UConn sports

A few more items from the UConn football team’s chat with the media Tuesday.

– We had a few minutes to talk to Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez Tuesday, too. The first question was about his quarterback choice, obviously, and he was ready.

“Like I would tell you guys right now!” Rodriguez joked.

Sophomores Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier and freshman Devin Gardner are all “OR” on the depth chart at quarterback.

“We’ve been repping all three guys pretty equally throughout camp,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll have a determination. We have a couple more practices and I’ll sit down with the quarterbacks in a couple days and say ‘This is where we’re at right now. All of you have to be ready to play.’

“And we’ll play more than one quarterback, more than likely,” Rodriguez continued. “I say ‘more than likely’ because if one guy is in there and he’s doing very well, we’re not going to take him out.”

– UConn’ starter isn’t in doubt. And now that Mike Box is No. 2, neither is the backup.

UConn coach Randy Edsall had some high praise for Box.

“He’s a lot like Dan Orlovsky except he’s a much better athlete than Dan,” Edsall said before quickly adding: “I’m sure I’ll get hit with a text on that one.”

More on Box:

“He’s got a good arm. He can move. He’s picked up what we’re doing,” Edsall said. “He’s gone in and done a good job of leading the team when he’s had the opportunity.”

– A lot of somewhat reputable experts (Backhanded shot at national media? From me? Never!) are picking the Huskies to do some big things _ not that the Huskies are paying much attention.

“Not from inside this building. Our expectations have never changed. Our expectaiton is to win a Big East Conference championship each and every year,” Edsall said.

“The expectations outside this building mean nothing to me.”

– Edsall didn’t want to talk about injuries Tuesday but said that TE Ryan Griffin (knee) has been working out.

“He has practiced,” Edsall said.

– Now that freshman Leon Kinnard is on the depth chart at wide receiver, what can we expect?

“Leon is an athlete,” Edsall said. “He’s a wide receiver athlete, he could be a quarterback athlete.”

“How he’ll be used, I’m not going to tell you,” Edsall continued. “You’ll have to watch the game to see IF we do anything other than have him at wide receiver.”

– UConn QB Zach Frazer made an official visit to Michigan when he was in high school (before choosing Notre Dame). He can’t remember who the opponent was that day in Michigan Stadium, however.

“I do remember going into the locker room and meeting Chad Henne,” Frazer said.

- Neill

OK, it’s a little fuzzy, but below is FB Anthony Sherman having some fun with QB Zach Frazer. A banana is not a microphone, I believe.

A few items from UConn coach Randy Edsall’s weekly chat with the media.

– We all know UConn’s Greg Lloyd is back now. So how did the Huskies’ senior middle linebacker make it back from his knee injury so quickly?

“Greg was cleared to play at the beginning of preseason camp,” Edsall pointed out.

Instead of redshirting the senior as he intended to, Edsall decided to let him play.

“I felt he was ready to play. He felt he was ready to play,” Edsall said.

“My job is to put the people on the field who can help us win and give us the best opportunity to win,” Edsall continued.

Apparently Edsall’s decision came from watching the way Lloyd practiced and scrimmaged in a reserve role.

“Sometimes young people exceed the expectations that you might have for them,” Edsall said.

So when did Lloyd know he’d officially be a starter again?

“I told him what the plan was going to be…a while ago…a week or so ago,” Edsall said.

– Robbie Frey and D.J. Shoemate are listed as “OR” at the No. 2 tailback spot.

“Each of them has a role,” Edsall said.

“I think you’ll see all three of our running backs play in the ball game,” the coach added, including starter Jordan Todman.

– Edsall on the somewhat surprising insertion of Harris Agbor into the lineup as a starting safety?

“To me, Harris Agbor has done a very good job of playing this preseason,” Edsall said. “He impressed myself and impressed all the coaches.”

The coach said S Jerome Junior will probably get into the game in certain situations.

– Leon Kinnard is officially a wide receiver. Well, for now anyway.

The true freshman from Baltimore is on the depth chart behind Kashif Moore (likely in the slot).

“Leon’s picked things up very quickly,” Edsall said. “He’s a guy _ without giving away any secrets _ he’s somebody we think has the ability to make plays for us. That’s why you want to get him on the field.”

– Michigan is still keeping its starting QB quiet, with Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier the choices.

“I don’t think it’s that big a deal because we’ve seen them both on film,” Edsall said.

– How much of an advantage is it that Edsall and his staff are pretty familiar with Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez’ offense.

“It’s not so much the scheme it’s the people playing the scheme that make the difference,” Edsall said.

– The starting punter _ Chad Christen or Cole Wagner _ is still up in the air.

“That will probably be a game time decision,” Edsall said. “And I mean that. … It’s too close to call.”

Edsall said there’s actually a chance both could play. One (don’t know which) is apparently better with pooch punts and the other has a slightly better leg.

- Neill

There are two things that followers of the UConn football team have come to expect from coach Randy Edsall when he and his staff put together the first depth chart of the season: plenty of “ORs” and a couple of surprises.

