2010 NCAA Football Preview: Connecticut
UConn is typically known for being one of the most dominant college basketball teams in the nation year in and year out. However, lately they have also been able to turn out some rather good football teams and players as well.
Most people do not realize that the Connecticut Huskies have an incredibly long, although quiet history with football. The first time the school fielded a team was back in 1896. That first year the school played high schools and local YMCAs. It would not be to the following year that they would start playing other universities.
For most of the school’s history it played outside of Division I, in 1990 though the new athletic director Lew Perkins began talking about changing that. It would end up being another seven years, but in 1997 the school finally decided to upgrade to Division I and opted to join the Big East.
It would took three years, but the school finally fielded a Division I team in 2000. They wasted no time getting their first win, a 24-21 victory over Buffalo on September 16, 2000; their first winning season would be a little further away in 2003.
Going into the 2010, season the Huskies look to continue building on the success of their young program. In three of the last four years the Huskies finished the year playing in a bowl game, something they would like to do again in 2010.
Offense
The Huskies used a pair of quarterbacks last season due to the injury of starter Zach Frazer. His fill-in, Cory Endres did not do too bad throwing for 1354 yards and completing 64% of his passes in seven games; it would not be surprising to see him get time this year as head coach Randy Edsall looks to next season a little.
Offensively the Huskies were a running team last season; two running backs cracked the 1000 yard mark. One of those guys returns, and that is all-conference running back Jordan Todman. Lucky for him most of his offensive line will be back as well including all-conference guard Zach Hurd.
Where the Huskies may hurt will be in the passing game. The perception of inadequacy may come from the team’s emphasis on the run; having to change quarterbacks never helps either. Kashif Moore and Isiah Moore return to give it another shot; neither receiver had more than 24 catches last season. With the team down to one solid running back, however, it would not be surprising to see them throw more to take the pressure off of Todman.
Defense
In 2009 the husky defense was not the best. Of the eight teams in the Big East they ranked 6th in overall defense. If the team has honest aspirations of improving off of 2009 they will need to be much better.
The strength of the unit will be the linebackers with two all-conference selections returning in seniors Greg Lloyd and Lawrence Wilson. Lloyd improved off of his 51 tackle performance from 2008 to make 78 in 2009. Wilson will likely end up in the NFL if he can continue on the same pace he has been on throughout his career (113 tackles in 2007; 73 in 2008; 129 in 2009).
Their rushing defense was not bad on the national level (45th), but will need to see some improvement if they want to be competitive in the Big East (5th in conference). Improvement should not be too hard to come by with the young talent they have returning. Three starters are returning, sophomore end Jesse Joseph and junior tackles Kendall Reyes and Twyon Martin. Senior Mike Cox is penciled in at the other end for now.
Football has played second fiddle to basketball at UConn for years. Surprisingly, in just a decade the team has already become competitive in Division I play. However, if they are going to take the next step they will have to get by some very tough competition in West Virginia, Pitt, and Cincinnati.
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