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)

Rivalry Week Headlines

Cummings ready to face old team again

One of the top headlines surrounding the last two Battles For New England regarded the coaching matchup between Bob Diaco and Boston College head coach Mike Cummings. Longtime followers of the dynasty may recall that Cummings was the first offensive coordinator of our report; he served in his role from 2014-15, helping lead UConn to a Dallas Bowl win in the latter year.

He oversaw a record-breaking season in 2015 from quarterback Bryant Shirreffs and helped tailback Max DeLorenzo to a 1000 yard season. With UConn’s offense on the rise, Cummings jumped ship just before the 2016 season to become head coach at Western Michigan before leaving Kalamazoo in January 2017 after just the one year. He has been coach of the Eagles ever since.

Now in his fifth year, the Eagles have had their share of ups and downs. Cummings started strong with an ACC Atlantic Title, a Music City Bowl win and an 8-6 record in 2017 before falling to 5-7 in his 2018. 2019 saw a resurgence, though, with a #3 final ranking and an Orange Bowl win (11-2), falling just short of the division title. The Eagles slumped back to 4-8 last year. While BC has lost to the Huskies twice - 2018 and 2020 at Gillette Stadium, Cummings jokes that his 2019 team would have won had the two teams played. Even so, despite the roller coaster tenure so far, the Diaco protege remains confident, as does the athletic department. “We’ve done some good things so far and we need to recruit a little better but in time I think we’ll be a threat in the ACC for years to come.”

Though this year’s Battle For New England won’t have the same side stories with Diaco now coaching with the NFL’s London Black Knights, Cummings still is appreciative of Diaco, looking forward to meeting Coach Stephen Belichick and playing UConn again. “It's a shame Bob won't be with us this year, but.. this game still gets me excited. Coach Diaco once said it himself - look for a team to emulate, and there’s no better example than the best. UConn has always been a program that is well-coached, they recruit well, and they play well - they’re a great example for our young kids, a nice target of what they can become in the future. I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for the Huskies and I’m really excited to return to Hartford this weekend.”

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Belichick anticipates no changes in starting lineup

First year head coach Stephen Belichick noted in an interview with the Hartford Courant this week that he expects no changes to the starting lineup after last week’s loss to Virginia Tech.

“No one’s hurt. No one’s dead. No one’s suspended. If everyone I’m confident in is available, then they’ll start. Simple as that.”

Belichick wanted to quash any rumors ahead of time that change could be in the offing after the offense imploded in the second half of last week’s loss. Isaac Jackson played his worst game of the season, while tailback Luke Williamson had another quiet day against the Hokies. Meanwhile, the defensive line struggled in the second half against Virginia Tech’s offensive line. Belichick simply stated that “everyone has a bad day” and left it there.

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Three recruits to visit Hartford for Battle of New England

One week after welcoming top running back prospect Ashanti Swift to campus, UConn is set to host three more recruiting targets this weekend as Boston College comes to town. The Huskies are still awaiting their first commit of the 2022 cycle.

The first prospect is free safety Leonard Hayward Jr. The 6’, 191-pound, Copiague, New York native is the 20th ranked at his position and has received interest from local schools in Buffalo, Syracuse and UMass in his recruiting process.

Hayward will be joined by Camden, New Jersey linebacker Avan Goulding (#35 OLB, 6’2 220-pounds), and local prospect Tevari Lindsay, a 6’4, 288 pound athlete from North Haven. Lindsay has also received interest from the local schools; Rutgers, Boston College and Syracuse round out his list. All three are said to be favoring UConn at this time, and all three have received scholarship offers from Coach Belichick.

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Sam Hunt to perform National Anthem

Country music superstar Sam Hunt will appear in Hartford for the first time for a concert date on his latest tour on October 8. The next night, Hunt will stop by the loudest house in the east to sing the national anthem for this weekend’s rivalry game. While Hunt has no ties whatsoever to the Connecticut area, his 2015 #1 hit “House Party” has been a pivotal part of Rentschler Field/The Property’s PA music playlist since then-Coach Bob Diaco requested it be added at the start of last season. The UAB alum’s tune has played after every UConn touchdown since the home opener against Indiana last year.

Said Hunt on his upcoming appearance, “It’s neat to see that fans from all walks of life, country fans or not, view my music as something to rally behind, a soundtrack for their successes, and the UConn football fans have clearly done that. I’m a big college football fan in general, so it’s my honor to stop in and support the Huskies that have supported me.”

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Future Battles For New England

With the 2018 and 2020 meetings having taken place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and this year’s game set in Hartford, the 2022 Battle For New England will occur in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts at Alumni Stadium. Future venues will be decided later, but Fenway Park has been vocal in pursuing the series in the future as well, having hosted numerous high school games and a handful of BC games since 2015.

Relive the previous two BC-UConn matchups by clicking on the links below!

2018 - a 21-12 UConn win

2020 - a 56-27 UConn win

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

I get the impression a lot of folks who follow this thread and others pull for their own team first and then the dynasty team in question second.. totally understandable! I seem to recall you mentioning an awfully long time ago that you had ties to VT...very nice!

