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)

Two Things the Author Wants to Show You

I wanted to take a break from your regularly scheduled UConn dynasty game to point a few things out to you folks that I've noticed in my life over the past 24 hours.

1.) I am reading a book for school right now, and yes, one of the characters is seriously named Isaac Jackson.

Although this I-Jax does not, contrary to my beloved quarterback, have ice in his veins nor a quarterback's arm. Poor guy.

2.) I asked you folks a while back of teams you wanted to see in non-conference action in coming seasons. I will be playing some CAC teams in the near future, but this beautifully crafted article put away any doubt of a team we need to start playing again.

The rivalry is too tragic to simply let die. Please read that article. And then peruse some UConn archives, considering that we have played some good games against them in the early years...

I'll get out more info on any future matchups we may or may not have against the Knights, but Central Florida, here we come!

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

On paper it seems like a pretty good match up for you Guru. To me your defense vas their offense should be fun to watch. Good luck and hope you bring the "W" home.

In total honesty, it surprised me to see that Michigan State wasn't any better than we were.. in fact maybe a little worse, especially given that they entered the season ranked in the top 10. All around their roster, there isn't really a star player - indicative of a traditional Dantonio team. Nevertheless, they have some good pieces and exciting young kids we'll need to stop.

I agree this should be a good matchup for us. Their weak run defense against our deep run offense should really play to our strengths in this one, though Williamson has been rather quiet so far this season. I agree that this should be a W, but you just never know. Hopefully we can keep up the positive momentum and tally win #3!

[slicknick3822]

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

G. Saulsberry: 7-11, 99 yds

Apparently we're giving Saulsberry the Trubisky treatment. Hopefully he breaks out soon although I understand I run a pro style offense.

[RoundingThird]

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

The UCF rivalry is a nice added touch. IRL, most of the games have been blowouts though, and I'm scared for tomorrow's game. #CoverTheSpread (which we did do last week against USF)

[thesportsguru11]

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

Charge!

Gardner racks up four sacks as UConn plays stellar defense in 27-6 wipeout; Shav records two more INT’s to tie school record as Huskies win third straight


Thanks to Gardner (LEFT) and Shav (RIGHT), UConn was utterly dominant on defense, holding a potent Spartan rushing attack to just 44 yards and allowing just two field goals.

Any time UConn has been defensively dominant over the last two and a quarter seasons, often that performance heavily incorporates the efforts of one man.

Shavlion Wade was a lightly regarded three star cornerback prospect from UConn’s recruiting pipeline in Union, New Jersey. SPARQ rated him as a 69 overall, the 24th best corner in his class. Bob Diaco noticed something special about the young man, however. He enjoyed playing the game. He played with an edge and learned quickly. With deficiencies in the secondary, Coach Diaco gave young Wade a chance and impressively intercepted two passes against Texas Tech (including the game-sealer in overtime) to help UConn escape a tight home game.

He’s been the epitome of domination ever since. His #3 is a top-seller in terms of UConn merchandise. He fell one robbery shy of tying the single-season school record a year ago. Now, just 33 games into his college career, the near-certain first round draft pick has tied UConn’s career interception record. With one more, the true junior will pass former star Jamar Summers, who needed four years (54 career games) to tally his 20.

With his 19th and 20th career interceptions both coming in the late stages to lock up UConn’s 27-6 win over Michigan State this afternoon, Wade was unsurprisingly one of the stars of a tremendous defensive performance.

UConn held the lead the entire game - largely in part to that stingy defense that was able to stymie every opportunity the Spartans had to claw back into contention.

Anthony Ricciardi, UConn’s stellar freshman placekicker who is almost perfect on field goal attempts early in the season, accounted for all six of UConn’s points in the first half on the strength of two 45+ yard field goals. On the other side, Michigan State’s freshman kicker had the same responsibilities as Matt Stovall tied up the contest with his pair of field goals - the second coming at an impressive 52 yard distance.

Field goals were all the rage early on. Freshman Anthony Ricciardi went 2-of-3 with a pair of long conversions, continuing his fantastic start to 2021, and State kicker Matt Stovall was successful on his two tries also.

The six points on both sides entering halftime was a large accomplishment as a classic game of football was in the offing - but unexciting for a modern TV audience - as the defenses forced one fourth down after another, making a busy day for punters Chad Williams and Kyle January.

It wasn’t until the second half when UConn began to pull away slightly. QB Isaac Jackson, the king of clutch, hit freshman Lonte’ Speier for a 44 yard gain to the left side and set up an 11 yard touchdown scamper from Luke Williamson. After another three and out to set up UConn near midfield, Ice-Jax connected with Devin Brown for a 36 yard touchdown on a well-executed go route. In the span of four minutes, UConn had pushed their lead to two touchdowns and wouldn’t look back.

