-1:15) today's "open" practice had only a limited viewing window for the media. So, not a lot of color with today's notes, but there is some news.

UConn's quarterback situation seems to be sorting itself out, even though Paul Pasualoni isn't willing to give up any information. Mike Box, it appears, is out of the running. He ran the scout team offense today. "We haven't finalized the decision yet," Pasqualoni said. "It will probably be a game-time announcement, so you guys are going to have to wait until pre-game warm up."

Pasqualoni later added that he's delaying an announcement because "No. 1, we want to be sure, and No. 2 why give out information if you don't have to? I'd rather collect it than give it out."

Jesse Joseph didn't practice today, a brace covering his knee, but it's not believed to be season-ending. Pasqualoni, who won't say much on injuries this year, either, said Joseph is "bumped up, but we're expecting him back."

At least six linebackers, "probably seven", will dress for games and be part of the rotation. Some will be core special teams players. Sio Moore, Yawin Smallwood and Jory Johnson are the starters, with Mike Osiecki, Dave Kenney, Andrew Opoku, Marquise Vann and Jefferson Ashiru as the backups. "We'll have some depth there," Pasqualoni said. "It's just inexperience."

D.J. Shoemate says he feels as fast as he ever has, and has gotten leaner and in better "running back shape" since spring practice. From what we've seen, he's looked like he's ready to handle a full load. Still, Jonathan-Jean Louis could work his way into some sets and Lyle McCombs could be used in third-down situations.

My opinion on the quarterbacks still hasn't changed, though I didn't see anything today, anyway. Nebrich, then McEntee (but wouldn't be surprised if both played in the opener), then McCummings, then Box.

Saturday notes: Last of the two-a-days

2011-08-20T12:11:00.007-04:00

Nice early start at UConn this morning. An 8:45 a.m. practice started off beautifully, but it got hot in a hurry. Final day of two-a-days for the players. Media won't be back until Wednesday. A few notes.

Lots of fundamentals and reviewing the basics today. There was a scrimmage on Thursday, and yesterday was an off day. So with under two weeks until the season-opener, the coaches took the opportunity to square some things before the afternoon session.

No decisions on the quarterback. No surprise there. I think it will be at least a week before a decision is announced, and we might not know until the last minute. Pasqualoni acknowledged that Scott McCummings is working on some accuracy issues, and that he's impressed with how Mike Nebrich is handling himself as a true freshman.

Me? I still have Nebrich atop my depth chart. Both he and McCummings are mobile, and that's going to be crucial to the offense this season, but Nebrich has shown he is more capable of running the passing attack right now. UConn needs as many play makers as possible, and he's definitely a play maker.

Geremy Davis and Isiah Moore wore the red cross injury jerseys and spent a lot of time on the stationary bikes. So, on Saturday, there were four eligible, scholarship receivers healthy and practicing.

Adam Masters will play both tackle and guard, but Pasqualoni said the staff feels he might be a more natural guard than tackle. "We feel we want him to stay (at guard) and get more comfortable and aware there in fundamentals and assignments," Pasqualoni said.

UConn should be fine at tailback. Sure, it would be nice to have Jordan Todman and Robbie Frey back. But D.J. Shoemate has shown some speed, and Jonathan-Jean Louis seems to be pushing him most.

Pasqualoni was asked about Jeff Hathaway, the man who hired him in January put was pushed out the door Friday. "I would thank Jeff for all he's done for UConn football," Pasqualoni said. "This program has gone a long way in a short period of time, and what he did here is appreciated."

Pasqualoni said his policy on awarding scholarships to walk-ons is that if a player wins a starting job, he'll be put on scholarship. Punter Cole Wagner got one in the spring. Johnny McEntee remains a walk-on. For now.

Masters said a few extra pounds has done wonders for him this preseason. He spent last season playing around 288, unable to gain any weight during the season. Now at 301, he said he's been able to maintain that weight, though it's not easy. He eats eight meals a day. There's the regular breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then smaller meals like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as often as he can in between. "I'm forcing a lot of food down," he said. "I'm just eating non-stop."

Personally, I've been cutting back. I'm down to second breakfast, lunch, second lunch and first dinner. Makes a huge difference. My reflexes? Cat-like.

Nebrich took a couple of big hits, but bounced back up both times. Dwayne Gratz stuck him on an option run, and about an hour later Teddy Jennings flattened him on a play he probably shouldn't have. Jennings did help him up, then tried to play it off like he didn't mean to do it. "He just ran into me," Jennings said.

Kashif Moore caught a slant and turned it into a long run; D.J. Shoemate flashed breakaway speed and Nick Williams used the same 360-spin to elude Gilbert Stlouis that Michael Jackson first made famous in his Jackson 5 days.

Don Brown moment of the afternoon -- coaching up a student manager on proper blocking shield technique, then snatching the padded shield and doing it himself. I would not be the least bit surprised if Brown showed up in pads and a helmet for practice this afternoon.

Sio Moore is fine (and has great taste in eyewear)

2011-08-16T18:43:00.009-04:00

Got a couple of funny looks driving through campus this afternoon. Guess it’s not cool to crank Dio on the car stereo anymore. Then again, I suppose that was never cool.

Sio Moore didn’t practice today. He walked a bit gingerly along the sidelines. Coach Pasqualoni said he would be fine, and is expected back “in a day or two”. On a side note, he wears the same glasses frames as me. Got them in Malaysia. Didn’t think anyone else had ‘em.

Pasqualoni then said he’s not going to give injury information, at least with those of the non-serious variety. “If someone is out for the season,” Pasqualoni said. “We’ll let you guys know.” So, be ready for less info on the injury front.

Corey Manning also not practicing. Sean McQuillan left early after getting dinged.
Isiah Moore had a nice day, catching a long pass and using his legs to turn another into a long gainer.

Punters Cole Wagner and Chad Christen exchanged ceiling-scrapers in the Shenkman Center.

If it’s me, the depth chart of quarterback is Nebrich, then Box OR McEntee, then McCummings. Of course, it’ll probably change next practice.

If you’re looking for a decision on the quarterbacks, don’t expect any news for a while. Pasqualoni said he’s enjoying the fight, and what that brings out of the players. “It’s been a fierce competition,” Pasqualoni said. “Let’s keep it going.”

McCummings and Nebrich got the bulk of the work today, though there’s nothing to read into that. Just part of the practice rotation. The linebackers got a little extra work in, as well, especially Mike Osiecki, Jefferson Ashiru and Marquise Vann in the middle with Sio out today. A decision will be made by the end of next week as to who will redshirt, Pasqualoni said. Osiecki, a redshirt last fall, will play, at least on special teams, right away.

Pasqualoni is impressed with Nick Williams’ ability to make plays, as well as how fast he plays in practice/game situations. It’s a big reason UConn will look to get him the ball more in offensive sets. “I don’t know what his 40 time is,” Pasqualoni said. “It might be 5.0. But his playing speed is pretty good.”

That's it. "Holy Diver" is cued up and ready to roll. They just don't make lead singers like Ronnie James Dio any more.

Media day at Shenkman

2011-08-12T13:40:00.002-04:00

A couple of notes from today's media day at the Shenkman Center.

The first scrimmage took place Thursday, but no decisions have been made at quarterback. All four will continue to be evaluated with no time table or plan to pare the competition down. Pasqualoni said anything is possible, which includes using more than one quarterback.

Pasqualoni is hoping to have linebacker Jerome Williams and tailback Martin Hyppolite back by Oct. 1. That's the target date, whether it happens or not depends on how quickly they heal.

With the transfer of Malik Generett, the Huskies are down to seven wide receivers. There's quality, just not quantity. Pasqualoni said he had some ideas about defensive players who might be able to do double duty, although offensive coordinator George DeLeone later said he didn't think it was necessary. "I don't think we're that desperate," DeLeone said. "We can move on because we have so many personnel groupings, if it doesn't work out with three wide receivers we can do it with two tight ends, three tight ends, we can do it with running backs. We have enough flexibility in our system we can get into what we need to get into with the number of receivers we have."

Kashif Moore said he was surprised by the decisions of Leon Kinnard, Gerrard Sheppard and Generett to transfer, but understood it was a personal decision for all three. "We still have good depth at wide receiver," Moore said. "I was telling the younger guys, this is a great opportunity for them to play early."

The names have returned to the backs of the jerseys. It's not exactly large-type lettering, so I'm not sure fans in the stands are going to see them. But was a great help to me today on media day.

Day one in pads, fighting and another transfer

2011-08-09T19:30:00.003-04:00

Just a brief few notes from practice today, which was open to the public. Quite a few fans showed up, though many left once the rain got a little heavy. Cheshire Academy wide receiver Malik Golden, being recruited by UConn, was in attendance. At least two fans let him know they'd like to see him in Storrs next fall. The Huskies will need the help. Junior Gerrard Sheppard announced he will transfer immediately, joining Leon Kinnard as the second receiver to leave school in a week. Pasqualoni was disappointed, but said he understood the players point of view. Competition is heavy, and the two could see the writing on the wall.

“We’ve got a lot of competition, and Shep just felt like he wanted to go somewhere where he could just go in and play; not necessarily in a role, but just go in and play,” Pasqualoni said. “I liked him a great deal. We were trying to find a niche for him. But in the end, he felt it was best. We have him our blessing. … I don’t like seeing good guys like Leon and Shep go, but at the same time I have a hard time talking guys into doing something they really in their heart don’t want to do. This is a hard game to play if your heart isn’t in it.”

It was the first practice in pads, and the emotions, as the usually do, spilled over. A mild donneybrook broke out when tight end Corey Manning and linebacker Andrew Opoku continued going at it after the whistle. A few other players got into it, but it was David Kenney who went over the top by piling onto Manning. Pasqualoni wasted little time sending Kenney to the showers, then angrily called the team to the center of the field where he sent a message. Settle down and play, or you'll be gone, too.

"In a game, if anybody comes off the sideline and goes into any kind of ruckus, they’re out, they’re suspended,” Pasqualoni said. “I didn’t see everyone who jumped in, but I saw one guy so he was suspended. There’s always going to be some back and forth, but you’ve got to keep your poise. You can’t lose your head. So we all learned that today."

Asked to clarify the suspension, Pasqualoni said it was only for the day. Kenney will be back at practice tomorrow. It's training camp, after all.

"This isn’t Holiday Hill,” Pasqualoni said, referencing the day camp in his native Cheshire. “We don’t give days off here.”

Another nice day for Jonathan Jean-Louis, who had his best run on the first play after Pasqualoni settled the troops. Jean-Louis is looking more and more like he could be a major equation in the offense.

As for the quarterbacks, much like the spring game the rain didn't help the coaches settle much. McEntee probably had the best day; McCummings, not so much. Linebacker Jerome Williams remains out with an injury.

That's it for today.

UConn coaches on Dave Solomon

2011-08-08T11:37:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to share a couple of quotes from Paul Pasqualoni and George DeLeone, who both go way, way back with Dave Solomon. He covered both when they were coaching at Southern Connecticut in the 1970s, and their relationships continued even as both went on to bigger and better things. Of course, Dave spoke with both following UConn's practice Saturday night.

“Dave had a passion for what he did and a love for the state of Connecticut. His enthusiasm showed for whatever he was writing about – professional, college or high school sports. He loved covering football and my condolences go out to his family.”
-- Paul Pasqualoni

“I’ve dealt with hundreds of media people over the years and I’ve have never known won that cared so much about sports, people, coaches and athletes as Dave Solomon did. He covered our teams at Southern Connecticut so we go a long way back. He was a UConn grad and a great friend in the media community. One thing about Dave was that he never put himself into the story – it was never about him. This one will be hard for me to get over”
-- George DeLeone

By the way, the above photo is the Dave "So Long" Solomon bobblehead doll from the Home Run Derby between him, Steve Balboni and Luis Sojo prior to a New Haven Ravens game in 2002.

Remembering Dave

2011-08-07T14:01:00.008-04:00

Last night was devastating. Things haven't been much better today. But it's never easy to lose a friend.

Dave Solomon and I were two of the last to leave the UConn football practice facility last night. I hung around while he and Roger Cleveland of the Waterbury Republican-American finished a final interview with UConn quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead. Like always, I wanted to touch base with Dave and make sure we weren't overlapping too much in our coverage.

Dave, as usual, was in great spirits. He had his column, and was excited about a quote he had from coach Paul Pasqualoni. And you knew he would build a great story around it. He always did. As we walked to our cars in the parking lot, he asked if I was staying at UConn to write. I was. He said he would write at home.

"Take care, Chipster," he said as he approached his car.

"OK, see ya, Dave," I replied.

Had I known it would be our last "goodbye", I would have thought of something more meaningful to say. Within a few hours, I got the excruciating phone call that he never made it home. He died in a car accident on I-91 near his home in Meriden.

Dave was one of my favorite people, period. He always seemed to be in a great mood, and never missed an opportunity to needle me about something, while flashing his sly grin. Always quick with a joke, they were usually sarcastic and often whispered to whoever was sitting next to him in the middle of a press conference.

