Dec. 2
Louisville 48 ... Connecticut 17
Louisville rolled at will cranking out 570 yards of total
offense, but it took just over 20 minutes to put the game away. Harry
Douglas caught two touchdown passes in the second quarter with a
67-yard grab and a 25-yard play to start a run of 31 straight
points. Brian Brohm finished with four touchdown passes, Anthony Allen
ran for two short scores, and Gary Barnidge caught a 32-yard touchdown
pass to close out the Cardinal scoring. Terry Caulley and Lou Allen each
ran for one-yard touchdown runs for Connecticut.
Player of the game ... Louisville WR Harry Douglas
caught five passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing:
Matt Bonislawski, 7-19, 89 yds
Rushing: Donald Brown, 21-122. Receiving:
Dan Murray, 2-35
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 20-28,
341 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kolby Smith, 10-64. Receiving: Harry
Douglas, 5-149, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The only
way Connecticut had a shot to stick around with Louisville was if the
running game controlled the tempo and the defense came up with a few key
turnovers. The Cardinals held on to the ball for 35:21, the Huskies ran
for a just 147 yards, and it was a blowout. Even so, Donald Brown closed
out the season strong with a nice game, but for the offense to do
anything next year, more is needed out of Matt Bonislawski and the
passing attack. Eight first downs isn't going to get it done against a
high-powered team on the road.
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2006
Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2006 Schedule:
4-8
Preview 2006 predicted wins
|
|
8/31 |
Rhode Island
W 52-7 |
|
9/16 |
Wake Forest L 24-13 |
|
9/23 |
at Indiana
W 14-7 |
|
9/30 |
Navy
L 41-17 |
|
10/7 |
at South Florida L 38-16 |
|
10/14 |
Army
W 21-7 |
|
10/20 |
West Virginia L 37-11 |
|
10/28 |
at Rutgers L 24-13 |
|
11/11 |
Pitt
W 46-45 2OT |
|
11/18 |
at Syracuse L 20-13 |
|
11/25 |
Cincinnati
L 26-23 |
|
12/2 |
at Louisville L 48-17 |
|
|
2005
Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-5
2005 Schedule: 5-6
Preview 2005 predicted wins |
|
9/1 |
Buffalo
W 38-0 |
|
9/10 |
Liberty
W 59-0 |
|
9/17 |
at Georgia Tech L 38-13 |
|
10/1 |
at Army
W 47-13 |
|
10/7 |
Syracuse
W 26-7 |
|
10/15 |
at Cincinnati L 28-17 |
|
10/22 |
Rutgers
L 26-24 |
|
11/2 |
at West Virginia L 45-13 |
|
11/12 |
at Pittsburgh L 24-0 |
|
11/26 |
South Florida
W 16-10 |
|
12/3 |
Louisville L 30-20 |
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Nov. 25
Cincinnati 26 ... Connecticut 23
Kevin Lovell nailed his fourth field goal of the game hitting
a 29-yarder with ten seconds to play. The Bearcats tied it up on a
nine-yard Dominick Goodman touchdown catch with just over two minutes to
go, forced a punt, and got a 50-yard pass to Derrick Stewart to set up
the winning score. Stewart caught a three-yard touchdown pass in the
third quarter for UC's first touchdown of the game, while Lovell
finished with field goals from 25, 28, 42, and the game-winner.
Connecticut got two Matt Bonislawski touchdown passes and a 14-yard
Donald Brown scoring run.
Player of the game ... Cincinnati WR Derrick Stewart
caught nine passes for 166 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing:
Matt Bonislawski, 13-24, 172 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 18-80, 1 TD. Receiving:
Brad Kanuch, 3-98, 1 TD
Cincinnati - Passing: Nick Davila, 14-25,
232 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Butler Benton, 10-59. Receiving: Derrick
Stewart, 9-166, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The last two games, both winnable,
killed the bowl possibilities hurt by an inefficient secondary and not
enough from the offense in crunch time. The running game that ripped
through Pitt a few games ago wasn't there against Syracuse or
Cincinnati, but it had better be against Louisville or it's going to be
an ugly blowout. Credit QB Matt Bonislawski for not making many mistakes
and not turning the ball over against the Bearcats. The D can't survive
if the offense is putting it in a bad position.
Nov. 18
Syracuse 20 ... Connecticut 13
Curtis Brinkley ran for a one-yard score and took a pass 18
yards for a touchdowns while the Syracuse defense held UConn to just 168
yards before a final garbage-time 98-yard drive finished off with a
16-yard Terence Jeffers touchdown catch with just four seconds to play.
