Spring Break
A Rude Awakening
Nothing Pretty About Loss
Mark Osborne
Issue date: 9/20/05 Section: Sports
I wanted to start this column as a compliment to UConn football for holding their own against No. 16 Georgia Tech last Saturday. I wanted to say that despite the loss, the Huskies should still be proud to compete with a top 20 team - something they didn't come close to doing against Miami in 2002 or Virginia Tech in 2003. I wanted to say it was good to see Terry Caulley back healthy and competing against a legitimate defense. I even wanted to compliment Matt Nuzie on such a huge change for the positive over the past two seasons.
But I couldn't.
I even wrote about 300 words on it. I hit on Calvin Johnson's skill at wide receiver, P.J. Daniels' skill at tailback and the prowess of Jon Tenuta, a rising star as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator. I touched on all of it. And then I touched on the delete key and erased the whole thing.
I simply couldn't trot out the "well they tried their best" line without feeling as though I am lying to myself, not to mention you. In reading the local papers, I was kind of surprised by how lightly those media outlets took the loss. Jeff Jacobs, a columnist for The Hartford Courant, commented in Monday's paper on the reality check dealt to the Huskies, but The Day ignored the loss completely in columns - apparently they are too busy with the WNBA Finals.
Let's not gloss over it, like I originally intended to - this is a bad loss for the Huskies. Ironically, the fact Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball didn't play made it worse. UConn had a chance to capitalize and they didn't. I wanted to say that even without Ball the Yellow Jackets still had plenty of talent, but again, let's be honest - without Ball the Jackets aren't a top 25 team.
Probably the most disturbing thing about this loss though is the fact UConn beat themselves. UConn quarterback Matt Bonislawski had an embarrassingly bad game - there's no other way to put it. His stats - 7-for-25, 67 yards and three interceptions - can't be sugarcoated from any angle.
But I couldn't.
I even wrote about 300 words on it. I hit on Calvin Johnson's skill at wide receiver, P.J. Daniels' skill at tailback and the prowess of Jon Tenuta, a rising star as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator. I touched on all of it. And then I touched on the delete key and erased the whole thing.
I simply couldn't trot out the "well they tried their best" line without feeling as though I am lying to myself, not to mention you. In reading the local papers, I was kind of surprised by how lightly those media outlets took the loss. Jeff Jacobs, a columnist for The Hartford Courant, commented in Monday's paper on the reality check dealt to the Huskies, but The Day ignored the loss completely in columns - apparently they are too busy with the WNBA Finals.
Let's not gloss over it, like I originally intended to - this is a bad loss for the Huskies. Ironically, the fact Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball didn't play made it worse. UConn had a chance to capitalize and they didn't. I wanted to say that even without Ball the Yellow Jackets still had plenty of talent, but again, let's be honest - without Ball the Jackets aren't a top 25 team.
Probably the most disturbing thing about this loss though is the fact UConn beat themselves. UConn quarterback Matt Bonislawski had an embarrassingly bad game - there's no other way to put it. His stats - 7-for-25, 67 yards and three interceptions - can't be sugarcoated from any angle.