UConn sports

I guess I’m one of the lucky media members (the count is at two right now) on site in the Phoenix area with the UConn football team. A nice post-midnight flight into Sky Harbor gave us the silver medal in the “junior” Horde travel competition.

We had a chance to meet with some of the Oklahoma defensive folks and the UConn offensive people this morning as they prepare for the Fiesta Bowl.

The Huskies are practicing over at Pinnacle High School and we’re going to head over there soon, but before we do here are a few quotes and notes from the morning:

– UConn offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead knows his team hasn’t gobbled up yards in the passing game. He points out that the Huskies aren’t that out of balance, however.

“I went back and looked at the numbers and we’re still 55 percent run and 45 percent pass,” Moorhead said. “I don’t think it’s a point where we’re running it any more than we had last year. Losing Marcus Easley and some of the big play capability he brought about, I think that’s where some of the yardage numbers have fallen off from a pass game perspective.”

It’s of course not a bad thing, given that UConn has won five straight games.

“Obviously we don’t have the balance we had last year,” Moorhead said. “Last year I think we were second in the conference in passing and still maintained our rushing effectiveness. This year our passing numbers have slipped off a bit.

“When you have an All-American running back and three all-conference linemen, those are the things you’re going lean on at this point in the season when you need to win games.”

– Speaking of that All-American, Saturday might be UConn RB Jordan Todman’s last game as a Husky. The junior is considering a jump to the NFL.

“I don’t want that to enter my mind,” Todman said. “I just take it one game at a time, whether it’s my last game here or not my last game here.”

– Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, for one, has plenty of respect for his opponent this week.

“That program’s been built on a foundation of being disciplined and being physical and being tough,” Venables said. “There’s really a lot of parallels with what we try to pride ourselves on.

“There’s a lot of parallels with our season and their season, where they had some early misfortunes and were, to a certain degree, written off,” Venables added.

Venables also scoffed at the notion that UConn doesn’t belong here.

“We have great, great respect for not only their program but their philosophies as a program, which are similar to ours,” Venables said. “But also how they’ve earned their right to get here, very similar to us.”

– UConn runs the ball so well but it has to throw the ball to win Saturday, right? Not so fast…

“They’ve played against a loaded box all year,” Venables said. “It’s not like people are sitting there playing with five guys in the box and trying to stop the pass. What they do well is they have balance and they’re efficient in their passing game.

“Their passing game is not Texas Tech, and that’s by design. The philosophy is to run it, to create balance and to throw when you need to, to give yourself opportunities to throw the curl route. Because you’re a in a loaded, single-safety defense and the curl route is going to be open 95 percent of the time when you’re in a single-safety defense. There’s a philosophy behind it that’s been very successful for them.”

OU All-American defensive end Jeremy Beal doesn’t expect UConn to turn into Texas Tech overnight, either.

“They’re going to do the same thing they’ve been doing. They’re going to do the same thing they did to get here,” Beal said. “They won five straight games doing it so why would they stop now?”

– UConn QB Zach Frazer obviously believes the Huskies can throw the ball if needed.

“If their plan is to stop our run, I feel confident in our passing game,” Frazer said. “Our game plan going in this week is pretty good. We’ve had a lot of time to analyze their defense and watch film. But I’m sure they’re doing the same on us. It’s going to be a tough game, it’s going to be an interesting game. That’s why it’s a big bowl game.”

– From the department of “yeah, right” comes UConn G Zach Hurd, who said with a straight face UConn’s game plan might call for dozens more passes.

“If we’re able to run the ball the whole game and not really have to pass it, we’ll do that,” Hurd said. “But we might come out and pass the ball the whole time because they’ll be expecting the run. Who knows?”

– Venables believes his defense can stop UConn but if it can’t….

“If they have success running the ball it’s going to be a long night,” Venables said. “Nothing’s more agonizing as a defensive coach than somebody’s ability to run the ball when you’re in schemes you think they shouldn’t be able to run the ball. That means they’re beating you physically. That’s the dagger as a coach. You feel very helpless.”

– Beal obviously expects UConn’s best.

“We know Connecticut’s going to come out swinging,” Beal said. “Any time the media keeps saying you’re a 17-point underdog and stuff like that, we’re going to get their best shot. It’s only human nature to come out swinging if people are kicking you.”

