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)

Good luck against Nebraska should be a good one. Your passing game against their pass defense

Thank you gsu!

You're absolutely right.. our pass game has been very good for the first time in the dynasty really.. between I-Jax and TDL we've thrown for about 4000 yards this season. Nebraska has some very good corners in Colvin and Anthony Johnson, plus I like their safeties Ryder and Burnette. We'll have to hope Luke Williamson is ready to take on Yeracheck and the Huskers front.

Conversely, Merriman v. the #1 ranked front seven should be interesting too. That statistic is definitely misleading because we play in the pass heavy Big 12.. I think the best tailbacks we've faced this year were Wright from Oklahoma State, Alpanaria from Oklahoma and Jayson Piercy from Texas.. and none of them were really the focus of the offense when we played them.

Nebraska plays a much different style of football, and with Zazzarion fresh off the injury list that should really factor into their play calling. It will be interesting to see how we fare stopping the Heisman winner (Yes I know it's baloney saying it will be interesting because I've already played the game... but oh well )

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

Looking to get the game posted at some point soon.. I'm in a similar situation as RT and moving into college tomorrow.. luckily I have played ahead a bit, into the offseason and I have some material to cover me for a little while. We'll see how our TV situation looks. Lucky me I can easily drive home if needed and get a game in if time permits, so I should be able to continue at a regular pace.

In the meantime I thank you as always for following along intently as I spent a lot of energy in posting a full season in just a couple weeks starting in mid-July. I can't wait to finish posting 2020 and begin writing the next chapter of UConn football... looking ahead we have a lot of seniors leaving and a lot of new faces to get familiar with when we start the 2021 season.

[thesportsguru11]

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

CFP SEMIS: Netnonie missed PAT the difference as Ducks win Rose Bowl; set to play in search of second National Title

It was a sensational rally. Georgia Tech, trailing 38-17 late in the third quarter, strung together three straight touchdown drives, one after the other, in a span of five minutes to claw back into a game in which many fans had thought was fading out of reach. The Jackets were set to tie up the score and turn the Farmers Insurance Rose Bowl into a brand-new game...

...Until the usually reliable German senior kicker R.J. Netnonie missed the PAT after the third touchdown.

Netnonie, a Groza Award finalist this year, had only missed one PAT in his career previously. However, this simple missed kick ruined his team's chances. Tech lost all of their momentum and couldn't quite recover, as the Oregon defense stuffed Jackets QB David Brigham multiple times on 3rd and 4th downs in the fourth quarter. The last stop was a sack on fourth down with a minute remaining -- Oregon would go on to hang on for the win, 38-37.

Oregon will advance to play in the National Title Game for the third time since its inception in 2006 and for the second time in the Playoff era. Oregon is making their third appearance in the College Football Playoff - they have previously lost in their semifinal match against UConn in the 2017 Sugar Bowl, and defeated South Carolina to win the 2014 National Title, the first in program history.

Quarterback Se'Nelquez "Nelly" DeWeaver led Oregon with 224 yards passing, 110 yards rushing and 3 total touchdowns. Fullback Tiger Novak chipped in two scores of his own for the now 13-1 Ducks.

[ThatBritishGuy]

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

Oregon vs Georgia Tech was a game and a half, just the type of game it should be at that stage of the season!

And onto Nebraska, what a mouth-watering game for UConn! On paper they might just edge it but will be a true test of their highly ranked D. Very interesting matchup between the Hesiman winner and the runner up, let's hope Williamson can have the edge and get one over on Merriman.

[thesportsguru11]

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

A STAR IS BORN

Redshirt freshman Byers explodes for 136 yards and score when Williamson goes down hurt; Huskies smoke Nebraska 41-13 to book Natty date with Oregon in The Meadowlands

Redshirt freshman tailback J.P. Byers came off the injury list a few weeks ago. He ran for 136 yards as the top tailback after Luke Williamson went down hurt and contributed heavily in the 41-13 blowout.

I was just feeling it. All game long. Our man went down, and I couldn’t let my play be the reason this team ends its season early. The torn pec.. It hurt to be out for most of the year, but I made up for lost time today.