With exciting running back duo Kylan Rosemore and former #1 recruit Kentrice Caron held to just 34 yards rushing together, the Spartans needed to go to the right arm of Parker Bourrie to give themselves a chance. However, early in the fourth quarter Shav intercepted Bourrie for the first time to abruptly end a fifteen-play drive in the end zone. With the Spartans having blown a key opportunity, UConn was able to chew the clock a bit with the running of Williamson and a couple of key conversions. Ricciardi missed a 52 yarder to give the Spartans one more shot, but once again it was Wade who victimized Bourrie as he looked for Richie Spencer for a quick gain downfield. Wade’s sixth INT on the season and second of the day set up UConn at the Spartan 20 and allowed Ice-Jax to sew up the game with a six yard touchdown run.

One away from the record!

The defense was much needed on a day where UConn sputtered about and didn’t look great as on offense. Ice-Jax was quiet, throwing for a pedestrian 234 yards and one touchdown, while Luke Williamson needed 31 carries to pass the century mark on the afternoon. UConn as a team only put up 27 points in total. Devin Brown was the leading receiver for the first time on the young season. Speier and Chamarkelle Byrom were held in check outside of a couple big gains.

While we’ve already talked about Shav’s two INT’s, certainly we can’t ignore the stoutly solid play of senior linebacker John Cox, who had four TFL’s and a sack as part of his seven takedowns, and senior edge rusher Altarri Gardner was sensational with a four sack afternoon. Gardner leads UConn by a fair margin with seven sacks through four games, and ranks near the top of the country a year after leading the nation in sacks with 13. Eight players in total recorded a tackle for loss for UConn.

Coach Stephen Belichick, the former safeties coach of the NFL’s Patriots, tried to mask his pleasure with the performance. “Yeah we held a top-15 team to only 220 yards passing and 44 yards rushing, so we did good there. Still work to do though, as always. Our offense wasn't very good, in my opinion.”

Modest or not, UConn may have proved their worth with the victory this afternoon. The Huskies now ride a three-game win streak back into ACC play, with Virginia Tech travelling to the Property next week. The Spartans drop their second straight game to fall to 2-2.

UConn's young stars Lonte' Speier (LEFT) and Chamarkelle Byrom (RIGHT) were mostly held in check on the afternoon.



Luke Williamson crossed 100 yards and had another score, but was once again very quiet in doing so.

Connecticut Huskies at Michigan State Spartans
Sep 25, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#13 Connecticut Huskies (3-1)	3	3	14	7	27
#15 Michigan State Spartans (2-2)	0	6	0	0	6

Team Stats Comparison
	CONN	MSU
Total Offense	364	265
Rushing Yards	130	44
Passing Yards	234	221
First Downs	18	15
Punt Return Yards	77	9
Kick Return Yards	0	28
Total Yards	441	302
Turnovers	0	2
3rd Down Conversion	4-12 (33%)	5-15 (33%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-2-0 (66%)	2-0-1 (50%)
Penalties	0-0	0-0
Possession Time	18:12	22:28

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CONN	MSU
2:36	(CONN) Ricciardi 48 FG	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CONN	MSU
5:53	(MSU) Stovall 22 FG	3	3
1:19	(CONN) Ricciardi 46 FG	6	3
:00	(MSU) Stovall 52 FG	6	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CONN	MSU
7:58	(CONN) Williamson 11 run (Ricciardi kick)	13	6
5:48	(CONN) Jackson 36 pass Brown (Ricciardi kick)	20	6
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CONN	MSU
4:05	(CONN) Jackson 6 run (Ricciardi kick)	27	6

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 13-22 234 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 31 107 3.4 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Devin Brown 5 87 17.4 1 Chamarkelle Byrom 4 66 16.5 0 Lonte' Speier 3 79 26.3 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Thomas Willis 8 (1) 0 0 0 John Cox 7 (4) 1 0 0 Altarri Gardner 6 (4) 4 0 0 Shavlion Wade 1 0 2 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 2-3 3-3 9 49

Michigan State Spartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Parker Bourrie 20-31 217 0 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Kylan Rosemore 21 31 1.4 0 Parker Bourrie 11 13 1.1 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Landon Puckett 6 36 6.0 0 Aaron Hunter 4 60 15.0 0 Richie Spencer 4 58 14.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Russell Baker 10 (1) 0 0 0 Lorenzo Kirksey 9 (1) 0 0 0 Zac Gold 6 (2) 1 0 0 Brandon Powers 4 (2) 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Matt Stovall 2-2 0-0 6 53

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Apparently we're giving Saulsberry the Trubisky treatment. Hopefully he breaks out soon although I understand I run a pro style offense.

I have played ahead a bit and you guys will be giving him more chances to throw in coming games. Despite being just a true freshman, Saulsberry serves as your best chance to win right now, so it'd be foolish to restrain him for much longer.

