UConn sports

UConn just released this statement from men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun on the passing of Big East founder Dave Gavitt.

“Dave will be missed incredibly by me as a mentor and friend,” Calhoun said. “He was always such a big picture guy and he has done more for the sport of basketball than anyone in my lifetime. His impact on athletics in the eastern part of the country is immeasurable and the Big East Conference, created through his vision and foresight, has taken all of us to a place that we never could have imagined.

“It is especially sad, considering today is certainly one of those days, with everything in the news about our league, I would love nothing more than to call him and ask him simply, ‘What do you think and what should we do?’ Sadly, we cannot do that.”

Also, check out my guy Rich Elliott’s story on UConn’s place in the ACC/Big East nonsense going on now.

UConn's Johnny McEntee throws up a pass with seconds left in East Hartford on Friday. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni spent a few minutes on the phone with reporters Saturday afternoon on the heels of his Huskies’ 24-20 loss to Iowa State Friday night.

Pasqualoni lamented his team’s many mistakes, and hopes to have most of them corrected before UConn takes on Buffalo next Saturday night. Here are a few of the highlights of the chat:

– The quarterback rotation _ Johnny McEntee’s starting, Mike Nebrich’s takeover in the second and sometimes fourth quarter, as well as Scott McCummings’ occasional plays here and there _ will probably continue.

Well, Pasqualoni didn’t say that specifically but he did say none of the three was pulling ahead to earn the job alone.

“That’s something that _ we’re in here just finishing up grading the film now _ that we’ll discuss as a staff and we’ll make a decision on as we go,” Pasqualoni said. “Each of them did some good things. Each of them did some things that they absolutely have to get better with.

“No one has clearly separated themselves from the pack,” the coach added. “We still have three. They can all execute better than they did, and they can all help us more than they did.”

– As far as the passing game went, Pasqualoni said the quarterbacks missed some key throws.

“In the pass game we just missed too many open receivers,” Pasqualoni said. “I thought we did a pretty consistent job of making the right reads _ not 100 percent of the time by fairly consistently, and that needs to improve. We had the right read and just missed the receiver on some critical throws.”

“At the end of the day John McEntee had some good reads. He just didn’t throw it as accurately as he usually does, which was disappointing,” Pasqualoni said.

– As for what could be the impending doom of the Big East Conference, Pitt and Syracuse’s move to the ACC, which was first reported by the New York Times, Pasqualoni said he hasn’t paid much attention.

“I’m so focused on what we’re doing here that I really haven’t paid a lot of attention to anything else other than that,” Pasqualoni said. “I think the leadership of the Big East and the leadership, the presidents within the conference and the Big East conference office, will handle everything they can do in the best interests of the Big East. I think we have to go that way with it.”

On a side note, it’s about what I expected from a football coach. He IS supposed to be focused on his team. But it seems the conference leadership may have been blindsided (again) by this move. That’s a bigger question.

– The three turnovers UConn forced of Iowa State in the first quarter were great. The points UConn scored off those turnovers (three) was rather pathetic.

“We come out of the first half having 10 points with the potential of having 28,” Pasqualoni said. “That’s not nearly enough in a game like that.”

– The changes along the offensive line, which included moving Jimmy Bennett into the starting lineup at left tackle, moving Mike Ryan from left tackle to right tackle, and moving Kevin Friend to left guard (Steve Greene rotated in there at LG, too), were needed according to Pasqualoni.

“The decisions we made on the offensive line were the right decisions to make,” Pasqualoni said.

But, they didn’t exactly go smoothly. The run game was not very good, and much of the blame can probably be laid at the feet of the linemen.

“At the end of the day, what I learned one more time, is that even though Mike Ryan is a senior and has played a lot of football, it’s hard in one week to take him from the left and put him on the right and expect his footwork to be as good as it needs to be,” Pasqualoni said.

UConn's Jory Johnson, right, reaches for an interception after a pass intended for Iowa State's Kurt Hammerschmidt was disrupted by UConn's Sio Moore (3) during the first half of their game in East Hartford on Friday. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

By Neill Ostrout

Staff Writer

EAST HARTFORD _ No matter how the UConn coaching staff shuffles its quarterbacks, the Huskies can’t seem to draw an ace.

UConn’s trio of players rotating under center has yet to produce a win over a Division I-A opponent.

In the latest edition of UConn’s quarterback shuffle Iowa State rallied from a disastrous start to beat the Huskies 24-20 Friday night before a crowd of 37,195 at Rentschler Field.

UConn, as has been its practice this season, rotated all three of its quarterbacks into the game. Whether it was Johnny McEntee, Mike Nebrich or Scott McCummings at the helm, the UConn offense again sputtered for much of the evening.

The Huskies (1-2) committed three turnovers, missed a pair of field goals yet still were ahead by three points early in the fourth quarter.

McEntee took the majority of the snaps, and was 13-of-30 for 188 yards with one interception. McCummings threw for one touchdown and ran for another. UConn receiver Isiah Moore did have a career day with eight catches for 143 yards.