So often in sports, it is the obscure and the strange who write the stories of legends. Not the star player but the backup, the special teamer, the sixth string wide receiver. When UConn’s star tailback Luke Williamson went down with a lower back injury right before halftime, it was the redshirt freshman J.P. Byers who stepped in and shone. With a dizzying array of jukes, spin moves and bursts of acceleration to go with 136 yards and a touchdown, the Oklahoma native played a key role as UConn punched their ticket to New Jersey for a National Title on January 11.

A four star recruit in the class of 2019, Byers has missed most of his redshirt freshman season after suffering a torn pectoral in mid-September. Byers spent 11 weeks recuperating. He was active against Houston and Oklahoma State in the last couple weeks, but was limited and did not receive any carries.

I'm grateful for Coach Diaco to give me the opportunity to show I'm healthy again.

In what was expected to be a close game when examined on paper, this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl was dominated by UConn virtually from start to finish. Despite not accounting for a touchdown all night long, Isaac Jackson was efficient at QB (15 of 18 passing) and committed no turnovers.

On the other side, meanwhile, Nebraska had trouble all game getting their offense going. A gutsy performance from the UConn defense kept Heisman winning running back Andy Merriman to just 93 yards on 19 carries, while forcing the Huskers to play from behind and pass the ball more with Isaac Zazzarion and, briefly, Austin Douglas. Nebraska's normally solid receiving group was only led with a 42 yard performance from Wyatt Osterlund.

Nebraska tacked on the first three points early in the first quarter off the right foot of Brian Tollspen, but UConn countered immediately after with a 98 yard kick return TD from the senior speedster Jeff McNeal to permanently shift momentum.

After a Nebraska three and out, Williamson completed an efficient drive with a 3 yard TD plunge to make the game 14-3, and also break Josh Marriner’s single season touchdown record in the process. Nebraska wouldn’t get any closer. The gap continued to widen into the second quarter after UConn countered a second Tollspen field goal with another Williamson touchdown.

(LEFT) Luke Williamson recorded two TD's before leaving with a lower back injury -- he did, however, break Josh Marriner's single season rushing touchdown record. (RIGHT) Jeff McNeal's 98 yard TD return early in the going gave UConn a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

At this point, Nebraska had lost Zazzarion for a couple drives as he nursed a tweaked ankle, and after the second Williamson TD the Huskers saw their star backup Douglas break the thumb on his throwing hand, rendering him out for the game.

Zazzarion returned with success at the start of the second half, capitalizing off a UConn holding penalty that negated a Byers first down. UConn punted, and Zazzarion ran in a 16 yard QB keeper to draw the score to 24-13.

(LEFT) Defensive back Claude Fontenot makes a fantastic pass deflection while guarding Kevin Lacey. (CENTER) Wyatt Osterlund makes a diving catch in the first quarter. (RIGHT) Isaac Zazzarion tried hard to get Nebraska back into the game, but to little avail.

Again, however, UConn turned on the jets, just as they have many other times all year long. Tyler McCray's second field goal made the game 27-13, and three plays later UConn put in the dagger. Emerging star corner Sam Barnett beautifully jumped a comeback route intended for Freddie Borrick, and the redshirt sophomore ran the interception all the way back to the house. With a 34-13 lead and the defense having gained all momentum, UConn had effectively locked up the victory before the fourth quarter.

Byers continued his sensational running by tacking on another athletic 23 yard run and then a one yard touchdown plunge, shortly thereafter to give UConn 40 points against one of the top defenses in the nation. UConn ran out the clock in the final minutes of the fourth to seal up the victory.

Sam Barnett recorded a pick six in the third quarter to slam the door on Nebraska.

I'm proud of our guys.. more than they could ever know. J.P. is an incredible kid.. coming back from injury that cost him most of the season, and to do this is just incredible. I don't know what's going on with Luke, how serious it is, if he's going to be out for a while.. we'll see.
I'm confident if we have to run with J.P. next week though. Obviously there's always room for improvement, but we blew out another good team. Coach [Scott] Frost has a great group of kids. We just got the best of them this time.

With the win, UConn now runs their record to 13-1 in the 2020 season and the Huskies will square off against 13-1 Oregon for the National Title. Both sides are playing for their second National Title. The Ducks defeated Georgia Tech by one point in the early game of the playoff semis. The National Title Game will take place on January 11 at MetLife Stadium in The Meadowlands, New Jersey.

