We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Weeks 10-15 in Review, 2019 season

I want to get moving onto next season and I don’t want to do regular season recaps without the pictures that are now deleted. Nevertheless, I want to bring some resolution as to how the season ended, so I’ll pick it up here and I’ll try to get back to normal posts for the bowl season/Around the NCAA.


I left us at about Week 10; we had four games left to play and a real shot at the Big 12 in UConn’s second season as conference members.

Week 10: Kansas State

However, we most recently got blown out by 1-5 Kansas on the road. Much work remained to salvage the UConn season, despite being 5-3. We had lots of problems on offense, especially with an injured tailback in Jeff McNeal, tight end in Royce Archie and our starting QB down for the remainder of the regular season in true sophomore Tanner Dean-Lowry.

Fortunately, K-State was only 3-4.. And coming to Rentschler Field, (a.k.a. The Property), surely a daunting task considering we’ve only lost there twice since 2015. With starting QB Tanner Dean-Lowry hurt, left-handed grad student (and former walk-on) Jarrett Rivero would get the start and played well (10-18, 121 and a TD, with 170 more yards and another score on the ground). Nevertheless, the game was close, and UConn escaped against another mediocre Big 12 opponent with a 21-16 win to get bowl eligible and regain the lead in the Big 12 East. Of note: Tim Duchane had a career high 10 tackles while Gene Jackson inched closer to a season sack record with two more.

Week 11: Iowa State

Next up for the Huskies was a revenge game in Ames against Iowa State - the same squad that knocked UConn out of the playoff chase late in 2018. In a festive day for UConn, the offense clicked on all cylinders as UConn won 41-23, punctuated by the first career TD catch from reserve fullback Jonathan Goff late in the game. Rivero threw for 4 TD’s, but 3 INT’s at the same time. Jeff McNeal, back from injury, posted 2 catches but both went for TD’s and a total of 125 yards. Sam Rourke had 5 TFL’s, while John Cox and Derek Robinson both recorded INT’s. Sammie Leonard added two sacks.

Week 13: TCU

Following a bye, UConn built a two game lead in the East division. With a win on senior day against TCU, UConn would punch their tickets to Dallas and they took care of business with a another defensive gem, a 21-10 decision behind Luke Williamson’s three TD runs. Stars on defense today included Sammie Leonard (6 tackles, 4 TFLs, a sack and INT) and John Cox (9 tackles and 2 TFLs) while Jake Crowder added an INT. Rivero played very well in the 3-game win streak, but his injury prone nature did him in during his first big break. Rivero, after a scramble in the second quarter, would leave the game feeling discomfort in his back. The result? A season-ending injury. With TDL still out, UConn was left with one QB on the active roster: Redshirt sophomore Isaac Jackson.

Week 14: Houston

Jackson would lead UConn into Houston for their annual rivalry game and won handily 31-7 with a stellar defensive showing. Jackson threw 16 of 26 for 249 yards and 2 TD’s, adding one more on the ground. T.J. Newell had a career day, posting a career high 4 sacks in his last outing at The Property. The Houston win marked the sixth consecutive head-to-head victory for UConn (Diaco’s record against the Cougs is 6-0), but more importantly left UConn with some momentum headed into the Big 12 title game. Despite being only 9-3 and with only one healthy quarterback, UConn had a real shot in Jerruh World. Their opponents? 10-2 and 19th ranked Oklahoma State, whom UConn had lost to in overtime earlier in the season. UConn was ready for revenge.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Just a heads up, I now have to work as well to recover my photobucket pics from the early seasons and edit those posts accordingly. So for those of you going back to read the whole thing from the start, I'll be progressively working on that over the next few days. Thanks!

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

When you get a chance can you post a list of current CAC and where they're at? I'm 99% sure I had you put me at my alma mater Central Michigan. Thanks in advance

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

When you get a chance can you post a list of current CAC and where they're at? I'm 99% sure I had you put me at my alma mater Central Michigan. Thanks in advance

I do have a CAC update planned soon.. I went through and grabbed some info and summary stuff for everyone last night and that will be up at some point before we hit the end of the season recap stuff. Yeah you're still at Central and you will survive another round of firings!

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

I do have a CAC update planned soon.. I went through and grabbed some info and summary stuff for everyone last night and that will be up at some point before we hit the end of the season recap stuff. Yeah you're still at Central and you will survive another round of firings!

It'd be nice if they'd promote from within. I've been the only constant on their coaching staff lol

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Is this making a comeback? That will be fantastic! I completely understand having nostalgia and getting the itch about resuming an old franchise. I've actually been looking at my Robin Blake chise to see if it would be feasible to continue it.

Name: William Brooks
Age: 31
Skin Color: (Light, Medium, Dark) Medium
Body Size: (Small, Medium, Large) Small
Head: (Describe facial features you’d like or give me a number) 6
Apparel: Suit
Hat/Glasses (Optional): Glasses
Alma Mater: Texas Tech
Offensive Philosophy/Playbook: (You can describe your style or give a playbook) Any playbook that is based off the spread formation
Offensive Run/Pass Ratio: (EX: 65-35 in favor of running) 30-70
Defensive Philosophy/Playbook: (Same as above) Multiple D
Defensive Run/Pass Ratio: (EX: 65-35 in favor of stopping the run) 50-50
Specialty: (Offense or Defense) Offense

Any other information to consider for selecting initial job? (Not required; Tell me geographic interest, coaching style, etc.) Brooks was born and raised in West Texas. He went to school at Texas Tech where he graduated with honors and a itch to coach. He joined the Texas Tech coaching staff as a Wide Receivers coach where he has had success. He feels he is ready to move on to a higher coaching position but he does not want to stray to far from family and friends in West Texas...

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

It'd be nice if they'd promote from within. I've been the only constant on their coaching staff lol

Very true! You and headman Doug Martin have been there for about the same amount of time.. coming up on your fifth season together. There will be a CAC this offseason who did get promoted from within so it is very possible that with a good season you could have the same fate.

Is this making a comeback? That will be fantastic! I completely understand having nostalgia and getting the itch about resuming an old franchise. I've actually been looking at my Robin Blake chise to see if it would be feasible to continue it.

Name: William Brooks

10/4! Thanks for the submission!

Yeah this is back.. that's why I've spent all day so far reuploading pics to avoid the photobucket ransom hahaha.. Much harder than I anticipated though. Going forward with Maryland would have been cool but I just wasn't feeling it as I got started.. nostalgia is very very real.

I actually looked at your Blake coaching career the other day.. stumbled upon it somehow and that would indeed be cool to see back here.. Nevertheless I'll follow whatever you decide to go forward with.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

OK! Thread update.. Took about three days but I'm now mostly done de-photobucketing this 130-page monster thread so now we actually have some pictures here. Not 100% complete as I still need to re-upload the CAC preview pages and find a couple assorted missing photos but all of the major around the NCAA and game recap/UConn info stuff from seasons 1-6 should be taken care of for those who are just seeing this and want to read from the beginning.

