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)

UConn Recruiting

Five new commits sign on dotted line, including highly touted athlete Tyson

Following a big home win against UMass, Coach Stephen Belichick has closed the deal with five more recruits to up the 2022 UConn recruiting class to seven.

After already landing #1 tailback prospect Ashanti Swift, UConn continued their purge of the Garden state, as four of the five new commits hail from New Jersey in one of the deepest recruiting classes from the state possibly ever. It also may be worth noting that Belichick is a Rutgers alum (so he knows New Jersey quite well), and his dad consistently brought in Rutgers players or other New Jersey natives while he coached the New England Patriots.

Here's a look at what UConn has so far, followed below by analysis of the new commits.

UConn Huskies Class of 2022 (as of November 10, 2021)
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Ashanti Swift	RB	HS	Wayne, NJ	6'1	210
Linzell Tyson	ATH	HS	Paramus, NJ	6'2	211
Morgan Bench	QB	HS	Long Branch, NJ	6'3	219
Quendon Shakespeare	OT	HS	Cranford, NJ	6'6	313
Tevari Lindsay	ATH	HS	North Haven, CT	6'4	288
Jayson Meier	ILB	HS	Sayreville, NJ	6'0	222
Avan Goulding	OLB	HS	Camden, NJ	6'2	220

The obvious highlight of this week's commits is 4-star athlete Linzell Tyson. We've already talked a bit about Tyson, and the possibility of him playing both ways. Now, we can make it come to fruition. Tyson has played quarterback and safety in high school, and there is no reason to believe that a dynamic athlete such as Tyson won't play both ways the minute he steps on campus. With Isaac Jackson graduating after this season, UConn will turn to Jordan Brown as the new starting QB. However, he can't run, so if Coach Belichick and OC Bill Cubit want to experiment on offense, Tyson could run some wildcat packages when UConn wants to go option. It is also feasible for Tyson to line up at wide receiver on offense and play with exciting freshmen Lonte' Speier and Chamarkelle Byrom.

Tyson could move to cornerback, though he would likely sit a year. While Shavlion Wade is widely expected to turn pro, UConn is expected to see Sam Barnett return for his senior year, Kent Newton has played well this season and the staff really likes redshirt freshman Tory Greening. While UConn is deep at safety, I'd expect Tyson to eventually end up there - free safety in particular could be up for grabs next fall due to the shaky play of starter Tony Rush this season. He would have to battle Rush, Aaron Brook and Kion East to crack the depth chart.

Nevertheless, expect Tyson to make an immediate impact regardless of where he lands; he's just too dynamic an athlete to sit.

Quarterback prospect Morgan Bench will also compete with Tyson for snaps, though it is more likely Bench will have to sit on ... um .. the bench, for a long time due to the crowded depth chart. He would immediately come in behind Jordan Brown, T.J. Appleby, Tyson and Kelly Carlson this fall. Bench reminds longtime fans, staffers and commentators of Bryant Shirreffs, and I can see why. He does a little bit of everything as a QB, but doesn't excel at one thing. Bench would be an optimal game manager if UConn continues to emphasize the running attack.

Bench could also be a candidate to move to a receiving fullback role or a tight end spot down the line, but that remains to be seen.

UConn's lone local prospect thus far is Tevari Lindsay from New Haven. Lindsay, while listed as an athlete and plays both ways in high school, will almost certainly move to the offensive line for Coach Belichick. Lindsay has good size for a guard or right tackle, especially on the right side where sophomore Michael Clark has struggled since taking over for the inconsistent Joe Sykes. He may not start immediately, but Lindsay should develop into a starting-caliber player with time.

Sticking on the offensive line, UConn has landed another tackle in Cranford, NJ native Quendon Shakespeare. UConn has gone to great lengths in the past two years to enhance depth on the offensive line, and have done a good job in filling gaps along the depth chart. Shakespeare is not very impressive, but with time could be a Brian Link type player, a versatile and capable backup.

The final commit this week is Sayreville, NJ native Jayson Meier. Meier comes in as a middle linebacker, and is certainly an interesting prospect. Meier is undersized but has a refined skillset. What will hold him back are his athletic ratings. He can get stronger, but Meier likely needs to get faster to be effective, or else risk being a player like Tashawn Coleman from several seasons ago, whose lack of speed prevented him from holding a starting job. The good news for Meier is that UConn's linebacking group is thinning considerably due to graduation; starter Thomas Willis is graduating, while Mike Hill and Alex Brown are both juniors. While UConn is looking at other inside 'backer prospects, Meier is certainly an important pickup.