The UCF rivalry is a nice added touch. IRL, most of the games have been blowouts though, and I'm scared for tomorrow's game. #CoverTheSpread (which we did do last week against USF)

I absolutely understand.. every time I pick against UCF this year, they score 50 and burn me. Of course we've talked about the 2015 Houston game, so anything's possible.. but you've definitely got your work cut out for you, so best of luck!

[xboxxerx]

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

Very nice performance. Nice win versus a close ranked team. So much for what I said.lol

[moose141]

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

Big win! The defense stepped up for you, and the offense just managed the game and put the Spartans away. What a great team win. I love the little touches you add to your recap like the Shav tracker, it adds a really cool feel! (Also, the dude is an absolute monster!)

[thesportsguru11]

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

NCAA Players of the Week

Very nice performance. Nice win versus a
close ranked team. So much for what I said.lol

Don't get down.. you were right and it was a good matchup! Just.. for us.

Thanks bud

Big win! The defense stepped up for you, and the offense just managed the game and put the Spartans away. What a great team win. I love the little touches you add to your recap like the Shav tracker, it adds a really cool feel! (Also, the dude is an absolute monster!)

Thanks moose! Our offense last year was more oriented to game-managing, but now that we're four games into the season the offense has proven themselves to be capable of being efficient in low-scoring games, but also able to put up the big numbers when needed (see, Notre Dame).

I appreciate the compliments about the presentation, as well. Shav has become a bit of a fan favorite here (he's the best corner in school history), so as he chases some records, I figured it would be neat to add something to track his progress. There's no way he doesn't turn pro after this season, so we need to enjoy him while we've got him. I've put together some highlight banners to hype up guys in the Heisman race before, but never anything like this -- it's fun!

Thanks again guys!

[thesportsguru11]

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

Week 4 Results

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): L (3-1, 1-0), 23-42 vs. Wisconsin (3-1)

C. Rose: 17-36, 302 yds, 2 TD
T. Holloway: 17 rush, 90 yds
J. Phillips: 8 rec, 130 yds, TD
B. Darby: 4 rec, 114 yds, TD
M. Justice: 8 tckl (2 TFL), sack, INT


HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): W (2-2, 0-1), 38-31 vs. Auburn (2-3, 1-1)

D. Davane: 15-21, 133 yds, 2 TD, rush TD
B. Horne; 33 rush, 188 yds, TD
T. Seward: 2 rec TD
S. Timmons: 11 tckl (TFL)

HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): W (3-1, 2-1), 27-24 vs. Utah (1-3, 0-1)

T. Dean-Lowry: 20-25, 237 yds
B. Baggarly: 15 rush, 68 yds, 2 TD
A. Savoy: 2 sacks

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): W (4-0, 1-0), 24-21 vs. South Carolina (2-2, 1-2)

J. Larsen: 4-13, 31 yds
J. Brayton: 29 rush, 194 yds, TD
B. Breedlove: 14 rush 90 yds, 2 TD
K. Barnett: 9 tckl (4 TFL), 2 sacks
T. Mitchell: 8 tckl (3 TFL), sack

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): W (4-0, 2-0), 42-28 vs. Middle Tennessee State (2-2, 0-1)

R. Harris: 24-36, 320 yds, 5 TD
M. Harper: 20 rush, 104 yds, TD
A. Marshall: 12 rec, 172 yds, TD

OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): L (1-3, 1-0), 21-35 vs. UMass (2-2)

L. Brandis: 16-28, 273 yds, TD, rush TD
D. Jones: 14 rush, 54 yds, TD
W. Skinner: 8 rec, 148 yds,
D. Harris: 6 rec, 109 yds TD

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (1-3, 1-0), 16-21 vs. Washington (4-0)

S. Parsiany: 16-34, 191 yds, 2 TD
T. Sims: 11 rush, 31 yds
B. Massey: 2 rec TD


OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (1-2, 1-1), 20-45 vs. #3 Nebraska (3-0, 1-0)

E. Robinson: 9-18, 143 yds, TD
R. Miller: 10 rush, 75 yds, TD
S. Thomas: Rec TD

OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): L (1-3, 0-1), 21-31 vs. Army West Point (3-1, 3-0)

L. Armstrong: 7-13, 71 yds
N. Mason: 18 rush, 98 yds, 2 TD
M. Kane: Rush TD

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): W (3-1, 1-1), 21-14 vs. Boston College (1-3)

M. Whitehead: 18-25, 207 yds, 2 TD
C. Madison: 16 rush, 131 yds, TD
N. McCarthy: 24 rush, 86 yds
T. Berg: 9 rec, 107 yds, 2 TD

OC Connor Turley (convict38): L (2-2, 0-1), 28-42 vs. Navy (3-1, 3-1)

A. Houston: 18-27, 266 yds, 4 TD
W. Alexander: 10 rush, 62 yds
M. Rodriguez: 8 rec, 90 yds, TD

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): L (2-2, 0-1), 28-42 vs. Southern Miss (4-0, 2-0)