We took more than a few carpools to out-of-state events together. He'd do something like force me to listen to the all-Jimmy Buffett station on my satellite radio against my will for an entire trip to Yankee Stadium, then make up for it with his amazing knowledge of the highways of his native New York. "There's a little dip coming up in the left lane. You're going to want to get right, here." Find me a GPS with those tips.

But his writing, simply, was something to behold. He was to journalism what Larry Bird was to basketball or Neil Peart is to the drums; a guy you want to emulate even though it's darn near impossible, no matter how much practice you put in.

Not only could Dave craft a brilliant column, even on sports he didn't necessarily enjoy, but his resources were incredible. He broke countless major stories over the years. It was uncanny. Earlier this year I had a scoop on the UConn football coaching search, new information contrary to some national reports making the rounds. My cell phone rang as I frantically typed. It was Solomon. I thought to myself, "I got him...I finally know something he doesn't." Of course, Dave not only knew what I knew, his sources had told him Pasqualoni was offered and was about to accept the position.

It's not easy to one-up a giant.

We had some memorable times away from the office, too, none more so than the Home Run Derby prior to a New Haven Ravens game in 2002. Dave had written a column about Ravens hitting coach Steve Balboni, the former big leaguer who, Solomon opined, still looked like he could launch a few out of Yale Field. Ravens management seized the moment, and devised home run contest between Dave (who would have a temporary fence set up midway through the outfield), Balboni and Luis Sojo, then coaching in the Eastern League. They even ordered a few thousand Solomon bobble head dolls to give away at the gate -- how many sportswriters can boast of that honor?

Dave enlisted me to serve as his batting practice pitcher for the event. We practiced for weeks in anticipation. On the day of the contest, over 5,000 people jammed into the park. I'd thrown so many practice pitches to that point that my arm was gone. Pain seared through my rotator cuff with every pitch. Yet when it came time for Dave to hit, he suddenly developed the batting eye of Kevin Youkilis. Pitch after perfectly good pitch went past with no swing. He was only going to go after the ones in his wheelhouse. It didn't take long before I lost the strike zone completely.

"Dave, you have to swing ," I said, drenched in sweat, during a break. "This is just like batting practice."

"I can't afford to waste swings against these guys," he said.

That's how he approached his writing. Nothing was wasted, no words, ideas or sources. His columns were perfectly written, his arguments laid out in a thought-provoking, often humorous manner.

If Dave said he liked something you wrote, well, you knew you did something right. I remember breathing a deep sigh of relief when he mentioned he enjoyed the "I was thinking" column, his Sunday staple, that I wrote while he was on vacation. Reassured, I quickly went back to re-read the column again to absorb what worked.

The sports world has lost a great man, husband and father. Rest in peace, my friend.

We've got a quarterback competition

2011-08-06T18:13:00.003-04:00

Day 2 of practice is in the books (Day 1 for we ink-stained wretches of the media). Priority No. 1 for this team is to find a quarterback, and it's a true four-man competition (sorry Blaise Driscoll fans...looks like he's no longer an 'OR'). I have no idea where the four stand (and coach Pasqualoni says he doesn't either), but I can say this with confidence. It's going to be entertaining.

Some notes from the day.

The four quarterbacks are rotating in live drills, and apparently that is changing from practice to practice. Today it seemed to be Box, McEntee, McCummings, Nebrich. "Just so everybody knows I'm telling the truth," Pasqualoni said with a laugh. "If you guys can tell them I'm telling the truth. But if you can figure out the rotation of who's in when then God bless you, because I can't."

Each of the quarterbacks brings his own personality to the position and approach. It would be unfair to state my opinion off each because, well, I don't really know these guys yet. But it's safe to say that, at least today, Mike Box was the most intense interview. He scooted off to throw a few more balls while the others were chatting with various media, and then was all-business in his interview. Intense, focused and confident with every answer. He's certainly acting like he believes he's going to be the starting quarterback. "I'm going to put my best foot forward and continue to prepare myself like I am the starter," Box said. "I expect all three of them to do the exact same up until the coaches all decide one of us has separated ourselves from the pack and is worthy of the starting job. But it will not be given. It will be earned."

In the spring, I wasn't sure if Mike Nebrich would be a serious contender for the starting job. Now, I believe he has a real chance to see the field. He's put on 20 pounds (20 good pounds, of course) and no longer looks like a high school player. At 205, he has the body more suited to take the physical pounding. Important, since he's a threat to run. "I got a lot stronger in my legs," Nebrich said. "One of the big things they've helped me with is to get stronger in the legs and not lose speed. The extra weight brings more force with the speed." Nebrich didn't expect to be in this situation right away, mostly because of Cody Endres, but knows he's in the thick of the race at this point. "It took me a bit to get my head wrapped around it," Nebrich said. "I knew I had a lot of work to do and time to spend getting better on the field and with the playbook. Once I got going, I realized I can do this if I push myself."

Johnny McEntee may not be at the same athletic level of the other three -- he's the least mobile of the group -- but he throws a tight, accurate ball and certainly understands what's going on out there. He's also lacking one other thing the other three have. A scholarship. Still a walk-on, McEntee has proven himself a viable candidate. "I have no idea where I stand. I could be first, I could be fourth," McEntee said. "We all have our different advantages. It's just a matter of who will come out on top and where (the coaches) want to go with the offense.

Scott McCummings said a better understanding of the offense has made a world of difference in the preseason, as compared to the spring. "It feels slower out there, and that comes with better understanding," McCummings said, who added the competition has been exciting. "You try to make your best play every play. You get disappointed with a bad play, and you can't wait to get back out there. It's kind of hard not being able to get into a rhythm because they switch plays."

Despite taking a big hit to the receiving core -- Michael Smith can practice, even though he's ineligible -- even thinner with the recent losses of transfers Dwayne Difton and Leon Kinnard, things don't seem bleak at the position. Perhaps that's partly because with the exception of Marcus Easley in 2009, there's been no breakout star receiver at UConn since, well, ever. But Geremy Davis and Tebucky Jones continued to show they are ready to contribute after solid springs. Davis had a particularly impressive day, including a full-extension dive for a grab on an out pattern. Malik Generett is also on his way. The recent losses have put Nick Williams back into the equation. "He was the leading punt returner in the nation last year," Pasqualoni said. "We'd like to get his hands on the ball more."

D.J. Shoemate is atop the depth chart at tailback, with Lyle McCombs at No. 2. But Jonathan Jean-Louis (now wearing Difton's old No. 1) is looking like he could open some eyes for consideration, too. In fact, he may well already be knee-deep into the discussion. "(Every year) there's a fifth-year senior somewhere in college football who will step up and so something," Pasqualoni said. "We're optimistic that maybe we have one who will step up and contribute and it might be him."

You would think that at some point, sooner rather than later, the quarterback competition will have to at least be trimmed from four. Quarterback coach Joe Moorhead didn't want to speculate about that. But the team will hold it's first live scrimmage next week, and we could see some separation following the breakdown of that film.

Media Day in Newport recap

2011-08-02T11:53:00.003-04:00

It's information overload here at the Big East's annual Media Day at the swanky Hotel Viking in Newport, R.I. Here's a few notes and observations from the morning.

Paul Pasqualoni says he has no idea who the starting quarterback will be for UConn right now, but it's one of the first things he needs to figure out. Of course, he relayed a story from his Syracuse days when he was in a similar situation. On a hunch, and at the last minute, he decided the right guy was Donovan McNabb. "He took every snap for the next four years," Pasqualoni said, adding he didn't know how long it might take to name UConn's quarterback this preseason but that "We're prepared to go the distance. We want to get it right."

Prior to the 2007 season, UConn brought in Tyler Lorenzen from a California junior college to help at quarterback. Pasqualoni said he never really considered that option in part because, "There was no one out there we could go after", also adding that he likes the group competing for the job.

Other priority issues to sort out this preseason are on the interior offensive line and at tailback. Pasqualoni did say D.J. Shoemate would handle the load at tailback, Lyle McCombs as the guy who would spell him.

Kashif Moore wore his diamond-studded Big East championship ring, which was only slightly smaller than the size of his entire fist. He says he's worn it a few times since receiving it in April. "I just need to keep it away from my dad, because he'll keep it for himself," Moore joked.

TCU, the defending Rose Bowl champion, will play at Rentschler Field next season. Nick Carparelli, the associate commissioner of the Big East, said TCU will play road games at the schools that only have three conference home games next fall. That includes the Huskies. It's also up to the individual schools that already have a full slate of five non-conference games schedules to dump one so TCU can be squeezed into the schedule.

John Marinatto, the Big East commissioner, said "12-to-15 teams" were considered for the expansion spot that went to TCU. He wouldn't go into specifics, partly because the conference will remain in discussions with many of those programs as it moves forward. He did say Villanova is still very much in the picture, though it will have to find a home stadium to gain entry. "There's no timeline in place (for Villanova)," Marinatto said, adding that the conference would like to have its plan set by September 2012 when goes into negotiations for a new TV deal.

There's also a scenario for a Big East championship game being considered, and Marinatto has targeted Yankee Stadium as a possible destination. "To be in New York City during the Christmas season for a championship game?" Marinatto said. "How exciting would that be?"

Louisville was the lone school without players at the event. Weather problems stranded them at the airport.

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, recalling his days as an assistant coach at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, said it was one of the more enjoyable experiences in his 20 years as a football coach. "If my career had stopped there, I would have been very happy," Marrone said. "And that's not meant to take away from my career goals or ambition. But I had a great time there."

The Big East decided to follow the model of other conference media days and allow the coaches time at the podium before going to their individual tables to answer questions. The idea didn't translate very well, at least to those who suffered through the various recruiting propaganda and basic roster information most coaches rambled on about. It took well over an hour to get through all eight coaches, whose times at the microphone ranged from Marrone's efficient 2 minutes, 59 seconds to Pasqualoni's 10:37. (Times courtesy of Joe D'Ambrosio's cell phone). The conference should have had someone cuing up music, like the Academy Awards, to speed things along.

Joe D also made the astute observation that new Pitt coach Todd Graham looks a little like Alec Baldwin. Perhaps. But there's little question that new West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen is the spitting image of Phil Collins, circa 1985. Just get him a Hawaiian shirt and cue up "Sussudio".

That's it for now. First practice session is Friday, and the media will make its debut on Saturday evening at 5:30.

Ryan Griffin on Mackey Award watch list

2011-07-06T18:18:00.003-04:00

BETHPAGE, N.Y. (July 6, 2011) – University of Connecticut junior tight end Ryan Griffin (Londonderry, N.H.) has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2011 John Mackey Award preseason released by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by a vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2011 John Mackey winner will be presented live at the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on December 8, 2011 at 6pm EST on ESPNU.

Griffin has been UConn’s starting tight end for the past two seasons as he has played in 24 games with 18 starts. He was a very productive blocker in both the rushing and passing games in 2011.

Griffin earned an Offensive Game Ball following the Pittsburgh win (Nov. 11) along with other blockers in recognition of UConn’s 265 rushing yards, including 222 by Jordan Todman. Griffin has three pass receptions for 21 yards in regular season finale at USF as UConn clinched a berth in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – its first-ever BCS game.

The following is a complete list of the watch list:

Dwayne Allen Clemson Jr

Brandon Barden Vanderbilt Sr

Tim Biere Kansas Sr

Ted Bolser Indiana So

George Bryan NC State Sr

Orson Charles Georgia Jr

Josh Chichester Louisville Sr

Jack Doyle WKU Jr

Drake Dunsmore Northwestern Sr

Kyle Efaw Boise St Sr

Michael Egnew Missouri Sr

Tyler Eifert Notre Dame So

Rhett Ellison USC Sr

Coby Fleener Stanford Sr

Ladarius Green Louisiana Sr

Ryan Griffin Connecticut Jr

Joe Halahuni Oregon St Sr

Cooper Helfet Duke Sr

DC Jefferson Rutgers Jr

Kevin Koger Michigan Sr

Eric Lair Minnesota Sr

Brian Linthicum Michigan St Sr

Philip Lutzenkirchen Auburn Jr

Anthony Miller California Sr

Chris Pantale Boston College Jr

David Paulson Oregon Sr

Colter Phillips Virginia Jr

Nick Provo Syracuse Sr

Lucas Reed New Mexico Jr

Kyler Reed Nebraska Jr

Evan Rodriguez Temple Sr

Jake Stoneburner Ohio St Jr

Michael Williams Alabama Jr

Luke Willson Rice Jr

Dobbs to UConn

2011-06-30T12:07:00.002-04:00

I'm recovering from a knee operation this morning, but our esteemed high school football writer Mike Pucci has learned Ansonia RB Montrell Dobbs has been offered and will accept a scholarship from UConn today. Mike will have more soon on his blog at www.nhregister.com.

Michael Smith ineligible

2011-06-02T15:22:00.002-04:00

The already depleted and inexperienced UConn offense was dealt another blow with the loss of Michael Smith, who was ruled academically ineligible this fall. Smith was the team's leading receiver last fall with 46 catches for 615 yards (13.4 average) and one of only three proven weapons returning on offense. It leaves Kashif Moore (36-452, four TDs) and tight end Ryan Griffin (31-245, touchdown) as the only players with more than 15 catches a year ago.