The Huskies tied it at seven in the first quarter on a three-yard catch
from Donald Brown, but the running game was held to just 70 yards while
D.J. Hernandez turned it over three times. Patrick Shadle connected on
field goals from 35 and 44 yards out for the Orange.
Player
of the game ...
Syracuse RB Curtis Brinkley ran 19 times for 68 yards and a touchdown
and added an 18-yard touchdown reception on his only catch.
Stat Leaders: Connecticut- Passing: D.J. Hernandez,
19-29, 188 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Donald Brown, 18-67 Receiving: Larry Taylor, 5-45
Syracuse: Perry Patterson, 9-18, 143 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Delone Carter, 16-115 Receiving: Tim Lane, 2-48
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... After
such an exciting, apparent breakthrough win over Pitt with so many big
offensive performances, the dud against Syracuse, especially with
Cincinnati and Louisville coming up, was galling. D.J. Hernandez did a
solid job on third downs and Donald Brown had a few moments, but there
was little to no overall pop to the attack while the defense, for the
second straight week, didn't do any one thing well. There no way the
Huskies will win the last two games and be bowl eligible unless it plays
mistake-free and gets Brown on track.
Nov. 11
Connecticut 46 ... Pitt 45 2OT
Connecticut got a ten-yard Donald Brown touchdown run to pull
within one in the second overtime, but instead of going for two, went
for the win and got it with D.J. Hernandez running for the game-winning
score. Down 31-17 in the fourth quarter, the Panthers Hernandez threw
two touchdown passes including a three-yard pass to Dan Murray with
three seconds to play to force overtime. Brandon Young gave the Huskies
the lead with an 11-yard run in the first overtime, but Pitt answered
with a
Conredge
Collins catch. The Panthers got a one-yard LaRod Stephens touchdown run
in the second overtime before Brown and Hernandez ended it. Tyler Palko
and Steve Buches hooked up for two scores for the Panthers. Pitt
linebackers H.B. Blades and Clint Session combined for 32 tackles.
Player of the
game ... Connecticut QB D.J. Hernandez completed 20 of 29 passes
for 164 yards and four touchdowns and ran 17 times for 130 yards. Donald
Brown ran 43 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns and caught four
passes for 26 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J.
Hernandez, 20-29, 164 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 43-205, 2 TD Receiving:
Larry Taylor, 5-47
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 20-25, 234 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 32-154, 2 TD Receiving:
Steve Buches, 5-73, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... All of a
sudden, Connecticut is back in the bowl hunt with a scintillating fourth
quarter and a controversial overtime call against Pitt. Give the
coaching staff credit for taking a chance that worked out going for two
and ending the game in the second OT, but it would've been devastating,
after the great comeback, if it failed. D.J. Hernandez came up with his
breakout game with an efficient performance with his legs as well as his
arm, while Donald Brown has turned into the Big East's hottest back.
That's saying something considering Ray Rice and Steve Slaton have the
All-Big East spots sewn up.
Oct. 28
Rutgers 24 ... Connecticut 13
Rutgers got out to a first half 17-0 lead on a five-yard Ray
Rice touchdown run and an 11-yard Manny Collins fumble return for a
score, but had to hang on as Connecticut got two Donald Brown touchdown
runs in the third quarter with a 65-yard dash to open up the half and a
seven-yard run at the end of the quarter. With the offense struggling,
the Scarlet Knight special teams came through with Quintero Frierson
falling on a blocked punt for a score.
Player of the
game ...
Rutgers DL Jamal
Westerman made six tackles, 2.5 sacks, blocked a kick, broke up a pass,
and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J.
Hernandez, 8-17, 67 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Donald Brown, 28-199, 2 TD Receiving:
Deon Anderson, 3-10
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 11-24, 123 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 22-79, 1 TD Receiving: Tiquan
Underwood, 3-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
After getting run over by West Virginia, the
defense did a good job of bottling up Rutgers. However, there wasn't any
passing game to speak of and there were too many problems protecting QB
D.J. Hernandez. Three turnovers and a breakdown on special teams isn't
going to get it done against a good team like Rutgers, but if Donald
Brown can run well and the pass defense can play as well as it has over
the last few weeks, the Huskies will have a shot against Pitt.
