UConn sports

A few notes/quotes from our brief meeting with some of the UConn football players this afternoon:

– QB Zach Frazer’s injured right knee is getting better according to WR Brad Kanuch. Kanuch was among the players who met with the media Wednesday.

“Zach’s making strides right now,” Kanuch said. “For tearing his MCL or doing whatever he did to his MCL, to be where he is right now, he’s already taking drops. The only thing for him, I guess, might be the lateral movement.”

We’ll see if that means Frazer returns to start against Pitt Oct. 10 or if the Cody Endres show is still airing.

– The UConn offensive line wasn’t thrilled with its pass blocking against URI.

“I think we were a little upset with that. We didn’t want Cody getting hit back there,” tackle Mike Hicks said. “But it was just little things, little mistakes we made. I think we can definitely correct them.”

Some of the issues had to do with Rhody’s defensive front.

“The style of defense they played, there was constant movement up front,” Hicks said. “They were bringing guys three gaps over from the d-end spot. So if you hit them good, you can make them look bad. But if you don’t pick it up, they can make you look bad.”

– The UConn defense is focusing on third down stops during the bye week, especially the third-and-a-mile variety.

“Third-and-20 it’s supposed to be easier. It’s supposed to be because you have farther to go to get to the first down,” cornerback Robert McClain said. “But the third-and-20 stuff that we’ve been in that other teams have converted on, it’s just been mental mistakes and not focusing on those plays.

– S Aaron Bagsby is back and seemingly doing well. At least McClain, a captain and defensive veteran, says so.

“His attitude, his mindset is correct heading into a Big East game,” McClain said. “He had a good mindset for the URI week, too. He’s definitely ready to play.

“It’s good seeing that he rebounded off the mistakes he made before, sitting out for three weeks,” McClain continued. “It’s looking good for the defense having him back.”

– DE Lindsey Witten says he’s fine. No more GI, no more stomach bug.

“I wanted to eat and one of the things the doctors said was I couldn’t eat much,” Witten said. “It’s been out of my system for about five or six days now. I’m feeling good, my appetite’s back, the weight’s going back up.”

Coach Randy Edsall said the illness hurt Witten’s play in the URI game. Witten said he wasn’t effected.

- Neill

The Yankee Bowl is set. Well, it probably won’t be called that but who knows?

Anyway, the Big East and Big 12 will meet in a bowl played at Yankee Stadium beginning in 2010. The official announcement will take place Wednesday morning at 10:30.

The game has been rumored (re: in the works) for some time.

It looks like the Big East’s fourth-place team (fourth pick after BCS, Champs, and probably Meineke, assuming the last of those re-ups with the league as expected) will head to the new bowl.

- Neill

UConn’s Oct. 10 game at Pittsburgh is being held for the old “six-day selection” by ABC. We’ll have wait a little longer for a start time and a TV slate.

ABC will televise either UConn-Pitt OR West Virginia-Syracuse at 3:30 p.m. that Saturday on a regional basis. Whichever game is not selected by ABC will be the Big East game of the week and start at noon _ and seen locally on MyTV9 (WCTX, Ch. 59), SNY, etc.

The final decision will be made after this weekend’s games.

Also in the league Southern Miss at Louisville will be on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m. that night.

- Neill

More info from the league later today. For now:

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mardy Gilyard • Sr. • WR • Cincinnati • Bunnell, Fla.

Gilyard had nine receptions for a career-high 177 yards and two touchdowns, making the most of Cincinnati’s limited time of possession in the Bearcats’ 28-20 win against Fresno State. Gilyard, who finished with 226 all-purpose yards, had touchdown receptions of 11 and 23 yards to lead a Bearcat offense that was on the field for just 16:18.

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jason Pierre-Paul • Jr. • DE • USF • Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Pierre-Paul had four tackles, three tackles for loss and a pivotal fourth-quarter strip sack that helped USF secure a 17-7 win at No. 18/25 Florida State. He led a USF defense that limited the Seminoles to 19 rushing yards and just 288 total yards to help the Bulls remain unbeaten.

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Teddy Dellaganna • Jr. • P • Rutgers • Templeton, Calif.

Dellaganna helped Rutgers win the field position battle in the Scarlet Knights’ 34-13 win at Maryland. He averaged 40.6 yards on five punts, forcing three Terrapin drives to start inside the 12-yard line and hitting a 51-yard punt from deep inside Rutgers territory to help protect a fourth-quarter lead.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut — Had 12 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a 52-10 win against Rhode Island. Helped hold the Rams to five first downs and 148 yards.

Antonio Lowery, LB, Rutgers — Had eight tackles, one tackle for loss and a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown on Maryland’s first offensive play in a 34-13 road win.

Joe Martinek, RB, Rutgers — Had 19 carries for a career-high 147 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 34-13 win at Maryland. Had 130 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.

B.J. Daniels, QB, USF — Had 341 yards of total offense and two touchdown passes in a 17-7 win at No. 18/25 Florida State. Had 23 carries for 126 yards in his first career start.

Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse — Scored four touchdowns in a 41-24 win against Maine. Ran for three TDs and 72 yards on 19 carries and had his first career touchdown reception.

The news from coach Randy Edsall on Sunday wasn’t good for a few Huskies.

– S/LB Kijuan Dabney didn’t play against Rhode Island Saturday because of a shoulder injury and that injury is going to cause him to miss the rest of the season.

Dabney, who was hurt in the preseason but did return to action, will have surgery in the near future.

Dabney aggravated the injury during warm-ups just before the URI game, forcing doctors to take another look at the shoulder.

– RB Kelmetrus “MeMe” Wylie left the sidelines early in the URI game with an arm injury, and that will force the reserve back to miss the next 4-6 weeks of action.

