UConn Football

Walking along Fairfield Way, in the core of UConn’s campus, the winter wind of Storrs whips around the buildings and on this December morning it isn’t letting up. In between Gampel Pavilion and the Student Union, I stop at a crosswalk, hearing the crack of rock salt under my shoes.

I look up and get a feeling in my stomach that’s been there for a couple months. This part of campus has felt different for a while now. It will never feel the same.

I stand on the ground where UConn Football suffered the biggest loss in the history of the program. It didn’t take place on the gridiron, but here in the middle of campus.

When Jasper Howard stabbed to death in the morning hours of Oct. 18, the defeats on the field became second nature. The near upsets, blown leads resulting in close losses, were considered “heart breaking.” But it wasn’t until that October morning for UConn to have their heart truly broken.

The UConn-Louisville homecoming contest came at a crucial point in the Huskies season. The 3-2 UConn squad had blown a fourth quarter lead at Pittsburgh, losing 24-21 on a last-second field goal by the Panthers.

As the Panthers celebrated on the field, one lasting memory from the televised game was of junior cornerback Jasper Howard sitting in disbelief and being consoled by senior running back Andre Dixon. Howard had a reason to be shocked.

The Huskies blew a fourth quarter lead for the second time that season after the offense stalled and the defense couldn't come up with a big stop. So that next week it was clear the Husky defense needed a leader and someone to step up in the clutch and secure a win.

Howard was there.

The cornerback had 11 tackles against Louisville. Perhaps Howard made the biggest play of the game when he stripped Cardinals running back Bilal Powell and recovered the fumble at UConn's four-yard-line. The Huskies led by eight at the time, and went on to win 38-25. Howard said of the clutch forced fumble and recovery, "You gotta play every play like it's the last play you'll ever play."

On Oct. 17, Jasper Howard played his final play.

The 2009 season started like any other in Storrs. The only big news of the offseason was the signing of four-star wide receiver Dwayne Difton. Oh, and the team got new uniforms designed by Nike.

But UConn is a basketball school, always will be, and students were too busy watching both the men's and women's teams in the Final Four to care about the Spring Game. In fact, UConn football was a distant third in favorite sports in Storrs, until 2009.

UConn Football has always been third in Connecticut to basketball, and as long as Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma have the reins, it probably always will. Head Coach Randy Edsall was a distant third favorite coach at UConn, until 2009.

There was the usual build-up to the football season on campus. People were excited to tailgate and party, and see a ranked opponent in North Carolina play in East Hartford. That's the big problem about the program. The fact Rentschler Field is a good 30-minute drive from campus turns a football game into a drunken tailgate.

Students who don't drive to the games take the bus. The bus's leave as soon as they are filled, and students who make it into the Rent usually leave for the Runway shortly after halftime, turning UConn's "best student section in the nation and best facility in college football" into a half-empty stadium.

If the athletic deptartment could improve this, it would give the Huskies more of a home-field advantage in the fourth quarter, rather than make UConn look pathetic and make Rentschler Field look as bare as the Yale Bowl.

The tough-ACC opponent to open the home slate made the opener better than usual. North Carolina was ranked causing more students to attend, and stay, as UConn held a 10-0 fourth quarter lead. The Huskies were on the verge of a 2-0 record. That is, if people knew the Huskies had already played a game prior to the Tar Heels.

A week before, at Ohio, in an untelevised game, UConn took care of business and beat the Bobcats 23-16. Zach Frazer, who won the starting job over Cody Endres in summer camp, looked sharp at times, but was unimpressive at moments and the inaccuracy resulted in three picks.

UConn won the game on the ground as usual with sophomore running back Jordan Todman and Dixon both reaching the century mark in rushing yards. But against UNC, the Huskies had a chance to win a big game early in the season.

However, Frazer was injured, the defense broke down after such a great first three quarters and the game was tied. UConn had the ball deep in their own territory. On third-and-long with a minute and change left on the clock Dan Ryan was called for holding in the end zone.