And now we can move on to the new stuff! Should be soon before we get rolling again!

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Championship Week Preview

#20 NC State (9-3) vs. #9 Miami-FL (9-3) Playoff Watch

Two ranked teams go at it for the ACC Crown. Miami has an outside playoff chance, but need to win first. NC State is going for their first conference title in … a really long time. Bo Pelini has done a terrific job with NC State, but come in as heavy underdogs and have a tall task in stopping ‘Canes RB Traylon Dunham and QB Barrett Merriman, one of the nation’s best.

Army West Point (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4)

Say it with me now. Woah. As if one Army-Navy game wasn’t enough, now we get two! The longtime independent teams are both housed in the American Conference and thriving, and are set to face each other in the conference championship game for the first time. Slotback Theo Holliday and Jermaine Barrett at QB help form one of the better backfields in the nation, but Navy QB Jabari Woods is a rising star and a load to try and stop. Army has a fantastic group of linebackers ready to shut down Navy as well. Expect this to be a very close game and one of the best on this Saturday’s slate.

#24 UConn (9-3) vs. #19 Oklahoma State (10-2)

The night portion of Championship Saturday includes this intriguing matchup in the Big 12, a rematch from earlier in the season that Oklahoma State won in double overtime. UConn comes in banged up, as they are down their top two quarterbacks. Fortunately for them, third-stringer Isaac Jackson has experience in big situations and has played well lately. Cowboys QB Omar Myrick might be the conference’s best and he fared well against UConn’s sturdy defense the first time out. Is he up to the challenge again?

#5 Ohio State (9-3) vs. #1 Minnesota (10-2) Playoff Watch

Win and in game. Not only is one playoff spot possibly on the line in the Game of the Week, but there might be two. Minnesota is the surprise #1 team in the land, but nevertheless thanks to the running of Tristan Clifford and a strong defense the Gophers sit one win away from the top playoff seed. Ohio State stumbled out of the gates this season but picked it up in conference play after benching Steven Balchiar at QB in favor of Eric Tantgen and now they sit one win away themselves. From a pure talent standpoint, Ohio State might be the best team in the nation but they haven’t always shown it this year. Now it’s time to prove it.

Texas State (7-5) vs. FIU (8-4)

It will be a battle of running backs as Texas State’s Dre Johnson takes on FIU’s Justin Anderson, the two best backs in the conference. Johnson has rushed for 1000 yards in each of his four seasons, while Anderson has lots of power and bowled his way to 1200 yards on the ground. The result of this game may very well hinge on who stops the other running back first.

Toledo (6-6) vs. Bowling Green (11-1)

After years of underachieving, Bowling Green has finally put it together in 2019, with Coach Noel Mazzone and OC Sam Freday constructing a lethal offense that has put up huge numbers. Chris Williams is having the year of his life, while Jasper Haley is an NFL prospect who has run for 1600 yards as a junior. Wideout Matt Cooper has also exceeded 1000 yards, but though BG beat Toledo this season, Toledo has also re-emerged after a tough last couple years under Tim Albin and are hungry to reassert their presence in the MAC. QB Darren Transi always shows up when his team needs him most, and expect Toledo’s best defenders in LB Lamar Reed and S Garrett Washington to guide a spirited defense.

New Mexico (5-7) vs. #22 San Diego State (9-3)

San Diego State and star tailback Ben Bowling have been the class of the field all year long, but they can’t overlook this game and this New Mexico team. Despite only being 5-7, the Lobos walked away with the Mountain division in the conference on the legs of fullback Eric Brown, who is an absolute bowling ball and has a real chance to pass 2000 yards this season. Expect a closer game than at first glance.

#23 Oregon State (9-3) vs. #7 USC (11-1) Playoff Watch

After running the table and winning the national title last year, USC nearly ran the table again with new QB Brad Ewing and RB Lamar Holycross before a Week 14 loss to Notre Dame dashed those hopes. Despite sporting a #7 ranking, Coach Quinn Shea has USC in a good spot, and with a win the Trojans will likely get into the playoff for a second straight year. Oregon State has a great QB-RB combo in Chad Fordinal and Anthony Beach, but will it be enough against USC’s top-ranked defense?

#2 Ole Miss (9-3) vs. #4 Tennessee (11-1) Playoff Watch

If you don’t think the Big 10 has the best game this week, then it has to be the SEC. Once again, two playoff spots could be on the line depending upon how the action shakes out. Tennessee made a splash in hiring Marty English away from UCF before the season and it has paid off, as the Vols have only one blemish on their record and topped perennial power Florida in the East. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has gotten a Heisman campaign from QB Justin Farrington II and will be looking to go back to the playoff for the first time since 2014. But Tennessee’s defense has looked very strong for most of the season. Can they make it one more?

Playoff Picture

LOCKED IN:

None

Win & In:

#1 Minnesota (10-2) or #5 Ohio State (9-3)
#2 Ole Miss (9-3) or #4 Tennessee (11-1)
#7 USC (11-1)

Need Help:
#6 Purdue (10-2)
#9 Miami-FL (9-3)
#19 Oklahoma State (10-2)

Need Committee Bribe
#3 Nebraska (9-3)
#8 Georgia Tech (9-3)
#10 Boston College (10-2)

Full Conference Standings
Bold = CAC Team (Full CAC updates to come soon)

ATLANTIC:
NC St. (9-4, 7-2)
Boston College (10-2, 7-2)
Florida St. (8-4, 6-3)
Wake Forest (4-8, 3-6)
Clemson (4-8, 3-6)
Syracuse (3-9, 1-8)
Louisville (2-10, 1-8)

COASTAL:
Miami-FL (9-3, 8-1)
Pitt (10-2, 8-1)
Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-3)
Virginia Tech (7-5, 5-4)
Virginia (4-8, 3-6)
Duke (3-9, 3-6)
North Carolina (3-9, 2-7)

EAST:
Army West Point (8-4, 7-2)
UCF (7-5, 6-3)
USF (8-4, 6-3)
Cincinnati (6-6, 4-5)
Temple (2-10, 2-7)
ECU (1-11, 0-9)

WEST:
Navy (8-4, 8-1)
Memphis (9-3, 7-2)
Tulsa (7-5, 6-3)
SMU (8-4, 5-4)
Marshall (6-6, 3-6)
Tulane (1-11, 0-9)

EAST:
UConn (9-3, 6-2)
Kansas St. (7-5, 4-4)
Iowa St. (6-6, 3-5)
Kansas (3-9, 3-5)
West Virginia (5-7, 2-6)
Houston (2-10, 1-7)

WEST:
Oklahoma St. (10-2, 6-2)
Oklahoma (7-5, 6-2)
Texas (9-3, 6-2)
Baylor (8-4, 6-2)
TCU (5-7, 3-5)
Texas Tech (5-7, 2-6)