As I said to whughes, we just got caught napping in the second half and paid the price against your Hokies.. our hopes in the ACC and the Playoff have taken tremendous hits with this loss. Hopefully we can rebound with our pathetic rivals coming to town this weekend.

[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)

3 --- 1-4 (0-2)

(15) 42 --- 4-2 (3-1)

One-Sided Battle

Jackson ties school record with 5 touchdown passes, Huskies smother BC in Battle For New England III


Ice-Jax was the man all night long.

In 2017, Rentschler Field rolled out a new marketing campaign depicting the stadium as The Property, a catchy nickname posed by a fan considering UConn’s dominance at home (we were in the midst of a three year long home winning streak). The jokey nickname evolved into tradition and then adding music talking about property owning, laying the boom, and house parties. Isaac Jackson was a true freshman being redshirted in 2017. If anyone has come to know the spirit of owning, it’s the Druid Hills, Georgia native.

Fast forward four years later, and on a day where Sam Hunt got the party started, it was only fitting that Jackson ended it. “Ice-Jax” was caught on camera multiple times jamming out to the familiar PA setlist and selections from the Husky band; Hunt's “House Party” played six times on Saturday evening, five times a result of Jackson’s passes that landed in the UConn end zone. All told, the QB’s handiwork led UConn to a 42-3 beatdown of rival Boston College, re-injecting some swagger into The Property a week after a sloppy and painful defeat to conference foe Virginia Tech, the first home loss for UConn in over two years.

Today’s outcome was rarely in question, as UConn held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, extended the lead to 28-0 at halftime, and coasted to their fourth victory of the season over former UConn assistant Mike Cummings and his BC Eagles - UConn also makes it three straight victories in the Battle For New England.

Jackson’s five touchdowns tied the school record for a single game, equaling a mark set by now UConn quarterbacks coach Dan Orlovsky done thrice during his legendary career, while Jackson also impressed by completing 71% of his 28 passes for an impressive 301 yards.

More impressively, his touchdowns went to five different receivers on a day where everyone got involved: Second-string running back J.P. Byers caught the first touchdown late in the first quarter, tight end Ryne Thomas and star tailback Luke Williamson followed in the second quarter, Chamarkelle Byrom was the recipient of a 70 yard strike in the third quarter and hybrid tight end Ja’Montres Jones caught the final in the fourth.

Ryne Thomas (LEFT), J.P. Byers (CENTER) and Ja'Montres Jones (RIGHT) were three of the more unlikely recipients of Isaac Jackson's touchdown passes this afternoon.

Other top contributors on the offensive side were Williamson, who put together a much needed confidence boosting 127 yard performance on the ground, while Byrom grabbed five balls for 103 yards and the aforementioned score, a 70 yard pass on a deep ball down the right sideline where he ran right past safety Buster Thomas in single coverage. UConn only turned the ball over once -- stud freshman corner Brad Royal intercepted Jackson on UConn’s very first possession in the contest as the Huskies were making a push for the end zone.

Freshman stud Brad Royal, a former ESPN 100 recruit at cornerback, provides one of BC's few highlights with this first quarter interception.

While BC’s defense struggled overall, you could say exactly the opposite for UConn’s stopping unit. The Eagles gained 264 yards of offense in total, but only 41 came from star running back Scott Johnson, and they scored no touchdowns. The Eagles’ only three points came on a short field goal from Anthony Camamaros in the second half. Reigning national sack leader Altarri Gardner tallied three takedowns of BC slinger Jason Drizianni to inflate his season total to ten in just six games. Canadian Mike Hill led UConn with eight tackles from his middle linebacker spot, while Sam Barnett recorded an interception for UConn's lone takeaway. For the second straight home game, Shavlion Wade was unable to record an interception -- he’s still tied with Jamar Summers for the career record in that statistic with 20.

Mike Cummings shook hands with fans and UConn’s coaches after the game. “Yes it’s unfortunate we didn’t play better. But for me, the rivalry is more than the game.. I’ve been on both sides, so I have tremendous respect for all involved. We’ll come back and play better again when they come to our place next year, and best of luck to UConn the rest of the season.”

Stellar play from guys like Altarri Gardner (LEFT, sacking Jason Drizianni) and A.J. Paxston (RIGHT, stopping Scott Johnson for a loss) frustrated the Eagles offense and coach Mike Cummings all game.

Disappointment perhaps for Cummings, but it was all smiles for Isaac Jackson.

“I’m proud of the way we played, and I’m happy with how things turned out for myself, as well”, stated the usually quiet and humble Jackson after the game. Orlovsky added that he is “glad that little sucker didn’t break my record”, with a friendly laugh for good measure. “Isaac’s a great kid, he wants to play well and is disappointed when he doesn’t. He's worked really hard to get his starting shot, and coach Stephen [Belichick]'s offense is catered to the pass more than the run, so he has a lot of opportunities. His mentality is great, and I’m happy to see him do well in a big game today.”