The offense was already a point of concern, what with no tailbacks or quarterbacks with any real experience to speak of, while the passing game hadn't exactly had opposing defenses shaking in their Under Armour. Spring practice is just that, practice, but the Huskies did little to quell fears that points and yardage will once again be tough to come by. Still, redshirt freshmen Tebucky Jones Jr. and Geremy Davis showed promise, as did sophomore Malik Generett (an academic casualty last fall). All three have the potential, with a little work, to be major contributors this fall.

Smith never redshirted, so he can return in 2012 as long as he improves his grades.

Dwayne Difton to transfer

2011-05-10T16:13:00.002-04:00

UConn wide receiver Dwayne Difton has confirmed with coach Paul Pasqualoni that he plans to transfer to another school. It's been an ongoing process over the last several weeks, and there's still some paper work on UConn's end to complete before it's official, but Difton's UConn career will end.

Fairly or unfairly, Difton entered UConn with considerable hype, but never lived up to the billing. While coming from the top-rated high school program in the nation, St. Thomas Aquinas, he wasn't that widely recruited. He made just 22 career catches in his two seasons, and was never able to establish himself in the offense. He was also deeply affected by Jasper Howard's murder in 2009, his true freshman year. Howard, like Difton from South Florida, had taken the young player under his wing and the two had become very close in a short period of time. How much that took a toll on Difton as a player is unclear. But with younger receivers stepping up in spring practice, and Difton again producing little, it's likely the writing was on the wall.

No word on where Difton will wind up just yet, though a source indicated he'll be looking at schools closer to his Ft. Lauderdale home.

Todman talks about fall to 6th round

2011-04-30T17:37:00.004-04:00

Jordan Todman, as you can image, struggled as the NFL Draft trudged on (and on and on and on) today. "It was crazy," Todman said. "It's difficult to have to explain it. I did lots of pacing around my house, lots of trips up and down the stairs; I went out and played some basketball; whatever it took to stay sane."

The information Todman received in the weeks leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, he said, were that he could be a third or fourth round pick. ESPN's Todd McShay, in his final mock draft Thursday, had him going in the fifth round. So it was a shock that Todman fell all the way to the 18th pick of the sixth round (183rd overall) when San Diego finally picked him.

"At felt with my ability that at the Combine I could raise my stock," Todman said. "I performed well at the Combine. This year, the running back class, I guess we all thought it was nothing too crazy. Therefore, every running back just about, entered the draft giving it more competition with all the running backs who could be taken before you. It was a weird situation. But I have confidence in myself and my ability."

Asked if he regrets his decision to forgo his final season of eligibility, Todman said "I feel coming out was the right thing to do. Going into it, you never know how things are going to unfold. Once you declare, there's no going back. I stuck by my decision, I'm happy with it, and I'm a Charger."

Sherman talks Arizona

2011-04-30T16:08:00.002-04:00

Anthony Sherman said he was confident in the projections that had him pegged as a fifth-round draft choice, and that's right where he landed. Arizona made him the fifth pick of the fifth round.

He interviewed with the Cardinals at the NFL Combine, and it went well. "I had a great conversation with the running backs coach at the Combine," Sherman said. "I spoke to him again a little while ago, and he said I made an impact on him. That's the biggest thing when you go to the Combine. All you have to do is have one team fall in love with you; one team to know that you're the guy they want. That's what I did with the Arizona Cardinals."

The Cardinals use the fullback on a regular basis, and are in the market for one due to injuries and other issues. The lockout leaves him in a holding pattern for now, but Sherman said he'll be ready when things are settled.

Guilford's John Moffitt leaves 'em laughing

2011-04-29T22:40:00.002-04:00

Guilford’s John Moffitt wasted no time making an impression in Seattle. He already has the media in the Rainy City eating out of his hand.

On a conference call shortly after he was taken in the third round (75th overall) of the NFL Draft by the Seahawks Friday night, Moffitt was drawing big laughs. Asked if he was always one of the oldest kids in his class (he is 24), Moffitt deadpanned that he took a year off to join the Peace Corps.

When a reporter asked a follow-up question, Moffitt had to come clean.

“I’m kidding. I didn’t join the Peace Corps. You know what happened, I transferred high schools and I repeated a year in high school. I didn’t want to tell you I’m like Billy Madison. The Peace Corps thing sounds so much better, so if you guys want to print that, feel free.”

So much for being nervous.

Moffitt, a 6-foot-4, 323-pound All-American offensive lineman at Wisconsin last fall, is the lone player with Connecticut ties taken in the draft so far. The first round was Thurday; rounds two and three were Friday. The seven-round draft concludes today (ESPN, noon).

Moffitt graduated from Notre Dame-West Haven in 2005, where he was a Register All-State selection.

The Seahawks, apparently addressing their weak run game, also took an offensive lineman – Alabama tackle James Carpenter – with their first-round pick (25th overall) on Thursday. Seattle ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing last season. It traded its second-round pick to Detroit earlier Friday, so Moffitt was the team’s second pick in the draft.

At Wisconsin, Moffitt was a first-team All-Big 10 Conference selection the past two seasons, and an Associated Press first-team All-American last fall.

He started 36 of his final 37 games for the Badgers, including all 13 last season, and was a key part of an offense that ranked fourth in the nation scoring 45.2 points per game, the second highest in Big Ten history. Wisconsin ranked 12th in the country in rushing behind Moffitt and Badgers tackle Gabe Carimi, taken by the Chicago Bears in the first round.

Among the players with the best chance to be drafted today are UConn tailback Jordan Todman, linebackers Lawrence Wilson and Scott Lutrus, offensive lineman Zach Hurd and fullback Anthony Sherman. New Haven’s Martin Parker, a defensive lineman at Richmond, is also expected to be selected.

New turf at the Runway

2011-04-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

RENTSCHLER FIELD TO GET NEW TURF

EAST HARTFORD, CT (April 26, 2011) - Beginning the week of April 25, 2011, the turf at Rentschler Field, the 40,000-seat stadium that serves as the home of the University of Connecticut Huskies football team, will be replaced. After eight seasons of athletic use, including football, soccer, rugby and ice hockey games, coupled with normal wear and tear, the field is ready for a replacement.

After annual testing of the rootzone layer (the sub-base organic layer between the grass and the base layer of sand), it was determined for proper grass strength and growth, as well as drainage and health of grass surface, Rentschler Field should reduce this layer and restore the field to its original levels.

“The State has invested over $92 million in the Stadium and it is critical that we continue to maintain the facility in first-class condition and to attract the very best in sports and entertainment events,” said James Abromaitis of the Office of Policy and Management / Capital City Economic Development Authority. “In these tough economic times, we are fortunate to have a modest capital reserve account in place to cover the cost of this work.”

"We appreciate the continuing commitment shown by OPM and Bushnell Management Services to provide our football team with an outstanding playing surface and one that is safe for all who utilize Rentschler Field,” said UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway. “With seven home games in the upcoming 2011 season, we are looking forward to an exciting year of UConn Football under the leadership of head coach Paul Pasqualoni."

Michael Fresher, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Bushnell Management Services said, “Rentschler Field has developed a reputation as one of the finest playing surfaces in the country. Now is the perfect time to make sure the field continues to be one of the best.”

Rentschler Field, through its consultant Millennium Turf, has secured sod from Tuckahoe Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey. The contractor is Carolina Green Corp. of Indian Trail, North Carolina.

The project is scheduled to take approximately two weeks and will need an additional six-to-eight weeks of growing time to be ready for play.

Bushnell Management Services is a venue management arm of The Bushnell, and is contracted by The State of Connecticut to serve as building manager for the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field stadium.

Ugly weather, ugly spring game

2011-04-16T19:58:00.003-04:00

Not the prettiest of spring games, but are they ever pretty? Cold, wet weather doesn't help, but here's what they players and coaches had to say.

It was the first day outdoors this spring, and just the third time UConn scrimmaged. The first two scrimmages, the setting was still on install, so today was the first dry run. And everything was basic. Base offense, base defense. The next step is reviewing and studying the playbook over the summer, and the process begins all over again for the preseason...but with a better understanding. "They're learning it and doing a great job with it," Paul Pasqualoni said. "They'll have it."

There's still no pecking order in the quarterback competition. Good thing, as the most productive guy today was fifth-string walk-on Blaise Driscoll, who threw the game-winning touchdown as time expired. None of the four had very good days, at all, but Pasqualoni isn't worried. Here's what he said about each of the four. On McEntee (6-16 passing, 51 yards, two interceptions), "Johnny got the ball out of his hands quick today." On Box (0-for-4, interception), "He didn't have many opportunities (to throw). On Nebrich (2-5, 10 yards), "He moved around pretty good. You saw what he could do with his legs." On McCummings (1-9, 8 yards), "He needed to settle down. The more he played, the better he got. He needs to play more, Nebrich needs to play more."

Pasqualoni brought up a good point when asked about having four quarterbacks in contention for the No. 1 job. "The year (Donovan) McNabb ends up playing, everybody in the press had Kevin Johnson until the last scrimmage of the year as the starter (for the season opener) at North Carolina," Pasqualoni said. "When McNabb started, I think everyone was in shock, because all the people watching the practices had the other guy." Most of us in the media have seen McCummings as the best of the four in the spring, so, take that for what it's worth. Still a whole preseason camp left, though.

Driscoll, who spent two seasons at Division III Trinity before deciding to transfer and walk-on at UConn last fall, completed 2-of-3 passes for 43 yards. The first was a 41-yard bomb to Nick Williams (who made a great catch going over a defender), and then the winner to Ted Baker as time expired to give the Blue team the win. Driscoll got close to no reps all spring, and certainly won't ascend past scout team quarterback unless there's some major injuries. So, he was pretty excited. "It was awesome," Driscoll said. "We were joking on the sidelines that we were down four, and I was going in for the last drive that maybe something would happen. I never thought it would actually happen."

The defense is clearly ahead of the offense, as has showed all spring. But the UConn defense is experienced, big and will be very good. The offense still has no quarterback, must replace the starting tailback and had a few injury/suspension issues to deal with.

Jesse Joseph (ankle) and Dwayne Gratz (hamstring) didn't play Saturday after suffering injuries on Tuesday. No Teddy Jennings (shoulder), either. Shamar Stephen left in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury.

Both George DeLeone and Pasqualoni liked what they saw out of D.J. Shoemate, at least in the second half. Shoemate runs hard, and even broke some tackles and got yards after initial contact. Lyle McCombs showed promise as well, especially having only practiced the last week and a half. I wouldn't be surprised to see a thunder/lightning platoon in the fall, similar to what UConn used with Todman and Andre Dixon two years ago.

Final (open) spring practice in the books

2011-04-12T18:08:00.003-04:00

Last open practice for the media just ended. I can assure you I'm not going to miss the drive from New Haven to Storrs for the next few months. Here's some notes and quotes from the afternoon.

The format for the spring game is set. There will be regular 15 minute quarters in the first half, and then two 20 minute quarters with running time in the second half. Regular scoring. Now if only the rain forecast for Saturday pushes out to sea.

A couple more injuries today could put some more starters on the shelf for the spring game. Jesse Joseph went off with an ankle injury. Dwayne Gratz appeared to tweak his hamstring. Teddy Jennings left practice and had his shoulder wrapped in ice. None of the injuries appeared too serious, but could be enough for them not to play. We won't know their status until Saturday.

Among those definitely out for Saturday are Jerome Williams, on crutches and with a heavy brace on his knee after being injured last week. Paul Pasqualoni said Williams should be back during preseason camp. Tailback Martin Hyppolite is also out for the spring game, though the extent of his injury is still unclear.

Gilbert Stlouis caught much of Don Brown's wrath today. If there was any frustration, he got it out with a monster stick on Malik Generett after a throw over the middle.

The entire offensive staff at Duke was at practice today to observe. Just seemed odd, but apparently it's common practice as long as the teams don't play any common conference opponents that season.

Expect to see a lot of D.J. Shoemate, Lyle McCombs and walk-on Jordan "Heathcliff" Huxtable at tailback on Saturday. UConn has no other options with Hyppolite and Jonathan Jean-Louis on the shelf with injuries. "We're impressed with the way those guys have hung in there," UConn offensive coordinator George DeLeone said. "It's hard in Division I football to run a practice with sometimes only two tailbacks when you're going 70-80 plays a practice. It's been grueling on them, but I like what I've seen from them. The best deal is made in the hottest fire, and you see who can handle the pressure, who's going to get up and go every rep, not beg out of a drill, and we really feel strongly that we've got a great evaluation on these guys." Shoemate is the only scholarship player to get through the whole spring, and he's looked strong.

Once again, a load of high school coaches made it up to practice. The UConn staff has employed their own open office hours for any high school coach who wants to stop by and talk football and trade ideas. "The door is open from 7-9 every morning and 7-9 every night," DeLeone said. "The response has been overwhelming." Referring to himself and Pasqualoni, he said, "We're men of the people, and our people are high school coaches. We love high school coaches, what they do and what they stand for."

Spring injuries, special teams and good days for the young guys

2011-04-09T13:47:00.011-04:00

A few notes from the last Saturday practice before the spring game next week.

