A few nuts and bolts from UConn’s 17-13 loss to South Florida Sunday night:
– Quarterback Tyler Lorenzen’s fumble with just over 5 minutes to play was probably the difference. If he goes down (or is ruled down) UConn has a first down on about the 29-yard line and will have a good shot to take the lead.
Instead, it was first down South Florida.
“I was actually diving to get on the ground, which is surprising that I fumbled the ball,” Lorenzen said. “I knew I had the first so I was getting down to move the chains. He must have gotten his hand in there, helmet, something.”
The play was reviewed and it showed a bang-bang play. Lorenzen’s left knee appears to hit at about the same time the ball is jarred loose. No real chance for a reversal, whatever the call on the field was it was going to stand.
Lorenzen got hit plenty all night but was really pounded on the final play of the game. He was asked if he got his “bell rung.”
“Yeah, that’s the best way to put it,” Lorenzen said. “I was out of it. Zach Hurd was trying to get me to go down but I was just trying to regain my balance.”
– Linebacker Greg Lloyd will probably be out for the rest of the regular season, maybe UConn’s bowl game.
“Greg’s probably not going to play,” head coach Randy Edsall said. “He’s got some personal issues that he’s dealing with right now. I doubt very much that he’ll be playing against Pittsburgh, either.”
– Both teams had 10 penalties for 78 yards.
“South Florida is a team that gets penalized quite a bit,” Edsall said. “It’s unfortunate for us. We usually don’t get penalized. It was just uncharacteristic.”
– UConn allowed USF’s Dontavia Bogan returns of 64 and 71 yards in the first half.
“We just had some guys that didn’t execute,” Edsall said. “It wasn’t anything that they did differently. We practiced it but obviously we didn’t get our points across.”
– Ellis Gaulden caught his first career touchdown pass on the double-reverse flea-flicker that tied the score in the third quarter.
After taking the return pitch from Jordan Todman, Lorenzen was hit and the ball floated rather slowly down to Gaulden at the 5-yard line.
“I saw the ball in the air floating,” Gaulden said. “It took FOR-EV-ER to get there. I’m like ‘Oh my God! They (the USF safeties) are coming back!’ ”
- Neill
Do you think Lorenzen should’ve been replaced by Frazier for the last drive? I just don’t see Lorenzen leading us to a score even if he’s given 100 chances. There just isn’t a passing threat beyond 5-7 yards. And any chance Frazier passes Lorenzen for the Pitt game?
Comment by Pete — November 24th, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
If you mean the final drive when UConn took over with 1:28 to play and had to 80 yards, then yes, I don’t think it would have been a terrible idea to throw Zach in there just based on arm strength and maybe having to heave it once or twice.
That being said, Edsall is very unlikely to do such a thing. He’s behind Lorenzen 100 percent.
And no, it’s not likely that Frazer passes him on the depth chart for Pitt.
Comment by Neill — November 24th, 2008 @ 4:17 pm