– Beal says UConn isn’t the only team with something to prove Saturday:

“Everybody knows we lost our last five BCS games,” Beal said. “We’re trying to prove something too, that we can win a BCS game, a big bowl game. It’s not just them trying to prove stuff.”

– It doesn’t look like WR Malik Generett will play a great deal in his first game back but we’ll see.

“We’re going to get through practice this week and see how he does,” Moorhead said.

“He’s basically been on scout team the entire year,” Moorhead added. “It’s a matter of him getting himself re-acclimated with what we’re doing, basically get himself into a game plan mode, where he’s not running plays off the card.”

– Oklahoma’s gone to a 5-man front down the stretch of the season and is seemingly good at changing things up.

“They do a great job with their scheme,” Moorhead said. “Their defensive staff does a great job mixing up the looks. It seems like every game you see a different front, a different coverage, a different pressure or variation. You really have to stay on your toes.”

Hurd is impressed with the Oklahoma D.

“They’re fast, athletic guys and they really fly to the ball,” Hurd said. “They put themselves in the right position.”

– UConn is not Boise State. Plenty of differences. But the Huskies are in a similar spot to the one the Broncos were in a few years ago against Oklahoma.

So Will UConn run a statue of liberty, a la Boise?

“Who knows?” Frazer said. “We’ve got a couple (trick plays) in there.”

The Huskies aren’t likely to change their game plan to feature a trick play every other possession, but if they get in a two-point situation or the like head coach Randy Edsall has given Moorhead something of a free pass to call a lot of different things.

UConn ran a few trick plays last season, including OT Mike Ryan’s near TD but hasn’t done much this season.

“I don’t know how he thinks of those things but he does a great job of coming up with those,” fullback Anthony Sherman said of Moorhead. “We haven’t been in a situation where we’ve needed it too much this year, which is a good thing. But if we have to, we have a couple things we can do.”

As for a fake punt, however, don’t hold your breath. It’s something of a running joke that UConn will never run a fake punt with Edsall at the helm.

“I’ve been here for four years and I haven’t seen one,” Sherman said. “I don’t know.”

– It’s a long layoff between games but most of the players aren’t complaining.

“I like it,” Frazer said. “I’m always in the film, always looking over stuff. I enjoy the extra time.”

– This is a rare game where UConn plays a “Texas-type” team and those kinds of players. Maybe they’re similar to “Florida-type” teams?

“It doesn’t matter where they’re from. Football is football,” Todman said. “We all do the same thing. We’re not going to say they’re from Texas or they’re from Florida so they’re a different breed. We’re all humans. We’re going to go out there and play.”

- Neill

No, we’re still not in Phoenix. Stuck on the East Coast with many of my sportswriting brethren.

There is hope for today, however….if you consider 12:48 a.m. Mountain Time today.

Anyway, the folks at UConn were kind enough to pass along some quotes from this morning’s press conference with UConn assistant head coach for defense Hank Hughes and the Huskies:

Hank Hughes:

What are your thoughts on Oklahoma after having watched some film?

“We haven’t been able to watch film everyday because we are still involved in recruiting and traveling so you aren’t just studying games for three weeks. We have had time to go through their stuff and make a game plan though. We went through that back at home but we will repeat it out here again. To me anytime that you have a lengthy period of time to study an opponent is an advantage.”

How has team speed evolved at UConn over the last few years?

“Even years ago we had decent speed in some kids, but overall team speed I think we have gotten faster. I think we have good team speed right now, we have some guys who can run. Certainly Oklahoma has a great team and it will be a huge challenge for us but we feel like we have a team speed that we can go out there and compete with.”

When you look at Oklahoma what concerns you?

“They are outstanding in the pass game, they are outstanding in offense overall. They are one of the best scoring offensives, best passing offensives and best total offensives in the country and they do it with multiple guys. They have certain guys that they feature, but they get the ball to different guys and the have quality depth. They can get the ball to the running back, wide outs, tight ends, fullbacks and tailbacks. They are very balanced and they also do a tremendous job with the tempo of their offense. That is probably on of the biggest things you have to match up to is the tempo.”

How is the conditioning of the team with a few weeks off?

“If you are out there long enough you are going to get tired no matter what shape you are in. We have done some things against our first offense to prepare for their hurry up style, we try to do as much as we can with the scout team. But you can’t totally match the tempo until you get to game time.”