The result was a safety and the fans headed for the exits. At least they stayed that long. On the free kick, UConn recovered it giving the faithful left hope. But the offense wilted, and Endres was sacked with seconds remaining. UConn fell to 1-1.

The loss in that fashion put a damper on the year early in Storrs. The Huskies went on their longest road trip ever, to Waco, TX. Although the win came against lowly Baylor, it meant a lot for Andre Dixon who scored three touchdowns and ran for 149 yards in his first breakout game since being lost in Donald Brown's shadow during 2008.

But many people did not see the game because the game was untelevised, and the only way to pick up the feed was from the Baylor Athletics Site. But viewing the game on the computer wasn't so bad, those who watched got to see a win, by a score of 30-22.

The Huskies went into the first of two bye weeks on the right foot, beating old rival, now FCS opponent Rhode Island 52-10. The 1,000th game as a varsity program ended in victory as Endres, Todman, and Robbie Frey led the Huskies in the rout. After the bye week, UConn headed to Pittsburgh to start the Big East slate.

The late afternoon start was perfect for college students, and many gathered in the Student Union to watch the Huskies play on ABC. It was the first time many learned who senior wide receiver Marcus Easley was. The walk-on from Stratford caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Endres on a surprisingly aggressive play call from the Huskies.

However, with a possession late in the half and three timeouts in his pocket, Edsall reverted to his conservative ways, to the demise of UConn students, and was content in going into the locker room at halftime leading 7-3.

But after Robbie Vaughn returned an interception for a touchdown early in the third quarter, things were looking up. Andre Dixon made the game 21-6 in favor of UConn, and it looked like the Huskies would leave Heinz Field with a victory. But with the Carolina ending still fresh in our minds, nothing, as everyone would learn in life, was certain.

Bill Stull, after getting booed earlier in the game by the Pitt fans, led a late charge in the third period. The Husky defense started to resemble Swiss cheese. Consecutive 20+ yard TD passes later, and the game was tied in the fourth. The offense didn't help the defense get a breather, and it was Carolina all over again. Dan Hutchins kicked a field goal as time expired, and the same fans that were booing their team were now celebrating with them.

UConn has an university notification system where all registered phones in the aforementioned system receives text messages when alert status is elevated and when incidents occur. Information is also available online and through e-mail, however more times than not, it is nothing.

So when texts were sent in the wee hours of Sunday October 18th, who would've imagined a student-athlete was murdered in the heart of campus. By Sunday afternoon the news had spread to everyone, and tears flowed.

October 18 was different. It was a windy, cold and cloudy day, an autumn afternoon that students are accustomed to in New England. As the day wore on, snow began to fall on campus, as if winter came early. The reality was, this fall and football season was far from over. It was just beginning.

Students did their part to pay tribute to Jasper; setting up memorials, candlelight vigils, and days of remembrance, wearing black, not to mention flooding the Co-Op bookstore with requests of No. 6 shirts. The end of the week gave students an opportunity to write letters to the Howard family, and all students who did savor that chance were given a picture card of Jasper.

Many still have their candles from the vigil, and always will.

On Saturday at West Virginia, the team did their part.

No. 6 came out of the tunnel with his teammates, as Kashif Moore and Dixon carried Jasper's helmet and jersey onto the field, to cheers from both team's fans. A sign read, "Today, we are all Huskies," and many signs proclaimed Jasper's eternal impact in the stands. Jasper's jersey hung on the Husky sideline as UConn played its first game without him.

It was impossible to predict how the Huskies would perform under such grief and sadness. After the Mountaineers returned the opening kick for a touchdown, UConn needed to gain strength from somewhere, they looked to the jersey hanging on the sideline.

Moore scored his first touchdown of the season, and saluted his fallen friend. The favorite Mountaineers continued to take back the lead from UConn, until Endres found Easley for an 89-yard touchdown catch that put the Huskies up in the closing minutes. Back in Storrs, students erupted into celebration, in what looked like a storybook ending to a nightmarish week.