A bunch of major upsets this week. Didn't see that coming.

For sure! A lot of teams have been beating up on each other, as there are only two unbeatens and two one-loss teams remaining in the entire country. Much like last season, there are not four clear cut best teams to make the playoff; I'd imagine at this point that the Pac-12 and ACC are going to get their conference champs in, and after that there are a few variables.

If anyone other than Oregon wins the Pac-12, I think the Pac-12 gets two in. If anyone other than Nebraska wins the Big 10, we could be looking at the SEC, Big 12 and Big 10 getting left out. If Temple runs the table, I'd be hard-pressed to leave them out in favor of a three-loss conference champ.

Now that we're down to three weeks left in the regular season, I fear the playoff committee could have some tough decisions to make after conference title week if we see more of these upsets!

[thesportsguru11]

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

News and Notes

Jeremy Broadricke is making his first career start in place of Johnquez Blair at the defensive tackle position in the 3-4 front. The redshirt sophomore from Los Angeles was a valuable piece of the 2019 recruiting class but has not seen any significant playing time.

The senior Blair has struggled, recording no sacks this season despite starting all nine games thus far.

[itsbigmike]

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



Always a good deal when WMU beats CMU!

[Knickerbocker91]

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

Going to be a tough game for UConn. NC State has an efficient QB and an offense that moves. The Huskies run D will have to make NC State one dimensional, as always it looks like things will come down to that.

Are you editing the locations of some recruits, because I'm just surprised to see so many guys coming from the Northeast. It's always why I've never been keen to make a school in my home state on New York, you barely get enough recruits to make it a pipeline state. I wonder if Bench would change his LOI in real life, seeing how far down the depth chart he's going to end up next season.

[thesportsguru11]

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

Always a good deal when WMU beats CMU!

It's too bad your Broncos aren't having a lot of success this year, but that win is big for momentum and confidence. Your reign may not be this year, but could very well be next. It will also give you guys a win in the MAC Michigan series (you lost to Eastern a few weeks back), so that's always a plus.

Central and Eastern play this week - if Eastern wins, they get the Michigan Rivalry this year. If Central wins, it's a three way tie! (FWIW, it was a three way tie last season too, according to my records). Will be interesting to see how it shakes out!

Going to be a tough game for UConn. NC State has an efficient QB and an offense that moves. The Huskies run D will have to make NC State one dimensional, as always it looks like things will come down to that.

Are you editing the locations of some recruits, because I'm just surprised to see so many guys coming from the Northeast. It's always why I've never been keen to make a school in my home state on New York, you barely get enough recruits to make it a pipeline state. I wonder if Bench would change his LOI in real life, seeing how far down the depth chart he's going to end up next season.

NC State is a good matchup for us indeed - their run game against our run defense is a clash of heavyweights, and considering Douglas' talents and their ability to put up a lot of points means that our secondary needs to step up. Our run game has started to pick it up in recent weeks too, so our run game vs. their mediocre front should be fun to watch too.

I'm using mattrd39's 2016 recruiting class, but I changed the top 500 recruits to have fake names. I'm not really sure why New Jersey is a hotbed in this class, but I've always had success recruiting that state. I know offhand that I've got a couple New Jersey natives on the roster right now (Shav Wade and Michael Clark, as well as both D-Tackles we're redshirting, among others).

I agree, though, on your observation about the northeastern states. My native New England is next to impossible to recruit, especially states like Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. With those states I think it's simply the quality of players and low populations; especially in Vermont, at most schools if you simply sign up, you'll play in high school. Not a lot of big-time talent cultivation going on. I like the challenge, but recruiting is indeed very difficult.

Bench may want to get out of it, for sure, but I do have a plan to thin out the depth chart a bit for 2022. I recruited Alex Paige as an athlete and he doesn't have a future at QB so he'll move positions for sure. T.J. Appleby or Kelly Carlson could also be on the move to tight end, perhaps Carlson due to the lack of depth we have there and that he can run a little more.

Doing that would make the depth chart go Jordan Brown at 1, Appleby/Carlson at 2, possibly Tyson at 3 (while playing elsewhere too) and then Bench. Optimally one of our backups transfers, but that remains to be seen. It's nice to have a plan, though.

Thanks to both of you and the game should be up later tonight!

[nofx94]

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

Crazy how your talent is skewed according to the numbers toward the running game but the passing game has been the lifeblood of the offense.

[nofx94]

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

Thank you nofx! I believe 22 is the youngest we can make Coach Brihay, but we'll find out for sure when that time comes. Plus, I think we've finally topped Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. as the best coach name of all time.