EAST:
Ohio St. (9-3, 7-2)
Michigan (9-3, 7-2)
Michigan St. (8-4, 6-3)
Penn St. (8-4,5-4)
Rutgers (7-5, 4-5)
Maryland (3-9, 2-7)
Indiana (3-9, 1-8)

WEST:
Minnesota (10-2, 7-2)
Purdue (10-2, 7-2)
Nebraska (9-3, 6-3)
Wisconsin (7-5, 4-5)
Northwestern (4-8, 3-6)
Iowa (4-8, 2-7)
Illinois (3-9, 1-8)

EAST:
FIU (8-4, 6-3)
Old Dominion (8-4, 6-3)
Middle Tennessee St. (6-6, 6-3)
Western Kentucky (5-7, 4-5)
Louisiana Tech (4-8, 4-5)
Florida Atlantic (3-9, 2-7)


WEST:
Texas State (7-5, 6-3)
Southern Miss (8-4, 5-4)
UTEP (5-7, 4-5)
North Texas (4-8, 4-5)
UTSA (4-8, 4-5)
Rice (5-6, 3-6)

INDEPENDENTS

BYU (7-5)
Notre Dame (6-6)
UMass (3-8)
UAB (0-12)

EAST:
Bowling Green (11-1, 9-0)
Buffalo (9-3, 7-2)
Miami-OH (8-4, 7-2)
Kent State (5-7, 5-4)
Ohio (3-9, 3-6)
Akron (0-12, 0-8)

WEST:
Toledo (6-6, 5-4)
Ball St. (7-5, 5-4)
Northern Illinois (5-7, 5-4)
Central Michigan (5-7, 4-5)
Eastern Michigan (3-9, 2-7)
Western Michigan (2-10, 2-7)

MOUNTAIN:
New Mexico (5-7, 4-4)
Air Force (8-4, 4-4)
Boise St. (5-7, 4-4)
Wyoming (5-7, 4-4)
Utah St. (4-8, 3-5)
Colorado St. (2-10, 0-8)

WEST:
San Diego State (9-3, 7-1)
UNLV (9-3, 6-2)
Hawai’i (9-3, 5-3)
San Jose St. (8-4, 5-3)
Fresno St. (6-6, 4-4)
Nevada (3-9, 2-6)

NORTH:
Oregon State (9-3, 7-2)
Oregon (9-3, 6-3)
Washington (8-4, 6-3)
Cal (7-5, 5-4)
Stanford (4-8, 3-6)
Washington State (2-10, 2-7)

SOUTH:
USC (11-1, 9-0)
UCLA (7-5, 5-4)
Arizona St. (6-6, 4-5)
Utah (5-7, 4-5)
Colorado (4-8, 2-7)
Arizona (3-9, 1-8)

EAST:
Tennessee (11-1, 7-1)
Georgia (7-5, 6-2)
Florida (9-3, 5-3)
Missouri (7-5, 4-4)
South Carolina (7-5, 4-4)
Kentucky (6-6, 2-6)
Vanderbilt (3-9, 1-7)

WEST:
Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2)
Arkansas (8-4, 5-3)
Alabama (8-4, 5-3)
Auburn (8-4, 4-4)
Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4)
LSU (5-7, 3-5)
Mississippi St. (4-8, 1-7)

Arkansas St. (11-1, 7-0)
UL-Lafayette (9-3, 6-1)
New Mexico St. (7-5, 4-3)
South Alabama (5-7, 3-4)
ULM (5-7, 2-5)
Georgia St. (3-9, 2-5)
Idaho (4-8, 1-6)
Troy (4-8, 1-6)

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

UConn falls behind early, drops Big 12 Title Game to Cowboys

Huskies to face Michigan State in Cactus Bowl

Almost done with the catch-up work! Sorry for the short write-ups in the meantime. Despite a valiant effort, UConn fell short in their first ever Big 12 Title Game appearance, losing 38-35 to #19 Oklahoma State to drop to 9-4 on the season. Cowboy QB Omar Myrick, a likely first round draft pick who sliced up UConn’s defense when the two teams met in October, did the same against the usually stingy Husky D today. Myrick completed 28 of his 36 throws for 300 yards and accounted for two TD’s in total. Meanwhile, the Cowboy D did its part as well. Despite allowing third string UConn QB Isaac Jackson to throw for 250 yards and three TD’s of his own, Jackson had some issues with his accuracy and accounted for a key turnover early that allowed the efficient Cowboy offense to score in response.

Additionally, a couple questionable plays by Coach Diaco assisted in the Cowboy victory. Shortly before halftime, Diaco called for a fake punt from the Cowboy 42 -- a pass that was dropped by fullback Alfred Hart. As a result, Oklahoma State marched down the field and picked up three points on a Joey Stetson field goal that helped play a difference in the final score.

Redshirt freshman Luke Williamson ran for two more TD’s to continue his impressive season, having usurped the starting running back spot away from speedster Jeff McNeal while he was away with injury troubles. McNeal, Rashad Harris and Royce Archie had UConn’s TD grabs.

This is Oklahoma State’s eleventh conference title, and first since 2011. While still a long shot to be selected to participate in the College Football Playoff, Coach Mike Gundy and his team will likely accept a bid to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

UConn, for the second straight year, has accepted a bid to play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Cactus Bowl. There they'll meet Michigan State, who went 8-4 this season and are led by exciting QB Kyle Haas and a two-headed backfield monster in Shantrez Jefferson and Chad Hudson.

USC, Ohio State, Ole Miss win to clinch playoff spots; Minnesota controversially tabbed for fourth spot despite third loss, six other teams had case for fourth spot

Big 12: #19 Oklahoma State (11-2, 7-2) def. #24 UConn (9-4, 6-3) 38-35
O. Myrick (QB, OSU): 28-36, 300 yds, TD, rush TD

C-USA: FIU (9-4, 7-3) def. Texas State (7-6, 6-4) 56-35
A. Brooks (QB, FIU): 29-37, 341 yds, 6 TD

American: Army West Point (9-4, 8-2) def. Navy (8-5, 8-2) 31-28
T. Holiday (RB, Army): 23 rush, 145 yds, 3 TD

SEC: #3 Ole Miss (10-3, 7-2) def. #4 Tennessee (11-2, 7-2) 28-23
B. Wilson (RB, Ole Miss): 17 rush, 102 yds, 2 TD

Mountain West: New Mexico (6-7, 5-4) def. SDSU (9-4, 7-2) 35-30
E. Brown (FB, UNM): 30 rush, 144 yds, 4 TD (passes 2000 yards)

Pac-12: #7 USC (12-1, 10-0) def. #23 Oregon State (9-4, 7-3) 31-20
D. Marshall (RB, USC): 26 rush, 165 yds, 2 TD

ACC: #9 Miami (10-3, 9-1) def. #20 NCSU (9-4, 7-3) 42-32
B. Merriman(QB, MIA): 22-30, 324 yds, 3 TD, 2 rush TD

Big 10: #5 Ohio State (10-3, 8-2) def. #1 Minnesota (10-3, 7-3) 49-42
E. Tantgen (QB, OSU): 13-17, 264 yds, 4 TD, rush TD

MAC: Toledo (7-6, 6-4) def. Bowling Green (11-2, 9-1) 24-10
D. Transi (QB, Toledo): 16-31, 271 yds, 3 TD, 15 rush, 131 yds, TD

Full 2019 Bowl Map

A couple seasons ago I started changing corporate sponsors of a bunch of bowl games, as you'd see in real life. Found a list of Fortune 500 companies and related their locations to the games and went from there. There have been a couple posts outlining changes in seasons past, but if anyone's curious I'll repost them. I'm excited to see a couple CAC user showdowns within the Armed Forces and Time Warner Cable Bowls!