Lawrence Wilson, Sr., linebacker:

What flipped the season around after the Louisville game?

“Coach went back to the drawing board, back to traditional UConn football. We were out there in pads, physical practices, spirited practices and we got the most out of it and started winning games.”

How has your season gone as an individual?

“It has been a good season, most importantly we are at the Fiesta Bowl. It is a dream to get here, it is one of the goals you set when you start playing college football. I am very, very proud of my teammates and what they have done this season.”

Can you describe what you are up against when it comes to Oklahoma?

“We are up against a really good passing team, they have a great quarterback, running back and wide receiver. They have all of the weapons on offense to put a lot of points up.”

Scott Lutrus, Sr., linebacker:

How much have you been able to make people think UConn football versus UConn basketball?

“UConn is definitely a basketball school, we have had very successful men’s and women’s programs. The success that the football program has had recently is making people recognize UConn football though. We have gone to four straight bowl games and going DI only a few years ago we are on the rise. The basketball teams have been around a while and they have done well for a long time but we are just starting our reign here.”

How much talk was there about the Fiesta Bowl in Storrs?

“There was a lot of talk around campus about the game. It was really the most that people have talked about UConn football and more people are finally starting to notice the program. It was good to see that, but at the same time it doesn’t affect us. We stay together as a team no matter what the challenge is and you take it game by game.”

“This is the biggest game that we could have gone to. The first time we won the Big East to earn the BCS bid and we are thrilled to be here. It is a great trip but at the same time we are here to win another football game.”

What have you done to simulate the speed of Oklahoma’s offense?

“We worked a lot with the scout team getting them to go as fast as they can and getting their tempo up. We also went against our own offense to get used to Oklahoma’s style of play. We have watched a couple Oklahoma games and they have had over 100 offensive plays in a game and just to see that is pretty impressive. They run the ball, pass the ball and it is quick.”

Blidi Wreh-Wilson, So., cornerback:

What do you look forward to the most in this game?

“It is a good opportunity for us to see what we are really made of. Anytime there is a challenge you can’t back down. We see Ryan Broyles and we know that they get him the ball. One thing about Oklahoma is they find ways to get him the ball and get him in open space. Going up against this is really going to show us what we are made of. As the season went on we progressed as a team and this will be a good test to see how far we really progressed.”

Does the history of the programs matter at all?

“To me it doesn’t really matter because when we get on the field the history isn’t going to be there, it is going to be the 2010 UConn football team against the 2010 Oklahoma football team. If we focus on the history it will just be another way for people to psych us out or put us down.”

Some say UConn is the underdog in this game, what does that do for the team?

“We are still living the little brother sort of thing. At the beginning of the season people were saying that this could be the year for us to have a good season and 8-4 is a good season, but we won the Big East and that made it a great season. People might say that we don’t deserve to be here but what are we supposed to do. We won the Big East and we deserve to be here. People are going to say a lot of things and at the end of the day we can’t do anything about that, we just need to go out and play football.”

What happened to turn the team around in the middle of the season?

“We had some distractions and it led to people making mistakes both on and off the field. We decided that we were going to play with clear minds and let it fly. From there we just kept winning. We focused on the little things more and after we had some good practices and talked with Coach Edsall it just felt like everything was more natural to us and we were starting to get in a rhythm. We started to play football rather than thinking too much.”

Both teams played well to end the season what does that do for the game?

“You have two teams surging at the end of the season with Oklahoma coming on strong and we finished with five straight wins. Right now we are both playing the best football that we have played all year. Going into the bowl game any team can win. People are just expecting us to lose, but we are both playing good football so it should be a great game.”

Kendall Reyes, Jr., defensive tackle

Do you take any offense to being the underdog in this game?

“I don’t take offense to that at all, as a team we always play better as the underdog. It gives you that ‘us versus the world’ mentality. But we play better that way so I’m glad that everyone is saying what they need to say because all it does is fire us up and we will go out and play that much better.”

What will UConn have to do to stay with the Oklahoma tempo?

“Their tempo tries to catch you off guard, but we have been studying their tendencies and we have a good idea of what to expect. Of course they will throw in a wrinkle here and there like every other team, but we are ready for it and we are going to be physical with them.”

What problem does speed pose?