Just saw this combing through backlog. I'm flattered.

[thesportsguru11]

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

(21) 24 --- 7-3 (5-2)

(6) 48 --- 8-2 (6-1)

Pack-Line Offense

UConn scores 31 unanswered in second half, ease to fifth straight win

Luke Williamson (LEFT) and J.P. Byers (RIGHT) continue to form a scary combo in the backfield - both ran for over 100 yards and a score for the second straight week.

I think at this point, it’s safe to say that Stephen Belichick’s teams, much like his father’s, are second half performers.

Second-half performers in the sense of the season and individual games, as well. Thanks to a 31-0 run in the second half, sixth-ranked UConn broke a halftime tie and disposed of number 21 North Carolina State at the Property, notching UConn’s fifth straight win with a 48-24 final score.

While UConn has made some of their recent wins look easily, this contest proved to be anything but for at least a little while. UConn drew first blood as they ran the ball effectively downfield on their opening drive; both J.P. Byers and Luke Williamson found holes and had multiple first down runs before turning over to Isaac Jackson and the pass game. The savvy senior found former walk-on Johnny Williams on a bubble screen, picked up a block from Lonte’ Speier and stumbled into the end zone from nineteen yards out for his second career receiving touchdown.

NC State answered early thanks to the play of veteran QB Austin Douglas, whose Nebraska Cornhuskers lost to UConn in last year’s playoff semifinal. Looking for redemption as a grad transfer on a new team, he seemed to be in the groove early, hitting tight end R.J. Doyle (leading receiver with 8 grabs and 81 yards) and leading receiver Will Perkins for first down gains before star tailback Nate Marshall ran in the equalizing score.

A 43 yard rush from Williamson set up Jackson’s second touchdown pass to Devin Brown a little later, while NC State again answered with a touchdown pass of their own; Perkins bounced out of three tackles on a simple cross route over the middle before finding paydirt on an eventual 56 yard pass play to knot the game at 14.

The offenses slowed down in quarter two, settling for just a field goal apiece, but UConn would begin to pour it on after the break, in no small part to some questionable playcalling and rough luck for NC State.

Austin Douglas (LEFT) did everything he could - but leaving the game in the third quarter doomed the Pack. (RIGHT) Will Perkins on his long touchdown grab - plus yet another Tony Rush failed tackle moment.

Offensively, Douglas ran the ball on more designed runs and on scrambles, taking touches away from Marshall. In the end, Douglas would end up with 22 rushes (totalling 62 yards) while Marshall had just nine for 34 yards (though Marshall did have eight catches, mostly on screen plays, for 69 yards as well). While a sound plan in theory considering UConn’s top ranked run defense and poor pass defense numbers, UConn was able to shut down Douglas with timely stops on key downs - in particular a 4th and 6 from the opposing 35 yard line where the Husky D stopped Doyle short of the sticks instead of trying a long field goal. The stop forced a turnover on downs, and six plays later UConn had gone up by ten points and sucked all the wind out of the Wolfpack.

Douglas would also leave the game briefly in the third frame with an undisclosed injury. While he would return, backup Nicky Burdak was unable to lead any successful drives and UConn did all of their damage while the senior leader at QB was sidelined. While that happened, Thomas Willis (12 tackles), Altarri Gardner (two more sacks to up his season total to 18), and Mike Hill (an interception in the fourth quarter), led a suddenly fired up UConn defense, which did all it needed to do in half number two.

Jevon Sapp (LEFT), Mike Hill (CENTER), and Altarri Gardner (RIGHT) helped lead the defense.

Defense for the Pack, however, seemed much different. They looked tired, as both the UConn pass game and run game began to have increased success. Ice-Jax completed several deep balls to Speier and Chamarkelle Byrom. Both would make sensational diving catches as well, Speier’s in the end zone for a touchdown while Byrom’s moved the chains and set up a field goal for the steady freshman kicker Anthony Ricciardi.

Despite being guarded by a future NFL player in junior corner Kavonte Bullock, the stud freshmen receivers once again led the Huskies catching the football. Speier had five grabs for 77 yards and a score in the fourth quarter while Byrom made three catches for 63 yards, inching ever closer to 1000 yard campaigns. Jackson was once again quietly efficient, completing 14 of his 19 passes for 228 yards, three scores and no interceptions. UConn’s only turnover came on a muffed punt by Carlton Parker late in the first half.

Two of a Kind: Freshmen Speier (LEFT) and Byrom (RIGHT) were steady once again.