Wylie has a fracture in his forearm, Edsall said Sunday.

– In other injury news, Edsall said that LB Scott Lutrus, QB Zach Frazer and TE Ryan Griffin were “out” for practice Sunday.

That doesn’t say much about their status for practicing later during the bye week or their availability for the game in two weeks against Pittsburgh, though.

When asked if either Frazer or Lutrus would practice soon, the coach said:

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea.”

I’m not sure I believe that, but I’m pretty sure Edsall is telling the God’s honest truth when he says things like: “I’m done worrying about who’s hurt and who can’t go.”

The coach has drilled into his players’ heads that the “next play could be yours” and he believes everyone on the roster should be ready.

– Game balls for the Rhody win went to: QB Cody Endres (offense), CB Robert McClain, and Trevardo Williams (special teams).

– That’s it for me.

Baby Colin is crying and the wife says I’m the best at burping. I’m pretty sure she meant the best at getting the baby to burp, but I’ll double check to make sure I wasn’t just insulted.

(Actually, I probably take a bit too much pride in my own burping, so I shouldn’t be insulted by such a comment, huh?)

- Neill

A few quick hitters from UConn’s 52-10 win over Rhody before I leave the Rent:

– Randy Edsall is trying to kill the quarterback controversy before it starts.

After Cody Endres’ 23-of-30 performance for 289 yards and two touchdowns, maybe he should start even if Zach Frazer is healthy in two weeks for the Pittsburgh game?

“I don’t even know if he (Frazer) is going to be healthy so I have no idea,” Edsall said. “That’s the last of my worries right now.”

Endres wasn’t about to fan the flames, either.

“I just went out and did the best I could, tried to lead the team the best I could,” Endres said. “Whatever happens, we’ll see.”

– Edsall kind of took the blame _ sort of _ for the Huskies’ seven fumbles. Two were by Endres, two by PR Jasper Howard, two by P Desi Cullen and one by WR Mike Lang.

“I probably didn’t do a good enough job this week of telling the guys to make sure to just go out and take care of their responsibilities and the plays will come to them,” Edsall said. “I thought we had some guys today that were pressing a little bit to try to make some things happen, rather than letting the game come to them. I thought Jasper with the punt returns, Desi with the punts, Cody a couple times. I’ll take the fault for not getting that point across to them enough.”

– Rhody’s only touchdown came on a blown coverage by UConn’s secondary. The 66-yard strike from Chris Paul-Etienne to Ty Bynum was URI’s only big play really.

“We were in a coverage where we should be forcing the receiver inside. I’m not sure if we forced him inside. I was told by the player that he was forced inside. But sometimes what they tell me and what I see on film is two different stories,” Edsall said. “There could be guys at fault both ways. We didn’t sink back enough and then our safety came over and took a bad angle to the ball.”

S Jerome Junior was the one who whiffed on the tackle. Or took a bad angle, according to the coach.

“I just missed the tackle, that’s pretty much what it is,” Junior said. “I made the perfect the read, I just didn’t finish on the play.”

“It’s better to do it know instead of against Cincinnati or Louisville,” Junior continued. “I’d rather get it out of the way now.”

Aaron Bagsby replaced Junior for most of the game and played pretty well.

– Saturday was UConn’s 1,000th football game. The Huskies are 468-494-38.

UConn’s most common opponent in those 1,000, of course, is Rhode Island. The Huskies are 51-35-8 against the Rams now.

– Endres’ completion percentage (76.7 percent) was the fourth best in a single game in UConn history, tying Matt DeGennaro’s 23-of-30 effort against Richmond in 1990.

– Endres’ 289 yards through the air were the most by a UConn QB since Tyler Lorenzen threw for 289 against Duke on Sept. 1, 2007.

– Johnny McEntee (not Michael Box, smart guys) did some mop-up duty for the Huskies. It was the first-ever action for the walk-on from Fullerton, Calif.

– Staples’ own D.J. Stefkovich was 2-for-4 for 11 yards in relief for Rhode Island.

– UConn DE Lindsey Witten was, well…not that good. He even had to leave the game for a little while with what looked like dehydration.

“I didn’t think Lindsey played all that great today,” Edsall said. “You could tell that the flu bug…I mean the GI (gastrointestinal) _ not the flu, I’d hate to get that out there _ hindered him a little bit.”

“But give the kid credit for wanting to play, being out there and giving everything that he had.”

- Neill

It’s all over but the screaming.

UConn 52, Rhode Island 10

QB Cody Endres nearly becomes the first UConn passer to go over 300 yards in five years. He finishes with 289, though.

Robbie Frey put the finishing touches on with a 54-yard touchdown run.

Former Staples QB D.J. Stepkovich got in for the Rams late in the game. He nearly threw Rhody’s second TD of the game but the receiver was just out of bounds over the back line.

It’s the second-most points ever scored by the home team at Rentschler. It tied the 52 UConn scored against Rhody in 2006 but was short of the 59 it posted against Liberty on Sept. 10, 2005.

- Neill

UConn leads 38-7 but continues to muff punts and play a little free with the football.

Another touchdown run by Jordan Todman makes it 31-7 Huskies late in the third quarter. Andre Dixon did the heavy lifting on the drive, though, running six times for 43 yards.

UConn tried to let the Rams back in the game early in the third quarter. After the UConn defense stopped URI cold on its first drive, Jasper Howard muffed the ensuing punt.

Rhody took over at the UConn 20 but couldn’t manage a single first down or any points, failing on a fourth-and-1 from the 11.

Nice pitch-and-catch from Cody Endres to freshman Mike Lang on a pump-and-go route that turned into a 50-yard touchdown pass.

– DE Lindsey Witten left the game a minute ago. Looks like just dehydration.

- Neill