UConn Sweeps Big East Awards After Huge Win

Photo © 2010 by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

For the past 6 years, when the UConn vs. West Virginia game pops up on the Huskies schedule, I have a gut feeling that the game will end poorly. For 6 years now, I have been right. In 2009, the Huskies gave up a huge 50+ run to Noel Devine in the final minutes to blow their lead and for the 6th straight time, my hopes were shattered. On Friday night on ESPN2, I had a gut feeling again that maybe this was exactly the game the Huskies needed to turn their below .500 record around and make a push for a bowl game. With 1st string, relegated to 3rd string, back to 1st string QB Zach Frazer and a plethora of injuries throughout the club, the team needed to play a solid game on both offense and defense. After falling behind 10-0, the Huskies defense gained momentum and stepped up when they needed them the most for a thrilling OT victory, 16-13. It is now official, in it's short span in Division 1/FBS, UConn has beaten every team in the Big East at least once. (more after the jump)


The game was more than just a win on the stat sheet and a return to a .500 record at 4-4, it was the come-from-behind, tough it out type of contest this team is capable of in Big East play. Although the league is as weak as it has been in years, the West Virginia Mountaineers are still a feared team as well as UConn's next opponent in 2 weeks on ESPN, the Pittsburgh Panthers. Confidence is running high in Storrs, CT and now the Huskies have 2 weeks to work hard and get prepped for their Pitt match-up, the toughest test this season. After all the controversy with spying in practice and the media calling for Edsall's head, the Huskies seemed to shut everyone up and can now set their sights on the potential this season and not just look to rebuild for 2011. Even better, the Big East recognized the Huskies for their great performance, by giving UConn the Offensive Player of the Week (Jordan Todman), Defensive Player of the Week in Sio Moore and the Special Teams Player of the Week (Dave Teggart). Not a bad week, eh?

The best part of Friday night's victory is the fact that QB Zach Frazer was able to get back on the field as the starter and with limited reps in practice sitting 3rd on the depth chart the past few weeks, successfully lead the team to victory against the tough Mountaineer defense. As a Senior, Frazer was given the opportunity to start, but was so ineffective, was benched after 3+ games at the helm of the offense. There were mixed reports of attitude issues with Frazer, but on Friday he came ready to play, settling in the second half and moving the offense down the field. No thanks to some of Edsall's poor play-calls on 3rd down, Frazer was able to do just enough for the victory. If Frazer continues to produce, he will likely reclaim his starter role, given QB Mike Box's concussion and inexperience. In that same vein, once Box is healthy, Frazer better continue to perform, because he is going to be on a short leash and pulled if things spiral in the wrong direction.

Let's go back to the play-calling during the 1st half of Friday's game and take a look at why the UConn fans at The Rent were booing. They were upset about the same thing I was in my living room, the ultra-conservative play-calling from the UConn coaching staff on 3rd down. Almost regardless of distance-to-go, Edsall chose to run the ball, rarely picking up enough yardage to move the chains. In a 3rd and 8 situation, the offense was completely stalled by a draw-run play or a simple power run up the gut. Earth to Randy, it doesn't work. The opponent loads the box and usually stops the run for a yard or 2 max, if not a loss on the play. I understand that RB Jordan Todman and the running game is the Huskies' bread and butter, but on 3rd a long? Really? Edsall has a tendency to be too conservative at times in the game, leading to a stalled offensive drive that is frustrating.

It isn't a coincidence that the best few offensive drives on Friday for UConn were in the end of the 1st half and into the 2nd half when Edsall let Frazer loose to throw short and mid-level passes. The only way to have an effective running-game against top notch opponents is to also have a mid and long-level passing game to open up the defense and allow for an extra few yards on each run. If the defense is forced to play the pass as well, they can't load the box as much and it allows speedy Jordan Todman to get a few extra yards and a chance to break a longer gain as he accelerates and penetrates the 2nd level of the defense. If UConn continues to run on every 3rd down, they will continue to be stopped on most of them and drives will stall because Edsall won't take a risk and let Frazer or Box to throw a 10-15 yard pass for a 1st down. UConn isn't always going to have as many offensive opportunities as they did on Friday and if they convert the same amount on 3rd down against Pitt, it won't a good game for the Huskies.

All in all, it was a huge win to turn around this season and in the history of the program. The Huskies have now gotten over the West Virginia hump and now set their sights to their 2nd straight national TV game against Pitt on Veteran's Day, November 11th. No better way to honor those who served this country than to beat the Pittsburgh Panthers at home on a Thursday night. Bring it on.

Box Out, Frazer to Start

Photo: Autumn Driscoll / Connecticut Post

After suffering a head injury during the Louisville game last week, QB Mike Box was unsure about his playing status for this Friday night’s contest against the West Virginia Mountaineers. We found out today that in fact Mike Box is out for this week's game and Zach Frazer will return to the field and take snaps under center once again. After starting the first 3 games for the Huskies in 2010, Frazer was replaced by Cody Endres during the Buffalo game. Since that point, Frazer fell to 3rd on the depth chart and is now returning due to suspension and injury. There was a report that Frazer was dropped on the depth chart due to his poor attitude when he was benched on September 25th, but regardless, he now needs to step up and lead this team to victory.

One of the issues with Frazer before he was benched was his immobility and poor decision making in the pocket. Frazer has only completed just over 53% of his passes this season and has only thrown 2 TDs and 1 INT on the season. He struggled to make the big play when the team needed it the most and will need to be more aggressive and controlling with the ball on Friday to throw off the West Virginia defense. At this point, Frazer has everything to gain and nothing to lose because he only has a handful of games remaining in his college career. The ball is his to own, the offense is his to own, now he just needs to go out and grab it. Who doesn’t want to go out with a bang?

Box isn’t the only player out or probable for Friday. The UConn special teams’ crew is taking a hit with return man Nick Williams out with an upper extremity injury and Robbie Frey probable with a leg injury. Frey’s injury along with a head injury for D.J. Shoemate that has him out and Kelmetrius Wylie’s season ending knee injury, the Huskies are still crazy thin at RB. Edsall and his coaching staff would prefer not to use Jordan Todman as much as they have, especially given his arm injury this season, but they really haven’t had much of a choice. The injuries at RB make an even bigger case for a more aggressive passing game to open up the lanes for the run inside and relieve some of the pressure on Todman.

The West Virginia defense has allowed just 13.3 points per game so far in 2010. That is good for 5th in all of the FBS, posing a tough test for a struggling offense with a new, old QB under center. UConn is a run-first offense, but has yet to really settle in to a comfortable feel and rhythm, which is a source of concern. It will be almost impossible to beat West Virginia and then Pitt without a strong offensive identity and efficiency on that side of the ball. In the same vein, the Mountaineer offense scores over 26 points per game, which is troubling for the defensive squad of UConn that has lacked the hard-hitting style that we have seen over the past few years. If the Huskies are going to win Friday, they need to play strong bend-don’t-break defense and gain and offensive rhythm from the 1st play any carry it through with 40,000 fans cheering at their backs.

I can feel the excitement and nervous energy mounting…Let’s Go Huskies!