W. Johnson: 17-28, 174 yds, 2 TD
C. Cain: 11 rush, 61 yds, TD
R. Jordan: 8 rec, 73 yds, TD


OC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): W (4-0, 1-0), 24-19 vs. FAU (2-2, 1-1)

M. Walker: 11-25, 118 yds, 2 TD
W. Dotson: 24 rush, 157 yds, TD
V. Bush: 6 rec, 75 yds, 2 TD

OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): L (2-2, 0-1), 17-37 vs. Western Kentucky (2-2, 2-2)

F. Garcia: 20-31, 192 yds, 2 TD
I. Langford: 19 rush, 94 yds
C. Battle: 6 rec, 37 yds, TD

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): L (1-3, 0-2), 21-35 vs. Central Michigan (2-2, 1-0)

S. Young: 15-32, 203 yds, 3 TD, 23 rush, 145 yds
T. Wallace: 10 rush, 85 yds
J. Brown: 8 rec, 94 yds, 2 TD

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): W (2-2, 1-0), 35-21 vs. Kent State (1-3, 0-2)

P. O’Toole: 20-28, 331 yds, 4 TD
J. Rooney: 21 rush, 126 yds
J. Schroeder: 9 rec, 186 yds, 3 TD
D. Johnson: 5 rec, 105 yds

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): L (0-3, 0-1), 21-28 vs. Akron (2-2, 1-1)

C. Thibodeaux: 18-32, 215 yds, 2 TD
R. Dougherty: 22 rush, 118 yds, TD
C. Watson: 15 rush, 106 yds
F. Pearson: 10 rec, 131 yds, TD

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): W (3-1, 2-0), 29-26 vs. Buffalo (2-2, 0-1)

V. Roberson: 15-25, 193 yds, TD
B. Johnson: 27 rush, 157 yds, TD
A. Wagner: 9 rush, 54 yds, 2 TD
D. McMahan: 8 rec, 90 yds, TD


OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): L (0-4, 0-1), 9-24 vs. Toledo (2-2, 2-0)

A. Jafar: 6-8, 67 yds, TD
N. Richards: 12 rush, 43 yds
S. Owen: 3 rec, 45 yds, TD

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): L (1-3), 17-20 vs. New Mexico (4-1)

G. Moran: 14-33, 176 yds, TD
B. Jackson: 14 rush, 59 yds
P. Hill: 6 rec, 88 yds, TD

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): L (2-1), 21-41 vs. Illinois (2-2, 1-1)

S. Parker: 11-25, 117 yds, TD
J. Wheelock: 22 rush, 138 yds, 2 TD
D. Anderson: 5 rec, 76 yds

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): L (2-1), 17-56 vs. Tennessee (4-0)

J. Goddard: 14-41, 215 yds, 2 TD
R. Wilcox: 10 rush, 66 yds
D. Godfrey: 5 rec, 67 yds, 2 TD


OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): L (2-2, 1-1), 16-49 vs. Miami-Ohio (3-1, 1-0)

J. Bryant: 3-13, 24 yds, 20 rush, 71 yds
C. Dukes: 15 rush, 81 yds, TD
J. Thompson: 3 rec, 24 yds

Flippin' Burgers!

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) (2-1)

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): (0-3)

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): (1-2)

[thesportsguru11]

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

Nation’s top tailback prospect visiting UConn this weekend

Ashanti Swift

One of the prep scene’s best prospects is nearing a decision. Wayne, New Jersey tailback Ashanti Swift, the 10th ranked recruit and top tailback in the class of 2022, has announced that he is making a formal visit to UConn this weekend as the Huskies take on Virginia Tech in ACC action. Swift currently has UConn atop his list with Penn State, Alabama and hometown Rutgers behind.

The 6’1, 210 pounder eclipsed the 1000 yard mark in just the fourth game of the season for Wayne Hills last weekend, a 41-10 win against Mount Olive. He set a school record midway through last season when he passed the 4,000 yard mark for his career, and now is up to 5,611 yards in total. Guru’s spies in the recruiting department tell him that Swift is an extremely versatile back and does everything well; he is not lightning fast but has a quick first step, a solid set of juke and spin moves and runs with some power as well. Swift is not a pass catching back, however, which might make him a tougher fit into coach Stephen Belichick’s noted pass-first approach.

Nevertheless, based on pure talent alone, Swift’s skillset would be a welcome addition that Belichick will certainly work to fit into the offense from day one. The only setback is that, assuming all things stay the same, Swift would enter a crowded backfield as a true freshman. Luke Williamson and J.P. Byers are each eligible to return next year (with one and two years available, respectively), as are redshirt sophomore Mike Molden and true freshmen Jonathan Shaffer and Scottie Phillips, who will enter the mix after redshirting this fall.

Swift has declined to comment on his visit just yet. We'll have a full recruiting update later in the season.

