Operation Connecticut (UConn do it)

[Sly Fox]

Time now for our primer on the Huskies. They are our only I-A opponent on the 2005 schedule. And coming off their most successful season ever (going 8-4 capped by a victory in the Motor City Bowl), the Big East member presents the most formidable challenge the Flames will face all season.



Head Coach: Randy Edsall
32-37 in 6 Seasons at UConn
Won 21 of last 28 Games

Saturday's Game will be at 1pm (note time change) at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.



Here is a link to a virtual tour of the stadium:
www.rentschlerfield.com/virtual_tour.cfm

The Huskies opened the season with a strong performance this past Thursday against fellow I-A newbie Buffalo:

Huskies Blank Buffalo 38-0 in Season Opener

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (Sept. 1, 2005) – Junior quarterback Matt Bonislawski (Natrona Heights, Pa.), making his first career start, threw two touchdowns to junior tight end Dan Murray (Gloucester, Ma.) and junior running back Terry Caulley (Lusby, Md.) ran for 100 yards and another score as Connecticut routed Buffalo, 38-0, before a sellout crowd of 40,000 at Rentschler Field in the 2005 season opener for both schools.


Caulley

Bonislawski, replacing four-year starter Dan Orlovsky, had a solid first start, completing 11 of 18 pass attempts for 121 yards and connecting with Murray for scoring plays just three minutes and 35 seconds apart midway through the second quarter, giving the Huskies a 17-0 lead. Caulley, playing for the first time since injuring his knee at Virginia Tech on September 27, 2003, churned out 100 yards on just 14 carries. His 100 yards marked the 11th time in 16 career games that Caulley had surpassed the century mark in rushing yards. He bulled over from the one to close out the first half scoring, with the Huskies enjoying a 24-0 advantage.



The Husky defense overwhelmed the Bull offense from start to finish, and bolted out of the gate when sophomore linebacker Danny Lansanah (Harrisburg, Pa.) sacked Buffalo quarterback Stewart Sampsel on the first play from scrimmage. UConn amassed three sacks in limiting Buffalo to just 137 yards of total offense. The Huskies only allowed the Bulls past midfield on just one occasion in 13 total drives. Senior linebacker Taurien Sowell (Bridgeport, Conn.) led the Huskies with seven tackles.



The Huskies rushed for 290 yards on 55 carries, earning their highest rushing total since elevating to Division I-A status. UConn’s only turnover came on a Hail Mary pass attempt by Bonislawski into the end zone at the end of the first half.

Head coach Randy Edsall substituted freely during the second half, as the Huskies scored two additional touchdowns. Bonislawski (12 carries, 71 yards) scampered in on a 26-yard scoring jaunt late in the third quarter, giving the Huskies a 31-0 lead. The touchdown marked the first time a Husky signal caller had scored a rushing touchdown since Orlovsky accomplished the feat against Kent State on November 9, 2002.

Freshman quarterback D.J. Hernandez (Bristol, Conn.) hit fellow freshman Nollis Dewar (Windsor, Conn.) on a three-yard scoring strike with 9:02 to play in the game to complete the scoring.

The Huskies return to action next Saturday, September 10, when they entertain Liberty at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

Suffice it to say that in light of our own performance Saturday against a DII school, I am VERY nervous about how things could go down on Saturday.

But if you are feeling some moxy and want to run some smack, there are plenty of UConn boards to visit:

The Boneyard (Rivals)
connecticut.rivals.com/

UConnFan.com (Scout)
connecticut.scout.com/

Our own LUconn could probably even identify one or two more sites. But those two seem to get the most traffic.

[Chris Lang]

I spoke with Randy Edsall on the Big East teleconference this morning, and I was impressed that he had some knowledge of the LU team. Mentioned the offensive line being athletic and said he was very, very impressed with what Marcus Hamilton did last week.

Also noted that the defense was flying to the ball, something I noticed as well Saturday.

So give Edsall credit: He's respecting the opponent.

[Sly Fox]

I'm guessing the fact that they can roll on the game off satellite gave them plenty of opportunity to break down tape on Sunday. So I'm sure they saw everything both positive & negative about the Flames ... including our inability to pass-protect. They have an outstanding front seven who no doubt are anxious to get this week's game underway. We need to get our issues addressed right now or we could be in for a VERY long afternoon in East Hartford.

[aLUmnus]

I'm looking for UConn to work on their passing game next week, which could mean lots of early points. They have two stud running backs and their qb can also run the ball very well, so I think they'll want to get the kinks out of their throwing before they get into their real season.