The King of the AAC | A UCONN Huskies Dynasty (NCAA 14)

[aabar4518]

Matchup Preview *|* August 29, 2013
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Towson Tigers (0-0, 0-0 Away)		Connecticut Huskies (0-0, 0-0 Home)
Game Notes FCS Towson comes to Rentschler Field to take on Chandler Whitmer, Lyle McCombs and the Connecticut Huskies in Game 1 of 2013!

[aabar4518]

Huskies Shake Sluggish Start

The 2013 College Football Season is officially underway! While it was not pretty, to say the least, the Connecticut Huskies did indeed start off the season on the right foot, defeating visiting Towson by a score of 20-10.

Defense was the name of the game on Saturday, as the two teams went back-and-forth in a stalemate. The first scoring came in the 2nd quarter when Geremy Davis scooted free for a 5-yard touchdown reception. The teams would head to the locker room at halftime with the score just 10-3 in favor of UCONN.

Geremy Davis scores the first TD of the season

In the 2nd half, the Huskies got on the board thanks again to the arm of junior quarterback Chandler Whitmer. Whitmer (11/18, 203 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) connected with wideout Shakim Phillips on a 12-yard TD catch with 1:03 left in the 3rd. Phillips led all Huskies receivers with 80 yards on the day.

After a Towson touchdown pass cut the lead to 17-10, Chad Christen kicked his second field goal of the day, this time a 33-yarder, to give the game its final score of 20-10.

When asked about his team's play, Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni mentioned something that everyone knew already. "Lyle has to step up more." Star running back Lyle McCombs had just 46 yards on the ground on 17 attempts, less than 3.0 yards per carry. Pasqauloni went on to say that "[Connecticut] won't be able to sustain drives without a consistent running attack".

When asked about the critique from Coach P, McCombs shrugged and stated, "It was f*****g Towson. Talk to me after we play Michigan." Clearly McCombs isn't worried about his sluggish start to 2013.

Defensively, the Huskies were led by their defensive line, notably Shamar Stephen and Jesse Joseph. The two combined for eight sacks - a whopping four each - and kept pressure on Towson's QB all game. The four sacks tied a UCONN school record, set previously by Lindsey Witten against Cincinnati in 2009. Joseph and Stephen will be players to watch this season, although one can expect their sack production to decrease once the real competition comes to town.

Redshirt freshman DT Mikal Myers celebrates his first career sack

Towson Tigers at Connecticut Huskies
Aug 29, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Towson Tigers (0-1)	0	3	7	0	10
Connecticut Huskies (1-0)	0	10	7	3	20

Team Stats Comparison
	TOWS	CONN
Total Offense	130	226
Rushing Yards	-39	23
Passing Yards	169	203
First Downs	5	10
Punt Return Yards	10	9
Kick Return Yards	96	106
Total Yards	236	341
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	2-8 (25%)	4-10 (40%)
4th Down Conversion	0-2 (0%)	0-0
2-Point Conversion
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1-0-1 (100%)	4-2-2 (100%)
Penalties
Posession Time	9:09	10:51

Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		TOWS	CONN
3:35	(CONN) Geremy Davis 5-yard TD catch (Christen XPT)	0	7
1:06	(TOWS) FCS K #10, 22-yard FG	3	7
0:10	(CONN) Chad Christen 21-yard FG	3	10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		TOWS	CONN
1:03	(CONN) Shakim Phillips 12-yard TD catch (Christen XPT)	3	17
0:26	(TOWS) FCS WR #89 68-yard TD catch (K #10 XPT)	10	17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		TOWS	CONN
3:44	(CONN) Chad Christen 33-yard FG	10	20

Towson Tigers

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chandler Whitmer 11/18 203 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Lyle McCombs 17 46 2.7 0 Chandler Whitmer 5 -24 -4.8 0 Max DeLorenzo 1 1 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Lyle McCombs 3 34 11.3 0 Geremy Davis 3 55 18.3 1 Shakim Phillips 3 80 26.6 1 Deshon Foxx 1 17 17.0 0 Mark Hansson 1 17 17.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Steven Greene 3 0 Jimmy Bennett 2 1 Geremy Davis 2 0 Kevin Friend 2 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Shamar Stephen 5 4.0 0 0 Jesse Joseph 4 4.0 0 0 Jefferson Ashiru 3 1.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Chad Christen 2/2 2/2 8 33 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Cole Wagner 2 77 38.5 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kamal Abrams 3 106 35.3 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Taylor Mack 2 9 4.5 0

[aabar4518]