A small gathering went to the Union Theatre, a fraction of the student attendance of a vigil held in the Student Union Quad earlier that week. Still, there were people who wanted to support Jasper, and this team. Unfortunately, Noel Devine scampered down the sideline, outrunning a defense that missed Jasper's speed, to the end zone. West Virginia 28 UConn 24. The Huskies did everything to honor their late teammate, except come home with a win.

The next week was Rutgers. At home. Seemingly everyone had purchased Jasper's jersey and Husky fans knew this event at the Rent was going to be different. The football team had requested everyone be in the stands prior to kickoff for a moment of silence, instead of the usual act of waltzing in before the second quarter began. Students were given wristbands with Jasper's motto, "Live 365."

They wore the same eye black as the team. Everyone in attendance was given a No. 6 poster and as kickoff loomed, Rentschler Field turned into a sea of sixes. Students flashed up their fingers signaling Little Haiti, as Jasper did after his only collegiate touchdown a year before at Syracuse.

The Miami neighborhood was a dangerous place to grow up, but he survived and made it to UConn. His goal was to make it so he could support his family and baby, but the seemingly safe rural campus didn't allow him to.

Once again the opposition returned the opening kickoff for a score. The Scarlet Knights were in control of the contest, but the 40,000 stayed behind the home team, no one was going to bail on this game. Down 21-10, Easley caught a touchdown pass from Zach Frazer, who came in for an injured Endres.

On the two-point conversion, Edsall called a trick play, as Frazer threw it to offensive linemen Mike Ryan, who dove into the end zone as the somber crowd turned raucous, sensing they were watching something special.

After an official review, the play was overturned because Ryan was not eligible. Students shouted profanities, and coach Edsall lost it. Running halfway on the field, he let his emotions go on the officials, but made sure his players kept them in check. They did.

After the defense came up big with a stop, Frazer attempted to lead the grief-stricken team down the field to get the go-ahead score. After converting a fourth down in their own territory, the Huskies faced a 4th and 6, with the game on the line.

Frazer threw it to Moore, short of the first down markers, but nothing would stop Moore from keeping UConn alive. He did not make it into the end zone, but set the Huskies up for 1st and goal, in front of the student section. It took another fourth down, to punch it in, as Jordan Todman threw up six fingers after making the game 23-21. The Rent had never been louder.

An extra point gave UConn a three-point lead, and with less than 30 seconds left, the players and fans were about to celebrate about an emotional win as you can. Only again, it was not a storybook for Jasper's teammates, well maybe for one of Jasper's closest friends from Miami.

Tim Brown outran the UConn secondary 81 yards, and threw up the same six fingers as Todman did, to show love for his friend, even though it hurt Jasper's team. The Rent went from the loudest it had ever been, to the quietest. The Scarlet Knights shocked the Huskies, and the nightmare didn't end.

The Huskies were still searching for a win. Other teams may have dubbed the last minute loss tragic, but UConn had gone through a real tragedy. It was just another life lesson, and reminder that sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair.

The next weekend, UConn went on the road to face No. 4 and unbeaten Cincinnati in front of a national audience on ABC. Down 30-10 at the half, the Huskies had to continue to fight, and Todman and the offensive line led a comeback.

After Todman scored his fourth touchdown of the night, UConn was within two. After a sack on the two-point conversion attempt, and a tradeoff of scores between the two offenses, the game ended Cincinnati 47, UConn 45.                                                                                                 

On November 28, the 5-5 Huskies faced 4-7 Syracuse in a match up more fitting for Gampel Pavilion, but the two teams lit up the Rentschler Field scoreboard. Former Duke point guard Greg Paulus and the Orange kept the pressure on UConn offense.

The usual suspects; Dixon, Todman, Frazer and Easley responded to that pressure and gave the Huskies a 56-31 win over Syracuse. It was also their first win in front of the home crowd since Howard’s death, and made the Huskies bowl eligible.