While this game doesn't show if Jackson has regained his clutch gene, it's certainly a step in the right direction after a tough showing last week.

UConn moves to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in ACC play with the win today to officially mark the halfway point in the 2021 regular season. The Huskies continue ACC play when they travel to face Clemson in Death Valley next weekend. BC falls to 1-4 and 0-2 in conference play, and remain at the bottom of the 16-team ACC.

Chamarkelle Byrom, are you serious?

Boston College Eagles at Connecticut Huskies
Oct 9, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Boston College Eagles (1-4, 0-2)	0	0	3	0	3
#15 Connecticut Huskies (4-2, 3-1)	7	21	7	7	42

Team Stats Comparison
	BC	CONN
Total Offense	264	487
Rushing Yards	51	186
Passing Yards	213	301
First Downs	15	25
Punt Return Yards	24	38
Kick Return Yards	17	42
Total Yards	305	567
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	3-13 (23%)	5-9 (55%)
4th Down Conversion	1-3 (33%)	1-1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-0-1 (50%)	6-5-0 (83%)
Penalties	2-10	1-5
Possession Time	15:43	20:17

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		BC	CONN
:48	(CONN) Byers 11 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	0	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		BC	CONN
6:59	(CONN) Thomas 7 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	0	14
3:35	(CONN) Williamson 3 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	0	21
:37	(CONN) Williamson 3 run (Ricciardi kick)	0	28
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		BC	CONN
6:28	(CONN) Byrom 70 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	0	35
4:11	(BC) Camamaros 19 FG	3	35
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		BC	CONN
6:19	(CONN) Jones 11 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	3	42

Boston College Eagles PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jason Drizianni 27-41 213 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Scott Johnson 13 46 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Scott Johnson 9 47 5.2 0 Josh Dotson 7 88 12.5 0 Courtney Bradshaw 3 22 7.3 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Charles Hall 10 (2) 0 0 0 Buster Thomas 9 0 0 0 Darin Ridenour 7 0 0 0 Brad Royal 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Camamaros 1-1 0-0 3 19

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 20-28 301 5 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 28 127 4.5 1 J.P. Byers 6 38 6.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Chamarkelle Byrom 5 123 24.6 1 Ryne Thomas 4 46 11.5 1 Ja'Montres Jones 3 35 11.6 1 Lonte' Speier 2 48 24.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mike Hill 8 (1) 0 0 0 Altarri Gardner 5 (3) 3 0 0 Sam Barnett 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 0-0 6-6 6

[thesportsguru11]

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

NCAA Players of the Week

[thesportsguru11]

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

Week 6 Results

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): L (4-2, 1-1), 31-35 vs. Fresno St. (3-3, 1-2)

C. Rose: 15-30, 199 yds, 2 TD, 15 rush, 151 yds, TD
T. Holloway: 15 rush, 65 yds, TD
J. Phillips: 6 rec, 76 yds

HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): L (3-3, 1-2), 17-41 vs. Utah (2-3, 1-1)

D. Davane: 2-14, 16 yds, TD
P. Tuivalea: 28 rush, 159 yds, TD
T. Seward: Rec TD
S. Timmons: 10 tckl (2 TFL), sack
V. Faison: 10 tckl

HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): W (4-2, 3-2), 34-14 vs. #21 Arizona State (2-3, 1-2)

T. Dean-Lowry: 9-15, 77 yds, TD, 11 rush, 51 yds, TD
J. Lewis: 21 rush, 155 yds
B. Baggarly: 2 rush TD
B. Browning: 9 tckl

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): L (4-2, 1-2), 31-35 vs. Florida (4-3, 3-2)

J. Larsen: 8-16, 116 yds, 2 TD, 19 rush, 88 yds, TD
J. Brayton: 21 rush, 128 yds, TD
D. Hartwell: 3 rec, 50 yds, TD
J. Baitman: 9 tckl, sack

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): W (1-4, 1-0) 35-7 vs. San Jose State (1-4, 0-2)

J. Kililoloka: 11-18, 87 yds, TD
C. Jones-Grice: 19 rush, 112 yds, 4 TD
F. Lo’aka: 15 rush, 95 yds
V. Hogan: Rec TD

OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): W (3-3, 3-0), 52-44 (4OT) vs. Clemson (3-2, 1-2)

L. Brandis: 14-22, 166 yds, 2 TD
D. Jones: 14 rush, 58 yds, TD
W. Lemon: 11 rush, 65 yds, TD
L. Jones: 8 rec, 78 yds, TD

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (1-5, 1-2), 31-34 vs. #16 Pitt (5-0, 3-0)

M. Johnston: 9-21, 200 yds, 2 TD
M. Rodgers: 6 rush, 102 yds, TD
P. Lewis: 6 rec, 121 yds, TD

OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (1-4, 1-2), 31-34 vs. #7 Michigan (4-1)

E. Robinson: 19-35, 291 yds, 2 TD
R. Miller: 12 rush, 59 yds, TD
J. Rodgers: Rec TD

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): W (4-1), 45-24 vs. New Mexico State (1-4)