A couple of notable injuries happened during Tuesday's practice. Linebacker Jerome Williams, who had been working with the first-team defense, went down with a knee injury. Pasqualoni said he it looks like he'll be back "by September". Coach P said the same of offensive lineman Mike Ryan, who has been out all spring recovering from his knee injury. Tailback Martin Hyppolite, whose injury appeared serious, is "banged up". Pasqualoni said he'd know more about him on Monday. For now, UConn is down to three healthy tailbacks, one of whom participated in his first practice off suspension this week (McCombs) and the other is a walk-on (Huxtable).

Most memorable moment today was a terrific throw by Scott McCummings, who had been chased out of the pocket and threw while on the run, to tight end Ryan Griffin 40 yards down field. It was a great throw and catch, but Griffin was a little too enthusiastic. He unleased an epic spike, sending the football about 100 feet in the air, and drew a flag from the referees. Now, Randy Edsall would have chewed Griffin out in front of the whole team, media, alumni and recruits, and likely sent Griffin to the showers early. Pasqualoni waited for the play to finish (an extra point was kicked), then used it as a teaching moment. He called the team together and had the referee explain the rules on taunting. Pasqualoni was firm, but doesn't feel the need to put on a public show.

It's still a quarterback competition, but to me McCummings is ahead of the pack at this point. He has size, can move, runs extremely well and throws a good, accurate ball. His one problem in the spring has been his ability to hang onto the ball, snaps specifically.

A good day for young receivers Geremy Davis and Tebucky Jones Jr. The passing game was clicking today, and those two made quite a haul. Davis is a big, strong target. Jones has good hands and feet and is fast. Then, as seems to be their custom, the two, who have become good friends, spent time after practice doing extra work with quarterbacks and then the tennis ball machine.

Davis was a high school basketball teammate of current UConn freshman Jeremy Lamb, at least until Davis gave up the sport to concentrate on football after his sophomore year. Davis said he was a a decent baller "a defensive specialist and spot-up shooter. Jeremy was a scorer. We looked to him to get all the points."

Tebucky Jones is looking to bulk up a little more. "I was a string bean in high school," he said of his days at New Britain High, where he weighed just under 170 pounds. He's listed at 179 in the spring media guide, but says he was at 188 today. He'd like to get to 200.

Big East refs working today's live scrimmage appeared to be in mid-season form. Teddy Jennings beat his man on a speed rush, then sacked quarterback Johnny McEntee from behind with a big hit. A flag was thrown, and Jennings was beside himself. The ref spoke to Jennings for a moment, then put his hand on the crown of his helmet as if to say "don't lead with this." But it was a brutal call. Jennings laid a clean hit.

Pasqualoni spoke a lot about special teams after practice, with a couple of good stories about Tebucky Jones Sr. ("a human highlight film on special teams") and David Tyree. More on Tyree later. Pasqualoni has been big on special teams since Syracuse, and said UConn will be using their best players on special teams in addition to their roles on offense and defense. There will also be a core of other players who will be used on all four special teams.

Pasqualoni told the story of his recruitment of Tyree, and how how he sat in the Tyree family living room and went back and forth with Tyree about what position he'd play at Syracuse. Tyree wanted to be a receiver, Pasqualoni saw him as a strong safety. The deal the pair made was Tyree could play receiver as long as he played all four special teams and vowed to do it all four years. "I don't want you to come to my office and tell me you're sick of special teams," Pasqualoni recalled. Tyree eventually made the Giants as a special teams player, though his "craft" was receiver. When injuries pressed him to duty at receiver, he wound up making one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.

Look for UConn's defense to use plenty of 4-3 and 3-4, as they've set up for most of the spring.

Sio Moore is wearing No. 3 this season, a number he's worn since high school. Moore said he took No. 46 when he got to UConn because Brad Kanuch had No. 3. Last season, Sio wanted to change but Edsall wouldn't allow it. I joked that opposing coaches watching last season's game film might be thrown when there's no No. 46 out there this fall. "They'll know who No. 3 is soon enough," Sio said.

Isiah Moore, McCombs return

2011-04-05T18:27:00.002-04:00

Lots of traffic outside Gampel Pavilion today. Is something going here today? A few notes and observations from today's football practice, which I'm sure is high on the list of priorities for UConn fans today. Let's get after it.

Isiah Moore and Lyle McCombs returned to practice today from indefinite suspensions. Both have been on the shelf since January. And when Paul Pasqualoni tells players a suspension is indefinite, he means it. Neither player had any idea when they'd be allowed back. "I started thinking it might be the whole spring," Moore said. McCombs wasn't sure if he'd be welcome back at all following his January arrest for possession of marijuana. "The longer and longer it went, I was thinking this is it for me." Both got phone calls last night that they could return. McCombs was finally given a playbook. Moore had one. But neither could enter the building for anything other than academic support.

Said Pasqualoni of the incident, "I think they clearly understand what the policies and standard of the program is going to be. We're not going to lower those standards. No one has a license to lower those standards in the program."

A.J. Portee was among those who wasn't practicing today. Jerome Williams left early after a leg injury, same with Steve Greene. Martin Hyppolite was shaken up early in practice, seemed to have the wind knocked out of him, then returned. But in the final period of the day, he appeared to catch his foot in the turf and was hurt. He had to be helped off the field.

It's official. D.J. Shoemate has breakaway speed. He broke loose on a run, and left Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Jerome Junior in his wake on one run.

Andrew Opoku is a beast. Since arriving at UConn last year, he's been bounced around from safety to tight end to linebacker. But it looks like he's found a home. Opoku has size, speed and a mean streak. During a fumble return during practice today, he de-cleated Leon Kinnard. Count Don Brown among those very excited to see Opoku develop over the next few months.

Gary Wilburn intercepted a deflection, and returned it for a touchdown. Lots of big hits from the defense.

The sign just off Exit 68 off I-84 was already updated to declare UConn as the 2011 men's basketball national champions. Wish they'd be that efficient in the southern part of the state. Around New Haven, Yale's athletic billboard hasn't been switched out since 2006. And Southern's are just out of whack, declaring the football and track and field teams as 2009 NCAA Division II champions even though they only won Northeast-10 Conference titles.

Practice report: Two weeks to the spring game

2011-04-02T13:44:00.006-04:00

Some notes and quotes from today's practice.

The team spent most of the day scrimmaging, and were able to work in just about every situation and phase, and it was a chance for the coaches to let the players work some things out on their own. "There's no lifeguard on duty today," Paul Pasqualoni told his players before practice.

The quarterbacks remained in even rotation, even through the scrimmage. Lots of ball security issues, be in with snaps of at the end of runs. Scott McCummings in particular seemed to have the most trouble today. He also had a pass deflected that went for a pick-6 for about 60 yards. The interception was by Alex Kantor, who isn't even listed on the numerical roster. He wears No. 38, and for a split second I thought Dave Teggart was playing in the secondary.

Adam Masters was dressed and participated in the scrimmage.

Sio Moore went from the "new" guy in the linebacker rotation to established veteran in the span of, what, two months? He's taken on a visible leadership role, and was very vocal on the sidelines while the backups were on the field. He's serving as a mentor for the younger backers now, and was on Mike Osiecki a bit during the scrimmage. "He knows his place," said Osiecki, who is sporting a Mohawk. "If I have any questions, I go to him."

Moore and Osiecki both went on and on about how much they love the new coaches, in this case defensive coordinator Don Brown, and the new defense. "When we go, we go," Moore said. "It's like what coach Brown says, solve your problems with aggression and get to the quarterback. With this defense, we're coming and we're coming from everywhere. It's a little different from last year as far as pressure goes. This is more of an in-your-face defense. It's definitely high energy and fun to play, especially when you've got big people up front like that behemoth monster (points at Kendall Reyes) and Shamar, and Jesse, and Twyon. They just eat up blockers and it's like candy out there for the linebackers."

Pasqualoni did have to pull Moore aside and reign him in a bit after he got a couple of licks on quarterback Michael Nebrich on consecutive plays. The first was a late shove just after Nebrich unloaded the ball, which drew a brief lecture from the referee. The next play, Moore blitzed and hit Nebrich hard. That's when Pasqualoni stepped in. "When you're practicing against each other, there's the notion of taking care of each other," Pasqualoni said. "If somebody's got a clean shot at somebody...we don't have to be killing our own guys. You can go in and hit them, just don't drive them into the ground."

Lots of players putting in extra work post-practice. Special teams coach Clayton White worked with D.J. Shoemate and Sio Moore on long snaps, which was likely for fun. But Tebucky Jones spent time catching tennis balls out of the machine, and then ran routes with McCummings. Gus Cruz was also doing extra drills.

Several recruits on hand, including Casey Cochrane and his father, Jack as well as a few guys from St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey. Pasqualoni was late speaking to the media because there were so many high school players and coaches to talk with.

Pasqualoni ended his post-practice speech to players by reminding them not to "get crazy" after tonight's Final Four game. "We don't do that. WE don't do that," he emphasized.

Back to spring football

2011-03-29T19:28:00.002-04:00

College hockey season is over -- Yale missed the Frozen Four by one game for the second year in a row -- and I'm back to finish spring football practice at UConn. After a quick stop by men's basketball's media session, it was off to the Shenkman Center for practice No. 7 of 15. Here's a few notes and observations.

Wide receiver Isiah Moore was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, Pasqualoni said today. Pasqualoni said it's been in effect for "a couple of weeks", though there was no formal announcement. It was only when Desmond Conner, John Silver and I noticed he wasn't out there that we inquired about Moore. To be clear, we checked and there were no arrests or incidents at the UConn police involving Moore.

Ryan Griffin catches every ball that's thrown in his direction. Everything. The one ball he didn't catch today was because a defensive back slashed his arm well before the pass arrived in a clear interference call. He reminds me of another wide receiver I used to cover when on the Yale football beat about 10 years ago. Eric Johnson had the best hands I've ever seen. They were like Velcro. He spent several seasons as a tight end in the NFL. Now, he's engaged to Jessica Simpson. Those hands have served him well. Griffin isn't quite as good as Johnson, but it's close. (And I'm talking football, here).

Some pretty interceptions by the defense, which seemed to get the best of the offense today. Taylor Mack had a great one, skying high to snag it over a wide receiver.

I spent half the practice watching defensive coordinator Don Brown. It's impossible not to. The man is a screaming, gyrating ball of energy. I wish I could describe that high-pitched yell. Harris Agbor seems to have it down. At one point, he chased down Byron Jones, who had just made an interception for a TD, screaming about ball security. He made his point, emphasizing it with a couple of whacks to the ball Jones was carrying, then hollered, "THAT'S MY LIVELIHOOD!!!" He has to have some Italian in his blood. He'd certainly fit right in at one of my family's high-intensity summer barbecue bocce matches.

There's no leader at quarterback, both Paul Pasqualoni and Joe Moorhead said today. All four are getting even reps in a spring-long competition. But if you ask me, Scott McCummings just might have a slight edge on Mike Box. He's got size, can move out of the pocket, and throws a nice, tight spiral. He's also got a 4.0 GPA, and is leaning toward a business major over biology.

Michael Nebrich is an athlete, no doubt. But he's not quite ready and is behind Box and McCummings, at least from what we saw today. "He comes out of a sophisticated passing attack down there at Lake Braddock,” Moorhead said. “From that stand point, he’s a little farther progressed than the normal freshman in that he’s done some things in the passing game in high school. That said, he’s making a transition to a college style system now, which is a big step for him."

Moorhead said the accuracy from the quarterbacks isn't quite where the coaches would like at this point. But, he said, it's expected considering there's been so much installation in the new offense. The focus has been on execution, and he hopes the accuracy comes with time. "They're going against a new defense," Moorhead said. "We have a high expectation level. It's something I expect them to improve upon every day. We want them to be 65 percent or higher, and we chart everything they do, and we're going to keep working til they surpass that goal."

Spring game time change

2011-03-26T17:23:00.001-04:00

The University of Connecticut Blue-White Spring Football Game will begin at 5:00 p.m. this year, in a change from the traditional noon start. The game will be played on Saturday, April 16 at Rentschler Field and admission and parking are free. Parking lots will open
at 2:00 p.m. with gates to the stadium opening at 3:30 p.m.

"As we prepared for spring football and our annual Blue-White Game, we felt
that moving the start of the spring game to 5:00 p.m. would make it more convenient and appealing for our fans," says UConn Director of Athletics Jef frey Hathaway. "It's a busy time of the year with youth sports taking place and other spring time activities as the weather improves.

"We are hoping that our fans can use the morning and afternoon of an April
day and then join us at Rentschler Field for a kickoff at what we believe is a fan-friendly time. I encourage all fans to come out and support coach Paul Pasqualoni and our Huskies."

First day of spring (football) arrives

2011-03-15T16:43:00.004-04:00

Spring practice is here. With the new regime, new faces, and endless football team-related news since the season ended, it feels like the Fiesta Bowl was about nine months ago.

I'm up in the Shenkman Center today, and here's a few notes and observations from Day 1 of the Pasqualoni era in Storrs.