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Connecticut Huskies
Jan 1, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#3 Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-3)	3	3	7	0	13
#2 Connecticut Huskies (13-1)	14	10	10	7	41

Team Stats Comparison
	NEB	CONN
Total Offense	299	392
Rushing Yards	186	221
Passing Yards	113	171
First Downs	17	25
Punt Return Yards	6	33
Kick Return Yards	19	159
Total Yards	324	584
Turnovers	1	0
3rd Down Conversion	3-11 (27%)	6-11 (54%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-1-1 (66%)	6-3-2 (83%)
Penalties	0-0	1-15
Possession Time	14:04	21:56

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		NEB	CONN
6:13	(NEB) Tollspen 39 FG	3	0
6:00	(CONN) McNeal 98 kick return (McCray kick)	3	7
3:45	(CONN) Williamson 3 run (McCray kick)	3	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		NEB	CONN
8:41	(NEB) Tollspen 28 FG	6	14
5:01	(CONN) Williamson 6 run (McCray kick)	6	21
:00	(CONN) McCray 24 FG	6	24
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		NEB	CONN
5:14	(NEB) Zazzarion 16 run (Tollspen kick)	13	24
3:12	(CONN) McCray 26 FG	13	27
2:31	(CONN) Barnett 41 interception return (McCray kick)	13	34
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		NEB	CONN
4:13	(CONN) Byers 1 run (McCray kick)	13	41

Nebraska Cornhuskers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Zazzarion 9-12 107 0 1 Austin Douglas 2-2 6 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Andy Merriman 19 93 4.8 0 Isaac Zazzarion 17 86 5.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Freddie Borrick 3 35 11.6 0 LeShawn Rucker 3 23 7.6 0 Wyatt Osterlund 2 42 21.0 0 DEFENSE TACK (TFL) SACK INT TD LaKendrick Moreau 10 (2) 2 0 0 Terrance Porter 9 (2) 0 0 0 Dallas DeRoach 4 (2) 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Brian Tollspen 2-2 1-1 7 39

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 15-18 153 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J.P. Byers 20 136 6.8 1 Luke Williamson 14 74 5.2 2 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Royce Archie 5 66 13.2 0 Kevin Lacey 3 29 9.6 0 Derrick Ferwerda 2 22 11.0 0 Rashad Harris 2 14 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK (TFL) SACK INT TD John Cox 13 (2) 0 0 0 Ross Sinclair 8 0 0 0 Sammie Leonard 5 (1) 1 0 0 Sam Barnett 5 0 1 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Tyler McCray 2-2 5-5 11 26

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Oregon vs Georgia Tech was a game and a half, just the type of game it should be at that stage of the season!

And onto Nebraska, what a mouth-watering game for UConn! On paper they might just edge it but will be a true test of their highly ranked D. Very interesting matchup between the Hesiman winner and the runner up, let's hope Williamson can have the edge and get one over on Merriman.

Well, Williamson sort of got one up on Merriman!

I was surprised at how one-sided the game turned out. I guess Nebraska may not have been as good as we thought they were but they did run their star less because of the game situation.. down by a lot, need quick scores. We played one of our better games of the season.

Oregon/GA Tech was a fantastic game, I was scared watching it at points hahahaha.. Oregon was running some option stuff and Tech of course runs a ground-heavy, triple option style of offense. Oregon is definitely going to be a tough opponent in the Natty.. check out their roster in a couple of posts and you'll see what I mean.

Thanks for dropping in!

[BookWork123]

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

Good job getting to the natty! Looks like it'll be a shootout in East Rutherford


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nofx94]

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

It legit blows my mind how you dominate teams with those sliders. Nebraska should've at least been a bit of a challenge, I'd think.

Funny how Mizzou ended up with only eleven regular season games.

I'd wish you good luck, but you clearly don't need it. Lol. Can't wait to see how the cold weather title game turns out.

[thesportsguru11]

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

Williamson ruled out for National Title Game with lower back injuries

UConn is going to have an uphill climb if they want to win their second national title.

The Huskies lost star running back Luke Williamson to injury in the second quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Nebraska, and despite having a week to rest up, Williamson has been diagnosed with multiple bruises and a lower back strain, rendering the star running back out for the CFP National Title Game against Oregon on January 11.