“Speed is one thing that not everyone has, and it is a threat but defensively we just need to be physical with them and stop them.”

- Neill

From the good news/bad news department of the UConn football team this morning:

Wide receiver Malik Generett, who missed the regular season for academic reasons, will be eligible to play against Oklahoma in the bowl.

But safety Mike Lang, a one-time starter and still key reserve, will be out of action because his grades weren’t up to par.

Lang wasn’t a starter down the stretch this season but still played a great deal on special teams and as a reserve defensive back. Harris Agbor is the Huskies’ starter.

It’s hard to imagine Generett playing significantly against the Sooners, though he has practiced with team some this season and it won’t take him long to get readjusted.

We’ll have more info soon as we try to make it to Phoenix ourselves.

- Neill

The UConn football team arrived in Phoenix Sunday afternoon in preparation for the Fiesta Bowl. Here is a transcript from the press conference head coach Randy Edsall held soon after arrival.

Opening Statement:

“We just left 25 degree weather and we are supposed to have a storm coming in with 6-12 inches so being out here is great. We are honored and privileged to be here and play in the Fiesta Bowl against an outstanding opponent in Oklahoma. I know our kids are excited about being here and they have really worked hard and earned the right to be here with all of you great folks. We look forward to preparing this week then playing the game on Saturday against a quality opponent.”

Can you talk about what a great opportunity this is for your program?

“It is a tremendous opportunity for us, for our program to only be seven years in the BIG EAST and nine years as an FBS school, to get here this quickly and be in our first BCS game is something that these young men have dreamed about since they started playing the game. To get this opportunity and to know that because of team work, taking one game at a time and being able to fight through adversity, which they had to this year to get here, makes it that much more rewarding. It says so much about the kids, our program and the university. It is really hard to imagine that this has happened this quickly.”

Has anything happened in the last three weeks or today that has made you realize that this is a different stage?

“Just getting off the plane, this hasn’t happened before with all of the folks welcoming us and the press conference this is different. Also we haven’t been to a bowl game where it has been this warm. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself. Last night I was able to watch the South Florida game and reflect, and to see that game in its entirety and to know that that game meant we won the Big East and were able to come here was surreal. Now we are here and now we have work to do and business to take care of.”

Can you talk about the challenges Oklahoma presents?

“Oklahoma has tremendous athletes, Landry Jones is an outstanding quarterback and Ryan Broyles is very good, they know what they are doing. They have a tempo that gets after you and they can create problems with that. They just have outstanding players who are very well coached. It is a tremendous challenge for us, but it’s a challenge that we look forward to. This is why you work and why you put in all of the time and effort that the young men do, to achieve these goals and go out and play against the best there is in the country. We know that it is going to be a difficult test and we are going to have to play really good, sound, fundamental football to give ourselves an opportunity to win.”

Oklahoma lost the last two times they were here, is that a positive or negative going into the game?

“To me, I just know that they are a very good team and this game is totally different. We know that they are hearing all of those things that everybody is saying, and we know that we will be getting their best effort. We just have to make sure that we give our best effort also. We need to go out and play the type of football that we have been playing, and hopefully we can get some turnovers, possess the ball and play as well as we have been on special teams. For us it has to be a team effort, we have to have all three phases clicking in order for us to get the result that we are looking for.”

Oklahoma has changed offensive coordinators since the end of the season, does that change anything that you are doing?

“I doubt that it will change anything that they do. It’s not like they brought somebody in from the outside to put in a whole new system. There is going to be wrinkles just like everybody else puts in for a new game, but I don’t think the structure of what they have done in the 12 games that we saw will change.”

Can you talk about the bigger picture of playing in a BCS game?

“I think you will see more UConn fans here then what bought tickets. I think some of them went online and bought them instead of going through the school. I think the bigger message is about what this team has accomplished and what opportunities college football can give kids. This to me is something that people should focus on, giving these young men the opportunity to go and get an education and play football. For our young men at the University of Connecticut to be part of the Big East Conference and to win the Big East, coming back from a 3-4 record and 0-2 in the conference, and winning the last five games to win the conference is great. Being in the BCS for the first time in school history, I commend the people of college football for giving young men that opportunity to be able to do that.