S. Parker: 14-28, 196 yds, 3 TD, 16 rush, 132 yds, 2 TD
T. Ardois: 22 rush, 120 rush, TD
D. McCoy/W. Shuman/D. Anderson: Rec TD each

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) L (2-3, 0-2) 24-30 (OT) vs. #18 Michigan State (4-2, 2-1)

T. Edmunds: 8 tckl (2 TFL)
C. Williams: 5 tackles, sack
C. Lee: 5 tackles

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): W (3-2, 1-0) 44-17 vs. Oklahoma State (2-4, 0-2)

G. Saulsberry: 11-22, 130 yds, 2 rush TD
D. Jones: 22 rush, 97 yds
C. Townsend: 2 rush TD
J. Morris: 5 rec, 44 yds


OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): W (3-3, 2-1), 22-16 vs. USF (2-3, 0-3)

T. Wall: 5-18, 74 yds, TD
N. Mason: 19 rush, 117 yds
J. Miller: 2 rush TD
B. Turner: Rec TD

OC Connor Turley (convict38): W (3-2, 1-1), 45-20 vs. Tulane (2-4, 1-3)

A. Houston: 18-30, 211 yds, TD, 21 rush, 127 yds, 2 TD
M. Johnson: 14 rush, 93 yds, 2 TD
W. Alexander: 11 rush, 63 yds, TD
M. Rodriguez: 6 rec, 123 yds, TD

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): L (3-3, 1-2) 28-35 vs. Army West Point (5-1, 5-0)

M. Whitehead: 9-17, 95 yds
C. Madison: 23 rush, 117 yds, 2 TD
D. Ross: 9 rec, 95 yds

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): W (3-3, 1-2), 31-24 vs. Rice (2-4, 2-2)

W. Johnson: 28-40, 372 yds, 4 TD
D. Hurst: 9 rush, 69 yds
J. Noel: 10 rec, 143 yds, 2 TD
S. Tyson: 8 rec, 115 yds

OC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): W (6-0, 3-0), 45-28 vs. Louisiana Tech (1-5, 0-4)

W. Mock: 16-31, 201 yds, 6 TD
W. Dotson: 27 rush, 164 yds
V. Bush: 7 rec, 106 yds, TD
D. Robinson: 2 rec TD


OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): W (3-3, 1-2), 34-31 vs. Florida Atlantic (3-3, 2-2)

J. Sampson: 10-23, 118 yds, TD, 17 rush, 71 yds, TD
M. McClellan/I. Langford: rush TD
A. Scott: 4 rec, 54 yds, TD

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): L (4-1, 2-1), 26-35 vs. Old Dominion (4-2, 3-0)

R. Harris: 18-29, 172 yds, TD
A. James: 33 rush, 171 yds, TD
M. Lyles: 5 rec, 37 yds

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): L (2-4, 1-3), 30-52 vs. Western Michigan (1-4, 1-2) CAC LOSS!

S. Young: 12-35, 131 yds, 29 rush, 182 yds, TD
T. Wallace: 17 rush, 143 yds, 2 TD
J. Simmons: 3 rec, 43 yds

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): W (4-2, 3-0), 38-28 vs. Ohio (2-4, 1-3)

P. O’Toole: 20-37, 285 yds, 3 TD, rush TD
J. Rooney: 12 rush, 133 yds, TD
D. Johnson: 7 rec, 82 yds
Team: Last remaining unbeaten in MAC play - has MAC West lead

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): W (1-4, 1-2), 52-30 vs. Kent State (2-4, 1-3) CAC WIN!


C. Thibodeaux: 14-24, 233 yds, 3 TD
R. Dougherty: 19 rush, 109 yds, 2 TD
C. Watson: 10 rush, 52 yds, 2 TD
S. Scales: 4 rec, 75 yds, TD

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): L (4-2, 3-1), 21-38 vs. Miami-Ohio (4-2, 2-1)

V. Roberson: 11-23, 129 yds, TD
B. Johnson: 16 rush, 89 yds, TD
J. Russell: 10 rec, 121 yds


OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): L (0-6, 0-3), 6-29 vs. Eastern Michigan (3-3, 2-2) CAC LOSS!

A. Jafar: 12-26, 111 yds
N. Richards: 18 rush, 78 yds
J. Rankin: 5 rec, 79 yds
R. Temik: 2-2 FG (Long 49)

OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): W (3-3, 2-2), 29-6 vs. Bowling Green (0-6, 0-3) CAC WIN!

J. Bowling: 11-16, 125 yds
D. Byland: 35 rush, 138 yds, 2 TD
C. Dukes: 7 rush, 65 yds, TD
J. Price: 9 rec, 106 yds

Eating Pre-Thanksgiving Turkey!

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

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): BYE (2-2, 0-1)

Hope you all have enjoyed Thanksgiving and best of wishes through the holiday season!

[whughes]

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

Great win against BC. I keep waiting for Shav to get another INT and take the record, maybe next week.