Williamson fought back tears as he made the announcement.

I've let my team down.. I've worked so hard all year and to not be there in the most important game.. you have no idea how much it hurts that I can't help this team win the national title.

The curtain will close on Williamson's season, and he has had one of the best individual campaigns in school history. Williamson has touched the rock 368 time for 1,914 yards and 27 touchdowns, a school record. Williamson also caught 20 balls for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Williamson has accounted for 174 points this season, also a school record.

The sophomore finished second in the Heisman race, just under 100 points behind winner Andy Merriman of Nebraska.

Coach Diaco announced that redshirt freshman J.P. Byers, on the heels of his epic performance in the Sugar Bowl, will be the starting tailback in the National Title Game over senior Jeff McNeal and sophomore Carlton Parker.

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

Good job getting to the natty! Looks like it'll be a shootout in East Rutherford

Thanks again BookWork!

As we'll see in a couple of days when the game preview goes up, Oregon has probably the best roster we've seen all year. I'm also going to give you a bio on their quarterback, who is also the best we've seen all year. It will be a really, really good game for sure.

It legit blows my mind how you dominate teams with those sliders. Nebraska should've at least been a bit of a challenge, I'd think.

Funny how Mizzou ended up with only eleven regular season games.

I'd wish you good luck, but you clearly don't need it. Lol. Can't wait to see how the cold weather title game turns out.

I'm glad you mentioned this because I can actually segway into this.. I've found a set that I used in the Natty and I'll use them moving forward into Season 8 and beyond.. I'm now using JoshC's 50-ish Slider Set on All-American difficulty. I'm very impressed and I've gotten some really good games with them. We'll see how they work!

For as much success as I've had this season, I've actually been frustrated with my sliders. One of the reasons why this dynasty has gone on this long is because I'm not winning all the time. We aren't dominating. That hasn't really been the case this year.

Sure I had some good, close games this season.. Tennessee, West Virginia and Kansas State all could've and maybe should've been losses, but we've absolutely blown some really good teams out of the water.. Michigan, Nebraska, Texas (albeit banged up), Oklahoma State. It's puzzling to me.

I've been using a set that Matt10 sent me a couple years ago. And they worked really well for a long time. I had a 9-4 season and a 10-3 one.. and then they didn't work as well. The game got easier. Maybe I got used to them or something but I'm not too sure. I've been tweaking and trying out other sets.. that's partially why I took so long to play the playoffs.

As I've already said, Oregon is a very good team. With Williamson out, we might need your luck after all!

Southern Miss also ended up with 11 games.. when UCLA won one of their national titles early in the dynasty they only got 11 regular season games. It happens sometimes and I don't really know why.

Thanks for commenting nofx!

[young22]

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

Hyped for the natty man. Let's get this dub!

#SWARM: A Westlake State Dynasty

http://forums.operationsports.com/fo...d.php?t=911560

[RoundingThird]

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

I don't think your Semifinal win should count, because the Georgia Dome isn't a thing anymore.

[nofx94]

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

I didn't know Josh C had an all American set. The OS community set you were using is Heisman, huh?

[thesportsguru11]

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

Uni Watch: Ducks, Huskies reveal uniform combos for Title Tilt

Ahead of the National Title Game, both teams have announced a bit of a different look uniform wise when they take the field.

Oregon, as we all know by now, has a bevvy of uniform choices at their disposal. As such, the Ducks will bring out their black and neon green Nike Pro Combat uniform set in hopes to "Black Out, Quack Out" MetLife Stadium. The Ducks wore an "alternative" uniform set when the two teams played in the 2017 playoff semis, the Ducks sporting an all-white look in that game.

UConn very rarely deviates from their default home and away sets, having only done so twice prior in the seven-year Diaco era - both times coming last season. The Huskies will wear their standard '13 white jerseys, but will wear their home navy helmets and pants as opposed to the usual all-white look for road contests. UConn is counted as the road team as they possess the lower ranking of the two teams.

I don't understand why this is news. But...
okay. We wanted to do things differently. If our home is called the Property,
and we own College Football.. then we need to bring the elements of home on the road as we play our biggest game yet.

Images of the two uniform sets are down below.

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

Hyped for the natty man. Let's get this dub!