Still a few guys left out though (eh-hem, Coach Crenshaw, who WILL get to a bowl game in 2020!), but let’s try to get everyone to a bowl game next year! I have a CAC season review for everyone coming up in a couple posts and I'm excited to unveil our four newest CAC alumni later this week!

Sports Authority Bowl Denver: Air Force (8-4) vs. USF (8-4)
Famous Idaho Potato: Miami (OH) (8-4) vs. Fresno State (6-6)
Poinsettia Bowl San Diego pres. by Qualcomm: Army West Point (9-4) vs. UNLV (9-3)
Tropicana St. Petersburg: Southern Miss (8-4) vs. Navy (8-5)
CenturyLink New Orleans: Texas State (7-6) vs. #19 Arkansas State (11-1)
Amazon Las Vegas: UCLA (7-5) vs. San Diego State (9-3)
Sheraton Hawai'i: Old Dominion (8-4) vs. San Jose State (8-4)
Quick Lane (pres. by Ford): #25 Rutgers (7-5) vs. Buffalo (9-3)
CitiBank Military (pres. by Northrop Grumman): Toledo (7-6) vs. Tulsa (7-5)
Chevron Holiday: Kansas State (7-5) vs. #22 Washington (8-4)
Bank Of America: Florida State (8-4) vs. New Mexico State (7-5)
Popeye’s Independence: South Carolina (7-5) vs. SMU (8-4)
Phillips 66 Bluebonnet Bowl: #17 Penn State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (6-6)
Target Bowl Minneapolis: Memphis (9-3) vs. NC State (9-4)
Armed Forces pres. by Cessna: Middle Tennessee State (6-6) vs. #24 Hawai’i (9-3)
Intel Santa Clara: #15 Pitt (10-2) vs. #23 Arkansas (8-4)
Valero Alamo: Baylor (8-4) vs. Oregon State (9-3)
Buffalo Wild Wings Cactus: #20 Michigan St. (8-4) vs. UConn (9-4)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Missouri (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech (7-5)
Sysco Sun Bowl: Cal (7-5) vs. #10 Georgia Tech (9-3)
AutoZone Liberty: Texas A&M (7-5) vs. FIU (9-4)
ExxonMobil Dallas: Ball State (7-5) vs. Wisconsin (7-5)
TECO Energy Outback: #21 Alabama (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5)
Fidelity: #14 Auburn (8-4) vs. #11 Texas (9-3)
Citrus pres. by Olive Garden: Georgia (7-5) vs. #13 Michigan (9-3)
Arby’s Birmingham: UCF (7-5) vs. BYU (7-5)
Time Warner Cable: Bowling Green (11-2) vs. UL Lafayette (9-3)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Year's Six

Best Buy Rose: #16 Oregon (9-3) vs. #6 Nebraska (9-3)
Allstate Sugar: #9 Miami-FL (10-3) vs. #18 Oklahoma State (11-2)
Discover Orange: #7 Boston College (10-2) vs. #8 Tennessee (11-2)
Goodyear Cotton: #5 Purdue (10-2) vs. #12 Florida (9-3)

Chick-Fil-A Peach: (CFP SEMIFINAL): #3 Ole Miss (10-3) vs. #2 Ohio State (10-3)
VIZIO Fiesta: (CFP SEMIFINAL): #1 USC (12-1) vs. #4 Minnesota (10-3)


College Football Playoff Championship (January 13, New Orleans, LA): Winner Peach vs. Fiesta

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

UConn wins Cactus Bowl

Making up for last year’s loss* in last year’s Cactus Bowl to Ohio State, UConn defeated Michigan State 49-45 in a thrilling Buffalo Wild Wings Cactus Bowl in Tempe this year. Opening day starting QB Tanner Dean-Lowry returned to action and, despite his inconsistencies at times through his first two seasons, provided a glimpse of the star quarterback he can become.

Completing over 60% of his passes for over 300 yards and a pair of TD’s while running for another, TDL willed UConn to victory on a day where the defenses stayed home (aside from a couple turnovers early in the going).

UConn established a lead early and when it turned into a shootout late, it was Michigan State who came up just short due to falling behind early.

UConn will finish their year at 10-4 with their seventh bowl win in program history and head into the offseason feeling much better about their quarterback situation and with a wave of momentum following the win.

---------------------------------

New starting QB Tantgen leads Ohio State past USC for National Title

Full 2019 Bowl Results

Sports Authority Bowl Denver: USF (9-4) def. Air Force (8-5) 34-31

Famous Idaho Potato: Miami (OH) (9-4) def. Fresno State (6-7) 31-10

Poinsettia Bowl San Diego pres. by Qualcomm: Army West Point (10-4) def. UNLV (9-4) 56-28

Tropicana St. Petersburg: Southern Miss (9-4) def. Navy (8-6) 45-24

CenturyLink New Orleans: #19 Arkansas State (12-1) def. Texas State (7-7) 36-35

Amazon Las Vegas: San Diego State (10-3) def. UCLA (7-6) 38-17

Sheraton Hawai'i: Old Dominion (9-4) def. San Jose State (8-5) 43-40

Quick Lane (pres. by Ford): #25 Rutgers (8-5) def. Buffalo (9-4) 41-31

CitiBank Military (pres. by Northrop Grumman): Tulsa (8-5) def. Toledo (7-7) 35-20

Chevron Holiday: #22 Washington (9-4) def. Kansas State (7-6) 34-13

Bank Of America: Florida State (9-4) def. New Mexico State (7-6) 48-19

Popeye’s Independence: SMU (9-4) def. South Carolina (7-6) 28-14

Phillips 66 Bluebonnet Bowl: Notre Dame (7-6) def. #17 Penn State (8-5) 36-31

Target Bowl Minneapolis: NC State (10-4) def. Memphis (9-4) 35-31

Armed Forces pres. by Cessna: #24 Hawai’i (10-3) def. Middle Tennessee State (6-7) 42-23

Intel Santa Clara: #15 Pitt (11-2) def. #23 Arkansas (8-4) 41-35

Valero Alamo: Oregon State (10-4) def. Baylor (8-5) 37-36

Buffalo Wild Wings Cactus: UConn (10-4) def. #24 Michigan State (8-5) 49-45

Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Virginia Tech (8-5) def. Missouri (7-6) 37-35