O'Toole has my Chips rolling through MAC play. He may be the reason I finally get promoted. What is Rooney's overall? I remember awhile back you said O'Toole was in the low 90s, but Rooney has had 100+ rushing yards in 5/6 games so far this season I believe.

[itsbigmike]

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

Finally, a win at WMU. And over another CAC, no less. I'll take it.

A nice thrashing of BC for the Huskies. Shav's been quiet the last couple of weeks.

[thesportsguru11]

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

Great win against BC. I keep waiting for Shav to get another INT and take the record, maybe next week.

O'Toole has my Chips rolling through MAC play. He may be the reason I finally get promoted. What is Rooney's overall? I remember awhile back you said O'Toole was in the low 90s, but Rooney has had 100+ rushing yards in 5/6 games so far this season I believe.

I think we played one of our better games of the season against BC.. it was a complete team win and that's great to see. This one will definitely give us some momentum heading into the back half of the schedule as well. Shav has a lot of time .. just needs one pick and has six games (at least) left to do it!

I pull for everyone to do well in CAC world, but you know I'm pulling for Coach Crenshaw more than most. You have by far your best team in six seasons and have a real shot at winning the MAC West with reigning conference champ Toledo off to a slow start.

Paul O'Toole is indeed rated 93 overall, he'll likely be picked in the draft next spring. Jeff Rooney is your tailback.. senior rated 89 overall, toiled behind Cam Stith for a while. I've played a bit ahead having been home the last few days, so my stats are not accurate to where the thread is; but I'm fairly confident Rooney has over 500 yards rushing at this time. Hopefully no injuries happen and the two can lead you to a conference title!

Finally, a win at WMU. And over another CAC, no less. I'll take it.

A nice thrashing of BC for the Huskies. Shav's been quiet the last couple of weeks.

I'm very pleased with how our guys played last week - hopefully Williamson's starting to get things figured out, I-Jax played great and the defense was sensational all around. Sucks to beat up on one of my favorite schools and a former UConn assistant, but a win's a win. Shav will be just fine as well, he's still playing very well shutting down wideouts, I think BC and Virginia Tech just learned not to throw that way. He's got a lot of time to pick up pick #21.

CAC success is not always seen overnight, and either way it's been extremely rewarding to watch Central start to do well because whughes and Coach Crenshaw have been there for so long. I wish sometimes I could angle a camera to capture my reactions as I see each CAC score.. I get more excited for some of the CAC scores than UConn

Eventually I bet WMU will start to have a little more success, but until then doing the small stuff, like beating CAC opponents, is a great start.

Thanks to both of you!

[thesportsguru11]

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

21 --- 3-3 (1-3)

(16) 55 --- 5-2 (4-1)

Alive and Kicking in Death Valley

Jackson, Williamson sharp again as Huskies hang 55 in Clemson rout



Luke Williamson was one of the offensive stars of UConn’s win; he would break out of this tackle and sprint 54 yards to the end zone.

About three and a half minutes after the opening kick, Isaac Jackson completed a pass to Ryne Thomas from seven yards away for UConn’s first touchdown of the game. That was only the beginning.

After a convincing win in the Battle For New England a week ago, UConn walked around practices this week with a new swagger about them; they had gained a lot of confidence. More importantly, they didn’t let this confidence get into their heads. Thanks to a brilliant offensive performance in a second consecutive game, UConn once again coasted to victory with a 55-21 mauling of ACC foe Clemson in Death Valley.

UConn would score four of the game’s first five touchdowns en route to a 35-14 halftime lead, and never looked back, adding on 20 more points after the intermission and racking up 574 yards of offense in total. All the way around, you could call the UConn performance this afternoon a “gem”.

Ice-Jax, a week after tying UConn’s school record with five touchdown passes against Boston College, threw for four more on the Tigers defense on 22-of-29 passing for 284 yards. All four of his touchdowns came in the first half - Ryne Thomas caught two of those four, while the game’s leading receiver Lonte’ Speier caught one and former walk-on Johnny Williams was the recipient of the other - his first career touchdown in five years with the program.

Three UConn wideouts caught touchdowns on the afternoon; Ryne Thomas (RIGHT) had two, Lonte’ Speier (CENTER) had one and Johnny Williams (LEFT) hauled in his first career touchdown on a bubble screen.

Tailback Luke Williamson added UConn’s fifth touchdown of the first half. The redshirt junior played well again this afternoon, continuing to look more like the Heisman runner-up from a year ago as he scampered for a season-long 54 yard touchdown run, spinning and juking his way past a couple of defenders in orange. Williamson ended the afternoon with 183 yards and two scores to complete his second straight contest passing the century mark.

Clemson got off to a slow start offensively and that damaged any chance they had on this day. UConn’s first score came on the first possession of the game; Clemson, after a promising 12 yard run from tailback J.J. Crooks, saw their drive stall out. By the time they got the ball back, they were in a fourteen point hole. Crooks was able to punch in a score on a short touchdown run and Ricky Alfred did connect with tight end Wendell Wheeler for a score just before the half. The senior Wheeler led Clemson with seven grabs for 53 yards and the score.