Monday afternoon UConn released its two-deep for Saturday’s opener against Michigan and we got more of the latter.

– Greg Lloyd is back. Apparently the redshirt Lloyd was supposedly being fitted with was either a ruse or an over reaction.

Lloyd is listed as the starting middle linebacker and Scott Lutrus (again) is moving back to the outside.

– Harris Agbor and Kijuan Dabney (not Jerome Junior and Mike Lang as many, including myself, had thought) will be the starting safeties.

– True freshman Leon Kinnard is a wide receiver (shocking!!!) and is listed as a backup.

– Robbie Frey and D.J. Shoemate are “OR” as the backup tailback.

– Mike Box is the backup QB.

– Twyon Martin is back as a starter at DT.

Here’s the list

OFFENSE

WR: 80 Michael Smith (Jr., 6-0, 202) 88 Gerrard Sheppard (RSo., 6-2, 209)

WR: 82 Kashif Moore (RJr., 5-9, 180) 14 Leon Kinnard (Fr., 5-9, 182)

WR: 83 Isiah Moore (RJr., 6-1, 190) 1 Dwayne Difton (So., 5-11, 173)

LT: 63 Adam Masters (RSo., 6-4, 283) 72 Jimmy Bennett (RSo., 6-8, 290)

LG: 66 Mathieu Olivier (RSr., 6-6, 294) 50 Tyler Bullock (RFr., 6-4, 301)

C: 57 Moe Petrus (RJr., 6-2, 292) 70 Gary Bardzak (RJr., 6-3, 292)

RG: 78 Zach Hurd (RSr., 6-7, 325) 69 Steve Greene (RFr., 6-4, 309)

RT: 71 Mike Ryan (RJr., 6-5, 333) 77 Kevin Friend (RFr., 6-5, 289)

TE: 94 Ryan Griffin (RSo., 6-6, 243) 89 John Delahunt (RSo., 6-3, 244)

QB: 10 Zach Frazer (RSr., 6-4, 231) 4 Michael Box (RFr., 6-3, 209)

TB: 23 Jordan Todman (Jr., 5-9, 193) 44 Robbie Frey (RJr., 6-0, 203) OR 24 D.J. Shoemate (Jr., 5-11, 218)

FB: 49 Anthony Sherman (Sr., 5-11, 240) 39 Brett Manning (Sr., 5-11, 260)

DEFENSE

DE: 48 Trevardo Williams (So., 6-1, 225) 96 A.J. Portee (RSo., 6-4, 237)

DT: 99 Kendall Reyes (RJr., 6-4, 298) 59 Shamar Stephen (RFr., 6-5, 300)

DT: 4 Twyon Martin (RJr., 6-2, 292) 53 Ryan Wirth (RSo., 6-2, 272)

DE: 91 Jesse Joseph (So., 6-3, 255) 98 Ted Jennings (RSo., 6-5, 247)

SLB:* 32 Scott Lutrus (RSr., 6-3, 245) 28 Jory Johnson (RSo., 6-1, 227)

MLB: 95 Greg Lloyd (Sr., 6-2, 259) 55 Jerome Williams (RSo., 5-11, 233)

WLB: 8 Lawrence Wilson (RSr., 6-1, 226) 46 Sio Moore (RSo., 6-1, 230)

CB: 5 Blidi Wreh-Wilson (RSo., 6-0, 191) 29 Taylor Mack (Fr., 5-9, 170)

S: 25 Harris Agbor (RJr., 5-11, 183) 15 Jerome Junior (RSo., 6-1, 215)

S: 19 Kijuan Dabney (Jr., 6-1, 192) 7 Mike Lang (So., 5-11, 181)

CB: 24 Dwayne Gratz (RSo., 6-0, 187) 2 Gilbert Stlouis (Fr., 5-11, 182)

* Commonly referred to as the “Husky” linebacker

SPECIALISTS

P: 86 Cole Wagner (RFr., 6-2, 198) OR 13 Chad Christen (RFr., 6-1, 203)

K: 38 Dave Teggart (RJr., 6-0, 207) 13 Chad Christen (RFr., 6-1, 203)

LS: 93 Derek Chard (Sr., 6-3, 237) 67 Adam Mueller (Fr., 6-1, 208)

H: 13 Chad Christen (RFr., 6-1, 203) 4 Michael Box (RFr., 6-3, 209)

KR: 23 Jordan Todman (Jr., 5-9, 193) 44 Robbie Frey (RJr., 6-0, 203)

PR: 21 Gary Wilburn (RJr., 5-11, 195) 31 Nick Williams (So., 5-10, 183)

- Neill

The college football season is finally here. For the Big East, that means a few ho-hum matchups in Week 1 along with a couple of major league showdowns.

Before we get to UConn-Michigan or Pitt-Utah, however, let’s take a quick look around the league with some info from Monday’s conference call with the league’s coaches.