Much like last week, when UConn was able to wear down the UMass front with their rotation of Byers and Williamson, the same held true today. The lead tailbacks combined for 284 yards and two scores, most of those coming in the second half. Byers recorded his second straight 100-yard afternoon with 112 on 16 carries to further cement his role in the offense moving forward. Williamson, meanwhile, continued his recent hot streak with 172 yards on 32 carries - his fifth straight 100-yard game and fourth straight game with at least 150 yards.

The signifying of defeat for NC State must have come in the fourth quarter. With the Huskies up 41-17 with 1:50 left in the game, UConn was able to punctuate their win with a two yard touchdown dive from fullback/tight end Ja’Montres Jones. The 6’4, 250 pound senior plowed through the NC State front to the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown, placing a nice bow on the victory.

While Douglas would lead the Pack to the final touchdown of the game, a 12 yard option keeper, it did little to change the final outcome, despite his valiant effort at 17-26 for 240 yards and a score. UConn walked out now having scored 40 points or more for the fifth straight game as well, and there is nothing Douglas could have done about that.

“We’re playing well”, commented Coach Belichick. “There’s room for improvement, like always, but once again there’s a lot of good to take out of this week. We beat a good team, the offensive production is diverse and dynamic and we’ll keep grinding into next week and beyond.”

UConn moves to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in conference. They will await to see if they can improve on their sixth place ranking in the Playoff Polls, set to be released on Tuesday, and are likely to move into one of the top two slots in the ACC, effectively putting them in the catbird seat for a date in the ACC Title Game in four weeks. They have a road date with Wake Forest next week, and then return home for senior day against Louisville.

NC State falls to 7-3 and 5-2 with the loss.

Friends, the end of the season is nearing.. and we're still in the thick of things. Don’t you dare go away yet.

Some lesser-respected UConn offensive players got in on the action - Devin Brown (LEFT), Johnny Williams (CENTER) and Ja'Montres Jones' exciting fourth quarter touchdown run (RIGHT).

North Carolina State Wolfpack at Connecticut Huskies
Nov 13, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#21 North Carolina State Wolfpack (7-3, 5-2)	14	3	0	7	24
#6 Connecticut Huskies (8-2, 6-1)	14	3	10	21	48

Team Stats Comparison
	NCST	CONN
Total Offense	382	513
Rushing Yards	121	285
Passing Yards	261	228
First Downs	14	24
Punt Return Yards	6	32
Kick Return Yards	159	66
Total Yards	547	611
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	6-14 (42%)	7-12 (58%)
4th Down Conversion	0-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-2-1 (100%)	8-6-2 (100%)
Penalties	2-12	1-5
Possession Time	18:01	17:58

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		NCST	CONN
5:07	(CONN) Jackson 19 pass Williams (Ricciardi kick)	0	7
3:02	(NCST) Marshall 2 run (Fine kick)	7	7
1:45	(CONN) Jackson 16 pass Brown (Ricciardi kick)	7	14
:05	(NCST) Douglas 59 pass Perkins (Fine kick)	14	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		NCST	CONN
7:14	(CONN) Ricciardi 20 FG	14	17
:00	(NCST) Fine 31 FG	17	17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		NCST	CONN
6:35	(CONN) Ricciardi 22 FG	17	20
2:43	(CONN) Byers 10 run (Ricciardi kick)	17	27
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		NCST	CONN
8:37	(CONN) Williamson 5 run (Ricciardi kick)	17	34
4:06	(CONN) Jackson 21 pass Speier (Ricciardi kick)	17	41
1:46	(CONN) Jones 2 run (Ricciardi kick)	17	48
:17	(NCST) Douglas 12 run (Fine kick)	24	48

North Carolina State Wolfpack PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Austin Douglas 17-26 240 1 1 Nicky Burdak 6-8 21 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Austin Douglas 22 62 2.8 1 Nate Marshall 9 34 3.7 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD R.J. Doyle 8 81 10.1 0 Nate Marshall 8 69 8.6 0 Zach Sullivan 3 29 9.6 0 Will Perkins 2 73 36.5 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Kavonte Bullock 9 (3) 0 0 0 Kielle Berry 8 (1) 0 0 0 Tristan Abell 7 (2) 0 0 0 Travis Cox 6 (1) 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Adam Fine 1-1 3-3 6 32

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 14-19 228 3 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 32 172 5.3 1 J.P. Byers 16 112 7.0 1 Ja'Montres Jones 1 2 2.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Lonte' Speier 5 77 15.4 1 Chamarkelle Byrom 3 63 21.0 0 Devin Brown 2 34 17.0 1 Johnny Williams 1 19 19.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Thomas Willis 12 (2) 1 0 0 Mike Hill 8 0 1 0 Altarri Gardner 5 (3) 2 0 0 John Cox 3 (2) 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 2-2 6-6 12 23

Next Week: (6) --- 8-2 (6-1)@ --- 5-5 (5-2)

Crazy how your talent is skewed according to the numbers toward the running game but the passing game has been the lifeblood of the offense.