Oct. 20
West Virginia 37 ... Connecticut 11
West Virginia broke a 3-3 tie with a 27 straight points
highlighted by a 45-yard touchdown run from Pat White, a career-long
48-yard field goal from Pat McAfee, and a 52-yard touchdown catch from
Rayshawn Bolden. UConn managed to tie it early in the second quarter on
a 29-yard Tony Ciaravino field goal and got a five-yard D.J. Hernandez
scoring run, but the Mountaineers were never in danger after the White
run. Steve Slaton capped things off with a 56-yard touchdown run late in
the fourth.
Player of the
game ...
West Virginia QB Pat White completed 9 of 14 passes for 156 yards
and a touchdown with an interception and ran 15 times for 102 yards and
a score.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat
White, 9-14, 156 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 19-128, 1 TD Receiving:
Rayshawn Bolden, 3-95, 1 TD
Connecticut - Passing: Matt Bonislawski, 8-20,
58 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 13-35 Receiving:
Terry Caulley, 4-27
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Connecticut is simply too young, and missing the playmakers, to beat a
team as good as West Virginia. There were too many breakdowns on the
lines and too many short fields for the juggernaut Mountaineer offense.
The quarterback situation will be an issue for the rest of the year with
Matt Bonislawski and D.J. Hernandez equally struggling. If Terry Caulley
and the running game aren't working, UConn isn't going to win much. The
Huskies were held to 128 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry.
Oct. 14
Connecticut 21 ... Army 7
Terry Caulley tore off a 98-yard touchdown run early in the
first quarter and Larry Taylor returned a punt for a score to give
Connecticut a big early lead it wouldn't have a problem defending. Army
turned it over four times with David Pevoto throwing three picks, but he
got the team close with a three-yard touchdown pass to Justin Larson
early in the fourth. The Huskies put it away on a 0ne-yard Matt
Bonislawski score.
Player of the
game ... Connecticut RB Terry Caulley ran 13 times for 136 yards
and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Army - Passing: David Pevoto,
16-30, 155 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Wesley McMahand, 14-44 Receiving:
Tim Dunn, 6-35
Connecticut - Passing: Matt Bonislawski, 10-21,
139 yds
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 13-136, 1 TD Receiving:
Steve Brouse, 2-41
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Considering how poorly UConn had played the previous two games, beating
Army with relative ease was a must with West Virginia, Rutgers and Pitt
coming up. Matt Bonislawski had another lousy passing day having
problems with his accuracy, but the running game made up for the
problems and the secondary did a great job of stopping Black Knight
drives. To win over the next few weeks, the offense has to do a better
job on third downs.
Oct. 7
South Florida 38 ... Connecticut 16
Matt Grothe ran for three touchdowns and threw a five-yard
scoring pass to Amarri Jackson as South Florida had few problems putting
away Connecticut. The Huskies kept up early helped by a ten-yard Deon
Anderson touchdown catch, but couldn't get back into the end zone until
there was 1:14 to play with a one-yard Lou Allen run. Grothe's scoring
runs came from 16, eight, and six yards out.
Player of the
game ...
South Florida QB
Matt Grothe completed 12 of 15 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown and
ran 15 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: South Florida - Passing: Matt
Grothe, 12-15, 146 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Benjamin Williams. 11-108, 1 TD Receiving:
S.J. Green, 3-72
Connecticut - Passing: Matt Bonislawski, 20-40,
201 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 14-38 Receiving: Larry
Taylor, 5-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It's a simple issue for Connecticut;
if the running game isn't working, the team probably can't come up with
the win. Matt Bonislawski and the passing game simply weren't effective
enough against South Florida, and it's not going to be nearly strong
enough to handle teams like West Virginia and Rutgers in the near
future. Terry Caulley was keyed on by the Bull defense, and he had
little room to move. UConn won't win many if it only cranks out 60
rushing yards.
Sept. 30
Navy 41 ... Connecticut 17
Brian Hampton ran over UConn for three touchdowns and bombed
away for a 77-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Campbell leading Navy to 605
yards of total offense on the way to an easy win. Hampton ran for a
score from 24 yards out in the first quarter, and put the game well out
of reach with touchdown dashes from 52 and four yards out in the fourth.
Campbell added to the big plays with a 68-yard scoring dash on Navy's
first play from scrimmage in the second half. UConn only managed a
14-yard touchdown catch from Terry Caulley and a four-yard scoring grab
from Deon Anderson, but three fumbles and the inability to get the Navy
offense off the field proved costly.