Johnny McEntee is getting a good look at the quarterback position today, as did the rest of the QBs on the roster. Pasqualoni said afterward that's simply his style. "That's a conscious effort," Pasqualoni said. "That's just the way I've done it all my life. It's not anything unique to this job because its our first day here, it's just the way I think we're supposed to do it. We're coaching every player, there's no compromise on that regardless of if you're a first team player or one of four entering freshmen."

The quarterback and tailback jobs are wide open, Pasqualoni said. It will be a spring-long competition, and that will continue to the preseason.

D.J. Shoemate got plenty of work with the first-team offense at tailback. Lyle McCombs was not at practice, and is still suspended.

Lots of number changes this spring, which is always confusing. Sio Moore is now No. 3. Kashif Moore has the No. 6. Leon Kinnard is No. 8. Gratz is No. 7.

Mike Ryan and Adam Masters not dressed and watching from the sidelines. Ryan is still recovering and will be out a while, Masters is expected back shortly.

George DeLeone has quite a presence in practice. Don Brown, too. He pulled a Fred Sanford-esque "this is the big one" after a missed interception, even falling to the ground in mock desperation. The players noticed, and it made an impression. "You see coach Brown rolling around on the ground," Blidi Wreh-Wilson said. "It shows the kind of guy he is. We're just out here trying to contest every throw, and he's letting us do it the way we feel comfortable doing it."

The players are comfortable with the coaching changes. Practice had a different vibe than an Edsall-run practice, and it was something even the media could feel. "For me, when the new coach came, it was change for me and change is good," Wreh-Wilson said. "The only real difficult part is the terminology and getting used to the signals. But seeing the way Maryland played (under Brown), those kids were just out there playing," Wilson said. "You don't have to think about anything, you just get the call and go. It takes all the thinking out of football and it makes you play fast."

Saw lots of Jerome Williams playing alongside Sio Moore at linebacker, with Yawin Smallwood at the other backer spot.

D.J. Shoemate understands not only the opportunity this spring, what with the starting tailback slot there for the taking, but that this is his last chance to be a real contributor -- something he says he hasn't felt like he's done since his high school days. He said he spoke with a lot of family, friends and even picked the brains of ex-teammates at USC to see how they prepared and how he could best prepare himself mentally as well as physically. "My dad told me 'you've been at the top, you've played in the Army (high school All-American) game, you've played with some of the best at SC. There shouldn't be a reason why you can't compete, and contribute and be the guy here," Shoemate said. "Going back to high school is one of my cherished moments in life, where I felt like yeah, I'm actually contributing, I'm actually putting the team on my back and trying to lead my team. So I'm trying to get back to that point."

UConn, Big East schedules released

2011-02-25T13:45:00.002-05:00

The 2011 schedules have been released. Here's what it will look like for UConn.

CONNECTICUT

Thu., Sept. 1: Fordham
Sat., Sept. 10: at Vanderbilt
Fri., Sept. 16: Iowa State (8 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2)
Sat., Sept. 24: at Buffalo
Sat., Oct. 1: Western Michigan
Sat., Oct. 8: at WEST VIRGINIA
Sat., Oct. 15: USF
Wed., Oct. 26: at PITTSBURGH (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 5: SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 19: LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 26: RUTGERS
Sat., Dec. 3: at CINCINNATI (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

And the rest of the Big East

CINCINNATI

Thu., Sept. 1: Austin Peay
Sat., Sept. 10: at Tennessee
Sat., Sept. 17: Akron
Thu., Sept. 22: North Carolina State (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 1: at Miami (Ohio)
Sat., Oct. 15: LOUISVILLE
Sat., Oct. 22: at USF
Sat., Nov. 5: at PITTSBURGH
Sat., Nov. 12: WEST VIRGINIA
Sat., Nov. 19: at RUTGERS
Sat., Nov. 26: at SYRACUSE
Sat., Dec. 3: CONNECTICUT (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

LOUISVILLE

Thu., Sept. 1: Murray State (ESPNU)
Fri., Sept. 9: Florida International (7 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Sept. 17: at Kentucky
Sat., Oct. 1: Marshall
Sat., Oct. 8: at North Carolina
Sat., Oct. 15: at CINCINNATI
Fri., Oct. 21: RUTGERS (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 29: SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 5: at WEST VIRGINIA
Sat., Nov. 12: PITTSBURGH
Sat., Nov. 19: at CONNECTICUT
Fri., Nov. 25: at USF (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

PITTSBURGH

Sat., Sept. 3: Buffalo
Sat., Sept. 10: Maine
Sat., Sept. 17: at Iowa
Sat., Sept. 24: Notre Dame (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Thu., Sept. 29: USF (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 8: at RUTGERS
Sat., Oct. 15: Utah
Wed., Oct. 26: CONNECTICUT (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 5: CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 12: at LOUISVILLE
Fri., Nov. 25: at WEST VIRGINIA (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Sat., Dec. 3: SYRACUSE (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

RUTGERS

Thu., Sept. 1: North Carolina Central
Sat., Sept. 10: at North Carolina
Sat., Sept. 24: Ohio
Sat., Oct. 1: at SYRACUSE
Sat., Oct. 8: PITTSBURGH
Sat., Oct. 15: Navy
Fri., Oct. 21: at LOUISVILLE (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 29: WEST VIRGINIA
Sat., Nov. 5: USF
Sat., Nov. 12: at Army +
Sat., Nov. 19: CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 26: at CONNECTICUT
+ at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

USF

Sat., Sept. 3: at Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., NBC)
Sat., Sept. 10: Ball State
Sat., Sept. 17: Florida A&M
Sat., Sept. 24: UTEP
Thu., Sept. 29: at PITTSBURGH (8 p.m., ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 15: at CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 22: CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 5: at RUTGERS
Fri., Nov. 11: at SYRACUSE (8 p.m., ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 19: Miami (Fla.)
Fri., Nov. 25: LOUISVILLE (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Thu., Dec. 1: WEST VIRGINIA (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

SYRACUSE

Sat., Sept. 3: Wake Forest ^
Sat., Sept. 10: Rhode Island
Sat., Sept. 17: at Southern California
Sat., Sept. 24: Toledo
Sat., Oct. 1: RUTGERS
Sat., Oct. 8: at Tulane
Sat., Oct. 22: WEST VIRGINIA
Sat., Oct. 29: at LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 5: at CONNECTICUT
Fri., Nov. 11: USF (8 p.m., ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 26: CINCINNATI
Sat., Dec. 3: at PITTSBURGH (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
^ date subject to change

WEST VIRGINIA

Sat., Sept. 3: Marshall ^
Sat., Sept. 10: Norfolk State
Sat., Sept. 17: at Maryland
Sat., Sept. 24: LSU (ESPN/ESPN2)
Sat., Oct. 1: Bowling Green
Sat., Oct. 8: CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 22: at SYRACUSE
Sat., Oct. 29: at RUTGERS
Sat., Nov. 5: LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 12: at CINCINNATI
Fri., Nov. 25: PITTSBURGH (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Thu., Dec. 1: at USF (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
^ date subject to change

UConn sending all-time high six to combine

2011-02-24T12:36:00.002-05:00

Most of you knew this already, as Randy Edsall announced as much during Fiesta Bowl week. But here is the UConn release.

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 24, 2011) – Six former University of Connecticut football players will participate in this week’s NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, that runs from February 23 through March 4. The six players are offensive guard Zach Hurd (Waterford, Conn.), linebacker Scott Lutrus (Brookfield, Conn.), linebacker Greg Lloyd (Clermont, Fla.), running back Jordan Todman (North Dartmouth, Mass.), fullback Anthony Sherman (North Attleboro, Mass.) and linebacker Lawrence Wilson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.).

The NFL Network will provide extensive coverage of the combine at www.nfl.com/combine/live.

The six invitees is an all-time high for the UConn program in one year. UConn ties with Pittsburgh and West Virginia for most invitees at this year’s combine among BIG EAST schools and only six schools in the country have more players at the combine than UConn.

Todman was an All-American selection this past year and was the unanimous BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He declared for the NFL Draft with one year of college eligibility remaining. He became the first UConn player ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two different seasons and had 1,695 this past season.

Hurd was a two-time All-BIG EAST first team selection as both a junior and a senior and started all 40 of UConn’s games over the past three seasons.

Lloyd made 178 tackles over his four-year collegiate career with 14 tackles for a loss and earned second team All-BIG EAST in 2009.

Lutrus was a second team All-BIG EAST selection in 200 and made 40 starts over his Husky career and had 341 career tackles.

Sherman was a consistent performer for the Huskies as a starting fullback and also on special teams. He played in 51 games over his career with 29 starts and made 62 tackles on special teams.

Wilson was a first team All-BIG EAST pick in 2011 and led the conference in tackles. He is the second-leading tackler in UConn history with 449 and started a school-record 50 games.

Frey won't return

2011-02-15T19:34:00.003-05:00

Tailback Robbie Frey will not return to play football at UConn this fall. He will receive his undergraduate degree in May (history and political science) and use his fifth year of eligibility to enroll at a Division II school to play the 2011 season there while beginning his graduate studies. Frey is expected to enroll and play at Kutztown (Pa.).

“This is a personal and life decision for me,” Frey said through a UConn athletic department press release. “I was going to be able to begin my graduate studies at UConn this fall and play another season for the school. I want to thank everyone associated with the University, who gave me the opportunity to come back for the 2011 season.”

The quote didn't make complete sense until it was explained to me that there were some rumors that Frey was leaving because he wasn't accepted to UConn's graduate program. That isn't true, and it's why Frey said what he said.

Frey certainly would have been a big component once again, not just as a special teams weapon but as the team's most experienced returning tailback it's possible he could have been in for a larger role at the position, if not fighting for the starter's job.

Outdoor hockey today

2011-02-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

Here at Rentschler Field for today's outdoor game between UConn and Sacred Heart. The set-up is terrific. They carved through a couple of feet of snow and ice on the turf to install the rink, which runs width-wise from the 50-yard line to just across the sideline where the visiting team stands for football. Rentschler is small enough that it makes for a great view for everyone. It's too bad there's only a handful of people on hand to watch the game. Too bad they couldn't get Yale and Quinnipiac to play here on Friday instead of the TD Bank Sports Center. Not sure if they could sell 40,000 tickets for it, but I bet they could come close. Instead, the crowd today looks to be about 103,000 short of the 104,000 they got at Michigan for the outdoor game at the Big House in December.

Should be fun, none the less.

Don Brown plucked from Edsall's staff

2011-02-04T18:30:00.002-05:00

Don Brown, a defensive coordinator at Yale from 1987-92, was hired to the same position at UConn on Friday. Brown is close with Mark Whipple, and was expected to join the UConn staff had Whipple been hired.

New UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni plucked Brown from Randy Edsall’s staff at Maryland. Edsall took Huskies’ special teams coordinator Lyndon Johnson with him when he abruptly left UConn for Maryland last month, and planned to retain Brown as the team’s defensive coordinator, a position he had held there since 2009.

An eye for an eye? Unlikely. But landing Brown is a coup for UConn, which lost longtime defensive coordinator Todd Orlando in the wake of Edsall’s departure. Orlando is now at Florida International.

Brown, a Spencer, Mass. native, was the head coach at Massachusetts from 2004-0
8, and led the Minutemen to the 2006 Division I-AA national final. He also served as head coach at Northeastern (2000-03) and Plymouth State (1993-95).

“We will have a defense that is aggressive, fast and physical,” Brown said. “I believe
in big pressure and penetration and that is what I am going to give the UConn defense. I am excited to get to the campus and work hard to get better every day.”

Huskies ink 16 today

2011-02-02T12:04:00.001-05:00

Connecticut Football Signs 16 Student-Athletes To National Letter Of Intent
2011 Husky Signing Class Represented By 10 Different States
Feb. 2, 2011

STORRS, Conn. - University of Connecticut head football coach Paul Pasquaol
oni announced on Wednesday that the Huskies have signed 16 student-athletes
to a National Letter of Intent to join the UConn program.

Student-athletes in UConn's 2011 signing class hail from 10 different state
s – Georgia (4), Connecticut (3), Massachusetts (2), New York (1), Virgin
ia (2), Delaware (1), Florida (1), Ohio (1) and Pennsylvania (1).

Four of the signees have already enrolled at UConn for the spring 2010 seme
ster – defensive tackle Kenton Adeymi (Wethersfield, Conn.), offensive ta
ckle Dalton Gifford (Fairhaven, Mass.), quarterback Michael Nebrich (Fairfa
x Station, Va.) and tight end Sean McQuillan (Glastonbury, Conn.).

