A few blurbs from UConn football practice at the Shenk Monday afternoon:
– CB Darius Butler is wearing a brace on his left knee but looks nearly healthy. He did get beat deep a couple times but also picked off Tyler Lorenzen for a touchdown the other way.
“I’m shaking the rust off,” Butler said. “I’m getting there.”
The senior says he’ll concentrate on defense in the International Bowl. No more wide receiver action.
– LB C.J. Marck is transferring. The redshirt freshman is probably looking for more playing time and is likely headed to a Division I-AA (FCS) school
– LB Greg Lloyd is back and practice and he’s the starter in the middle Jan. 3. Unless more “personal reasons” pop up between know and then.
– RB Andre Dixon was practicing Monday.
– P Desi Cullen had a light workout Monday after having his appendix removed last week.
Cullen will probably be ready to punt Jan. 3 but won’t kickoff.
“I don’t think he’s going to be our kickoff guy,” head coach Randy Edsall said.
Tony Ciaravino is ahead at this point to serve as the kickoff specialist.
– UConn offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose wasn’t at practice Monday. He was down in Baltimore interviewing for Towson’s vacant head coaching position.
“We’ll see what transpires and go from there,” Edsall said. “It’s his alma mater and I know that’s special to him.”
– UConn has sold just over 3,000 tickets to the International Bowl. Its share is 10,000.
– DT Alex Polito missed practice with an ankle injury.
“The thing that happened to him early in the season is still aggravating him,” Edsall said.
– DE Cody Brown didn’t do much Monday but Edsall said it’s nothing serious.
– CB Terry Baltimore will miss the International Bowl due to…drumroll please…personal reasons.
Too bad, actually, for Terry and the team.
Terry’s a fun and seemingly good guy. Plus, he’s a terrific hawk/gunner on special teams.
– Injured G Alex LaMagdelaine was working on long snapping Monday. He won’t play in Toronto but could be a long-snapper next season, it seems.
– RB Donald Brown is probably going to stay in school. But Edsall, despite his junior’s rather definitive statements, is going to keep exploring his NFL options for him.
“Whatever it is, I’m going to support him 100 percent,” Edsall said. “If it’s coming back here, that’s great. If he decides after hearing some things that he thinks it might be best for him to go, I’ll support that too.”
Edsall is also convinced a potential rookie salary cap next season isn’t an issue, and that it won’t happen that quickly.
– The schedule _ and the Huskies’ team curfew _ is out for the International Bowl.
On Dec. 30 and 31 (New Year’s)? The players get to stay out until 1 a.m.
On Jan. 1? 11 p.m.
On Jan. 2 (night before game)? 10 p.m.
- Neill