I'd say you're right, but the run game has been getting much more press lately with Byers getting more carries. It's so hard to keep him off the field, and he and Williamson are such a great duo - Byers does more outside running, while Williamson is better between the tackles, it seems. Great little fire and ice combo that adds more depth to the offense.

Keep in mind as well that running has been a little harder with three new starters on the right side of the line this year. While Davis-Love has been solid at right guard for a freshman, as expected there are good and bad moments blocking.. and then right tackle needs a lot of work. Joe Sykes gave up a lot of sacks in the opener and can't block to save his life; Michael Clark has been better, but I still have difficulty trusting the right side. It's been getting better, but it's harder to run the ball when you can only go left, so I try to focus a little more on throwing the ball. Especially when we have guys like Speier and Byrom who are exciting, young, talented and MUCH better than their overall ratings indicate.

Just saw this combing through backlog. I'm flattered.

It has a nice little Key and Peele-esque ring to it.

Coach Hingle McCringleberry, anyone?

[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 11 Headlines

Central tops Eastern for bowl-qualifying sixth win, MAC Michigan Series ends in tie for second straight year; UCF, Southern Miss, Kent take CAC showdowns vs. Cincinnati, UTEP,
Bowling Green


Bowl Eligible CAC Teams:
USC - HC Shea
Vanderbilt - HC Miller
UCF - OC Turley
Texas State - OC Brooks
Southern Miss - OC Davis
Ball State - OC Baumann
Central Michigan - OC Crenshaw*

* - bowl eligible this week


HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): BYE (8-2, 6-2)

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): L (6-5, 3-5), 23-35 vs. Tennessee (7-3, 4-3)

J. Larsen: 13-20, 178 yds, 2 TD
J. Brayton: 20 rush, 75 yds
B. Thompson: 8 rec, 112 yds, 2 TD

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): W (4-6, 4-2) 45-21 vs. Boise State (6-4, 4-2)

M. Terrell: 7-16, 100 yds, 2 TD
F. Lo’aka: 13 rush, 101 yds, TD
T. McDaniel: 7 rec, 96 yds, 3 TD
M. Green: 10 tckl (6 TFL), 2.5 sacks

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): L (5-5, 2-4) 28-34 vs. Nevada (4-6, 3-3)

C. Rose: 16-35, 199 yds, 3 TD
T. Holloway: 17 rush, 94 yds, TD
J. Phillips: 11 rec, 156 yds, 2 TD
M. Sims: 11 tackles

HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): L (4-6, 2-5), 23-28 vs. #1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0)

D. Davane: 12-18, 134 yds
L. Brown: 23 rush, 121 yds
P. Tuivalea: 18 rush, 111 yds, 2 TD
B. Larson: 5 rec, 77 yds


OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): W (5-5, 5-2), 31-17 vs. Wake Forest (5-5, 5-2)

L. Brandis: 21-42, 196 yds, 3 TD
D. McFarland: 14 rush, 53 yds
L. Jones: 10 rec, 99 yds, 2 TD

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (1-9, 1-6), 28-31 (OT) vs. Duke (3-7, 1-6)

S. Parsiany: 22-46, 315 yds, 3 TD
T. Sims: 14 rush, 87 yds, TD
L. Bailey: 11 rec, 161 yds, 2 TD

OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (2-7, 2-5), 20-34 vs. Michigan State (6-4, 4-3)

E. Robinson: 16-40, 243 yds, TD
M. McCray: 21 rush, 107 yds, TD
J. Rodgers: 6 rec, 60 yds

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): L (4-6, 1-6), 27-28 vs. #23 Minnesota (7-3, 4-3)

S. Parker: 15-28, 202 yds, 2 TD
J. Wheelock: 22 rush, 121 yds, TD
R.Griffith: 6 rec, 122 yds, TD

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) L (4-6, 2-5) 10-28 vs. #13 Nebraska (9-1, 6-1)

K. Cox: 11 tckl
T. Edmunds: 9 tckl
J. Clayton: 3 tckl, sack

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): L (4-6, 2-4) 42-49 vs. West Virginia (5-5, 2-4)

G. Saulsberry: 14-24, 235 yds, 4 TD
D. Jones: 21 rush, 103 yds, 2 TD
J. Morris: 7 rec, 130 yds, 3 TD


OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): L (5-5, 4-3) 17-34 vs. Tulsa (4-6, 1-6)

T. Wall: 10-20, 109 yds, TD
M. Kane: 29 rush, 184 yds, TD
K. Anderson: 4 rec, 66 yds, TD


OC Connor Turley (convict38): W (7-3, 5-2), 38-26 vs. Cincinnati (5-5, 3-4) CAC WIN!