Man oh man so am I. We are so close to our second Natty and I want it bad. In real time, I won the first Natty in June 2015. I've been eager to get back after that point and ever since restarting this project.

This season's team has been so fascinating.. every obstacle we've thrown at them... we've overcome. The TDL injury, the Rourke and Crowder dismissals, young starters all over the place... if we can overcome the latest hurdle with Williamson's injury.. we deserve the National Title.

And I think we need to win now while we have the shot.. we have a lot of seniors here (just off the top of my head 2 FB, 4 WR, 3 OL, a few key DL's, 3 starting LB's and our senior captain at safety) that will need replacing next year.. we're getting even younger so I'd love to maximize our opportunity to win. It's always tough to tell when you'll be back.

Thanks young!

I don't think your Semifinal win should count, because the Georgia Dome isn't a thing anymore.

Well the Georgia Dome might not exist, but the Superdome still does... where we played the game.

It's all good.

I didn't know Josh C had an all American set. The OS community set you were using is Heisman, huh?

Here's Josh's set.. and yeah they're All-American with pretty much default settings.

I'm fascinated by Josh's assessment about the All-American setting and it seems spot on across the board after a handful of games. The set-up is so simple... The community set is still amazing, but I've been very pleased with the realistic feel to my games with Josh's set so far.. I'll absolutely give it a shot in this dynasty because it has actually been a challenge for sim style players like myself.

I'm not a great player, but I feel like if I played like a lot of other people do I could handle the super-duper sets like Jarrod's Black set, for example. However... trying out some of the sets designed for difficulty either just slow the feel of the game or have some other problems or aspects that I personally don't like.

So we'll see how it goes!

[thesportsguru11]

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














UConn Flashback: The 2017 Sugar Bowl (CFP Semi) vs. the Ducks was one of the most memorable and legendary shootout games in the dynasty's history! Relive it here!

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

Diaco ready to play for Natty without Williamson

UConn coach Bob Diaco addressed playing the National Title Game without star tailback Luke Williamson in his Sunday press conference.

We have to prepare for any obstacles that come our way.
We lost our "star" QB earlier in the year and we kept winning. We have just as good a running back stable behind Luke with guys like Jeff [McNeal] and Carlton [Parker] and J.P., who will be starting. And we'll keep winning just as we did back then. I'm confident that we can keep the offense moving in the right direction and all over Oregon tomorrow night.

While it's disappointing considering Oregon's weakest spot is probably up front, I have lots of confidence in J.P., Jeff, Carlton and whoever else we trot out there. No matter how good Luke has been, we're a team, we're not one player.

Diaco also called the decision to start Byers a "no-brainer" after the Sugar Bowl in which Byers played a starring role, noting that he has worked well with the first-team in practice this week.

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

UConn looks to stop Oregon's hotshot QB DeWeaver

In a playoff format that calls for the best four teams in the nation, naturally we should expect the best players in the nation, too.

This is the case in this Natty, as UConn looks to stop one of the nation's most explosive quarterbacks on and off the field, junior Se'Nelquez "Nelly" DeWeaver. Nicknamed Nelly after the hit singer and DeWeaver's promise to "be the best there ever was with the best nickname there ever was", DeWeaver comes into the CFP Title Game with a lot of confidence.

Their front seven.. I don't know who any of these guys are. They come from the suburbs.. they've got no talent.
We're gonna slice them up.. it's gonna be real hot in therrre tomorrow night and we're going to quack quack those Huskies back to New England.

DeWeaver's fire, tenacity and brash nature back up his stellar play. Fourth in the Heisman voting this year, DeWeaver was a finalist for most of the major national offensive awards. Nelly racked up 3000 yards through the air and another 950 on the ground. He tallied 45 touchdowns in total, 31 through the air and 14 on the ground.

Yeah I'm good. I know it. We all know it. And now I'm ready to prove it because people still doubt it. Let's go.

For my sake.. I hope UConn stops this kid and sends him back to Eugene with his tail between his legs.

But I digress...

You know what's coming next. See you soon for the Natty Part II!