“I think that is more of a story then the economics or anything along those lines. This will have an impact on our recruiting moving forward, and it is also going to show other people that if you really work hard and play as a team and you don’t care who gets the credit, you can accomplish anything that you want to in life. That is really what this is all about and that is really what this team has been about this year and last year. It goes to show you that if you take a diversified group of young men from all over the country and get them to believe in a common goal, they can achieve that goal, which is to be here and play in a BCS game.”

What makes Jordan Todman such a special running back?

“He is talented first and foremost. I think one thing is that he is a competitor. He is a guy that wants to do as well as he possibly can, but he is also the ultimate team player. He could care about the yards, and being an All-American, but really all he cares about is winning and doing his part to help his teammates win. He is the guy that we have been riding this year and I think we got him a little bit healthier now with some time off, but it is a shame that he wasn’t recognized even more than he was. Being the team guy that he is it really hasn’t affected him. He is an outstanding running back, but he is an even better person and a better competitor.”

- Neill

As of right now there are Huskies in Pittsburgh and there are Huskies in Phoenix. And, back in Connecticut where the weather is really built for dogs of that pedigree, we are stuck.

On the basketball side of things, we’ve got an ace stringer covering the men’s basketball team’s game against Pittsburgh Monday night. (We’ll give you a few details below, nonetheless). Look for that story Tuesday morning.

On the football end, we’ll eventually have loads of coverage from UConn’s Fiesta Bowl experience. That is, of course, if your intrepid beat writer ever makes it to Arizona.

So let it snow, let it snow, let it $%#@&! snow.

– Anyway, as promised, a few notes on UConn-Pitt Monday night (8:30 p.m., ESNP2) the Petersen Events Center. FYI, the Husky basketball team’s charter made it safely to Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon despite those white flakes dropping from the sky.

– This is the 7th time UConn and Pittsburgh will meet when both are ranked in top 10. They’ve split the previous six meetings.

When they’ve met as “only” ranked opponents, UConn is 7-5 in those meetings.

– Pittsburgh is 141-11 at Petersen, a building now in its ninth season of operation. UConn put one of those in the latter column (Feb. 26, 2005) but is 1-4 in the building overall.

– Pitt has won three straight over UConn.

UConn leads the all-time series 30-27.

– UConn is 15-16 in Big East openers, 8-9 when those games are on the road.

– Kemba Walker has had nine-straight games of 20 points or more, still the third longest streak in school history.

Walker also has 1,083 career points, good for 41st on UConn’s all-time list.

He’ll pass Jim Abromaitis (1,084) and move into 40th place in the Pitt game. He also might catch Jack Rose (1,116) Monday and get to 39th.

- Neill

A look back at Wednesday’s UConn-Harvard game:

UConn 81, Harvard 52

TURNING POINT _ The game was over when Harvard missed its first 12 shots from the floor. The Crimson struggled to shoot all evening.

“I think Harvard’s a very good team and Tommy (Amaker) is a terrific coach,” UConn’s Jim Calhoun said. “I thought they ran their offense. I just thought they couldn’t simulate us ball-pressure wise in practice.”

Calhoun called it Maui-type defense, saying he hadn’t seen it since the Huskies ruled the waves and the hardwood in Lahaina.

UNSUNG HERO _ Don’t look know but center Charles Okwandu has become serviceable. Actually, the 7-footer is bordering on more than serviceable.

It looked for a time that he would be a liability for the Huskies but is starting to resemble a strength.

“I think a lot of it is us encouraging him in practice and shootaround,” fellow big man Alex Oriakhi said. “Like ‘You’re a beast, Chuck! You can be a best if you want to be.’ I think he’s starting to buy into it a little bit.”

On the heels of his 9-point, 7-rebound, 5-block effort against Coppin State, Okwandu came up with 6 points, 2 blocks and 2 rebounds against Harvard. His latter totals, which don’t reflect his terrific defense and intimidating presence, would have been even higher if not for some foul trouble.

BEST ‘X’ AND/OR ‘O’ _ Letting Tyler Olander have the green light despite his early struggles.

UConn’s freshman forward hasn’t had the start to his career he may have hoped, but the 6-foot-10 Mansfield native showed some signs Wednesday that he’s turning the corner.

The big lefty made his first jump shot from 16 feet, and followed that with two more jumpers later in the game that swished through the net.