Sysco Sun Bowl: #10 Georgia Tech (10-3) def. Cal (7-6) 34-13

AutoZone Liberty: Texas A&M (8-5) def. FIU (9-5) 27-24

ExxonMobil Dallas: Wisconsin (8-5) def. Ball State (7-6) 45-31

TECO Energy Outback: #21 Alabama (9-4) def. Oklahoma (7-6) 56-52

Fidelity: #11 Texas (10-3) def. #14 Auburn (8-5)

Citrus pres. by Olive Garden: #13 Michigan (10-3) def. Georgia (7-6) 42-17

Arby’s Birmingham: BYU (8-5) def. UCF (7-6) 63-20

Time Warner Cable: UL Lafayette (10-3) def. Bowling Green (11-3) 31-28

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Year's Six

Best Buy Rose: #16 Oregon (10-3) def. #6 Nebraska (9-3) 48-37

Allstate Sugar: #9 Miami-FL (11-3) def. #18 Oklahoma State (11-3) 48-27

Discover Orange: #7 Boston College (11-2) def. #8 Tennessee (11-3) 28-20

Goodyear Cotton: #12 Florida (10-3) def. #5 Purdue (10-3) 40-28


Chick-Fil-A Peach: (CFP SEMIFINAL): #2 Ohio State (11-3) def. Ole Miss (10-4) 38-31

VIZIO Fiesta: (CFP SEMIFINAL): #1 USC (13-1) def. #4 Minnesota (10-4) 30-27


College Football Playoff Championship (January 13, New Orleans, LA): #2 Ohio State (12-3) def. #1 USC (13-2) 34-27

---------------------------------

USC’s Holycross wins Heisman

Despite not being the starting tailback for the majority of the season, USC tailback Lamar Holycross used a historic all-purpose statistical season to win the 2019 Heisman trophy by a comfortable margin over Alabama tailback Eric Bonds. Teammate Dontrell Marshall was the early favorite to win the Heisman this season but missed time in the middle stages of the season with an injury. Holycross racked up multiple 200 yard rushing games in that stretch and thrust himself into Heisman talks. When Marshall came back, Holycross cemented his status as the man to beat by continuing to excel in the return game, racking up over 1000 yards and four touchdowns in total this season to go with his 1000 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards. Holycross is USC’s seventh Heisman winner (excluding Reggie Bush) and the fifth USC tailback to win.

Bonds finished second, while Justin Farrington II of Ole Miss finished 3rd. Tailbacks Brandon Williams of Ohio State and Obi Love of Georgia Tech rounded out the top five.

---------------------------------

Cox, Jackson win big in National Awards

Once again, UConn defenders have swept on Home Depot Awards Night. Sophomore linebacker John Cox was presented with the Bednarik and Butkus Awards, while senior defensive end Gene Jackson took home the Nagurski and Lombardi Awards.

Cox, replacing Luke Carrezola and Vontae Diggs on the outside this year, had a phenomenal season. Coach Diaco praised Cox all year for his ability to move around the field and his sound technique. The New Jersey native finished 2019 with 90 tackles, 30 for loss, 5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery while adding a defensive touchdown. The Bednarik Award comes to East Hartford for the fourth time in five years with Cox’s victory. James Atkins won last year, Junior Joseph won in 2016 and Graham Stewart won in 2015. Teammate Marcus Bradford won the Butkus Award last year, making Cox the second Husky to win that award.

Jackson, also a first year starter and the recipient of the Quintin Harrell Sportsman Award this spring, had a record year for UConn. Jackson only had 33 tackles, but tallied 27 tackles for loss and 20 sacks, a UConn record. Jackson also set a single-game sacks record by recording six in UConn’s season opening win against Illinois. Jackson’s Lombardi and Nagurski wins mark the third straight win for both awards by a UConn Husky, following James Atkins last year and Cam Stapleton in 2017.

Additionally, Cox and Jackson were among the five UConn defenders named to the All-American team. Joining them on the first team were linebackers Marcus Bradford and Sammie Leonard, along with junior cornerback Jake Crowder. Defensive tackle T.J. Newell was named to the second team, as was senior safety Derek Robinson.

All five made the first team all-conference roster as well, along with wideout Rashad Harris, tackle Josh Parrish and safety Ross Sinclair. Running back Luke Williamson, center Brian Thompson, corner Shavlion Wade and return man Carlton Parker were named to the second team.

2019 NCAA Award Winners
Award	Player	Pos	Team
Heisman Memorial Trophy	Lamar Holycross	RB	USC
Maxwell Award	Lamar Holycross	RB	USC
Walter Camp Award	Lamar Holycross	RB	USC
Chuck Bednarik Award	John Cox	LB	UConn
Bronko Nagurski Trophy	Gene Jackson	DE	UConn
Davey O'Brien Award	Barrett Merriman	QB	Miami (FL)
Doak Walker Award	Lamar Holycross	RB	USC
Fred Biletnikoff Award	Derrick Alston	WR	BYU
John Mackey Award	Stephen Williams	TE	Michigan
Outland Trophy	Dustin Ford	C	Oregon
Rimington Trophy	Dustin Ford	C	Oregon
Lombardi Award	Gene Jackson	DE	UConn
Linebacker of the Year	John Cox	LB	UConn
Jim Thorpe Award	James McNair	CB	Tennessee
Lou Groza Award	Brandon Shaw	K	Oregon
Ray Guy Award	Fred Wallace	P	USC
Returner of the Year	Lamar Holycross	RB	USC

2019 NCAA 1st Team All-Americans
Pos	Player Name	Ht	Wt	Year
QB	Barrett Merriman, Miami-FL			Sr.
HB	Lamar Holycross, USC			Sr.
HB	Brandon Williams, Ohio State			Sr.
WR	Derrick Alston , BYU			Sr.
WR	Kalarious Jackson, Oklahoma			Sr.
TE	Stephen Williams, Michigan			So.
T	Pedro Harris, Ohio State			Sr.
G	Jamaal Sparks, Nebraska			Sr.
G	DeShawn DeAngelis, Alabama			Sr.
T	Courtney Johnson, Michigan			Sr.
C	Rocky Easley, Miami-FL			Sr.
DE	Gene Jackson, UConn			Sr.
DE	Brent Hancock, Arkansas			Sr.
DT	Noke Alafaku, Hawai'i			Sr.
DT	Simms McAfee, USC			Sr.
LB	John Cox, UConn			So.
LB	Sammie Leonard, UConn			Jr.
LB	Marcus Bradford, UConn			Jr.
CB	James McNair, Tennessee			Jr.
CB	Jake Crowder, UConn			Jr.
S	Samson Newby, Auburn			So.
S	Keith Gibson, Arkansas			Jr.
K	Brandon Shaw, Oregon			Jr.
P	Fred Wallace, USC			Sr.
RS	Lamar Holycross, USC			Sr.