[slicknick3822]

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

Shut Nelly Up! Lol

[nofx94]

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

LMAO. "Hot in therrrre"

[thesportsguru11]

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

DUCKS DYNASTY

Nelly, Swanson light up Huskies on the ground as Ducks take command in second half, celebrate second National Title with 46-29 win




Celebration abounded for Oregon after the clock hit triple zeroes.
The Oregon Duck, Coach Mark Helfrich, Nelly DeWeaver and Casey Swanson all celebrate the program's second national title in seven years.

In the waning minutes of the CFP National Title Game, Oregon continued to put nails in the coffin of UConn football. Slowly. Painfully. Bob Diaco felt them piercing his skin. He hates that sensation. He despises losing.

Unfortunately, it was inevitable in the confines of MetLife Stadium on January 11.

Even the king of comebacks, UConn QB Isaac Jackson, had nothing left in his bag of tricks. Oregon was simply too much for UConn's team of destiny.

Despite a slip-up in Oklahoma in late September, all year long UConn has fought through every obstacle that the college football gods could have possibly thrown at them. A star QB in Week 1 turned into an afterthought by Week 6. A steady, consistent kicker for the past three years imploded and was eventually replaced.

Two impact seniors on defense, both All-Americans expected to provide much needed leadership, soon were off the team and became two sophomores who energized the fan base by picking off a dizzying amount of passes and sacking opposing quarterbacks at alarming rates. An injured Heisman favorite at tailback turned into an exciting new star in the backfield. With a steady QB and a rock solid, veteran laced core intact throughout the wideout and linebacker groups late in the year, all the stars had seemed to align, just as they did in 2017.

Until it finally fell apart.

Mark Helfrich’s Oregon Ducks have bookended the Bob Diaco era at UConn so far -- they won the National Title in Diaco’s first year as a head coach (2014), and now have won it all again in his seventh, most recent, and possibly last at UConn (2020). The Ducks topped UConn 46-29 on Monday night to take their second ‘ship in seven years, showing that the kids from the Northwest could hang in the cold of the Northeast just as well as the Siberian Huskies from Storrs/Hartford.

Straight from the beginning, Oregon laid their foot to the floor utilizing their greatest strength - their rushing attack. With a three-headed monster in the junior QB Nelly DeWeaver, senior tailback Casey Swanson and the aptly-named fullback Tiger Novak, the Ducks absolutely shredded UConn’s top ranked rush defense all night long for 369 yards and four touchdowns. DeWeaver led the way with 197 yards on 25 carries with two scores while Swanson added 26 rushes for 154 yards and a score of his own.

The Nelly DeWeaver highlight reel. The junior backed up every word of his pre-game egotism.

Yet, we had a game for one half of football. UConn started the game with the ball and drove straight down the field on the churning legs of young J.P. Byers. The Oklahoman sent the local UConn fans into a frenzy with a nasty juke move for a 29 yard gain and then a 14 yard sprint to the right side before finishing the drive himself from five yards out. 94 seconds into the National Title, UConn held a 7-0 lead.

Much as they have throughout the second half of the schedule, UConn’s defense held serve, shutting down the Ducks each time they approached the red zone early on. Groza Winner Brandon Shaw connected on a 27 yard field goal to give Oregon their only points of the opening frame as UConn looked strong with a 7-3 advantage.

A key missed opportunity early in the second quarter started to spell doom for UConn, as star corner Shavlion Wade, the Thorpe and Bednarik Award winner as a true sophomore, dropped a potential interception on Oregon’s first play of their drive. DeWeaver would go on to tally three gains of ten yards or more and Swanson gained 30 yards of his own, capping off the drive with a four yard TD run. Oregon had their first lead of the game at 10-7.

Nalen Jaeger and Casey Swanson in action for the Ducks. Swanson hurt UConn on the ground just as much as Nelly did.

UConn had some promising drives stall out before the half, as I-Jax continued his early game struggles. He had a nice 26 yard scramble after Byers picked up two first downs, but overthrew an open Rashad Harris and a sack from Stanford Johnson forced a punt.

After a missed 59 yard field goal try from Shaw, UConn started with fantastic field position for their next drive. Jackson looked to veer away from the traditional dink and dunk UConn gameplan and instead looked to score quickly with a long pass down the sideline to Harris. Jackson’s overzealousness was ill-fated, and he was promptly picked off by D’Angelo Verrick near the end zone.