Matchup Preview *|* September 14, 2013
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Maryland Terrapins (2-0, 0-0 Away)		Connecticut Huskies (1-0, 1-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 38.0 Points Per Game 20.0 449.5 Total Offensive Yards 226.0 175.5 Rushing Yards 23.0 274.0 Passing Yards 203.0 Defensive Stats Comparison 295.0 Total Yards Allowed 130.0 107.5 Rushing Yards Allowed -39.0 187.5 Passing Yards Allowed 169.0 Injury Report C E. Mulrooney - Strained Hamstring 1 Week LOLB Y. Cudjoe Virgil - Pulled Quadriceps 1 Week Game Notes Maryland (2-0) comes to Rentschler Field to take on the Connecticut Huskies (1-0). This marks the return of former Huskies coach Randy Edsall to East Hartford. Edsall led the Huskies to five bowl games, including victories in the Motor City Bowl, International Bowl, and the PapaJohns.com Bowl. Edsall left the team following its 2010 Tostito's Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma. Do not expect a welcome return for Edsall, who has been ridiculed by UCONN fans for the past few years. Edsall faced his former team for the first time last season, as the Huskies traveled to College Park and came out victorious, 24-21.

[aabar4518]

Outgunning the Old Ball Coach
Huskies defeat Maryland, former coach

EAST HARTFORD, ct -- For the second consecutive year, the Connecticut Huskies have had the last laugh in their series against former head coach Randy Edsall and the Maryland Terrapins. Maryland, who came into Saturday's game with a record of 2-0, expected to trounce the Huskies. However, junior running back Lyle McCombs made sure UCONN would be a force to be reckon with.

McCombs led the Huskies all day, compiling 160 yards on the ground. His two late touchdowns (both 2-yard runs) helped put Maryland away for good. The great ground game was a welcome sight for UCONN Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni, who called out McCombs last week for his "poor play" against Towson.

Apparently McCombs heard what Pasqualoni was preaching. When asked about his fantastic game, McCombs stated, "I wanted to show that f****r [Edsall] what he left behind." Asked if he thinks he can carry this strong play into the Huskies' next game against a Michigan team ranked in the Top 25, McCombs shouted, "HELL YEAH".

Early in the game, it looked like it would be all Maryland. Touchdowns by Stefon Diggs and Wes Brown (sandwiched by a Chad Christen FG) gave the Terps a 14-3 lead into the 2nd quarter. UCONN responded late in the 2nd, as Deshon Foxx scored his first touchdown of the season, cutting the lead to 14-10 at the break.

From there on, it was all UCONN. Foxx's touchdown started a string of 28 unanswered points. In the 3rd quarter, backup tight end Mark Hansson caught a pass from QB Chandler Whitmer from 2 yards out for the score. Whitmer was inconsistent on the day, throwing for over 200 yards and 2 TDs, but also was picked off three times.

The Huskies will face their biggest test of the young season in their next game. B1G foe Michigan will come to Rentschler Field for the first time ever. The Huskies and the Wolverines have played one time previously, at the Big House in 2010. Former Michigan QB Denard Robinson (drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a WR after the 2012 season) ran all over the Huskies, leading Michigan to a 30-10 victory.

Maryland Terrapins at Connecticut Huskies
Sep 14, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Maryland Terrapins (2-1)	14	0	0	0	14
Connecticut Huskies (2-0)	3	7	7	14	31

Team Stats Comparison
	MD	CONN
Total Offense	243	406
Rushing Yards	78	165
Passing Yards	165	241
First Downs	12	19
Punt Return Yards	14	34
Kick Return Yards	29	69
Total Yards	286	509
Turnovers	3	3
3rd Down Converstion	1-10 (10%)	8-12 (67%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-0
2-Point Conversion
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-1-0 (50%)	4-3-1 (100%)
Penalties
Posession Time	9:11	18:46

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		MD	CONN
4:42	(MD) S. Diggs 1-yard TD catch (Craddock XPT)	7	0
2:04	(CONN) Chad Christen 19-yard FG	7	3
0:00	(MD) W. Brown 57-yard TD run (Craddock XPT)	14	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		MD	CONN
1:12	(CONN) Deshon Foxx 23-yard TD catch (Christen XPT)	14	10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		MD	CONN
2:04	(CONN) Mark Hansson 2-yard TD catch (Christen XPT)	14	17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		MD	CONN
5:53	(CONN) Lyle McCombs 2-yard TD run (Christen XPT)	14	24
2:57	(CONN) Lyle McCombs 2-yard TD run (Christen XPT)	14	31