A. Houston: 17-24, 220 yds, 3 TD, 18 rush, 124 yds
M. Johnson: 38 rush, 261 yds, 2 TD
A. McDonald: 8 rec, 94 yds, 2 TD
M. Rodriguez: 7 rec, 104 yds, TD

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): L (5-5, 3-4), 26-38 vs. UCF (7-3, 5-2) CAC LOSS!

M. Whitehead: 11-15, 214 yds, TD
C. Madison: 19 rush, 76 yds
T. Berg: 4 rec, 32 yds, TD

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): L (5-5, 3-4), 35-36 vs. Florida Atlantic (6-4, 4-3)

W. Johnson: 18-31, 208 yds ,2 TD
D. Hurst: 18 rush, 93 yds, 3 TD
R. Jordan: 8 rec, 94 yds
S. Tyson: 2 rec TD

OC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): BYE (8-2, 5-2)

OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): L (5-5, 3-4), 17-20 vs. Southern Miss (8-2, 6-1) CAC LOSS!

F. Garcia: 11-27, 161 yds, TD
I. Langford: 16 rush, 89 yds, TD
C. Battle: 9 rec, 141 yds

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): W (8-2, 6-1), 20-17 vs. UTEP (5-5, 3-4) CAC WIN!

R. Harris: 10-26, 162 yds, 2 TD
M. Harper: 21 rush, 96 yds, rec TD
K. Williams: 3 rec, 55 yds, TD

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): W (4-6, 2-5) 34-29 vs. Bowling Green (0-10, 0-7)CAC WIN!

S. Young: 21-37, 250 yds, 3 TD, 12 rush, 140 yds, TD
T. Wallace: 11 rush, 46 yds, TD
J. Brown: 9 rec, 155 yds, TD
J. Simmons: 6 rec, 59 yds, 2 TD

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): W (3-7, 2-5), 27-24 vs. #14 BYU (8-3)

C. Thibodeaux: 20-39, 268 yds, 2 TD
R. Dougherty: 18 rush, 105 yds, TD
F. Pearson: 11 rec, 186 yds, 2 TD

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): W (6-4, 5-2) 42-7 vs. Eastern Michigan (5-4, 4-3) CAC WIN!

P. O’Toole: 14-29, 174 yds, 2 TD
J. Rooney: 13 rush, 92 yds, 3 TD
J. Robertson: 6 rec, 55 yds

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): L (6-4, 4-3) 34-14 vs. Northern Illinois (4-6, 4-3)

V. Roberson: 8-26, 128 yds, 2 TD
B. Johnson: 14 rush, 92 yds
L. Hopkins: 3 rec, 71 yds

OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): L (0-10, 0-7) 29-34 vs. Kent State (4-6, 2-5) CAC LOSS!

A. Jafar: 14-30, 222 yds, 3 TD
N. Richards: 19 rush, 165 yds
S. Owen: 5 rec, 85 yds, 2 TD

OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): L (5-4, 4-3) 7-42 vs. Central Michigan (6-4, 5-2) CAC LOSS!

J. Bryant: 4-15, 36 yds
C. Dukes: 14 rush, 60 yds
D. Daniels: 2 rec

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): L (2-7, 1-3) 20-28 vs. Louisiana (5-4, 3-1)

G. Moran: 14-35, 213 yds, TD
R. Brady: 21 rush, 92 yds, TD
J. Stephens: 6 rec, 90 yds

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): L (4-5, 0-4) 20-38 vs. Georgia State (4-5, 3-1)

J. Goddard: 32-50, 407 yds, 2 TD
M. Craft: 14 rec, 150 yds
D. Godfrey: 9 rec, 111 yds, TD

[whughes]

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

I’m going bowling again baby! What do the MAC standings look like? Do I have a shot at the MAC title game?

[RoundingThird]

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

Got my heart set on a CFP National Championship this year my man! That loss to Oregon hurt, and we need payback. If we can beat them in basketball, you gotta do it in football! Oh well, I'm sure whoever we play will pay the price.

[thesportsguru11]

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

I’m going bowling again baby! What do the MAC standings look like? Do I have a shot at the MAC title game?