Despite the struggles, UConn was still very much in the game at halftime only trailing 13-7. They just needed to get the offense back on track. Sadly, they wouldn’t get much of chance.

Apparently having tired out the Husky front seven in the first half, Oregon didn’t lose a step after the break. Swanson came right out with a 10 yard screen and run -- the drive being capped off with another Shaw field goal, this time from 53 to extend the lead to two scores. Another score would offer Oregon a chance to take command for good.

With DeWeaver being sidelined for a few plays, UConn’s run defense was exposed even more with true freshman backup Kai Tago running the offense. Tago helped cap off Oregon’s fourth score of the game with an 11 yard rush and a five yard touchdown scamper -- luckily Oregon failed the two point try, but still had a 22-7 lead while UConn had a tired defense with no offensive momentum.

UConn did get back on track on the next drive, however, likely realizing that they needed to get it together immediately. I-Jax fired a bullet to Royce Archie (UConn’s leading receiver in both playoff games this season) to stop another three and out, and then connected with the junior tight end again for a 26 yard gain. I-Jax’s 22 yard read option gain set up the pass game again, and Jackson fired his first touchdown of the evening in the direction of grad transfer Derrick Ferwerda to bring the game back to within one score, 22-14 Oregon.

(LEFT) Derrick Ferwerda's TD pulled the game within one score in the third quarter. (CENTER) J.P. Byers ran well for the second straight game, but was quiet late. (RIGHT) Rashad Harris became UConn's all-time leading touchdown catcher with a grab late in the fourth.

UConn still had no answer for the Oregon ground game, however. DeWeaver returned to thunderous applause from the green-clad Ducks fans and proceeded to once again slice the Husky front defense for multiple gains of 10 plus yards. His eight yard TD run exposed a gaping hole in the middle of the field created by All-American guards Kai Ocalalaku and Alterroy Hill, once again showing Oregon’s complete domination up front.

After Kezio Bulden picked off Jackson as he took a shot deep, a four yard TD catch for Nalen Jaeger left the UConn defense dazed, having given up two straight TD’s to push the National Title Game from a one-score affair to a three-score affair. The damage was long over.

The senior Harris, a two time 1,000 yard receiver generally thought of as one of the best receivers in program history, gave UConn a highlight late in the game with a beautifully executed drag route that went 38 yards for a score. That score made Harris UConn’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, but coupled with a two point conversion and a late Byers touchdown run, did little to affect the game’s outcome.

Oregon picked up both of UConn’s onside attempts late in the fourth quarter, DeWeaver shot one last arrow through the UConn D with a 30 yard touchdown run, and Bulden put a nice little bow on things with an INT off a desperation heave from Jackson.

Isaac Jackson did not have his best game. He was picked off by D'Angelo Verrick (LEFT), and twice by Kezio Bulden (CENTER, RIGHT).

An elated Nelly spoke to ESPN on the field after the game.

We did it. We’re the best. Now everyone knows it. I never doubted it. We got this ‘ship coming back to Oregon and the hicks from England go back with nothing. Just as we planned

Meanwhile, Coach Diaco deflected questions in the postgame press conference as to whether or not he coached his last game on the UConn sideline. Diaco has reportedly drawn the interest of the owner of the NFL’s soon-to-be London Black Knights, Shad Khan, as well as other schools who will be in the market for college head coaches, particularly UCLA and TCU.

I’m not talking about it. We played our worst game of the entire season and we lost the National Title Game….. we’re really talking about my job? What is wrong with the ****ing media to possibly think that question is ok to ask? REALLY?

Diaco walked out after that outburst.


Isaac Jackson seemed heartbroken at his poor performance, completing 17 of his 32 passes for 272 yards and two scores, but three picks.

I let my team down. Yeah it’s a team effort but I need to place the blame on myself first and foremost as the leadership of this program. I’ll be back. We’ll make up for it next time.

Isaac Jackson laments what could've been as he watches Oregon celebrate.

Byers led UConn on the ground with 131 yards on 24 carries and two scores. Archie may have helped his draft stock as he led UConn receiving for the second straight game with 7 catches and 133 yards. Three UConn defenders, linebackers Marcus Bradford (13), John Cox (11) and Sammie Leonard (11), each tallied double digits in tackles. Leonard also tallied two sacks in his final collegiate game.