The following is a full signee roster:
Name Pos. Ht. Wt.
Hometown/High School/Prep School
Kamal Abrams WR 6-0 178
Dover, Del./Dover
Andrew Adams FS 5-11 185 Fa
yetteville, Ga./Woodward Academy
Kenton Adeyemi DT 6-4 255 We
thersfield, Conn./Kingwood-Oxford/Fork Union (Va.)
Jefferson Ashiru LB 6-3 230
Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern
Julian Campenni DT 6-0 285
West Pittson, Pa./Wyoming Area
Tyree Clark CB 5-10 170
Tampa, Fla./Alonso
Max DeLorenzo RB 6-0 200
Berlin, Conn./Berlin
Deshon Foxx RB 5-10 175
Lynchburg, Va./Brookfield
Dalton Gifford OT 6-5 275
Fairhaven, Mass./Barnstable/Bridgton Academy
Xavier Hemingway OT 6-4 255 Powd
er Springs, Ga./McEachern
Wilbert Lee SS 6-1 205
Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys and Girls
Sean McQuillan TE 6-2 252
Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury/Avon Old Farms
Michael Nebrich QB 6-1 190 Fairfax Station, Va./Lake Braddock Secondary School
Paul Nwokeji OT 6-5 265
Randolph, Mass./Thayer Academy
David Stevenson CB 5-9 175
Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson
Marquise Vann LB 6-0 223
Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield Senior

KAMAL ABRAMS – Honorable mention all-state pick and first team all-confer
ence…played quarterback in high school, but projects to be a wide receive
r at UConn…as a junior, threw for over 1,300 yards and 13 TDs…also had
534 rushing yards and eight TDs…will play in the 56th Annual DFRC Blue-Go
ld All-Star Football Game in June..two-time team captain…Kamal Deshawn Ab
rams…born August 28, 1993.

ANDREW ADAMS --Andrew Tyler Adams…earned First Team All-City/South Fulton
County by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution…played in 2009 GISA All-Star
Game…had ten tackles, two interceptions and two TDs in first round state
playoff game in 2010 vs. Ridgefield HS…team had a 10-2 record in senior s
eason…Andrew Tyler Adams…born August 28, 1993.

KENTON ADEYEMI – Enrolled at UConn for spring 2010 semester…played high
school football at Kingwood-Oxford (Conn.) and then prepped for a season a
t Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia…was an honorable mention all-le
ague selection in high school...an outstanding track and field performer wh
o was second in New England in the discus and foruth in the shot put...name
d to the Honor Roll at Fork Union...Kenton Adetoye Adeyemi…born January 1
3, 1992.

JEFFERSON ASHIRU – Played in Cobb County All-Star Senior Bowl…two-time
Cobb County Player of the Week in 2010…team posted an 11-2 record as a se
nior…three-sport athlete…. high school teammate of UConn signee Xavier
Hemingway…Jefferson Ashiru…born May 25, 1993.

JULIAN CAMPENNI – Named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 2A all-s
tate second team…named (Wilkes-Barre) Times-Leader All-Wyoming Valley Con
ference First Team…WVC Small School MVP… made 106 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and forced seven fumbles this past season…team went 8-4
in senior season…will play in the Big 33 Football Classic for the Pennsy
lvania team on June 18…also played for the North team in the Chesapeake B
owl all-star game and had one tackle…Julian M. Campenni…born August 26,
1993.

TYREE CLARK – Team captain who was two year starter…made 85 tackles as
a senior…posted four interceptions as a senior with two forced fumbles an
d two fumble recoveries...as a junior had six interceptions to lead the Tam
pa Bay area…named Honorable Mention All-Hillsborough County by the Tampa
Tribune..Tyree Deandre Clark…born April 18, 1993.

MAX DeLORENZO – Rushed for 2,154 yards as a junior and 5,040 for his care
er to set school records…named Class M MVP this year by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association…a two-time all-state pick by the CHSCA and
the New Haven Register..also played cornerback and had 58 tackles and two
fumble recoveries as a senior…also plays basketball…rushed for 1,397 ya
rds as a senior with 21 TDs as team advanced to Class M quarterfinals…had
a school record 334 yards of rushing with three TDs in Class M championshi
p game win over Bethel as a junior…Maximillian Joseph DeLorenzo…born Ju
ne 18, 1993.

DESHON FOXX – Team captain who earned Associated Press Group AA All-State
honors …named All-Area by the (Lynchburg, Va.) News and Advance ….scor
ed 29 touchdowns as a senior…team went 12-2 in senior year and advanced t
o state Division III semifinals…Deshon Cameron Foxx…born November 27, 1
992.

DALTON GIFFORD -- Enrolled at UConn for spring 2010 semester…enjoyed stan
dout high school career at Barnstable (Mass.) before spending a semester at
Maine's Bridgton Academy...at Barnstable, team won Old Colony League title
in 2009..an All-OCL pick as a senior and played in Eastern Massachusetts S
hriners' All-Star Classic...earned high honor roll accolades at Bridgton...
Dalton Michael Gifford..born June 8, 1992.

XAVIER HEMINGWAY – First Team All-State for Class AAAAA by the Georgia Sp
orts Writers Association… named All-Area by the Atlanta Journal-Constitut
ion for Cobb County...team captain played in the Cobb County All-Star Senio
r Bowl…team went 11-2 in senior season…high school teammate of UConn si
gnee Jefferson Ashiru…Xavier Hemingway..born March 4, 1993.

WILBERT LEE -- Named to the New York Daily News All-City team as a senior
…two-time New York Post All-City selection…rushed for 964 yards and 12
touchdowns in senior year…also had 75 tackles with two interceptions on d
efense…had an injury-shortened junior season , scored five touchdowns –
three through the air, one rushing and another on special teams…also had
40 tackles with three interceptions and a sack with a fumble recovery…ha
d a game-clinching 70-yard run in first round victory in state playoffs in
2008 against Campus Magnet HS…had an interception for a TD and a receivin
g TD in second round playoff win over Sheepshead Bay…Wilbert Daniel Lee
…born February 10, 1992.

SEAN McQUILLAN -- Enrolled at UConn for spring 2011 semester…high school
standout who was a two-year all-state and all-conference honoree...was team
captain at Glastonbury...had career totals of 1,900 rushing yards with 1,4
00 passing yards and 43 touchdowns...team won 2008 Class LL state champions
hip...prepped for a fall 2010 semester at Avon (Conn.) Old Farms….William
Sean McQuillan…born July 12, 1992.

MICHAEL NEBRICH -- First team all-state player and player of the year who e
nrolled at UConn for the spring 2011 semester after graduating from high sc
hool...named Metro Player of the Year by Washington Post, covering the Wash
ington D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas...named the Fairfax (Va.) Times Ma
le Athlete of the Year... ...first team all-region and player of the year honors...all-district and player of the year...in his senior season, broke t
he Virginia state record for all-purpose yards with 4,968 and also scored 5
9 TDs...team won its second consecutive Northern Region and Patriot Distric
t titles... passed for a state record 3,831 yards and state record 262 comp
letions along with 38 TDs (tied for seventh in state history)...had 235 rus
hing carries for 1,136 yards and 21 TDs... in his junior season, led team t
o its first-ever state finals appearance.... passed for 3,290 yards and 22
TDs...had 265 carries for 1,231 yards and 24 TDs...is fourth in state histo
ry with 10,740 yards of total offense(7,963 yards passing and 2,777 yards r
ushing) along with 113 TDs...also earned three letters in baseball as team
won Patriot District title in his junior year...Michael Alan Nebrich…born
April 3, 1993.

PAUL NWOKEJI – Team captain who was first team All-Independent School Lea
gue….Boston Herald All-Scholastic Team member…earned All-New England an
d Lineman of the Year honors from the New England Preparatory School Athlet
ic Council…Paul C. Nwokeji…born June 16, 1993.

DAVID STEVENSON – First-team all-region pick…was MVP of Atlanta Combine
…played in National Underclassmen Combine's All World Gridiron Classic in
December…team went 9-2 in senior season…David Dontae Stevenson…born
December 26, 1992.

MARQUISE VANN – Had 75 tackles and an interception as a senior…was a te
am captain…earned first team All-Greater Miami Conference…also picked u
p all-county honors and second team all-region….Marquise Jourdain Vann…
born November 23, 1992.

Kuraczea to Central Connecticut State

2011-01-29T10:01:00.004-05:00

It has been confirmed that former UConn offensive guard Erik Kuraczea has transferred to CCSU, and is expected to play defensive tackle for the Blue Devils. We hear Kuraczea is happy and excited to get a fresh start in New Britain.

Offer out to Jones; Foley staying

2011-01-24T15:59:00.003-05:00

Jarron Jones, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound junior defensive lineman at The Aquinas Institute of Rochester, N.Y., was offered a scholarship by UConn over the weekend. Mike Foley made the offer, so the Huskies obviously like him as an offensive lineman. Foley also told Jones he is staying put at UConn.

Paul Pasqualoni has been out recruiting a lot lately, so not a lot of scuttlebutt as far as filling out the open assistant coaching spots. However, heard former Pitt running backs coach David Walker's name mentioned. Walker was just hired at Maryland by a guy named Edsall, so it seems like a real long shot.

DeLeone signing contract today

2011-01-21T09:52:00.003-05:00

George DeLeone has confirmed with the Register he will become UConn's new offensive coordinator. He is flying in from Fort Lauderdale this morning to sign a contract. Terms, obviously, were not disclosed but it is believed to be a multi-year deal. The Dolphins wanted him back, and were paying him a nice salary. Old news about the hiring, we know. But you can bever be too sure.

DeLeone is from New Haven and attended Fairfield Prep before graduating from UConn in 1970.

New Haven native DeLeone to be UConn offensive coordinator

2011-01-20T11:09:00.004-05:00

New Haven native George DeLeone has been hired as the new offensive coordinator at UConn, according to sources. DeLeone, who turns 63 in May, was the tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins the past three seasons. The official announcement from UConn could come tomorrow.

So, Joe Moorhead is out at offensive coordinator; but not necessarily at UConn. According to sources, he has some other things in the works. If those don't pan out, he could be back at UConn, perhaps retaining his title of quarterbacks coach.

Also, it appears defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Todd Orlando is set to join Florida International as its new defensive coordinator. Nothing is official, but Orlando could be joining FIU coach Mario Cristobal's staff soon.

Ice storm got you down? How about a nice warm mailbag?

2011-01-18T12:50:00.008-05:00

Received some good comments/emails recently about the new UConn coach. Since I'm trapped in the house today -- my driveway could double as a hockey rink -- I thought I'd post a couple of those comments here. Feel free to weigh in with your own opinions.

This one is from "No sleeves in West Haven".

"Chip,

I am going on record now to say that I believe Paul Pasquoloni will turn out to be a bad hire. I hope I am wrong, but here are my reasons:

1) He is a 61 year-old man. I would think you'd want a younger guy for a program that is still on the rise
2) His overall tenure at Syracuse was solid, but he essentially presided over their descent into being irrelevant
3) While he was the coach at Syracuse, he took at proud program that had been the dominant program in the Northeast for years and watched Edsall guide the Uconn program right past them in national relevance within a matter of five years. Now they hire him as there coach??

I am sure he is a good coach and he comes across very well. He will probably make your job a lot easier too because he seems like he'd be much easier to cover. Just don't know if he is the right guy…."

I'll address your points as such.
1) George O'Leary is 64, and just led Central Florida to an 11-win season and first national ranking ever. Sure, it's just Conference USA. But ask the Georgia Bulldogs if that matters. Joe Paterno won a national title at 60. Many others have had success coaching in their 60s. Rare is the coach who remains in one place for a decade. We know Pasqual will be committed to UConn until he decides to retire; can't say that about a younger coach. Even Edsall was biding his time to move on.
2) Disagree. His last three seasons were mediocre (though Syracuse was 4-2 and won a share of the Big East title his last year; and really, conference play is priority No. 1). But it was Greg Robinson who led the Orange to irrelevance.
3) UConn took a nose dive in 2005 and 2006, so I don't think that's totally accurate. And Pasqualoni was out by that time, anyway.

I respect anyone who isn't sure Pasqual is the right guy. No one will know until we see the direction the program goes. Let's see what happens first.

And you best wear sleeves outside today. It's freezing!

Here's another, from Pat...

Mr. Malafrone, I know you are busy, but I just have to say a few short words.

Something has been bugging me. What is wrong with the UConn athletics dept? Management higher-ups made a decision recently that I just don't get. In regards to the vacant football head coaching position, they let Mark Whipple slip away in favor of Paul Pasqualoni, why? To save a few bucks. This was a mistake in my opinion.

I always liked Paul Pasqualoni, a Connecticut guy and I think he got screwed at Syracuse. I think he WAS a great coach in college, and he HAD a good record in bowl games. But he is 61. Whipple is a much younger man, with his whole coaching life ahead of him. He too has a good record wherever he went. I remember when he took UNH from obscurity to the D2 national championship game. Same goes for when he coached at UMass. This is a very smart coach. The coach I would have liked to see at UConn. It just made better sense.

I don't know, things go on behind the scenes that the general public will never know. I think Whipple was the man. Mark my words in 5 or 6 years from now.

I wrote a blog back in 2006 about how much I enjoyed UNH football back in the early 1990s. I was a student at another college back then, but my buddies and I used to drive to see those UNH teams because they were so much fun to watch. You have to respect what Whipple accomplished there, as he was the coach who led them to the national tournament for the first time. He would have been a good choice for UConn, too. But lets see what Pasqual can do. And, to be clear, Tony Sparano took UNH to the title game. Whipple was in his fourth year at Brown in 1997.

