Spring Break
Football: Huskies look to improve on last year's success
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Sports
Fresh off a 9-4 record and one of the most successful campaigns in program history, UConn football enters the fall ready to build on the success of 2007.
Despite returning the core of the team, the Huskies are ranked No. 39 in both the preseason AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. UConn is ranked sixth out of eight teams in the Big East, behind squads such as Pittsburgh and Rutgers, both of which were beaten soundly by the Huskies last season.
UConn doesn't seem concerned with being overlooked in the preseason polls and instead has drawn motivation from losing three out of the last four games of the 2007 season, including a disappointing 24-10 loss to Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
"You never want to see your seniors going out like that in a loss in the last game ever putting on the uniforms," said quarterback Tyler Lorenzen. "We feel like everyone in the nation should aspire to go to conference championships and go to bowl games and win, and I think the fans expect us to win, too. That's kind of a little change in culture."
Lorenzen, a senior, was a big reason for the culture change. In his first year at UConn, Lorenzen brought stability to the quarterback position, totaling 2,367 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.
Lorenzen's top target last season, Terrence Jeffers, transferred to Vanderbilt, creating a bit of a question mark at wide receiver. Ellis Gaulden, who caught just four passes last season, currently sits atop the depth chart. He will be flanked by 5-foot-9 redshirt freshman Kashif Moore, while true freshman Mike Smith and veterans DJ Hernandez and Marcus Easley will see time.
The team's strength on offense will once again be the running game. Junior Donald Brown (821 yards, eight touchdowns) was a Second Team All-Big East preseason selection. He figures to get the bulk of the carries, but junior Andre Dixon (828 yards, three touchdowns) has added weight and has improved his ability to run between-the-tackles. True freshman Jordan Todman, the second leading rusher in Massachusetts high school football history, is in the mix as well.
Despite returning the core of the team, the Huskies are ranked No. 39 in both the preseason AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. UConn is ranked sixth out of eight teams in the Big East, behind squads such as Pittsburgh and Rutgers, both of which were beaten soundly by the Huskies last season.
UConn doesn't seem concerned with being overlooked in the preseason polls and instead has drawn motivation from losing three out of the last four games of the 2007 season, including a disappointing 24-10 loss to Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
"You never want to see your seniors going out like that in a loss in the last game ever putting on the uniforms," said quarterback Tyler Lorenzen. "We feel like everyone in the nation should aspire to go to conference championships and go to bowl games and win, and I think the fans expect us to win, too. That's kind of a little change in culture."
Lorenzen, a senior, was a big reason for the culture change. In his first year at UConn, Lorenzen brought stability to the quarterback position, totaling 2,367 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.
Lorenzen's top target last season, Terrence Jeffers, transferred to Vanderbilt, creating a bit of a question mark at wide receiver. Ellis Gaulden, who caught just four passes last season, currently sits atop the depth chart. He will be flanked by 5-foot-9 redshirt freshman Kashif Moore, while true freshman Mike Smith and veterans DJ Hernandez and Marcus Easley will see time.
The team's strength on offense will once again be the running game. Junior Donald Brown (821 yards, eight touchdowns) was a Second Team All-Big East preseason selection. He figures to get the bulk of the carries, but junior Andre Dixon (828 yards, three touchdowns) has added weight and has improved his ability to run between-the-tackles. True freshman Jordan Todman, the second leading rusher in Massachusetts high school football history, is in the mix as well.
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Nostical
Larry Cohen
posted 8/27/08 @ 8:29 AM EST
When you talked about the receivers you neglected to mention Brad Kanuch, the #1 returning receiver who is currently rehabilitating a hamstring injury. (Continued…)
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