Player of the game ... Navy QB Brian Hampton completed
five of 11 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and ran 27 times for 182
yards and three scores.
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: Matt
Bonislawski, 15-37, 176 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 14-87. Receiving:
Larry Taylor, 5-46
Navy - Passing: Brian Hampton, 5-11, 141
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brian Hampton, 27-182, 3 TD. Receiving:
Reggie Campbell, 1-77, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Where were the Connecticut
linebackers against Navy? The Huskies started the season well against
the run and then couldn't come close to dealing with anything the
Midshipmen wanted to do. Making things worse were three fumbles and an
awful day from QB Matt Bomislawski. Outside of a few good drives, he
wasn't close to being sharp enough to keep the chains moving and keep
the Navy offense off the field. UConn isn't going anywhere in Big East
play if it doesn't get more from the quarterbacks.
Sept. 23
Connecticut 14 ... Indiana 7
Connecticut's defense held Indiana to no rushing yards and
scored on a 39-yard Danny Lansanah interception return for a score
in the first quarter. Lou Allen ran for a 35-yard score in the third
quarter for the Huskies, but IU answered with a kickoff return for a
touchdown from Marcus Thigpen. IU had one last shot, but the last gasp
drive stalled on the UConn 42 as Blake Powers couldn't find anyone open
and was stopped for a two-yard gain on fourth and six.
Player of the game ... Connecticut RB Terry Caulley ran
31 times for 152 yards
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J.
Hernandez, 5-13, 27 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 31-152. Receiving:
Larry Taylor, 2-5
Indiana - Passing: Blake Powers, 14-30,
128 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Demetrius McCray, 4-17. Receiving: Andrew
Means, 4-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Yeah,
UConn came away with a road win at Indiana, but there has to be a major
worry about the play of the offense that struggled in the passing game
for the second straight game. D.J. Hernandez has been awful and needs to
start doing something more through the air to give Terry Caulley and the
ground attack more room to move. The Husky offense can get away with it
against Indiana, but it's not going to work once Big East play kicks in.
Fortunately, the defense has been terrific.
Sept. 15
Wake Forest 24 ... Connecticut 13
Wake Forest only gained 209 yards of total offense but took
advantage of three turnovers and an 86-yard interception return for a
touchdown to come away with the win. Micah Andrew capped off the team's
best drive of the game with a six-yard touchdown at the end of the first
quarter for a 14-7 lead. UConn's offense cranked out yards, but
sputtered in the second half. Brandon Young caught a six-yard touchdown
pass and Lou Allen ran for a 15-yard touchdowns, but the extra point
failed, in the first half for all the Husky points.
Player of the game ... Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry made
7.5 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J.
Hernandez, 19-32, 197 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 15-81. Receiving:
Brandon Young, 6-66, 1 TD
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner,
7-16, 110 yds
Rushing: Micah Andrews, 21-73, 1 TD. Receiving:
Willie Idlette, 2-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... This
didn't appear to be a sharp team against Wake Forest. That's to be
expected with two weeks off so early in the season. The defense was more
than fine stuffing drive after drive only allowing the Demon Deacons to
convert two of ten third down chances. Even with a few big mistakes, QB
D.J. Hernandez was decent enough to hope for better overall play over
the next few weeks. Terry Caulley became the school's all-time leading
rusher with an 81-yard day.
Aug. 31
Connecticut 52 ... Rhode Island 7
Connecticut had no problems with Rhode Island rumbling for 418
rushing yards with starter Terry Caulley tearing off 95 and
third-stringer Donalr Brown rushing for 118 yards and two scores with a
53-yard rumble late in the game. D.J. Hernandez ran for a touchdown and
threw for two others with a 24-yard strike to Larry Taylor to open the
scoring and a 61-yard pass to Brandon Young late in the first half.
Rhode Island got its points in the first half on a Nick Del Grosso
25-yard touchdown catch.
Player of the game ... Connecticut RB Terry Caulley ran
12 times for 95 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: D.J.
Hernandez, 8-13, 149 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 9-118, 2 TD. Receiving:
Larry Taylor, 3-42, 1 TD
Rhode Island - Passing: Derek Cassidy,
6-16, 84 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jimmy Hughes, 5-54. Receiving: Nick Del
Grosso, 2-38, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Co
2006 Connecticut Preview
Connecticut Preview |
Offense
|
Defense
|
Depth Chart
|
Further Analysis
Last season might have been seen as a step back
going 5-6 a season after seemingly turning a corner with an eight
victory, bowl winning campaign in 2004, but it proved something important;
the program can still be competitive when things break down.