2019 1st Team All-Big 12
Pos	Player Name	Ht	Wt	Year
QB	Derrick Ryan, Baylor			Sr.
HB	Lonnie Wright, Oklahoma State			Jr.
HB	Shentdrick Sams, TCU			Sr.
WR	Kalarious Jackson, Oklahoma			Sr.
WR	Rashad Harris, UConn			Jr.
TE	Derek Gaither, Oklahoma State			Sr.
T	Josh Parrish, UConn			Sr.
C	Chris Davis, Oklahoma State			Sr.
G	Chris Hawkins, Baylor			Sr.
G	Stanton Beckman, Oklahoma State			Sr.
T	Jamie Brown, Texas			Sr.
DE	Gene Jackson, UConn			Sr.
DE	William McKinzey, Oklahoma			Sr.
DT	T.J. Newell, UConn			Sr.
DT	David Triplett, Oklahoma State			Sr.
LB	John Cox, UConn			So.
LB	Sammie Leonard, UConn			Jr.
LB	Marcus Bradford, UConn			Jr.
CB	Karl Barr, Iowa State			Sr.
CB	Jake Crowder, UConn			Sr.
S	Ross Sinclair, UConn			Jr.
S	Derek Robinson, UConn			Sr.
K	Joey Stetson, Oklahoma State			Jr.
P	Victor Kalataneta, Kansas State			So.
RS	Jayson Piercy, Texas			Fr.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

CAC Year in Review, 2019

Record: 7-6, lost in Dallas Bowl to Wisconsin

Season Synopsis: Kept close with better teams on schedule (Boston College), took care of business against lower level conference foes.

Key Player - QB Jason Lucas, 139-279, 1861 yds, 20 TD, 226 carries, 955 yds and 8 TD
Also had 1000 yard rusher in Chris Wheeler





Record: 11-3, lost Time Warner Cable Bowl to UL Lafayette.

Season Synopsis: Only regular season loss came out of conference. Was not ranked all season. Lost MAC CG to Toledo before bowl loss.

Key Player - QB Chris Williams, 240-358, 3606 yards, 30 TD, 251 rush, 953 yards, 17 TD
Also had 1600 yard rusher in Jasper Haley and 1100 yard receiver in Matt Cooper





Record: 6-6, not invited to bowl game.

Season Synopsis: Four game win streak mid-season pushed team to .500. Lost two of last three.

Key Player - RB Ira Miller, 202 rush, 1292 yds, 7 TD




Record: 5-7, no bowl.

Season Synopsis: Beat Kansas, played Michigan State and Oklahoma State tough out of conference. Struggled against upper level MAC talent, losing to Buffalo, Bowling Green, Toledo and Ball State. Nevertheless, CMU was in the MAC West race until the last week, and had a chance to win division through a list of scenarios in Week 14. Knocked out of bowl contention that week with loss to Ball State.

Key Player - RB Jerry Bailey, 208 rush, 1199 yards, 11 TD
QB Darius Wood, 181-370, 2245 yards, 15 TD, 15 INT





Record: #20 AP, 10-3, win Armed Forces Bowl over Middle Tennessee St.

Season Synopsis: Started 4-0, late loss to San Jose State erased any dark horse big bowl game hopes. Strong season nevertheless in Trebell's first season.

Key Player - DT Noke Alafaku, 50 tackles (21 TFL), 9.5 scks (All-American)
QB Mike Bryant, 3085 pass yards and 25 TD, also had 1300 yard rusher and 1000 yard receiver






Record: 3-9

Season Synopsis: Won two games in conference (Penn State and Indiana).. Kept several games with ranked opponents close but couldn’t quite pull out upsets.

Key Player - QB Roshawn Adams, 169-319, 2465 yards, 19 TD
RB Mario Washington from a town I’m very familiar with, Bellows Falls, VT -- 142 rush, 922 yards, 11 TD





Record: 9-4, loss Target Bowl Minneapolis to NC State

Season Synopsis: Two critical conference losses late in the year to Navy and Tulsa ruined Conference Championship hopes. 42-31 loss to Miami early.

Key Player - QB Erik Harvey, 133-268, 1905 yards, 13 TD, 181 rush, 1067 yards, 12 TD
RB Napoleon Mason, 251 rush, 1343 yards, 7 TD






Record: 6-7, loss Armed Forces Bowl to Hawai’i

Season Synopsis: Started 0-3, won 3 in a row to get to .500. Dipped to 4-6 before winning last two over FIU and LA Tech to become bowl eligible.

Key Player: QB Warren Johnson, 190-378, 2283 yards, 23 TD
RB Brandon Kennedy, 155 rush, 932 yards, 9 TD






Record: 7-6, loss Bank of America Bowl to Florida State

Season Synopsis: Started 5-1. 4 game losing streak dampered conference title hopes (losses to ranked ULL and Ark State, Arkansas)

Key Player - QB Jarred Jackson, 160-370, 2083 yds, 15 TD, 226 rush, 1059 yards, 8 TD






Record: 3-9

Season Synopsis: Lost first eight to end season before it really began. However, Ohio beat Akron, Toledo and Western Michigan in consecutive weeks to bring some momentum into 2020.

Key Player - RB Ron Cox, 252 rush, 1461 yards, 11 TD






Record: #15 AP, 10-3, loss to Florida in Cotton Bowl.

Season Synopsis: Started 9-0, (blew out Ohio State 52-24), ranked #1 in middle part of season. Snubbed from Playoffs after sitting idle on championship week. Lost to Nebraska and Minnesota late.

Key Player - LB John Upshaw, 91 tackles, 27 TFL’s, 7.5 sacks, 1st team All-Big Ten




Record: #23 AP, 8-5, win Quick Lane Bowl over Buffalo

Season Synopsis: Started 4-0 before 4 game losing streak in conference to Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. Beat Maryland and Michigan State late in year.

Key Player - WR John Grant, 96 rec, 1414 yards, 12 TD






Record: 9-4, won St. Petersburg Bowl over Navy

Season Synopsis: Started 5-1 (loss to Old Dominion), faded slightly as season wound down but won bowl game for the second straight year.

Key Player - QB Ryan Davis, 200-300, 2799 yards, 29 TD, 175 rush, 763 yards, 8 TD






Record: 3-9

Season Synopsis: Step back from ACC Title Game berth last year. Lost 8 of last 9 games (all in conference).

Key Player - QB Gus Martin, 152-283, 1965 yards, 14 TD, 111 rush, 543 yards, 3 TD






Record: 0-12

Season Synopsis: Kept close with big schools (8 point loss to LSU, 7 point loss to Arkansas State, 7 point loss to Hawai’i), but severe offensive struggles prevented the Blazers from getting a win.

Key Player - WR Sha’Jon Simpson, 38 rec, 428 yards, 2 TD






Record: 7-6, loss to BYU in Birmingham Bowl

Season Synopsis: 4 game winning streak at the end of the season helped clinch bowl appearance. Started 3-5.