Clemson was short on highlights, but their receivers played well. Tight end Wendell Wheeler (LEFT) and wideout Robby King (RIGHT) both hauled in touchdown receptions.

Playing in place of injured starter D’Angelo Madichu, Alfred did a decent job overall; he completed 25 of his 43 attempts for 267 yards and a pair of scores coupled with just one interception, but often was unable to lead his offense down the field efficiently and his offense ended up being outgained by almost 230 yards. The Tigers also only converted six of their fourteen 3rd-down tries (42%). Against a smoking hot UConn offense, that inefficiency proved decisive.

UConn continued to put the pedal to the floor in the second half, outscoring Clemson an additional 13-0 on Williamson’s second touchdown and a pair of field goals from freshman Anthony Ricciardi, who remains almost perfect on field goals this season. With the score at 48-14, the backups were allowed a chance to get in and played for most of the fourth quarter. The teams traded meaningless touchdowns in the fourth; UConn a run from J.P. Byers and Clemson a touchdown pass from Alfred to all-conference wideout Robby King.

The Huskies left the field in a good mood, however, and put together an impressive dominating victory in the process.

“Our guys were just feeling it, I guess”, commented UConn coach Stephen Belichick. Added fourth-year offensive coordinator Bill Cubit, “The run game sets up the pass game, and vice versa.. Our guys did great on both ends, and when that happens the results are predictable.”

With another stellar performance in tow, UConn moves to 5-2 and 4-1 in ACC play; they travel to play Syracuse next week in the Carrier Dome. The Orange are a surprising 4-2 this season, ranked 23rd in the most recent AP polls and will be coming off a bye week.

Sam Barnett records an interception right before the halftime break.



Redshirt freshman edge rusher Brennick Samples gets a little elbow room after taking down Ricky Alfred for his first career sack.


Thomas Willis sticks out his paw as he swats a pass away; he led the team with seven tackles.

Connecticut Huskies at Clemson Tigers
Oct 16, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#16 Connecticut Huskies (5-2, 4-1)	14	21	13	7	55
Clemson Tigers (3-3, 1-3)	0	14	0	7	21

Team Stats Comparison
	CONN	CLEM
Total Offense	574	345
Rushing Yards	276	78
Passing Yards	298	267
First Downs	26	16
Punt Return Yards	67	0
Kick Return Yards	81	92
Total Yards	722	437
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Conversion	10-14 (71%)	6-14 (42%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1	1-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	8-6-2 (100%)	3-3-0 (100%)
Penalties	2-10	2-15
Possession Time	19:41	16:19

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CONN	CLEM
5:24	(CONN) Thomas 7 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	7	0
2:35	(CONN) Williamson 54 run (Ricciardi kick)	14	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CONN	CLEM
8:57	(CLEM) Crooks 2 run (Adelman kick)	14	7
7:14	(CONN) Williams 11 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	21	7
2:50	(CONN) Thomas 10 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	28	7
:51	(CLEM) Wheeler 4 pass Alfred (Adelman kick)	28	14
:10	(CONN) Speier 14 pass Jackson (Ricciardi kick)	35	14
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CONN	CLEM
6:42	(CONN) Ricciardi 27 FG	38	14
3:43	(CONN) Ricciardi 20 FG	41	14
1:13	(CONN) Williamson 4 run (Ricciardi kick)	48	14
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CONN	CLEM
5:22	(CLEM) King 8 pass Alfred (Adelman kick)	48	21
1:50	(CONN) Byers 5 run (Ricciardi kick)	55	21

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 22-29 284 4 0 Jordan Brown 1-1 14 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 27 183 6.7 2 J.P. Byers 15 69 4.6 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Lonte' Speier 6 100 16.6 1 Charmarkelle Byrom 5 58 11.6 0 Ja'Montres Jones 4 64 16.0 0 Ryne Thomas 2 17 8.5 2 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Thomas Willis 7 0 0 0 Alex Brown 5 0 0 0 James Mandrell 3 1 0 0 Altarri Gardner 2 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 2-2 7-7 13 27

Clemson Tigers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Ricky Alfred 25-43 267 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J.J. Crooks 17 92 5.4 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Wendell Wheeler 7 53 7.5 1 Richie Reed III 6 81 13.5 0 Robby King 5 63 12.6 1 Pierre Bondue 3 46 15.3 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Danny Poehm 10 0 0 0 Chris Cutlass 7 0 0 0 Kanreese Gallon 7 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Aaron Adelman 0-0 3-3 3

Next Week: (16) --- 5-2 (4-1) @ (23) --- 4-2 (1-2)

Edit and Note From the Author: I did some work on the front page yesterday and I am now finally caught up with the table of contents! All 7 1/2 seasons worth of games, news stories and around the NCAA posts is up to date - especially convenient for me when looking for past games and old stats as well as new followers who may not want to skim through all of the thread, but this is available and each season is under the spoilers in Post #1 for anyone who wants to relive some of the thread's history with just one click!