– Rutgers officially opens the Big East season when it takes on Norfolk State Thursday night at 7:30. But the real action begins an hour later when Pittsburgh takes on Utah in Salt Lake City.

The game marks the first time Pitt has opened the season on the road in a game featuring two ranked teams _ the Panthers are 15th in both polls while Utah is 24th in the coaches’ rankings _ since its national title year of 1976 when the No. 9 Panthers beat No. 11 Notre Dame in South Bend 31-10.

Sophomore Tino Sunseri will make his first start at quarterback for Pitt.

“I have a lot of confidence in him. He understands what we’re trying to,” coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He can make all the plays we need him to make.”

Sunseri has thrown 17 career passes as a collegian.

“Tino’s ready for it. He’s a winner,” Wannstedt said. “He’s got all the intangibles.”

– What will Rutgers do without WR Tim Wright this season?

Well, turn to Stratford native Mark Harrison, for starters.

“We’re going to play a lot of people. Mark Harrison is a guy that’s going to figure into the action,” Schiano said. “A true freshman by the name of Jeremy Deering will figure into the action. Mason Robinson will play some wideout. Mo Sanu, obviously. We’re going to do it with several guys and see who in game action elevates.”

Schiano expects a few wideouts to step up this season.

“I know some of them will. Maybe all of them will,” Schiano said.

– Raise your hand if you think West Virginia will handle Coastal Carolina easily this Saturday.

Yeah, me too. Don’t put Mountaineer coach Bill Stewart in that group, though.

“People who think this is a walk in the park have absolutely no idea what college football is all about,” Stewart said Monday.

OK, coach. Sorry (hand still raised, though).

– Rutgers, Utah, Georgia and Southern California are the only teams in the nation that have won bowl games in each of the last four seasons. Obviously one of those streaks (USC is banned from post season) will end this year.

– A few comments from UConn coach Randy Edsall (whose initial depth chart will be released in an hour or two):

Edsall isn’t too worried about the big, loud crowd in Ann Arbor, in part because of UConn’s experience last season at Notre Dame and its regular trips to Morgantown, W.Va.

“I don’t think the crowd will be intimidating to them,” Edsall said. “I think we just have to go out and play the way we’re capable of playing. If we don’t it’s probably because of self-inflicted wounds or because of something Michigan does to us.”

The safeties, whom Edsall is coaching personally, are coming along.

“They’re moving along,” Edsall said. “We’re going to hopefully be better. Be better all the way around, not just at that position but all of our positions.”

In a small preview of the depth chart, when asked about RB D.J. Shoemate Edsall said Monday morning:

“We’ll have a role for him,” Edsall said. “I’m sure he’s going to go out and play to the best of his ability.”

That role could be water boy, I suppose, but it seems likely Shoemate will be on the field somewhat regularly this season.

INJURIES

The Big East’s new injury reporting procedure has begun. On Monday each team reported to the league those players that will be out for the season or about to undergo surgery.

On Thursdays (or two days before a team plays) teams will release another report listing other injured players as either probable, questionable, doubtful or out.

Here are the initial players listed as out for the season (except for Delisi and Chenault at Cincinnati…they might return):

Rutgers _ LS Rob Horrell (knee), WR Tim Wright (knee)

Louisville _ TE Stephon Ball (knee), CB Anthony Conner (knee), OL Joe Evinger (back), WR Michaelee Harris (knee)

Pittsburgh _ none

West Virginia _ OL Nick Kindler (shoulder), DL Donovan Pearson (toe)

UConn _ DE Marcus Campbell (knee), WR Geremy Davis (knee)

NOTE: LB/DE Greg Lloyd (knee) was not listed. (Not sure what to make of this yet.)

Syracuse _ CB Ri’Shard Anderson (shoulder), TE Cody Catalina, FB Carl Cutler, DL Ollie Haney (pectoral), DE Jared Kimmel, WR Jarrod West

Cincinnati _ LB Solomon Tentman (knee), LB Alex Delisi (knee), DB Arryn Chenault (knee)

South Florida _ none

- Neill

Here are Sunday’s stories, part of the UConn football preview package.

A feature on LB Scott Lutrus.

And a breakdown of the defense by position.

- Neill

Ater Majok may be leaving the UConn basketball team, the Hartford Courant was first to report Friday.

A source later confirmed to the Connecticut Post that Majok’s departure is a possibility.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun told the Courant that he has discussed Majok’s future with the sophomore forward but that no final decision has been made.

Majok, who before entering UConn flirted with the NBA Draft, may be returning to Australia to play professionally.

Here’s Saturday’s story.

-Neill

The first of our brief series previewing the UConn football season.

Here’s a story on Zach Frazer and a breakdown of the Husky offense by position.

- Neill

UConn junior Moe Petrus was one of 37 players named Thursday to the watch list for the Remington Award, an honor given annually to the nation’s top center.

Syracuse’s Ryan Bartholemew and Louisville’s Mario Benavides are also on the list.

- Neill