On an unrelated note, I've settled on "Pasqual" as my official Runway blog shorthand for coach Paul Pasqualoni. I'm only saving three letters, I know. But I had an uncle Pasquale (we called him 'Uzi Pasqual'. And we always shouted it with a big smile we saw him. AAAAY! UZI PASQUAL!! ). He was older and white-haired, always smiling and spoke with such a heavy Italian accent you could only understand every fourth or fifth word. And I realize that last part has little to do with the new UConn coach, who speaks very clear English. But I always thought "Pasqual" was a great name, so that's what I'm going with. Just hope I don't slip and call him 'Uzi Pasqual' at a press conference.

Report: McCombs arrested for pot

2011-01-17T21:15:00.002-05:00

The UConn Daily Campus is citing a campus police report in an online story stating freshman running back Lyle McCombs was arrested Sunday at Ellsworth Hall and charged with possession of a controlled substance or less than four ounces of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

It's fairly obvious this is the reason why he was suspended indefinitely from the football team earlier today.

McCombs suspended

2011-01-17T18:28:00.002-05:00

Team just got back from break. Here's the UConn release. Will look into this and see what happened.

STORRS, Conn. (January 17, 2011) – University of Connecticut freshman running back Lyle McCombs (Staten Island, N.Y.) has been suspended indefinitely from the football team for a violation of team policies . The University will have no further comment on this matter.

Pasqualoni's contract

2011-01-14T23:32:00.003-05:00

Here are the full details of the contract signed by Paul Pasqualoni. Very similar to the last deal signed by Randy Edsall in January 2008. It's essentially a continuation of the pay scale Edsall had from his contract. No country club membership, though. Coach P must not be a golfer.

CONTRACT PERIOD: The term of the contract is January 14, 2011 through December 31, 2015.

SALARY/PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA APPEARANCES: The contract calls for an annual base salary, as well as, annual payments for institutional public relations and media appearances. The following is a year-by-year summary of those payments:

Period Base Salary PR and Media Fees Total
Jan. 14, 2011-Dec. 31, 2011 $350,000* $1,150,000 $1,500,000
Jan. 1, 2012-Dec. 31, 2012 $375,000 $1,225,000 $1,600,000
Jan. 1, 2013-Dec. 31, 2013 $400,000 $1,300,000 $1,700,000
Jan. 1, 2014-Dec. 31, 2014 $425,000 $1,375,000 $1,800,000
Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2015 $450,000 $1,450,000 $1,900,000* -Annualized

NOTE: No General Fund (state tax dollars) or tuition monies were used to provide any of the resources for this contract. The Division of Athletics at the University of Connecticut is an Auxiliary Service Fund entity and the sources of revenue include: gate receipts, private fundraising, corporate partnerships, television/radio rights, BIG EAST Conference revenues and NCAA revenues.

AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE: The Coach will receive an annual car allowance in the amount of $15,000 to be paid on a bi-weekly basis.

SUMMER CAMPS/CLINICS: The Coach may organize and direct football camps or clinics utilizing University dormitories, dining halls, athletics facilities and other campus facilities, at the rates and fees published by the University’s Conference Services Office. Coach Pasqualoni may also organize and direct football camps or clinics located off the University’s campus, subject to NCAA regulations. All camps and clinics run by the Coach shall be owned and operated by the Coach.

ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS: Any consulting, endorsement or outside income activity performed by the Coach is allowed within the established guidelines of the University, the NCAA and the Code of Ethics for Public Officials, as interpreted by the Office of State Ethics of the State of Connecticut. Any consulting, endorsement or outside income activity is subject to the approval of the Director of Athletics in accordance with the University’s agreement with IMG College.

TICKETS: The University will provide the Coach with twenty (20) tickets in a suite and five (5) parking passes for personal use for all home football games at Rentschler Field. The Coach will be responsible for all costs associated with food and beverage service in the suite and no such costs shall be regarded as subject to reimbursement. The University will also provide the Coach with purchase privileges for up to twenty (20) tickets for all home football games at Rentschler Field. The University will also provide the Coach with twenty (20) tickets for discretionary use for all away and postseason away football games. The University will also provide the Coach with purchase privileges for additional tickets to away and postseason football games based upon the available inventory. The Coach will also be entitled to received four (4) tickets and two (2) parking passes for all home men’s and women’s basketball games.

COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES AND PERFORMANCE: The Coach will receive one non-cumulative payment equivalent to one (1) month of base salary for participation in a non-BCS bowl game or $100,000 for participation in a BCS bowl game. He will receive onehalf of one month of base salary for selection as National Coach of the Year or one-quarter of one month of base salary for selection as BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

BUYOUT: If the Coach accepts a position as a Head Coach of football at an NCAA institution, or as a Head Coach in any professionalfootball league, the following shall be due to the University from the Coach.

January 14, 2011-December 31, 2011 $1,200,000
January 1, 2012-December 31, 2012 $1,000,000
January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013 $500,000
January 1, 2014-December 31, 2014 $400,000
January 1, 2015-December 31, 2015 $250,000

In the event that the University terminates the contract for any other reason than just cause as defined by the contract, the Coach shall be entitled to continue to receive the following payment in full satisfaction of the University’s obligation to the Coach.

January 14, 2011-December 31, 2011 $1,250,000
January 1, 2012-December 31, 2012 $1,000,000
January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013 $750,000
January 1, 2014-December 31, 2014 $600,000
January 1, 2015-August 1, 2015 $400,000

Tebucky Jones Sr. thrilled with P...Edsall? Not so much

2011-01-14T15:13:00.005-05:00

A little more...

Age isn't a concern for Pasqualoni, who turns 62 this year, and it wasn't a concern for Jeff Hathaway. Pasqualoni may not be in this for the next 12 years like Randy Edsall. But unlike Edsall, when Pasqualoni says he'll be here as long as UConn will have him, it's not just lip service. Pasqualoni grew up in Cheshire, most of his immediate family -- his two brothers and his mother, who still lives in the same house the family grew up in -- remain there. And in talking about being young at heart, Pasqualoni was married at age 48, has three elementary school-aged children, and he's intent on providing them with a stable and secure home environment to grow up. By the way, the new coach will be living closer to UConn, not in Cheshire.

Tebucky Jones Sr. is thrilled with this hire, and is among the legions who think the world of Pasqualoni, and is excited his son will have the same football learning experience as he did. Jones also didn't hold back when discussing Randy Edsall and the way he left the program. "I was pissed off with the way he did it," Jones Sr. said. "You need to man-up and tell your players face-to-face when you make a decision like this."

Pasqualoni mentioned the prime recruiting areas for UConn, which will be a five-hour driving radius from campus. That's essentially New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, down to Maryland and northern Virginia and even Canada. He also said Florida will be important, as well as the Dallas metroplex and Houston areas of Texas. Pasqualoni has had huge success as a recruiter, has thousands of high school contacts and, as Tebucky Jones said, "(as a recruiter) the man knows how to talk to people and close the deal."

More to come....I'm just getting a second wind.

Assistants got their raise; who else interviewed and who might be coming in

2011-01-14T14:37:00.005-05:00

Some news and notes from the Paul Pasqualoni introductory press conference.

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone whose played for, coached with or against or who simply knows the man that doesn't think the world of Paul Pasqualoni. Loyalty and integrity were words heard often to describe him. I spoke to numerous people today, including one prominent high school coach who said despite a strong relationship with Mark Whipple, he thought Paul Pasqualoni was simply the better hire.

Much has been made over the issue of pay for UConn's assistant coaches -- including today on the comments section on the old Runway blog. Jeff Hathaway said he committed a new contract for a pay raise to Randy Edsall in August, and that contract was signed on Dec. 29, a full three days before the Fiesta Bowl. Hathaway didn't have specific numbers on the raises, but that it was enhanced and could be further enhanced after conversations with Pasqualoni and the higher-ups at UConn who must be in on those decisions. "You have to remember, right years ago when I got here it was I-AA pay," Hathaway said. "We progressed those people as best we can, including our head coach who wasn't even at the $300 (K) level."

Hathaway confirmed that Pasqualoni was the only person offered the job, and was the only person even granted a follow-up interview. He said he interviewed six candidates for the job, which legal issues prevented him from naming. But that has been confirmed to be Pasqualoni, Whipple, Hank Hughes, Garrick McGee, Norries Wilson and Ken O'Keefe.

Pasqualoni made it his first order of business to interview all the current assistant coaches and determine who, if any, will remain on staff. No decisions have been made yet. Pasqualoni has reached out to some external candidates already to gauge their interest, and of course he said there is interest from them to come to UConn. Just some names I've heard so far, with a note that I haven't confirmed interest on either side, are George DeLeone of New Haven, now with the Miami Dolphins, and Jerry Azzinaro of Oregon. DeLeone has experience as an offensive and defensive coordinator; Azzinaro is the defensive line coach at Oregon. Both coached with Pasqualoni at Syracuse.

More good stuff to come....just pacing myself here.

Getting ready for Coach P

2011-01-14T12:04:00.005-05:00

About 30 minutes until the start of the press conference to announce Pasqualoni. Lots of high school coaches already in attendance. Suffice it to say, they love this hire. But after the route this coaching search has gone, I'll believe it when I see Paul Pasqualoni walk out to the podium. As Ned Griffin of The Day suggested earlier, I half expect this press conference to begin with someone rolling out a giant cake, Dave Wannstedt popping out in a UConn coaching jersey and then singing a seductive chorus of 'Happy Birthday' to himself.

Pasqualoni's contract details

2011-01-14T11:59:00.003-05:00

Some quick contract details on Pasqualoni. He'll make $1.5 million this year, bumped up $100K each year over the life of the 5-year deal, ending at $1.9 million in 2015. No state tax dollars used in the contract. Same bonus incentives as Edsall ($100K for a BCS bowl game, etc.). His buyout is $1.2 million this year, $1 million next year, $500K in 2013, $400K in 2014 and $250K in 2015. Will post it in full soon, but those are the basics.

One reason why the job went to Pasqualoni

2011-01-13T17:27:00.004-05:00

What may have been the 'X' factor that pushed Paul Pasqualoni to the top of the heap with UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway in this unusual 13-day coaching search?

The Lone Star State.

We're hearing that Pasqualoni's experience as a successful recruiter and more specifically, his ties to Dallas and the state of Texas played a big role in his hiring.

As TCU is set to join the Big East in 2012, elevating the level of play in the conference up a few notches, UConn felt Pasqualoni's connections in the area will help the Huskies quickly establish a foothold in the talent-rich state. Pasqualoni also has ties in Florida, having spent a season in Miami with the Dolphins and having recruited the state while at Syracuse.

Mark Whipple, who spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami, is a strong 'x's and o's' guy, but is not regarded as a strong recruiter.

UConn's new coach

2011-01-13T16:58:00.002-05:00

The Register has confirmed through sources close to Paul Pasqualoni that he has officially been hired as the new football coach at UConn.

Someone will be named UConn coach, I promise

2011-01-12T23:26:00.006-05:00

I was hoping to get firm confirmation tonight that Paul Pasqualoni is the mystery candidate believed to be holding up the works at UConn, but was unable to do so. Sources did say he's not in Connecticut this evening, for whatever that's worth. At this point, I don't know if the job has even been formally offered to anyone. But if that's the case, it won't be for long. We'll hear an announcement very soon. And I think it will be either Paul Pasqualoni or Mark Whipple. But don't count out Hank Hughes. Or Tom Bradley. Yep. Coaching searches are fun.

Don't engrave that name plate just yet

2011-01-12T21:05:00.009-05:00

Looks like we may have jumped the gun a bit on Mark Whipple. Sources close to Whipple said he hadn't been offered the job as of Tuesday night, even after reports came out that it was all but finalized. I also understand Whipple wasn't happy to see that he was named "the front-runner" for the job in today's headlines.

Now, Whipple could very well still be the guy. I think he probably will be the guy based on some things I've heard from other sources. But, as of last night, there was at least one other candidate still in the hunt, according to a source. There wasn't a specific name, but I believe it may have been Paul Pasqualoni. Maybe Hank Hughes is still there, too.

An announcement should come soon.

Whipple looking like the choice

2011-01-11T18:40:00.003-05:00

Mark Whipple is close to being named the next head football coach at UConn, and an announcement could come Thursday, sources said. Barring a major collapse in contract negotiations, this looks like a done deal.

Whipple was most recently the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the University of Miami under Randy Shannon, who was fired in December. New Miami coach Al Golden did not retain Whipple for his new staff.

Other candidates believed to have interviewed with Hathaway are Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, UConn interim head coach Hank Hughes and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.

Whipple got his first head coaching job at the University of New Haven in 1988, and built the foundation for an NCAA Division II powerhouse. The Chargers played and won their first NCAA playoff game under Whipple in 1992, reaching the national semifinals. In 1993, behind Harlon Hill Trophy winner Roger Graham, New Haven made it to the national quarterfinals. Whipple's teams were a combined 23-2 over his final two seasons at New Haven, and he left after the 1993 season to take the head job at his alma mater, Brown.

In 1998, Whipple left Brown after four seasons for UMass, and won the Division I-AA national championship in his first year. He was also part of a Super Bowl champion as the quarterbacks coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and also spent a year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008 before heading back to college.