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

Kiffin excited to face UConn

Lane Kiffin has things figured out. We think. After his ignominious canning on a tarmac in L.A. during the fall of 2013, Kiffin got himself regrouped and landed the best offensive coordinator gig in the nation at Alabama. He parlayed a playoff run in 2014 to the head coaching job at Bowling Green, which proved to be a one year holdover as the Falcons won the MAC in 2015. Sure enough, another dumb, desperate Power 5 team came calling, and that team will be facing UConn this weekend.

Despite being 47-23 at Virginia Tech since 2016, head coach Lane Kiffin has let down the Hokie fanbase time and again. He has had multiple squads start in the Top 25, only to fall flat on their faces, in typical Lane Kiffin fashion. 2017 saw the Hokies about two weeks away from the College Football Playoff, until they blew it... against rival Virginia, who finished 5-7 that year. This year’s squad started the year ranked and proceeded to lose on opening weekend .. to UAB. The same team that nearly shuttered their program in 2018 and had only won two games over the past two years combined.

Nevertheless, fans enjoy Kiffin’s energy and are aware of the fact that Virginia Tech is not an easy job. Though he’ll need to start winning the big games soon to keep the fans on his side. The much-maligned headman remains highly optimistic as his troops prepare to walk into the loudest house in the Northeast this weekend.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we will win this game.”

Given his past, I don’t know whether to take him seriously or not. But we shall see.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: 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)

32 --- 3-1 (1-0)

(8) 27 --- 3-2 (2-1)

Stuck in the Lane

Virginia Tech overcomes early deficit, Rhodes pummels Huskies for 182 rush yards as Hokies hand UConn rare home loss



Almari Rhodes starred in the Hokies’ upset efforts in East Hartford.

After three straight victories following an opening week loss to Penn State, UConn has bounced back wonderfully, winning three in a row and moving inside the top ten of the AP poll. In year one of the Stephen Belichick experiment, everything seemed peachy in Storrs.

Until it wasn’t.

If you watched only the first quarter of UConn-Virginia Tech this weekend, you most certainly would have been surprised at what happened after that. After a pair of ten-plus play touchdown drives in the first quarter, Tech coach Lane Kiffin conjured up some voodoo magic and UConn absolutely fell apart offensively. The normally solid senior QB Isaac “Ice” Jackson fired three interceptions that allowed Virginia Tech's defense and tailback Almari Rhodes clawed back into the game, eventually winning in a 32-27 upset. The loss for UConn marks the first loss at the Property since September 2019 against former defensive coordinator Marty English and Tennessee.

UConn started the game just as they had in their previous three weeks: With their feet placed firmly on the gas pedal. Receiving the opening kickoff, Jackson (4-5, 47 yards) led a 14 play, 70 yard drive that ended, like so many others, with Luke Williamson running in a short touchdown and a 7-0 UConn lead. After Chris Mason got Tech on the board with a 37 yard field goal, UConn extended their lead as Jackson led another 10 play, 75 yard touchdown drive. The catalyst to this drive was a pair of long completions, a 21 yard catch for freshman Chamarkelle Byrom, and the 23 yard touchdown strike to tight end Ryne Thomas. By the time Anthony Ricciardi kicked a 41 yard field goal on the first play of quarter two, UConn darted out to a 17-3 lead and was ready to put the game on cruise control, just as they had each of the last three weeks.

Ryne Thomas snuck behind the Hokie defense en route to one of UConn’s two first quarter touchdowns.

However, the offense stalled and Virginia Tech slowly chipped into the UConn defense.

A big 36 yard completion from Jay Fuqua to Jerald Jenkins set up a five yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Garrett Bush. A few plays later, Tech’s all-ACC corner Ashton Green recorded his fifth interception of the season, picking off Ice-Jax in Hokie territory, and it would be Mason who kicked a short field goal for his second of the day; 17-13 Tech. A three and out for UConn led to a third Mason field goal right before the half, on a drive where Fuqua completed multiple third and longs to receivers Vince Smith and true freshman Trandon Yancey.

And in the span of five minutes, UConn’s 17-3 lead plus momentum had been cut to 17-16 and none to be found. The excitement quickly started fading from the sellout Property Crowd, and it showed in the second half.

UConn continued their sloppy play, as right out of the half Tech started moving on offense again. Almari Rhodes busted off a 25 yard rush, while Fuqua connected with Bush and Jenkins for a 20 yard gain each. The Hokies capped off their successful drive with a five yard pass from Fuqua to Smith, under some odd circumstances. Smith made the catch over the middle and was dragged down, but fell on top of linebacker Mike Hill, never actually touching the ground. Smith was able to stand up and stumble the last three yards into the end zone for a touchdown; a failed two point try gave Tech a 22-17 lead.

Vincent Smith was never actually “down” and as a result walked into the end zone on this play, retaking the lead for Tech.

Despite a 48-yard Ricciardi field goal out of the ensuing drive to pull within two points, the UConn offense still looked sluggish, falling short of picking up the last first down to keep the drive moving.

