Some bad news from the UConn football team in the wake of a key win over Syracuse:
– Junior LB Greg Lloyd tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season _ next week’s game against South Florida and the bowl game.
Lloyd will have surgery at some point this week. He will miss spring practice but should return next season.
“He won’t be ready for the spring,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said Sunday. “I would hope he would be ready for August.”
Scott Lutrus, who plays in the middle on passing downs, will move to middle linebacker in Lloyd’s place as the Huskies move forward. Redshirt freshman Jory Johnson will take over for Lutrus at strong-side linebacker.
Lloyd was hurt in the fourth quarter of the Syracuse game. He blitzed and was cut by an Orange offensive lineman.
“It wasn’t anything dirty. It was just a clean football play,” Edsall said.
– No other significant injuries, though G Erik Kuraczea (lower leg) remains probable.
– As a whole, UConn’s defense hasn’t played well in some time.
“We have some young guys making some mistakes and even some older guys making some mistakes,” Edsall said. “We just have to be more consistent.”
– Game balls for the win went to: WR Marcus Easley (offense), LB Lawrence Wilson (defense), and Mike Lang/Anthony Sherman (special teams)
– With Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford late Saturday, the Huskies are virtually assured of heading to a Big East bowl.
“We know we’re going to take one of the six spots that the Big East has contracted bowls with,” Edsall said. “To know that’s done now, it’s less worry.”
It’s St. Petersburg or Birmingham for the Huskies, it seems.
– Edsall said he liked what OG Matt Olivier did in filling in for Kuraczea.
“I thought he was steady. I thought he played good,” Edsall said. “I wasn’t disappointed in him.”
– A contact period started Sunday, allowing football coaches to visit with potential recruits. The Huskies, however, are somewhat limited by their schedule.
“But we won’t be doing any contact. We’re going to get ready for South Florida,” Edsall said.
The coaches might get out to visit players in Connecticut or the surrounding states.
“If we have local guys that we can go see, we’ll go see them,” Edsall said.
- Neill