[thesportsguru11]

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

NCAA Players of the Week

[thesportsguru11]

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

Week 7 Results

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): L (4-3, 1-2), 7-37 vs. Boise St. (4-2, 2-0)

C. Rose: 7-25, 97 yds, TD
T. Holloway: 10 rush, 41 yds
J. Phillips: 5 rec, 52 yds, TD
M. Sims: 7 tckl (3 TFL), .5 sack
C. Jackson: 2 sacks

HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): W (4-3, 2-2), 35-14 vs. Oregon State (1-5, 0-4)

D. Davane: 13-22, 143 yds, 2 TD
B. Horne: 36 rush, 210 yds, 3 TD
V. Faison: 8 tckl, 2 TFL, sack

HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): W (5-2, 3-2), 48-14 vs. UL Lafayette (2-3)

T. Dean-Lowry: 47-65, 553 yds, 2 TD
J. Lewis: 24 rush, 126 yds, 3 TD
B. Long: 14 rec, 183 yds, 2 TD
M. Skinner: 12 rec, 136 yds
P. Russell: 11 rec, 102 yds
D. Rossland: 8 tckl, sack

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): W (5-2, 2-2), 45-28 vs. Georgia (4-3, 3-2)

J. Larsen: 9-13, 115 yds, 2 rush TD
J. Brayton: 24 ruhs, 117 yds, 3 TD
B. Breedlove: 13 rush, 89 yds, TD
K. Barnett: 7 tckl (2 TFL), sack

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): W (2-4, 2-0) 41-14 vs. Nevada (2-5, 1-2)

J. Kililoloka: 16-29, 148 yds, 2 TD, rush TD
C. Jones-Grice: 15 rush, 107 yds, 2 TD
T. McDaniel: 9 rec, 101 yds, 2 TD
J. Jackson/T. Moore: INT

OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): W (4-3, 4-0), 31-27 vs. Boston College (1-5, 0-3)

L. Brandis: 18-32, 270 yds, 2 TD
D. Jones; 14 rush, 75 yds, 2 TD
W. Skinner: 7 rec, 104 yds, TD

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (1-6, 1-3), 7-52 vs. #16 Pitt (5-0, 3-0)

S. Parsiany: 18-34, 146 yds
M. Rodgers: 10 rush, 73 yds
L. Bailey: 6 rec, 42 yds

OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (1-5, 1-3), 23-52 vs. Penn State (4-1)

E. Robinson: 17-33, 243 yds, 2 TD
M. McCray: 14 rush, 88 yds
C. Flores: 4 rec, 55 yds, TD

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): L (4-2), 21-49 vs. Michigan (6-1, 3-1)

S. Parker: 16-29, 227 yds, TD, rush TD
J. Wheelock: 15 rush, 83 yds
D. Anderson: 6 rec, 96 yds
T. Ardois: Rush TD

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) L (2-4, 0-3) 24-27 (OT) vs. Ohio State (3-3, 2-1)

K. Summers: 9 tckl (4 TFL), sack
T. Edmunds: 8 tckl (2 TFL), sack
C. Williams: 7 tckl (2 TFL), sack

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): L (3-3, 1-1) 32-37 vs. Baylor (4-2, 1-1)

E. Price: 5-6, 94 yds, 3 TD
D. Jones: 14 rush, 77 yds, TD
C. Chavalaway: 8 rec, 93 yds, 3 TD

OC Connor Turley (convict38): W (4-2, 2-1), 35-28 vs. Tulsa (2-4, 0-4)

A. Houston: 16-27, 184 yds, 3 TD
W. Alexander: 17 rush, 89 yds, 2 TD
M. Rodriguez: 6 rec, 77 yds, 2 TD

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): W (4-3, 2-2) 31-24 vs. ECU (0-7, 0-4)

M. Whitehead: 9-16, 91 yds, 2 TD
C. Madison: 24 rush, 169 yds, 2 TD
T. Berg: 4 rec, 46 yds, TD

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): W (4-3, 2-2), 38-35 vs. Western Kentucky (3-4, 3-3)

W. Johnson: 19-34, 305 yds, 3 TD
D. Hurst: 16 rush, 91 yds, TD
S. Tyson: 9 rec, 143 yds

OC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): W (7-0, 4-0), 61-28 vs. UTSA (1-6, 0-5)

W. Mock: 20-27, 280 yds, 4 TD
W. Dotson: 13 rush, 88 yds, 2 TD
V. Bush: 10 rec, 108 yds, TD

OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): W (4-3, 2-2), 34-31 (OT) vs. Rice (2-5, 2-3)

F. Garcia: 12-18, 100 yds, TD
I. Langford: 26 rush, 174 yds, 2 TD
A. Scott: 5 rec, 43 yds, TD

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): L (4-2, 2-1), 23-28 vs. Kansas (4-2, 1-2)

R. Harris: 16-27, 163 yds, TD
M. Harper: 21 rush, 111 yds, rec TD
A. James: Rush TD

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): L (2-5, 1-4), 31-41 vs. Miami-OH (5-2, 3-1)

S. Young: 18-36, 289 yds, 2 TD
T. Wallace: 2 rush TD
E. Stanley: 6 rec, 101 yds
J. Brown: 6 rec, 110 yds, TD

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): L (1-5, 1-3), 27-40 vs. Eastern Michigan (4-3, 3-2) CAC LOSS!