A three and out by the defense got the ball right back to our king of clutch with a chance to re-take the lead. Ice-Jax moved the offense into the red zone with no issues, thanks to large chunks of yardage through the air from Speier and Williamson. Keeping with Coach Belichick’s offense and throwing the ball, however, Ice-Jax looked for a shot to the end zone to retake the lead. As he dropped back to throw for the fourth time on the drive, he was hit by a pair of Hokie linemen; the ball popped into the air and traveled about four yards, just shy of the scrum of linemen near the line of scrimmage. Tech linebacker Kevin Mark, also closing on Jackson before his teammates got there, happened to be in the right place at the right time, snaring the ball in mid-air. Mark took off running and no one was able to catch him, as the senior rumbled all the way to the other end of the field for the defensive score, extending Tech’s lead to 29-20 as the third quarter ran down.

Kevin Mark came up with the play of the day, stopping a UConn drive right in its tracks and shifting momentum for good.

If the wind was leaking out of UConn’s sail before, it only got worse after the pick six. Rhodes started to wear down the Husky defense, as eight times in the fourth quarter he gained at least seven yards. Every time UConn’s front stopped Rhodes, it was Fuqua who would continue his efficient play and find ways to come up with a conversion.

On the other side, however, Ice-Jax led three consecutive three and outs in crunch time, allowing Tech to wear down the clock. Though Jackson did eventually engineer a quick touchdown pass to Speier, those seven points were all UConn could muster. With time running short in the fourth, safety Davondre Wooten picked off Jackson to wrap things up, a 32-27 upset for the unranked Hokies over the #8 Huskies.

Much unlike his predecessor would have acted, Coach Belichick remained quiet, honest, and demure in his post-game presser. “We blew it, plain and simple. We aren’t as good as a lot of you thought we were and I’ve still got work to do to improve. We’ll try again next week against our rivals and see how it goes.”

"I'm very pleased", said Kiffin on the field post-game. "I knew we could do it, we have a lot of talent, just aren't getting any respect after what happened earlier this season [loss to UAB]. I think we've earned it today."

UConn did outgain Tech 388-364, but in the end the three turnovers made the difference. Fuqua’s efficiency remained a key for Kiffin and the Hokies, as he passed 21-31 for 200 yards and two scores (no interceptions), while Rhodes ran for 182 yards on 32 tries against one of the nation's best run defending teams.

For UConn, Ice-Jax completed 20 of his 35 passes for 288 yards, two scores, and the three picks, while Luke Williamson continued his pedestrian start to the year on the ground, gaining just 87 yards on 22 rushes plus the score. Byrom was the leading receiver with six grabs and 81 yards, while Speier, Thomas and Devin Brown each tallied four receptions apiece.

Virginia Tech moves to 3-1 (1-0 ACC) with their win, while UConn drops to 3-2 (2-1), and see any playoff hopes they may have had dim significantly. The Huskies will look to regroup as they face conference cellar-dwellar Boston College (1-3, 0-1) in Hartford next weekend in the Battle for New England Part III. UConn has won each of the previous two meetings in 2018 and 2020.

Lonte’ Speier continued his strong start to his freshman campaign, tallying another four grabs, including the touchdown here.


Has Isaac Jackson lost his touch in the clutch?


Virginia Tech’s secondary played well in the final three quarters of play. (LEFT) Amiq Shannon beautifully defends this play targeted at Chamarkelle Byrom. (CENTER) Davondre Wooten’s INT clinched the upset win. (RIGHT) Ashton Green records his fifth interception on the young season.



First year starting free safety Tony Rush (#6) is becoming the punchline of this dynasty for getting stiff armed, spun out, juked out, or otherwise looked silly every week.

Freshman tight end Garrett Bush drags Vic Castalanetta into the end zone on his touchdown grab.

Virginia Tech Hokies at Connecticut Huskies
Oct 2, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1, 1-0)	3	13	13	3	32
#8 Connecticut Huskies (3-2, 2-1)	14	3	3	7	27

Team Stats Comparison
	VT	CONN
Total Offense	364	388
Rushing Yards	164	100
Passing Yards	200	288
First Downs	19	18
Punt Return Yards	18	26
Kick Return Yards	81	130
Total Yards	463	544
Turnovers	0	3
3rd Down Conversion	5-13 (38%)	5-12 (41%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0	2-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-2-2 (80%)	4-3-0 (75%)
Penalties	0-0	2-10
Possession Time	16:39	19:21