The offensive line situation was seen as a problem going into last
year, and it became worse than anyone could've feared as the season
went on with injuries and youth causing such a toll that a few
defensive linemen had to be moved over to the other side. Even with
that, along with star fullback Deon Anderson leaving the team, the
running game still finished 34th in the nation averaging 175 yards
per game.
There was an odd preseason incident involving a pellet gun and a
car window that meant suspensions and the potential for a meltdown
on defense, but the Huskies turned out to have the best D in the Big
East finishing sixth in the nation allowing 297 yards per game.
The offensive line, the suspensions, the loss of star
quarterback Dan Orlovsky, and a tougher Big East schedule would've been enough to excuse a 4-7 type of season, but UConn still managed
to beat South Florida, play tough against Louisville, Rutgers and
Georgia Tech, and beat the dregs on the slate. The 2005 team might
not be a Big East title contender, but after what happened last
year, there's reason to believe another bowl game is almost certain.
This isn't a star-studded
team by any means, but there are plenty of good, rock solid players and
depth everywhere but on the offensive line. 16 starters return including
most of a fantastic defensive back seven that should be the best in the
Big East led by cornerbacks Darius
Butler and Tyvon Branch, while weakside linebacker Danny Lansanah is a star in the making with his
combination of size and speed.
The offense will have to figure out who the right fit is at quarterback
between Matt Bonislawski (experienced and good all-around talent), D.J.
Hernandez (experienced and fast), Dennis Brown (a little experienced and
accurate) and Billy Cundiff (not experienced, but potentially the
best of the bunch). Terry Caulley returns for what seems like his 14th
season at tailback and should put up big numbers thanks to the welcome
return of his lead blocker, Anderson. The line isn't going to scare
anyone, but it's not going to be any worse.
Things are looking up for the Husky program with head coach Randy Edsall
not going anywhere and fantastic facilities that should upgrade the
overall class of recruit the program can attract. Now the question
becomes whether or not the defense can be as good as last year and if
the team can avoid some major slip ups. If everything goes to form, this
should be a great stepping stone to a big 2007.
The
Schedule: There are big breaks in the Big East getting West Virginia and Pitt in Rentschler,
but road trips to South Florida and Rutgers are going to be battles. Bowl eligibility had better be wrapped up by the end of November with
the season-ender at Louisville looming. The non-conference schedule
isn't going to be that nasty, but the Wake Forest game could be tougher
than expected before going on the road to face Indiana. The Huskies had
better be 5-1 or 4-2 at worst before facing West Virginia.
Best
Offensive Player: Senior RB Terry Caulley. Depending on how much
he's used, he'll become the school's all-time leading rusher against
Rhode Island needing just 112 yards to set the record. It took over two
years, but his knee finally appears to be back to where it was before
the injury slowed down his tremendous career. It might be
hard to earn All-Big East honors in a league with West Virginia's Steve
Slaton and Louisville's Michael Bush, but he'll come close.
Best
Defensive Player: Junior LB Danny Lansanah. Weakside linebackers are
supposed to be a safety-like 215 pounds with speed and athleticism.
Lansanah isn't like most weakside defenders at a fast 248 pounds with
the ability to pack a huge wallop. He should lead the team in tackles
again.
Key players
to a successful season: Offensive tackles William Beatty and Mike
Hicks, guards Matt Applebaum, Brian Kersmanc and Immanuel Hutcherson,
and center Keith Gray. Everything is in place for a great season, but
it'll be a battle just to hit the .500 mark if the offensive line
doesn't shine.
The season
will be a success if ... the Huskies win eight games. The expectations for the defense
have to be sky high after last year while the offense will have more of
a passing game and an even more explosive ground attack. The schedule is
average enough where anything less than a winning season will be a big
disappointment.
Key game:
Oct. 7 at South Florida. UConn has been tremendous at home over the
last few years, but it's still asking a lot to beat West Virginia. A
loss at South Florida would likely mean an 0-2 Big East start with a
road game at Rutgers coming up the following week.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- Sacks: Opponents 35
for 201 yards - Connecticut 27 for 209 yards
- Punt returns: Opponents 11.2 yards per return. - Connecticut 10.3
yards per return
- Third down conversions: Connecticut 61 of 182 (34%) - Opponents 38 of
157 (24%)
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