I’m so happy to see you guys are bowling again. While hopefully we can improve on your ugly bowl loss to Navy last year, certainly we’ll be more pleased with a MAC Title - and it’s certainly possible.

MAC West looks as such right now:

Central Michigan - 6-4 (5-2)
Toledo - 5-5 (5-3)
Ball State - 6-4 (4-3)
Eastern Michigan - 5-4 (4-3)
Northern Illinois - 4-6 (4-3)
Western Michigan - 3-7 (2-5)

You’ve got a half-game lead, but any of the top five are still mathematically in the race.

Note that Toledo holds the tiebreaker over Central, as you lost to them 28-24 a couple weeks ago. CMU has two road games left - NIU this week and Ball State next week. Also note that Toledo has snuck into the MACCG each of the last two seasons - and won both times, too.

Basically though, you control your own destiny - win out and you’ll get in. Lose and then anything is possible. I’m really pulling for your Chips!

Got my heart set on a CFP National Championship this year my man! That loss to Oregon hurt, and we need payback. If we can beat them in basketball, you gotta do it in football! Oh well, I'm sure whoever we play will pay the price.

Me as well! Truthfully I was not expecting a playoff run when we started the season, and certainly I was not expecting a run after we lost our second game to Virginia Tech earlier this season. Much like last year, though, everyone beat up on each other and that got us right back in the hunt. I’ll outline the playoff picture more in-depth next week or right before Championship Week, but there are some scenarios that would give us an indisputable top four unlike last year.

If we do in fact make a run here, this year’s run will be even more impressive than last year’s considering we have a new coach and a much younger team. We do still have a bunch of veterans but we’ve got about a dozen new starters this year including four freshmen and five sophomores (excluding our kicker and punter), vastly different than last year’s veteran-laced squad.

I’d love to see Oregon and Nelly DeWeaver again, don’t get me wrong. They’re still a formidable opponent and you’re right about exacting revenge. The team I want to face most though sits at #2 in the CFP polls. UConn hasn’t yet faced Coach Shea, and there’s an added bonus in that our former local hero TDL now quarterbacks them. Plus, if I had to lose a shot at the championship, I’ll feel better if it’s a team I root for.

[thesportsguru11]

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

(5) 35 --- 9-2 (7-1)

6 --- 5-6 (5-3)

Another Day at the Office

UConn defense holds Deacs to just six points as Huskies cruise to sixth straight win behind another stellar rushing attack; UConn returns home next week controlling their own destiny to ACC Championship Game



J.P. Byers and Luke Williamson each recorded 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive week.

All I want for Christmas is a... national title? If that's so, I'm all in.

UConn has a lot to lose in the last handful of weeks in the 2021 regular season. After an improbable climb back near the apex of the AP and Playoff polls after two early season losses, UConn has suddenly found themselves in the catbird seat for a potential return to the College Football Playoff.

No stranger to pressure situations, coach Stephen Belichick ensured throughout practices this week that results would come if his troops stayed focused, and the veterans on the team obliged. With Isaac Jackson, Luke Williamson and John Cox having returned to UConn with the sole purpose of winning a national title after coming oh-so-close last year, coach Belichick saw his players buy in and make sure everyone stayed focused, one step at a time.

Their preparation showed, as UConn put together another complete performance against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Saturday night. Despite being mired in an early deficit after a pair of Kenton Drotenn field goals, UConn took a 7-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter on a five yard J.P. Byers touchdown run. The Huskies never looked back.

Isaac Jackson tossed two touchdown passes in the second frame, including the first to freshman fullback Jayson Moss for his first career catch, and then UConn added in a touchdown each in the third and fourth quarters, a four yard run by Williamson and a third touchdown pass from Ice-Jax to Chamarkelle Byrom from ten yards away.

Chamarkelle Byrom had another touchdown catch while freshman fullback Jayson Moss (RIGHT) caught his first career pass in style.

When the carnage was over, UConn had scored 35 points in the final three quarters and change, compared to Wake’s zero.

Once again, UConn put forth another tremendous effort on both ends of the ball. Starting on offense, UConn’s suddenly potent rushing attack generated 270 yards, and a third straight game of 100-plus yards for both Byers and Williamson. Byers led the way this time with 143 yards on 20 carries, while UConn’s all-time leading rusher Williamson added 118 on 22 carries; each had a touchdown run.

The success of the run game has taken the pressure off of Ice-Jax and the pass game lately. Jackson was good once again, completing 17 of his 22 passes for 193 yards and three scores, negated slightly by two interceptions by Aaron Bauerstein and Victor O’Brien on the good side of the 50. O’Brien paced the Wake defense with 10 tackles (five for loss).