The in-game quarterback changes could continue for a fourth week when the Huskies travel to Buffalo next week.

“We’ll make a decision (Saturday) afternoon in regard to whether we keep going the way we’re going or we select one and go with him,” UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “My sense is I want to see the film and I want to grade the film before I say anything.”

UConn picked off Iowa State quarterback Steele Jantz three times in the first quarter alone, and the Cyclones managed just 4 yards of total offense in that opening 15 minutes.

But the ISU defense was holding its own, and despite being put in tough positions forced the Huskies into a number of long field goal attempts.

The game took a major swing early in the second half when Iowa State took advantage of a UConn fumble with well executed trick play. Cyclone wideout Josh Lenz took a pitch from running back James White on a reverse before stopping and throwing to a wide open Darius Reynolds for a 40-yard touchdown. The option pass gave Iowa State its first lead of the game at 14-10.

UConn pulled back within a point on kicker Dave Teggart’s second 50-plus yard field goal of the night, but faltered quickly after. Yet another fumble, this one by running back D.J. Shoemate on the first play of the ensuing third-quarter drive, led to an Iowa State field goal and put the Huskies in a 17-13 hole.

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We’re here at Rentschler Field for a late kickoff between UConn and Iowa State. A few notes from the pregame festivities before we get underway:

– Former UConn athletic director Lew Perkins, one of the men perhaps most responsible for Rentschler Field being built, attended his first game at the stadium Friday night.

Perkins, who left to become Kansas AD before the Huskies played their first game here in 2003, was a guest in interim UConn AD Paul Pendergast’s suite Friday.

Perkins was one of the architect’s of UConn’s upgrade from Division I-AA to I-A (FCS to FBS for all you modern fans).

– RB D.J. Shoemate (ankle) is in uniform and warming up. Though he did both of those things in Week 1 and Week 2, and didn’t play.

Tonight, however, he’ll start and apparently play a great deal.

– QB Johnny McEntee will get his third start in three games. We’ll see how much of a rotation there is with Mike Nebrich and Scott McCummings.

– The Huskies have shuffled their offensive line for tonight’s game, at least at the start. Jimmy Bennett is making his first start and is at left tackle, while Kevin Friend has moved to left guard. Veteran starter Mike Ryan has moved back to right tackle, the position the coaches like him at the best. Center Moe Petrus and right guard Adam Masters are in their normal spots.

– DE Jesse Joseph (knee) is out of action again, as expected. He might be ready next week for Buffalo though Western Michigan appears more likely.

– The NCAA champion men’s basketball team signed a few autographs for fans before the game (At least, I think it did. The Huskies were running very late and I waited as long as I could for them before heading back to the press box and concentrate on football).

– There were 12 NFL scouts credentialed for the game, including two from the Patriots and one from the Giants.

– Don’t forget to keep up with our live updates on Twitter (@NeillOstrout) or by glancing at the feed on this page.

In case you missed them, here are some stories on the matchup from this week:

Eliminating big plays would certainly help Huskies

Capsule look at the game

UConn-Iowa State: Who has the edge?

Pasqualoni still has confidence in QB’s but Huskies could use some of that old Iowa State magic

The University of Connecticut will reflect on the attacks of September 11, 2001 before its football team takes on Iowa State Friday night at Rentschler Field.

The school has encouraged fans to be in their seats by 7:30 p.m. to be part of the ceremony.

In special remembrance of the 157 people with Connecticut ties who perished in the attacks, the UConn football team will wear a special decal on their helmets that says “9-11/CT”.

There will be a moment of silence followed by the crowd being led in the Pledge of Allegiance by John Lenihan of Avon, whose twin brother Joe was killed while working in the World Trade Center as it was attacked.

Following the pledge, the UConn Marching Band will lead the crowd in the singing of the National Anthem.

There will also be a special acknowledgement of those who lost their lives in the attack from the state of Iowa.

UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni, here waiting for the call from head linesman Jon Stabile against Vanderbilt last week in Nashville, hopes his Huskies can hold back Iowa State this week. (AP Photo/John Russell)

UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni spent a few minutes chatting with media members Wednesday afternoon, a little more than 48 hours before the Huskies take on Iowa State at Rentschler Field. Here is a sampling of his thoughts:

– There doesn’t seem to be a change in store at quarterback, though the coaches would be unlikely to say in advance of the game if there were, perhaps. Johnny McEntee, Scott McCummings and Mike Nebrich could/will all play again this week.

“We’re going to go into this with the three quarterbacks ready to play. They each have played in the first two games so we anticipate no change there,” Pasqualoni said. “And we’ll make decisions based on how we’re doing and what kind of production we’re having and how the game is going.”

– RB D.J. Shoemate might make his 2011 debut this week finally. His sprained ankle is almost at full strength.

“He’s practiced well this week,” Pasqualoni said. “Today (Wednesday) will be really an important day for him. Tomorrow (Thursday), as light as it is, will be important for him. He got some work in yesterday (Tuesday) and I just want to see how he comes out today and responds. But I think he’s headed in the right direction.”