“Hitting the first one was big. Hitting the first one gets you going, gets you more focused and into the game,” Olander said.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS _ Calhoun was in a truly good mood after the game. His team’s performance helped, the holiday season helped, as did the presence of his grandchildren in the back of the interview area.

Things just seem to be going the Huskies’ way these days.

“To be 10-0 at this point? I’m never shocked. I’m not even surprised,” Calhoun said. “But I’m very thankful that our team has played the way we did today.”

LOOKING AHEAD _ The Huskies begin Big East play Monday at Pittsburgh. They’re 10-0 but they’ve got at least 20 challenging games left _ 18 Big East games and two more big non-conference tilts against Texas and Tennessee.

Is UConn guard Kemba Walker happy about his team’s development as they venture into league play?

“Oh yeah, I’ll go to war with them any day,” Walker said. “We’re a good team, chemistry wise.”

BY THE NUMBERS

11,255 _ The announced attendance for Wednesday’s game, UConn’s biggest home crowd of the season.

16,294 _ The capacity of the XL Center for basketball.

1-2-2009 _ The date of UConn’s first sellout last season (vs. Notre Dame in Hartford).

- Neill

About to leave the XL Center following UConn’s 81-52 win over Harvard.

The Huskies are 10-0 heading to Pittsburgh. (actually they have practice Thursday morning, a break for Christmas, then they head to Pitt but I digress….)

– Tonight’s game was all about defense. UConn held Harvard to 18-of-60 from the floor (4-of-31 from three).

“I think Harvard’s a very good team and Tommy (Amaker) is a terrific coach,” UConn’s Jim Calhoun said. “I thought they ran their offense. I just thought they couldn’t simulate us ball-pressure wise in practice.”

The Huskies scored the game’s first 11 points and never looked back.

– Harvard’s leading scorer, Christian Webster, was 0-for-9 from the field (0-for-7 from three) and finished with 2 points.

“We can play anybody pretty well with that kind of defense,” Calhoun said.

Harvard’s Keith Wright actually was pretty good, scoring 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He did most of his damage after the game had been decided, of course.

Actually, if you take Wright out of the stats Harvard players made just 10-of-48 shots (20.8 percent).

– Kemba Walker had 20 points, his 8th straight game with at least 20. That’s the third-longest streak in UConn history.

Donyell Marshall had at least 20 in 23 straight games in 1993-94. Wes Bialosuknia had a 16-game run in 1966-67.

– Both Charles Okwandu and Tyler Olander were 3-of-3 from the floor. Each looked as comfortable on the court as they have all season.

In addition, Okwandu was a defensive force.

– This is the eighth team in UConn history to begin a season with at least 10 straight wins.

The 1998-99 team started 19-0, the 1994-95 team started 15-0, the 1953-54 team started 14-0. In addition five other UConn teams started 11-0.

– Former UConn guard Doug Wiggins, an East Hartford High grad, was in the house.

Wiggins is now at NAIA school Mountain State University in West Virginia.

He’s averaging 12.8 ppg.

– The Brookfield High School choir performed the National Anthem prior to the game and the school’s marching band performed at halftime.

Good job by both. (No, really. Not kissing up. Pretty good showing.)

– The announced crowd of 11,255 at the XL Center Wednesday was the largest crowd of the season for the Huskies. It’s a new world.

– In case you missed it earlier on the blog, we have some official pronunciation guidelines from UConn for its German stars.

Enosh Wolf’s first name is pronounced eee-nish.

Niels Giffey’s last name is pronounced gihf-EYE.

So, when you’re screaming at them for an autograph, try and get it right.

- Neill

Remember how I wrote Harvard might give UConn a good game? Yeah, try and forget about that one.

Halftime at the old mall in Hartford and UConn is up on Harvard 48-21. The Husky offense is in high gear.

Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier have 9 points each. Alex Oriakhi has 8, Kemba Walker 7 and Roscoe Smith 7.

Charles Okwandu is playing well again, too.

Harvard is shooting 7-of-30 from the floor, 1-of-15 from three.

– From the please-say-my-name correctly department, here’s a quick note from UConn officials on their German imports.

It’s “eee-nish” Wolf, not “eee-nosh” as I admit I’ve been pronouncing it.

Also, Niels Giffey’s name has been butchered a few times. It’s “kneelzz gihf-EYE” if you’re talking at home.

- Neill