Aaron Bauerstein (LEFT) and Vic O'Brien (RIGHT) led the Wake defense. O'Brien was Wake's top player on the day with 10 stops, a sack and the interception above.

Those interceptions ended up not mattering in the end, however, because of how well Josh Conklin’s D played, boosted as well by general incompetence from the Wake offense.

Cameron Ryan, by all accounts, played a fair game. He threw 49 passes and completed 30 for 215 yards. However, he dodged and tested danger early and often, and at one point was victimized by Shavlion Wade …. any quarterback with common sense would avoid lobbing a throw anywhere near Shavlion Wade and his right sideline.

In any case, Wade recorded career interception number 22 and it was on from there. Thomas Willis (nine tackles) once again led the defense from his inside slot while redshirt freshman Jevon Sapp likely cemented his starting spot at left outside linebacker with another impressive outing including seven tackles. John Cox recorded three tackles for loss before exiting the game with an upper body injury in the third quarter and not returning. The Huskies were also able to shut down the Deacs’ top tailback Altaerron Atkins - just 74 yards on 17 carries while consistently holding the powerful back in short yardage situations.

“Our front seven has played well all year and put in more good work today”, Belichick stated. “We preach discipline on defense.. Taking advantage of every mistake the other teams make and we capitalize. Stopping a big back [Atkins] is always nice because it shows that we won with physicality and more effort. I’m proud of our guys as always and I’m looking forward to heading back home for senior day to close out the regular season on a high note.”

UConn has now won their sixth straight since losing to Virginia Tech in October, moving them to 9-2 and 7-1 in ACC play. They will now sit as the only 1-loss team in ACC play following Virginia Tech’s loss to Georgia Tech. With a win against Louisville next Saturday, UConn will punch their ticket to the ACC Title Game in three weeks. Dave Clawson’s Wake Forest squad falls to 5-6 and need a win in their season finale against NC State to gain bowl eligibility.

Devin Brown made a spectacular toe-tapping touchdown grab in the second quarter.

Connecticut Huskies at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Nov 20, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#5 Connecticut Huskies (9-2, 7-1)	7	14	7	7	35
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-6, 5-3)	6	0	0	0	6

Team Stats Comparison
	CONN	WAKE
Total Offense	468	289
Rushing Yards	270	74
Passing Yards	198	215
First Downs	24	14
Punt Return Yards	27	7
Kick Return Yards	71	57
Total Yards	566	353
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	6-13 (46%)	5-16 (31%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1	0-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-5-0 (100%)	3-0-2 (66%)
Penalties	0-0	0-0
Possession Time	22:48	13:12

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
7:29	(WAKE) Drotenn 33 FG	0	3
3:00	(WAKE) Drotenn 36 FG	0	6
:08	(CONN) Byers 5 run (Ricciardi kick)	7	6
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
2:03	(CONN) Jackson 1 pass Moss (Ricciardi kick)	14	6
:28	(CONN) Jackson 8 pass Brown (Ricciardi kick)	21	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
1:00	(CONN) Williamson 4 run (Ricciardi kick)	28	6
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
7:27	(CONN) Jackson 10 pass Byrom (Ricciardi kick)	35	6

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Isaac Jackson 17-22 193 3 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Luke Williamson 22 118 5.3 1 J.P. Byers 20 143 7.1 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Chamarkelle Byrom 7 85 12.1 1 Lonte' Speier 4 73 18.2 0 Ryne Thomas 2 18 9.0 0 Devin Brown 2 13 6.5 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Thomas Willis 9 0 0 0 Jevon Sapp 7 (1) 0 0 0 John Cox 4 (3) 0 0 0 Shavlion Wade 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 0-1 5-5 5

Wake Forest Demon Deacons PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Cameron Ryan 30-49 215 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Altaerron Atkins 14 74 4.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Abdul Lawrence 8 117 14.6 0 Donovan Pangallo 5 42 8.4 0 Jonathan Henry 5 21 4.2 0 Clint Sinai 4 27 6.7 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Alex Williams 12 (1) 0 0 0 Victor O'Brien 10 (5) 1 1 0 Jontell Narcess 7 (1) 0 0 0 Daniel Ruffor 5 (2) 2 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Kenton Drotenn 2-2 0-0 6 36

Next Week: --- 5-6 (5-3) @ (5) --- 9-2 (7-1)

I hope you all are having a great holiday season so far and Merry Christmas to all!

[thesportsguru11]

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

NCAA Players of the Week