– DE Jesse Joseph (knee) is almost assuredly out again this week. Next week, however, there’s a chance the junior could return.

“He’s closer to next week. He’s working right now. He was out there yesterday (Tuesday),” Pasqualoni said. “But I think realistically it would be more next week now.”

– Practice has gone well lately but the coaching staff was a bit worried when the week began.

“I thought early in the week we may have had just a little bit of jet lag, just a little bit tired,” Pasqualoni said. “But they’ve responded well.”

– True freshmen linebackers Jefferson Ashiru and Marquise Vann are both in the two-deep as backups. That doesn’t mean they still won’t redshirt, of course.

If one or both of them HAS to play, however, Pasqualoni said the coaches wouldn’t hesitate.

“We go week-by-week by that. They’re up and they’re getting reps with the second unit,” Pasqualoni said. “They’re in development, both a work in progress. But they’re very close to going into the game.

“That’s a week-by-week deal. If need be, we certainly would put them in the game. We wouldn’t hesitate to put either of those two kids in the game.”

– There are a few special events planned for the game, including a “Blue Out.”

A few notes from the UConn athletic department about Friday night’s game against Iowa State:

– The Huskies hope to have a “Blue Out” and are asking all fans to wear UConn blue for the ESPN2 audience. (Well, for other reasons, too, but it helps for TV nonetheless).

– On Friday the two-millionth fan in the history of Rentschler Field will enter the gates. Officials expect No. 2,000,000 to come through shortly after the doors open at 6:30 p.m. It’s the 53rd game for the stadium, which opened in 2003.

Fan No. 2,000,000 will receive a special greeting, will be on the field for the opening kickoff and will get a pregame stadium tour. That fan will also receive four chairback season tickets and a priority parking pass for the 2012 season as well as an autographed ball from coach Paul Pasqualoni.

– Among the other ceremonies slated for Friday night’s game are: a recognition at halftime of Susan Herbst, who will be inaugurated as UConn’s 15th president on Friday; an autograph session with the NCAA champion men’s basketball team from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. outside of Gate B; a UConn football poster giveaway also outside of Gate B; the weekly “Husky Walk” will occur between Gates C and D at about 5:35 p.m.

– It’s also “Green Awareness Night” at Rentschler, a night to promote sportsmanship as well as sustainability and environmental responsibility at UConn athletic events.

Iowa State quarterback Steele Jantz celebrates with fans after Saturday's 44-41 triple-OT win over Iowa in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Some news and notes from the UConn football team as it gets ready to take on Iowa State (the Tyler Lorenzen Bowl, if you need a nickname) Friday night in East Hartford.

Coach Paul Pasqualoni and the Huskies met with the media Monday afternoon as they try to bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt.

– No changes to the depth chart this week, though obviously it’s not set in stone.

The three quarterbacks are still listed as co-starters. The running backs, D.J. Shoemate and Lyle McCombs, are still co-starters, as are Gary Bardzak and Steve Greene at left guard. Taylor Mack is still listed as the top punt returner, though on the field Nick Williams doesn’t appear to have actually lost his job yet.

“We didn’t catch punts as well as I want to. We have to improve there,” Pasqualoni said.

– The teams have met only once before, a 37-20 win by the Huskies in Ames, Iowa, back on Nov. 23, 2002. It was something of a landmark win for the then-upstart UConn program, which behind the likes of Dan Orlovsky and Terry Caulley, beat the bowl-bound Cyclones relatively easily.

– UConn is 3-1 in its history against Big 12 teams (two wins over Baylor, one over Iowa State and a loss to Oklahoma).

– Practice has already started for this week and it’s been good according to the coach.

“I thought everybody was in pretty good spirits (Sunday), as I expected they would be. We’re in the mode of moving on,” Pasqualoni said.

The short week perhaps isn’t a problem for the Huskies.

“We don’t have a lot of time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves,” Pasqualoni said.

– UConn actually completed a number of passes on third downs but didn’t gain first downs. Some of that is on the receivers.

“From a route running standpoint, we were not as sharp in this game as we were in Week 1,” Pasqualoni said, “which is something we went back (Sunday) and addressed.”

– Johnny McEntee, Mike Nebrich and Scott McCummings, it seems, still have a chance to play this week.

Pasqualoni says he hasn’t lost any confidence in McEntee, or anyone else for that matter.

“No, I haven’t lost any confidence in Johnny. I haven’t lost any confidence in Mike. I haven’t lost any confidence in Scott,” Pasqualoni said.

– The cautious approach to Shoemate’s ankle is something that might pay dividends, the coach hopes. Pasqualoni said he expects Shoemate to be 100 percent by Thursday.

“I’m optimistic that this rest we’ve given him two weeks in a row is going to pay off,” Pasqualoni said.

– A few red zone issues are starting to crop up.

“We can’t be at the goal line and give up a negative play. That’s happened to us two weeks in a row,” Pasqualoni said.

– The Cyclones are coming off a solid win over Iowa in triple-OT.

“They’re a very, very good team. Obviously they had a big win against a tough and physical Iowa team,” Pasqualoni said.