Key Player - QB Steve Vincent, 215-392, 2758 yards, 24 TD
RB Willie Alexander, 216 rush, 1133 yards, 10 TD






Record: #25 AP, 10-3, win over Bowling Green in Time Warner Cable Bowl

Season Synopsis: Won 7 of last 8 games. Losses to UCLA, Arkansas State and UNLV.

Key Player - QB Julius Townsend, 208-386, 2439 yards, 26 TD






Record: #2 AP, 13-2, won Fiesta Bowl over Minnesota, loss to Ohio State in National Title Game.

Season Synopsis: After winning the national title in year 2 of the Quinn Shea regime, the Trojans nearly repeated. They won their first 11 to stretch their win streak to 29 games before losing to a desperate five win Notre Dame team in the last week. Came up seven points short of repeating as national champions.

Key Player - RB Lamar Holycross, 239 rush, 1576 yards, 23 TD, 26 rec, 259 yards, 3 TD, 1000+ return yards
QB Brad Ewing, 240-326, 3194 yards, 36 TD





Record: 5-7

Season Synopsis: Vastly improved over 2018. Lost three of last four to eliminate from bowl contention -- suffered biggest blow possible with absence of star QB Cafika Samples to career ending back injury early in the season. Wins over Southern Miss, Texas State, MTSU and New Mexico State. Six of seven losses came to sub-.500 teams.

Key Player - QB Mike Smith, 130-259, 1696 yards, 13 TD





Record: 2-10

Season Synopsis: Wins over Colorado and Oregon State highlighted Willingham’s disappointing second season. Started 1-8.

Key Player - RB Elson Asa’sina, 167 rush, 939 yards, 7 TD

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Great end to the season picking up that tough W in the Cactus Bowl. I love it when Michigan State loses, unfortunately for me those turds from Columbus had a great season. Oh well.

Bailey had a good year for me almost reaching 1200 rushing yards. Woods TD:INT ratio was terrible though which is probably why we struggled to string wins together. Just like IRL CMU, we play ooc teams tough, and then fall flat against lesser teams in conference.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

2019 UConn Stats/Wrap-up:

UConn Huskies Stats - 2019
Passing	C/ATT	YDS	AVG	YDS/G	LONG	TD	INT	RAT
Jarrett Rivero	57-104	1052	18.4	116.8	75	9	6	156.8
Isaac Jackson	82-145	1255	15.3	125.5	66	10	7	142.4
Tanner Dean-Lowry	104-184	1628	15.6	232.5	62	13	11	142.2
Rushing	ATT	YDS	AVG	LONG	20+	TD	YDS/G	FUM
Luke Williamson	261	965	3.6	17	0	13	68.9	6
Jarrett Rivero	69	503	7.2	84	5	3	55.8	10
Tanner Dean-Lowry	45	226	5.0	22	2	1	32.2	6
Jeff McNeal	47	197	4.1	28	2	1	32.8	1
Isaac Jackson	57	173	3.0	20	2	2	17.3	3
Alfred Hart	24	92	3.8	13	0	4	7.0	1
Carlton Parker	25	65	2.6	13	0	6	4.6	1
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	DROPS	YDS/G	YAC
Rashad Harris	49	1084	22.1	12	75	7	77.4	285
Jeff Matthews	45	698	15.5	4	33	5	49.8	216
Rodney Reid	44	628	14.2	4	41	4	44.8	179
Royce Archie	27	387	14.3	2	53	0	43.0	147
Luke Williamson	20	224	11.2	1	21	5	15.9	79
Jeff McNeal	19	393	20.6	3	75	3	65.5	143
Ryne Thomas	13	184	14.1	2	23	0	16.7	54
Kevin Lacey	7	79	11.2	1	19	0	5.6	18
Kyler Parks	6	73	12.1	1	19	0	6.0	34
Carlton Parker	5	67	13.4	0	29	2	4.7	40
Blocking					PCAKE		SACK
Trent Ginn					5		15
Josh Parrish					5		5
Royce Archie					5		0
Vince Jones					4		2
Steve Weber					3		6
Alfred Hart					3		1
Brian Thompson					3		1
Brantell Webb					2		1
	Tackles			Sacks		Interceptions
Defense	SOLO	AST	TOT	SACK	TLOSS	PD	INT	TD
John Cox	87	3	90	5	30	0	1	1
Marcus Bradford	82	3	85	1	17	1	1	2
Sammie Leonard	70	2	72	8	24	2	1	0
Ross Sinclair	65	4	69	0	3	6	2	0
Derek Robinson	55	2	57	0	9	3	0	0
Tim Duchane	51	3	54	1	6	0	0	0
Jake Crowder	49	3	52	1	3	8	6	0
Sam Rourke	35	1	36	2	23	0	0	0
T.J. Newell	34	0	34	8	12	0	0	0
Gene Jackson	33	0	33	20	27	0	0	0
Kyler Parks	21	0	21	1	2	0	2	0
Shavlion Wade	16	1	17	0	0	3	4	0
Tom Willis	14	0	14	0	2	0	0	0
Tashawn Coleman	14	0	14	4	1	0	0	0
Mike Stokes	13	0	13	0	0	2	0	0
Sam Barnett	12	0	12	0	1	2	1	0
Brett Lowery	7	0	7	2	6	0	0	0
Brent Howard	7	0	7	1	2	0	0	0
Rodney Reid	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Altarri Gardner	4	0	4	1	1	0	0	0
	Kickoffs					Punts
Returning	ATT	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD	RET	AVG	TD
Carlton Parker	48	1378	28.7	87	0	28	9.2	0
Jeff Matthews	5	87	17.4	24	0	0	0	0
Kevin Lacey	0	0	0	0	0	6	13.8	0
	Field Goals				Extra Points
Kicking	FGM	FGA	PCT	LONG	XPM	XPA	PCT	PTS
Mike Miller	7	11	63	40	61	63	96	82
Punting	PUNTS	YDS	LONG	AVG	NET	BP	IN20	TB
Tyler McCray	45	2139	59	47.5	34.2	1	2	19

Graduating Class:

More to come on these guys in the next post;
* - Dynasty Hall of Fame Inductee

DT T.J. Newell - rSR - 93 overall*
LT Josh Parrish - SR - 90 overall*
SS Derek Robinson - rSR - 88 overall*
C Brian Thompson - rSR - 88 overall
FS Mike Stokes - rSR - 87 overall
WR Jeff Matthews - rSR - 86 overall
WR Rodney Reid - rSR - 85 overall
RG Steve Weber - rSR - 85 overall
QB Jarrett Rivero - rSR - 83 overall
DE Gene Jackson - rSR - 81 overall



Guru’s Final Thoughts:

- Hopefully TDL can build on his end of year performance and we can eliminate the three QB’s with 1000 yards crap

- Luke Williamson and Jeff McNeal are going to have a nice battle for the running back spot next fall.

- Losing three starters on the O-Line plus our solid blind side in Josh Parrish.. Ouch.