Pasqualoni getting consideration

2011-01-07T18:21:00.004-05:00

Paul Pasqualoni is on UConn's radar, and is expected to be granted an interview for the vacant head coaching job, my colleague Dave Solomon was informed today. Pasqualoni, who grew up in Cheshire, is currently the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

As of Friday, no one had interviewed for the position, there is no front-runner and at least six candidates are expected to be interviews, Solomon reports.

Five for East-West Shrine Game.

2011-01-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

Edsall announced this postgame at the Fiesta Bowl, but here's the official release from UConn. These five are also invited to the NFL Combine, with Todman expected to be there, too.

STORRS, Conn. (January 6, 2011) -- A total of five University of Connecticut football seniors will take part in the 86th East-West Shrine Game. The game will be held on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., kicking off at 4 p.m. EST and will be televised by the NFL Network.

The five Huskies are: offensive guard Zach Hurd (Waterford, Conn.), defensive end Greg Lloyd (Clermont, Fla.), linebacker Scott Lutrus (Brookfield, Conn.), fullback Anthony Sherman (North Attleboro, Mass.) and linebacker Lawrence Wilson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.).

While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.

Hurd was a First Team All-BIG EAST Conference pick in each of the past two seasons. Over his career, he blocked for a total of four 1,000-yard single-season rushing performances. Llloyd was a Second Team All-BIG EAST pick during 2009 and battled injuries late in his career. Lutrus was a Second Team All-BIG EAST pick in his sophomore year of 2008 and started a total of 41 games over four years.

Sherman played in 51 games as a fullback over his Husky career and again played a critical blocking role for the UConn tailback position. Wilson is UConn’s career leader in games played (52) and starts (50). He is the second-leading tackler in school history with 449 and was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection this year.

“We hope our supporters all over the country will come out and enjoy this exciting game,” said Douglas E. Maxwell, president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals for Children. “Our health care system depends on the generosity of our supporters, and this game is one of our signature events benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children.”

Hathaway: The search has begun

2011-01-04T14:55:00.006-05:00

Quite a press conference. Jeff Hathaway provided the details of the coaching search and Hank Hughes publicly made his case for the job. Some news and observations.

Hank Hughes more or less stumped for the job vacancy. It's kind of taboo to do that at a press conference, but at the same time Hughes kind of had to take advantage of the opportunity. Certainly some bigger names will enter the fray at some point (Rich Rodriguez, Tony Sparano, etc.) and Hughes, basically an unknown to the public, will be even less attractive to those who buy the tickets. Hughes made a very strong case, his talking points centering around his long involvement with the program and, more importantly, the continuity and stability he'll bring in the wake of turmoil. UConn's coaching staff would remain mostly in tact, and it would minimize the loss of current recruits and potential transfers. It's also the best way to build upon the current foundation with the same mission statement laid down by Randy Edsall. Hughes accomplished his mission. I think he convinced people he is a legitimate choice to lead the program.

Hathaway took a nice shot at Edsall and Maryland. A question about whether Hathaway would give extra consideration if someone said UConn was their dream job, "I've seen people leave their dream jobs. And I'm not worried about what a person's dream job is; I don't know how you qualify that or quantify that. That's not passing judgement on anybody whose used that line." Of course, passing judgement is exactly what Hathaway was doing when he said it.

In a nutshell, Hathaway said the search is active, and has been since Edsall announced he was leaving. Many calls have already been made; there is no timetable even though time is of the essence and the man who lands the job will be the man Hathaway feels is the best for the job. The choice will be made by Hathaway, and then approved by the president. Since UConn is in a transitional phase with presidents, interim Phil Austin will keep incoming president Susan Herbst appraised on the procedure, and Herbst will be involved.

The picture already painted of Edsall sneaking out in the middle of the night to Maryland, kind of like the Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis, was more or less confirmed by Hathaway. According to Hathaway, he met with Edsall after the game, went to catch the shuttle back to his hotel, checked his cell phone and saw a missed call and new text message. The text was from Edsall, who said he intended to interview with Maryland Sunday. It was 11:25 p.m. MST, around an hour after the game ended. Hathaway said Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson reached out to him the next morning at 5:25 a.m. (7:25 a.m. EST).

Hank Hughes is now the only confirmed candidate for the job. Hathaway has appointed Chuck Neinas, who has the best job in America, to lead the search committee. Contact has been made to gauge interest in others, and many of the leading names out there have likely contacted or been contacted about the position. Whether anyone has interviewed or is scheduled to interview remains unclear.

Hughes called friends in the coaching circle including Steve Spagnoulo and John Harbaugh to call Hathaway on his behalf. He's confident UConn won't lose more recruits. There are four players scheduled to enroll in January, too.

Lyndon Johnson is leaving the staff to join Edsall in Maryland, it has been confirmed. Joe Moorhead was not in his office this afternoon, but is believed to be among the coaches on the road recruiting today. Drew Wilson, a strength and conditioning coach who had already resigned at UConn with intentions of taking the job at Purdue, is now joining Edsall at Maryland.

Stay tuned...

Edsall nabs Wilson

2011-01-04T14:51:00.004-05:00

According to Rob Lunn (via his twitter), UConn strength and conditioning coach Drew Wilson will join Randy Edsall at Maryland.

Media briefing at 3

2011-01-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

Athletic director Jeff Hathaway and acting head coach Hank Hughes will hold a "media briefing" today at 3 to update the situation. It's not a press conference to announce Hughes as the new head coach, I'm told. More likely, Hathaway will speak of the process and time frame for the position and Hughes will talk about his duties keeping things together while things are sorted out. Check back for updates here and on my twitter account. And while your on twitter, follow me, whydoncha?

Moorhead and Johnson still at UConn; Richardson to the U

2011-01-03T22:35:00.010-05:00

I spent most of today jammed into airplanes, making a day-long trek back from Arizona. But need to clear up the previous post, as the report from the Washington Post about UConn assistant coaches Joe Moorhead, Lyndon Johnson and Terry Richardson following Randy Edsall to Maryland was was off base.

Richardson is indeed leaving UConn, but will join Al Golden on the staff of Miami. I actually ran into Richardson upon arrival at Bradley airport late this afternoon. He was sharply dressed and wearing sunglasses while getting a shoeshine in the terminal and waiting for his flight. And he has no idea how the rumor started, but it's obviously false. All other members of the staff are still under UConn's employ. For now.

The loss of Richardson, an excellent recruiter, particularly his native Florida, stings. He's a good coach, strong developer of talent and popular with the players.

EDIT: Just to be clear...none of the assistants had agreed to join Edsall as of yesterday. That doesn't mean it won't happen. It might; or it might not.

Report: Edsall taking three assistants to Maryland

2011-01-02T23:32:00.002-05:00

The Washington Post reported Edsall will take UConn offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, running backs coach Terry Richardson and special teams coordinator Lyndon Johnson with him to Maryland.

All three are valuable resources the Huskies, and huge losses.

Who'll be the next UConn head coach?

2011-01-02T20:02:00.004-05:00

The process has probably already begun. UConn must move quickly to replace Randy Edsall or risk losing more incoming recruits (and there are bound to be some) and possible transfers. The best way to minimize that stuff is to hire within the program, and Hank Hughes would be at the top of that list. Of course, athletic director Jeff Hathaway must do what's best and if that means an external hire too good to pass up, so be it. Experience, salary, ties to the area and recruiting experience are among the many areas crucial to the position.

Here are a few names I'll toss out there that Hathaway may consider.

Hank Hughes, UConn assistant head coach for defense: A 10-year veteran of the Huskies staff, Hughes has been second in command to Edsall the past few years. He should be considered the top candidate for an internal hire. Hughes and his family (he has four young children) are also firmly rooted in Connecticut.

Joe Moorhead, UConn offensive coordinator: Hand-picked by Edsall to run the Husky offense, will be a head coach somewhere someday. But with only four years as a college offensive coordinator, may lack the experience for consideration. It will be interesting to see what happens with Joe. I expect Edsall will take him to Maryland with him, but Hathaway may do what he needs to do to keep him here.

Ken O'Keefe, Iowa offensive coordinator: O'Keefe grew up in Milford, played for Ray Tellier and Tom Marcucci at Notre Dame of West Haven and his first coaching job was as an assistant at the U. of New Haven. He also has strong ties to the area with family still in Milford, while his wife has family on the Connecticut shoreline. But his relationship with Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, also a UConn grad, dates back some 34 years. O'Keefe gave Ferentz his first paid job at Worcester (Mass.) Academy, and O'Keefe, the OC at Iowa since 1999, has been fiercely loyal to Ferentz.

Mark Whipple, U. of Miami assistant head coach and offensive coordinator: Whipple’s success at New Haven, his first head coaching job, led to bigger and better things. Won a national title at UMass and coached in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl as an assistant with the Steelers. Is not being retained at Miami by new coach Al Golden.

Kevin Gilbride, New York Giants offensive coordinator: North Haven native has impressive resume but a long shot to leave his current position. Of course, his future depends on what the Giants decide to do with Tom Coughlin.

There are other names with state ties too. Dick Jauron, who is close with Edsall, Chris Palmer, even Skip Holtz. Tony Sparano is still employed as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but is a New Haven native with family in-state. He's also on shaky footing with the Dolphins. Anything can happen. I know Mike Leach is getting some love from UConn fans right now. He's an offensive wizard, but the baggage cost him the Maryland job.

Any other suggestions out there?

It's offical. Edsall to Terps

2011-01-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

Press conference tomorrow at 2.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Randy Edsall, who spent the last 12 years taking the University of Connecticut from Division I-AA status (now FCS) to five bowl games, including a BCS contest, has been named Maryland's head football coach, director of athletics Kevin Anderson announced Sunday evening.

Edsall, who will be introduced Monday during a news conference, guided the Huskies to a pair of BIG EAST Conference titles (2007, 2010) and postseason appearances in each of the last four seasons, including the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The 2010 BIG EAST Coach of the Year has led the Huskies to eight or more wins in each of the last four seasons as the Huskies successfully made the ascent from Division I-AA.

Prior to his stint in Storrs, Conn., Edsall, a native of Glen Rock, Pa., spent one season (1998) as the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and four years (1994-97) as a defensive backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars who went from expansion team to the AFC Championship game during his tenure.

Maryland Athletics will comment on the hiring during Monday's news conference (2 p.m.) which can be viewed through Terps TV

Edsall blindsides UConn

2011-01-02T15:34:00.004-05:00

Making some calls and doing my best to chase down whatever info I can right now. Here's what I'm hearing.

Some of the current coaching staff, I won't say who, but guys in prominent positions on the staff, had no idea this was coming. It seems Edsall told few, if anyone on his coaching staff and certainly not the players, who were also blindsided with today's reports. Most of the coaching staff and others in the program are worried right now about their futures. The underclassmen aren't happy. The seniors are shocked, though this doesn't really affect them.

Edsall will likely bring some coaches with him -- Joe Moorhead, Todd Orlando, Mike Foley, Hank Hughes and Lyndon Johnson are all good bets if they're willing to make the move. Moorhead and Hughes might well be considered to replace Edsall, if Jeff Hathaway wants to go that way.

This decision should have an effect on the current recruiting class. Expect some decommitments soon. UConn

ESPN: Edsall to Maryland

2011-01-02T15:08:00.002-05:00

That was quick.

ESPN is reporting that Randy Edsall will coach Maryland next season, and the official announcement could come Monday.

It's not surprising Edsall is leaving. Most felt it was inevitable. He's taken UConn about as far as it can go. But I thought he might hold out for a Big 10 job, or at least a higher profile ACC position -- Maryland has potential to be a player in the ACC, but like UConn it won't be easy to compete for national championships there.

At any rate, we figured the Edsall rumor mill would heat up once Michigan cans Rich Rodriguez and the dominos started to fall to fill that job.

By the way, UConn plays at Maryland in 2012 and the Terps come to Rentschler Field in 2013.

Jordan Todman declares for NFL Draft

2011-01-02T02:06:00.002-05:00

Jordan Todman declared for the NFL Draft at the postgame press conference.

UConn falls to Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl

2011-01-02T02:04:00.001-05:00

I'll have more on the game later, but for now a link to the game story.

(Finally) Ready for the Fiesta

2010-12-31T16:47:00.002-05:00

After one cancelled flight, 48 hours of waiting and 13 hours of travel, I arrived in Phoenix around 12:30 this morning. Caught a few winks, had a 7 a.m. wake-up call and was at Randy Edsall's 8:30 a.m. press conference.

Here's a link and another to my stories running on www.nhregister.com.

When I left Hartford yesterday, it was 42 degrees. I arrived in Phoenix to even colder temperatures. It was 34 degrees this morning when I got my wake-up call. I'm told it even snowed in some parts of the city Thursday morning, though it was just a dusting...not quite the blizzard Connecticut received earlier in the week.

The retractable roof at the University of Phoenix Stadium will be closed for the Fiesta Bowl because of the chilly temperatures.

Edsall finished his press conference at the media hotel in Scottsdale this morning, then posed for a photo shoot with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops in front of the gargantuan Fiesta Bowl trophy. No players were available today.

Hope you all have a safe New Year. I'm grabbing a much needed nap to rest up for another long day tomorrow.