DeWeaver not only led Oregon with his 197 rush yards, but also was efficient through the air. He completed 20 of his 26 passes for 191 yards with no interceptions. Swanson led Oregon receiving with seven catches out of the backfield. Xavier McClelland was the top wideout with four grabs for 59 yards.

UConn finishes the season at 13-2. Certainly not the final record they envisioned, but despite starting the season unranked, by all accounts this Husky team likely had the second best season in school history.

Looking ahead, the Huskies say goodbye to 17 scholarship players for 2021, 14 of whom are starters. Several other key players, including tailback Luke Williamson and quarterback Isaac Jackson, are eligible to turn pro. Judging by the way our young guys like Shav Wade, Victor Castalanetta and James Mandrell stepped up all year, I think we’ll be just fine.

The big question remains, however, will UConn get their coach to stay?

That of course remains to be seen. But friends, with that, we turn the page on 2020 - the seventh season in this dynasty. And what a season it was.

I am very excited and pleased to announce that we’re still rolling strong. We’ll catch you right back here soon for the 2021 season of… say it with me… UCahhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnn Football!

Connecticut Huskies at Oregon Ducks
Jan 11, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#2 Connecticut Huskies (13-2)	7	0	7	15	29
#1 Oregon Ducks (14-1)	3	10	16	17	46

Team Stats Comparison
	CONN	ORE
Total Offense	459	563
Rushing Yards	187	369
Passing Yards	272	194
First Downs	21	31
Punt Return Yards	0	39
Kick Return Yards	130	8
Total Yards	589	610
Turnovers	3	0
3rd Down Conversion	4-10 (40%)	6-13 (46%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1	0-0
2-Point Conversion	1-1	0-1
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-3-0 (100%)	5-4-1 (100%)
Penalties	1-15	0-0
Possession Time	14:58	21:02

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CONN	ORE
7:22	(CONN) Byers 5 run (McCray kick)	7	0
1:50	(ORE) Shaw 27 FG	7	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CONN	ORE
8:14	(ORE) Swanson 4 run (Shaw kick)	7	10
5:35	(ORE) Shaw 38 FG	7	13
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CONN	ORE
6:58	(ORE) Shaw 53 FG	7	16
4:30	(ORE) Tago 5 run (2-pt. failed)	7	22
2:33	(CONN) Jackson 10 pass Ferwerda (McCray kick)	14	22
:09	(ORE) DeWeaver 8 run (Shaw kick)	14	29
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CONN	ORE
5:57	(ORE) Tago 4 pass Jaeger (Shaw kick)	14	36
4:28	(CONN) Jackson 38 pass Harris (2-pt. good)	22	36
3:31	(ORE) Shaw 47 FG	22	39
2:16	(CONN) Byers 4 run (McCray kick)	29	39
1:27	(ORE) DeWeaver 30 run (Shaw kick)	29	46

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 17-32 272 2 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J.P. Byers 24 131 5.4 2 Isaac Jackson 7 45 6.4 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Royce Archie 7 133 18.9 0 Kevin Lacey 4 38 9.5 0 Rashad Harris 2 56 28.0 1 Derrick Ferwerda 2 24 12.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Marcus Bradford 13 (2) 0 0 0 John Cox 11 (2) 0 0 0 Sammie Leonard 11 (3) 2 0 0 Tim Duchane 8 (3) 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Tyler McCray 0-1 3-3 3

Oregon Ducks PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Se'Nelquez "Nelly" DeWeaver 20-26 191 0 0 Kai Tago 2-2 4 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Casey Swanson 26 154 5.9 1 Se'Nelquez "Nelly" DeWeaver 25 197 7.8 2 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Casey Swanson 7 34 4.8 0 Xavier McClelland 4 59 14.7 0 Michael Mulligan 3 39 13.0 0 Nalen Jaeger 3 34 11.3 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Napoleon Goolsby 8 0 0 0 Travis Stephensen 8 (2) 0 0 0 Kezio Bulden 4 0 2 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Brandon Shaw 4-5 4-4 16 53

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Shut Nelly Up! Lol

LMAO. "Hot in therrrre"

I wish we could have, but sadly it wasn't meant to be. We just played a sloppy game all around and we paid the price. I appreciate the support nevertheless!