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		VT	CONN
5:07	(CONN) Williamson 1 run (Ricciardi kick)	0	7
4:25	(VT) Mason 37 FG	3	7
1:03	(CONN) Jackson 23 pass Thomas (Ricciardi kick)	3	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		VT	CONN
7:55	(CONN) Ricciardi 41 FG	3	17
6:08	(VT) Fuqua 5 pass Bush (Mason kick)	10	17
3:09	(VT) Mason 28 FG	13	17
:36	(VT) Mason 25 FG	16	17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		VT	CONN
7:19	(VT) Fuqua 5 pass Smith (conversion no good)	22	17
4:42	(CONN) Ricciardi 48 FG	22	20
1:23	(VT) Mark returned INT 76 (Mason kick)	29	20
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		VT	CONN
5:31	(VT) Mason 47 FG	32	20
3:16	(CONN) Jackson 3 pass Speier (Ricciardi kick)	32	27

Virginia Tech Hokies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jay Fuqua 21-31 200 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Almari Rhodes 32 182 5.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Garrett Bush 7 45 6.4 1 Vincent Smith 5 56 11.2 1 Jerald Jenkins 4 73 18.2 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Amiq Shannon 12 0 0 0 D'Erik Hunter 9 (2) 2 0 0 Davondre Wooten 4 0 1 0 Ashton Green 3 0 1 0 Kevin Mark 2 (1) 0 1 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Chris Mason 4-5 2-2 14 48

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 20-35 288 2 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 22 87 3.9 1 J.P. Byers 2 16 8.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Chamarkelle Byrom 6 81 13.5 0 Lonte' Speier 4 82 20.5 1 Ryne Thomas 4 50 12.5 1 Devin Brown 4 46 11.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Thomas Willis 11 (2) 1 0 0 Mike Hill 9 0 0 0 Altarri Gardner 4 (2) 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 2-2 3-3 9 48

Next Week:

[thesportsguru11]

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

NCAA Players of the Week

[whughes]

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

TOugh loss to Virgina Tech. I really wish someone would knock Oregon off of their high horse, any Nelly DeWeaver updates? He's been quiet

[thesportsguru11]

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

Week 5 Results

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): W (4-1, 1-0), 20-17 vs. Idaho (2-3)

C. Rose: 15-30, 214 yds, 2 TD
T. Holloway: 17 rush, 112 yds, rec TD
C. Thomas: Rec TD
M. Justice: 6 tackles (TFL), .5 sacks, INT


HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): W (3-2, 1-1), 35-30 vs. Stanford (2-3, 2-2)

D. Davane: 9-15, 140 yds, TD
P. Tuivalea: 20 rush, 176 yds, 3 TD
B. Horne: 13 rush, 68 yds, TD
J. Martin: 4 TFL

HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): L (3-2, 2-2), 24-37 vs. Oregon (5-0, 2-0)

T. Dean-Lowry: 21-30, 262 yds, 2 TD, rush TD
C. Smith: 17 rush, 80 yds
M. Skinner: 9 rush, 133 yds, TD
B. Browning: 10 tckl (3 TFL), sack

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): L (4-1, 1-1), 35-42 vs. Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1)

J. Larsen: 4-17, 31 yds, 14 rush, 64 yds, TD
J. Brayton: 26 rush, 204 yds, 2 TD
S. Livingston: 2 rush TD
K. Barnett: 7 tckl (4 TFL), 2 sacks

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): L (0-4) 17-33 vs. TCU (3-2)

J. Kililoloka: 17-31, 142 yds, TD
F. Lo’aka: 10 rush, 64 yds, TD
T. McDaniel: 6 rec, 50 yds
J. Herron: 10 tckl

OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): W (2-3, 2-0), 38-24 vs. Virginia (1-4, 1-1)

L. Brandis: 14-29, 175 yds, TD
D. Jones: 13 rush, 76 yds
L. Jones: 6 rec, 106 yds
D. Harris: 7 rec, 63 yds, TD

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (1-4, 1-1), 24-38 vs. Louisville (2-3, 2-0)

M. Johnston: 11-31, 130 yds, 2 TD
T. Monroe: 17 rush. 74 yds, TD
L. Bailey: 7 rec, 95 yds, 2 TD


OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (1-3, 1-1), 42-49 vs. Florida State (2-3)

E. Robinson: 24-41, 384 yds, 5 TD
R. Miller: 15 rush, 87 yds, TD
C. Arnold: 7 rec, 139 yds, 4 TD

OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): W (2-3, 1-1), 38-13 vs. ECU (0-5, 0-2)

T. Wall: 14-23, 180 yds, TD, 20 rush, 114 yds
N. Mason: 20 rush, 153 yds, 2 TD
M. Kane: 8 rush, 45 yds, 2 TD
L. Gordon: 5 rec, 56 yds, TD

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): L (3-2, 1-1) 30-35 vs. Colorado (1-4, 0-3)

M. Whitehead: 14-24, 140 yds, TD, rush TD
C. Madison: 25 rush, 151 yds, 2 TD
T. Winslow: 7 rec, 92 yds

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): L (2-3, 0-2), 16-42 vs. Texas State (5-0, 2-0)

W. Johnson: 14-25, 147 yds, TD
D. Hurst: 17 rush, 110 yds, TD
S. Tyson: 6 rec, 83 yds


OC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): W (5-0, 2-0), 42-16 vs. Middle Tennessee State (2-3, 0-2)

