Young Huskies try to regroup

By Darrell Laurant  |   Monday, July 16, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Connecticut Huskies
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

(First in a series of previews on Big East teams).

Something has happened to the University of Connecticut football team over the past two seasons, and it isn't good.

The Huskies seemed to have turned the corner in 2004, when they finished 8-4 and played in the Motor City Bowl. The completion of Rentschler Stadium fueled the optimism even more.

Instead, the Huskies regressed to 5-6 in 2005 and then struggled through a 4-8 nightmare in 2006. And now, Randy Edsall -- the only Division I-A coach UConn has ever had -- may be wishing he'd taken some of those other jobs that were dangled in front of him back in the relative glory days of '04.

Actually, though, it's not as bad as it seems. The Huskies were waylaid by injuries last season, force-feeding a lot of freshmen and sophomores into the starting lineup (including nine different starters on the offensive line). All that premature experience under fire should pay off this season, with only one senior starter on offense.

Running back Donald Brown should be one of the best in the league. Despite operating behind a young and constantly rotating O-line, the sophomore ran for 896 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, averaging 134.6 yards a game in his five starts. In the Huskies' halcyon moment last season, a startling upset of Pitt, Brown rushed for 205 yards.

Quarterback D.J. Hernandez will have that position to himself after several years of platooning with Matt Bonikawski, and he produced a 114.98 QB rating in 2005, leading Edsall's team to three of its four victories. He'll be throwing primarily to sophomore wide receivers Terrence Jeffers and Brad Kanuch.

UConn is led on defense by pass-rushing specialist Don Davis -- moved inside from end to tackle during the spring and listed on the Outland Trophy watch list -- and LB Danny Lansanah, the top returning tackler. Corners Tyvon Branch and Darius Butler are among the fastest in the league.

Even the 4-8 record was deceptive. Besides the upset of Pitt, the Huskies beat a halfway-decent Indiana team and stayed in games with Rutgers and Wake Forest.

Moreover, the schedule is favorable this time around. The Huskies open with Duke (a game that would be high-profile in basketball), Maine and Temple. The other non-conference opponent is Akron. They have Syracuse (a game they could win) and Rutgers at home. Unfortunately, the athletic department also scheduled Louisville for Homecoming -- what were they thinking?

This could be a very competitive Big East team in 2008; after all, the youngsters mature. The question is, Will Edsall still be around to coach it?

Original college football insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (1)

About Darrell Laurant

Sorry, Darrell Laurant's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report