- Gene Jackson had a statistical season for the record books. One-season wonder.

- John Cox will be a star for years to come.

- I am really going to miss Derek Robinson next year.

Great end to the season picking up that tough W in the Cactus Bowl. I love it when Michigan State loses, unfortunately for me those turds from Columbus had a great season. Oh well.

Bailey had a good year for me almost reaching 1200 rushing yards. Woods TD:INT ratio was terrible though which is probably why we struggled to string wins together. Just like IRL CMU, we play ooc teams tough, and then fall flat against lesser teams in conference.

No doubt it was a big win.. hoping for a bit of momentum from that game to carry into next season, especially with almost all of our major contributors returning. I we can overcome three graduating O-Linemen and find a QB who can start a whole season we can make a serious New Year's Bowl push.

I was crushed when the Buckeyes won.. even more so than I would have normally been because a.) it came at the expense of Coach Shea and the back-to-back try and b.) we beat Ohio State in the 'Shoe in Week 4. .. I'll have to look into scheduling them again in the near future.

Next year I swear Central will go to a bowl. I don't care what it takes but I'm done seeing you melt in obscurity. The rest of the "original five" CAC's (Shea, Freday, Woodard, Willingham) will have all moved up in the coaching ranks in some form by the end of the coach carousel period. It's time. Wood graduates and I think Bailey does too but we'll finally get to see former mega-freshman Cam Stith in the backfield all by himself and running QB Paul O'Toole (I believe). 2020 will be your year I promise.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

A look back at the 2015 UConn Recruiting Class

Coach Bob Diaco is pretty happy with his second recruiting class. Being a defensive coordinator previous to landing this head coaching gig, I can see why.

Today, as we bid farewell to the class of 2019, we stop and take a look back at the UConn recruiting class of 2015, with most of its members graduating as part of this year's bunch.

The 2015 class was ranked a disappointing 108th, but many had bigger impacts than their initial ratings indicated.

Here's a full list, accompanied by a career recap for each prospect and a grade of their success level at UConn.

UConn Huskies Recruiting - 2015
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
T.J. Newell	DT	HS	Westport, CT	6'5	252
Derek Robinson	CB	HS	Ewing, NJ	6'0	176
Rodney Reid	WR	HS	Vancleave, MS	6'6	227
Mike Stokes	FS	HS	Bardstown, KY	6'2	174
Demarcus Robinson	DE	HS	Pineville, LA	6'5	230
Gene Jackson	DT	HS	Hemet, CA	6'4	268
Steve Weber	G	HS	Old Orchard Beach, ME	6'1	294
Jeff Matthews	WR	HS	Clifton, NJ	6'1	195
Brian Thompson	C	HS	Pensacola, FL	6'5	327
Jarrett Rivero	QB	HS	Torrington, CT	6'5	227
Bobby Greer	QB	HS	Wheeling, WV	6'3	224

DT T.J. Newell:
A local prospect, Newell was the highest rated prospect (according to SPARQ) in the 2015 class. Newell came in at 6'5, 252 pounds and bulked up to 272 by the end of his fifth and final year of eligibility. While Coach Diaco assumed a defensive line littered with veterans, Diaco counted on Newell to assume the starting nose tackle role in his 3-4 defense by the time he was a redshirt sophomore, and started throughout UConn's National Title run. Newell recorded 16 sacks in his career, and while not an eye-popping number, he had eight in his senior year and four on his senior day against Houston. Overall, a solid producer who will be missed next year up front.
Grade: A-


CB Derek Robinson
Believe it or not, the longtime safety was actually recruited as a cornerback and played linebacker a bit in high school. D-Rob was moved to safety early in his career due to the young corner depth in the early years of the Diaco era. As a result, Robinson got more playing time than he would have at corner. Right from the get-go Robinson made his presence felt. After taking his redshirt, Robinson picked off a Bowling Green QB in his September 2016 debut. Robinson would go on to start for three seasons, including the National Title run of 2017. D-Rob finished his career with 161 tackles and 5 INT's while being a mainstay in the secondary.
Grade: A-

C Brian Thompson
Underrated center actually started three seasons for UConn, and was another starter on the National Title team. Only allowed four sacks in his career and though he was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last fall, Thompson never fully got the respect or attention he deserved. His services will be dearly missed in 2020.
Grade: B+


DT Gene Jackson
Took him some time to develop, but won the Harrell Sportsman Award and a starting D-end job last season and recorded 20 sacks, a UConn record. Additionally, Jackson home the national Nagurski and Lombardi Awards while garnering All-American and All-Conference honors. Grade would be higher if he got playing time in more than one year.
Grade: B


QB Jarrett Rivero
Former preferred walk-on Rivero got his big break prior to 2018 in a mop-up, one half tryout against Boise State while filling in for former Husky QB David Hamilton. Rivero got more chances to start in 2019 when Tanner Dean-Lowry went down hurt, but Rivero could never stay healthy himself. Rivero is best known for his running prowess and the architect behind the Ohio State comeback in September. As a walk-on, he did a lot more than Coach Diaco could have asked for and was a fantastic backup QB later in his career.
Grade: B-

WR Jeff Matthews
Matthews' finest moment came when he was a reserve. To save UConn's New Year's bowl hopes in 2016, Matthews came into the game as a fifth receiver and scored the winning touchdown. However, Matthews was unspectacular after that. He recorded 90 catches, 1400 yard receiving and was a solid #2, but was largely average in his time with UConn.
Grade: C+


Steve Weber
Maine product Weber was a welcome addition to an ever thinning offensive line. Weber started the last two seasons and did a fair job overall, though not spectacular.
Grade: C+


WR Rodney Reid
Reid excited Diaco early in the recruiting process because of his sheer size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. However, Reid didn't really materialize until his redshirt junior year in 2018. Expected to be a matchup nightmare in the slot, Reid did produce 59 catches for 938 yards and 7 TD's. We'll cut him some slack because he was only a three-star prospect, but Reid never became a star or consistent starter like Coach Diaco once thought he could be.
Grade: C+


FS Mike Stokes
Gotta feel for this guy a bit. Despite being similar talent-wise to guys like Derek Robinson and Ross Sinclair, never quite worked out in his five years. Coach Diaco moved Sinclair to corner to allow Stokes to start early in his senior year, but the move was a negative for everyone and Stokes was benched again. He finished his career with 44 tackles and 2 INT's, but left a largely unfulfilled potential in East Hartford.
Grade: C-


DE Demarcus Robinson
Redshirted in 2016 and then promptly transferred to UL Monroe when he saw no opening for immediate playing time. Started a total of six games for the Warhawks in his three seasons there.
Grade: F


QB Bobby Greer
Another former walk-on, Greer lasted one season before abruptly quitting the team, though it is reported he fell out of good graces with Coach Diaco and the staff covered it up. Greer would be off the football team by spring 2016 and was not enrolled at UConn for the fall of 2016. He never materialized at another football program and his whereabouts are unknown to UConn administration.
Grade: F