W. Mock: 21-31, 248 yds, 4 TD
W. Dotson: 20 rush, 143 yds, 2 TD
K. Sharriff: 6 rec, 75 yds, TD

OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): L (2-3, 0-2), 20-42 vs. UTEP (2-3, 0-2)

F. Garcia: 8-25, 116 yds
J. Sampson: Rush TD
A. Scott: 5 rec

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): W (2-3, 1-2), 31-24 vs. Toledo (2-3, 2-1)

S. Young: 16-30, 219 yds, 2 TD, 22 rush, 125 yds, 2 TD
J. Simmons: 7 rec, 119 yds, TD
J. Johnson: 5 rec

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): W (3-2, 2-0), 40-36 vs. Miami-Ohio (3-2, 1-1)

P. O’Toole: 14-28, 231 yds, 2 TD
J. Rooney: 16 rush, 104 yds
D. Johnson: 73 yard TD run
J. Salandan: 4 rec, 107 yds

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): L (0-4, 0-2), 27-34 vs. Buffalo (3-2, 1-1)

C. Thibodeaux: 22-42, 237 yds, 3 TD
R. Dougherty; 15 rush, 87 yds
B. Andrews: 10 rec, 97 yds, 2 TD

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): W (4-1, 3-0), 38-19 vs. Ohio (2-3, 1-2)

V. Roberson: 14-24, 231 yds, TD
B. Johnson: 28 rush, 214 yds, 3 TD
A. Wagner: 20 rush, 129 yds, TD
D. McMahan: 5 rec, 142 yds


OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): L (0-5, 0-2), 16-44 vs. Northern Illinois (1-4, 1-1)

A. Jafar: 15-32, 189 yds, TD
N. Richards: 16 rush, 91 yds
S. Bolen: 15 rush, 58 yds
T. Richardson: Rec TD

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): W (3-1), 37-27 vs. Purdue (2-2, 0-1)

S. Parker: 17-24, 212 yds, 3 TD, rush TD
J. Wheelock: 18 rush, 130 yds, TD
R. Griffith: 9 rec, 127 yds, 2 TD

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): W (2-2, 0-1), 19-31 vs. Troy (2-3, 1-0)

J. Goddard: 15-35, 152 yds, TD
R. Wilcox: 16 rush, 74 yds, TD
M.Craft: 5 rec, 58 yds, TD

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) L (2-2, 0-1) 27-37 vs. Rutgers (3-1, 1-1)

K. Summers: 10 tckl (TFL)
T. Edmunds: 8 tckl (2 TFL), .5 sacks
C. Williams: 6 tackles (3 TFL), sack

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): W (2-2) 17-7 vs. Indiana (1-3, 0-1)

G. Saulsberry: 16-29, 198 yds, TD,19 rush, 79 yds
D. Jones: 14 rush, 93 yds, TD
R. Woods: 6 rec, 88 yds


OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): L (2-3, 1-2), 34-37 vs. Akron (3-2, 2-1)

J. Bryant: 11-23, 201 yds, 2 TD
C. Dukes: 25 rush, 149 yds, 2 TD
D. Daniels; 6 rush, 86 yds

Sippin’ Cocktails!

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): BYE (4-0, 2-0)

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): BYE (1-3)

OC Connor Turley (convict38): BYE (2-2, 0-1)

TOugh loss to Virgina Tech. I really wish someone would knock Oregon off of their high horse, any Nelly DeWeaver updates? He's been quiet

Yeah we didn't play particularly well after the first quarter and it cost us tremendously.. our playoff hopes are going to take a big hit now with the second loss, our run defense felt gassed in the second half and now we have a quarterback with perhaps an inoperable nickname.

Luckily we get sort of a re-tuneup against BC next week so hopefully we can get back in line, but we can really rack off seven straight W's to end the season.. the back half of our schedule consists of a lot of mid-pack ACC teams; we avoid Pitt, UNC, Georgia Tech.. so we'll see!

As much as I'd have loved to see Coach Shea and USC knock off Oregon last weekend, it would have been very weird to see TDL turn around and beat the team we lost to in the Natty.

I'll think about a formal Nelly DeWeaver update when our bye week rolls around later on.. certainly he can't be happy about falling out of the Heisman race because of his teammate. This season Nelly is 71-100 for 1,072 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT plus 64 rush, 275 yards and a score on the ground. Quiet indeed! I'll be sure to keep tabs on Oregon moving forward, especially when they lose. Last year it was them and Nebraska as the top two teams for most of the way, and once again the Ducks are the team to beat, with Nebraska once again placed neatly at #2! Looking forward to see how that race shapes out as we ease into the second half of the schedule.

Thanks bud!

[Knickerbocker91]

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

Tough loss but I'm not complaining too much because I went to Virginia Tech for a few years.