C. Thibodeaux: 14-29, 289 yds, 2 TD
J. Givens: 4 rec
F. Pearson: 3 rec, 139 yds, TD

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): W (5-2, 3-1), 35-24 vs. Northwestern (3-4, 2-2)

M. Firestine: 5-14, 58 yds
B. Johnson: 26 rush, 160 yds, 4 TD
L. Hopkins: 2 rec, 46 yds, TD

OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): W (4-3, 3-2), 40-27 vs. Western Michigan (1-5, 1-3) CAC WIN!

J. Bryant: 15-29, 288 yds, 2 TD
C. Dukes: 24 rush, 138 yds, 2 TD
J. Price: 6 rec, 144 yds, TD

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): L (1-4) 28-35 vs. LSU (3-4)

G. Moran: 19-33, 250 yds, 2 TD, rush TD
S. Bonner: 22 rush, 113 yds, TD
P. Hill: 6 rec, 119 yds, TD

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): L (2-3, 0-2) 21-35 vs. ULM (2-3, 1-0)

J. Goddard: 28-54, 344 yds, 3 TD
M. Craft: 14 rec, 163 yds, TD
I. Fitch: 6 rec, 96 yds, TD

Looking at the Foliage!

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): BYE (4-2, 3-0)

OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): BYE (0-6, 0-3)

OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): BYE (3-3, 2-1)

[xboxxerx]

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

Wow Guru, wth has happened to Clemson in your dynasty? Great showing no matter what against them though Guru. Nice match up coming up against Syracuse.

[thesportsguru11]

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

Pre Pre-Game Preview: Syracuse, Bryan Cook and me vs. the option

Bryan Cook during his time at Georgia Southern.

I wanted to take a moment before we proceed to gloss over something important about the team we’ll be playing this coming week, the Syracuse Orange. UConn and Syracuse were former Big East rivals, and now they have been reunited in the ACC. While UConn has been good for several years now, Syracuse is having a surprising resurgence under second year head coach Bryan Cook, and they enter the game at 4-2 and ranked #21 in the first CFP polls. Their star tailback, Joey Wilkerson, has been in the Heisman conversation early in the 2021 campaign.

Now, why is Bryan Cook so important? What could his significance possibly be to this report? Well there is none with Bryan Cook. We’ve never faced him before. But Cook was the offensive coordinator for several years at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech runs the triple option. Cook has installed the triple option at Syracuse. The triple option, for years, has been my worst nightmare on defense.

In the early seasons of the dynasty UConn would regularly face conference foes Army and Navy, who both run the option. Granted our talent was a bit less at the time, but even so my combined record against those two teams is… 1-4. Army dealt us L’s in both of Bob Diaco’s first two seasons, while Navy drilled us in 2015 and 2016 before we finally beat them in 2017 prior to leaving the AAC at the end of that year. We haven’t faced either team since then. However, did I ever get a scare when later in 2017, we took on a winless Cincinnati team coached by Ted Roof.. also a former Georgia Tech coach and alum.. Also a user of the triple option. Though Cincy would finish just 3-9, the Bearcats damn near ended UConn’s perfect season and possible playoff hopes in a narrow overtime game that ended with UConn barely hanging on for survival. More recently, if you want to get really technical, Oregon whupped us last year in the CFP Title Game with a zone/read option style offense. That loss moves my total record against the option to 2-5 (that I can recall).

The move away to the Big 12 and now the ACC has forced us to play teams that run more traditional offenses, thankfully. But this weekend, one time only, the dreaded, evil, triple option returns. Inch closer to .500? We’ll find out soon enough.

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

Wow Guru, wth has happened to Clemson in your dynasty? Great showing no matter what against them though Guru. Nice match up coming up against Syracuse.

I'm not really sure why they never rose to the top (or close to it). They were mediocre for a long time, fired Dabo a few seasons ago and are .. still mediocre! A few other traditional powers have been like this as well. Alabama has been a mess since Saban retired, Ohio State has been down the last two seasons, LSU and Georgia have had problems of late, Florida State and Miami are both struggling this year.. and then on the other end teams like Oregon and Nebraska are dominating, when that isn't the case in real life right now (though Nebraska did hire Scott Frost in this dynasty). Very curious situations indeed.

I'm glad we could pick up the W though.. travelling anywhere is never an easy task but especially in an environment like Clemson, trouble could strike at any turn. This little winning streak has really turned around our offense and is great for our momentum. Hopefully we can carry it with us against a surprisingly good opponent and keep ourselves in the thick of the ACC race!

Thanks xboxxer!

[bryan3169]

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

I’m praying Purdue fires Brennan at this point, the glory of that first year is definitely in the past now...


Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

[whughes]

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

Ah, the dreaded Paul Johnson triple option. I do love that offense. Good luck against the pesky Orange from 'Cuse Guru.