Maryland Terrapins PASSING C/A YDS TD INT C. Brown 18/30 165 1 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD C. Brown 13 -3 -0.2 0 W. Brown 8 81 10.1 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD W. Brown 6 41 6.8 0 Long 4 32 8.0 0 Diggs 3 19 6.3 1 Stinebaugh 2 36 18.0 0 Jacobs 2 13 6.5 0 King 1 24 24.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Zeller 2 0 Arnett 2 0 Klemm 1 2 Stinebaugh 1 0 Doyle 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Farrand 9 0.0 1 0 Goree 7 0.0 1 0 Hendy 2 0.0 1 0 Whitfield 7 1.0 0 0 Goins 5 0.0 0 0 Nixon 5 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Craddock 0/0 2/2 2 N/A PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Harraka 5 184 36.8 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Diggs 1 29 29.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Diggs 1 14 14.0 0

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chandler Whitmer 16/22 241 3 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Lyle McCombs 33 160 4.8 2 Max DeLorenzo 5 12 2.4 0 Chandler Whitmer 4 -7 -1.7 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Shakim Phillips 8 135 16.8 0 Geremy Davis 3 52 17.3 0 Mark Hansson 2 3 1.5 1 Sean McQuillan 1 8 8.0 0 Deshon Foxx 1 23 23.0 1 Lyle McCombs 1 20 20.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Sean McQuillan 1 0 Jimmy Bennett 1 0 Steve Greene 1 0 Gus Cruz 1 0 Kevin Friend 1 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Yawin Smallwood 7 2.0 0 0 Jefferson Ashiru 4 0.0 0 0 Byron Jones 3 0.0 1 0 Ty Meer Brown 2 0.0 1 0 Tyree Clark 2 0.0 1 0 Jesse Joseph 2 2.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Chad Christen 1/1 4/4 7 20 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Cole Wagner 2 87 43.5 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kamal Abrams 3 69 23.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Taylor Mack 4 34 8.5 0

[skyler97]

Really likeing this. Good work dude

[aabar4518]

Quote: Originally Posted by skyler97

Really likeing this. Good work dude

Thanks for following. I'm trying to make it very easy to follow/read, but also interesting. I've never added "side" stories with players in my chises, but I have a few ideas running through my head. Stay tuned!

[aabar4518]

Top 25 Poll - After Week 3

The Top 25 Poll, which is published after every three weeks of games, has just been released. Holding on to the top spot is defending National Champion Alabama. The Crimson Tide defeated previously-ranked #3 Texas A&M in the early NCAA Game of the Year. The Tide won the game by a score of 38-24.

In the second spot for the second consecutive poll is Ohio State. State is now 3-0 on the year, giving it 15 consecutive victories to start the coaching tenure of Urban Meyer. Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Oregon round out the Top 5.

In the AAC, the only team in the Top 25 is Louisville. The Cards have a 3-0 record on the season and have jumped from 11th to 7th in the country. UCONN's next opponent, Michigan, sees themselves at #18 overall in the country. The Wolverines have a 2-1 record on the season, with the only loss coming to #3 Notre Dame in Week 2.

The biggest drop in the Top 25 came from Stanford. The preseason #3 team in the country lost their first game of the season, a 31-28 shocker at the hands of the San Jose State Spartans.

[aabar4518]

Manziel in Line for 2nd Straight Heisman

Johnny Manziel is again leading the pack of Heisman Hopefuls. The 2012 winner of the Heisman Trophy has led the Texas A&M Aggies to a 2-1 record on the year, with the only blemish a loss to the #1 ranked and defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

Speaking of the Tide, QB AJ McCarron (who has an absolute smoke of a girlfriend, by the way) is projected to finish 2nd in the race this season. McCarron threw for 286 yards on 20 of 28 passing, with FIVE touchdowns against Manziel's Aggies last week. If McCarron can keep those statistics coming, it would not surprise anyone if he is left holding the stiff armed trophy after the season is over.

Rounding out the top five are QB's Blake Bell (Oklahoma) and Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) along with running back De'Anthony Thomas (Oregon). It's a surprise to see Bell's name amongst the top candidates, as he has already thrown 6 interceptions on the year. He certainly can't continue the high volume of picks if he wishes to be invited to NYC for the trophy ceremony this year.

Heisman Watch - Updated: Sep 16, 2013
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M		62/95, 894 yds, 44 car, 199 yds, 10 total TD
AJ McCarron	QB	Alabama		33/56, 409 yds, 7 TD
Blake Bell	QB	Oklahoma		56/104, 780 yds, 53 car, 241 yds, 10 total TD, 6 INT
De'Anthony Thomas	HB	Oregon		45 att, 302 yds, 6 rec, 89 yd, 6 total TD
Taylor Martinez	QB	Nebraska		38/64, 676 yds, 40 car, 295 yds, 10 total TD