The next week on Senior Night against South Florida, snow fell throughout the frigid Northeast. The cold and snow did not affect the Bulls, especially quarterback B.J. Daniels, who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. Dixon scored two touchdowns in his final home game.

Easley and Isiah Moore caught touchdown passes from Frazer, who this time was the quarterback to lead his team on a game winning drive. Down 27-26, the Huskies went down the field and set up Dave Teggart, who looked like another New England kicker as he booted a 42-yard field goal in the snowy conditions as time expired.

The remaining fans poured out emotion as the players celebrated on the field. It was a fitting way to finish out the most exhausting, and perhaps most unbelievable a season as a team can have. The win moved UConn to 7-5, and clinched their third straight trip to a bowl game. A trip to Birmingham, Alabama and the Papajohns.com Bowl awaited this most deserving group of young men.            

The Huskies ended a trying season with a 20-7 win over South Carolina in the bowl game. The victory was bittersweet for many, as the bowl was a chance to reflect on the occurrences on and off the field in 2009. Kashif Moore made the catch of the year for the Huskies, a one hander down the sidelines for a touchdown. The Husky defense shut down the Gamecock offense for most of the day.

In his last college game, Dixon ran for 126 yards and a score. His emotion was evident after the game as he looked up in the sky while Edsall was being interviewed. Tears were in both their eyes. Jonathan Jean-Louis and Moore carried Howard’s jersey after the game and handed it off to Edsall to hold while he raised the Papajohns.com Bowl trophy.

An exhausting season ended with fireworks in the sky, and the team taking Jasper’s jersey for a victory lap. However, the defining moment of the season came six weeks earlier.                                                        

Did the Nov. 21 trip to Notre Dame, the first meeting between both schools on the football field, lack luster after the Fighting Irish stumbled down the stretch in what was dubbed a BCS-bound season? Think again.

There were plenty of storylines. UConn's starting quarterback, Frazer, was returning to South Bend after transferring from Notre Dame. He finally lead his team out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium, but he was wearing a different uniform. Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis was fighting for his job after the Irish lost two straight to Navy and Pittsburgh, respectively.

It was senior day, and for the Notre Dame seniors it was their last chance to play on the Kentucky blue grass field, after four years of ups and downs. It was also widely speculated that quarterback Jimmy Clausen and  favorite target, wide receiver Golden Tate were playing their last home game as well. Both juniors were strongly considering playing on Sundays.

And of course, the UConn football program, a FBS team for only six years, was playing in front of their largest audience, 80,000 in the stands, and many others watching on NBC.

But none of those storylines mattered.

To get a win for Jasper, on the biggest stage in college football, was the only storyline.

There are a lot of plays in the game that are easily forgotten. They just gel into one another and get lost in the brain, never to be remembered again. UConn’s double overtime win at Notre Dame by the score of 33-30 is, for a lot of people in Connecticut, a game that won’t ever be forgotten, instead it will be treasured. And unlike other great wins, the final score won’t be the only piece of the game that people cherish.                

As for me, I’ll always remember the sound of Greg Lloyd’s goal line hit on Armando Allen in the second quarter. The rush of excitement in the third when Jordan Todman broke through the kick coverage and saw only green grass and a giddy UConn band waiting for him in the end zone.

I’ll never forget Kashif Moore’s leaping touchdown catch in the first overtime. Moore, who was with Howard at the Student Union Dance, and by his side with Michael Smith as they desperately tried to save him, became a voice in the UConn community during the weeks that followed Jasper’s death. He looked up in the sky after he scored for his friend.                                                                              
And of course, Andre Dixon’s four-yard scamper in the second overtime, that clinched the win. Dixon didn’t flash a six or look up to the heavens after crossing the goal line. Instead he simply flung the ball in the sky. It wasn’t clear by any camera angle where the ball landed, but it definitely reached Heaven.                                                                  

The postgame interview with Edsall was the icing on the cake. That more than any play in the game is the most worth remembering. For a man and a program that is overshadowed by the basketball teams and their Hall of Fame coaches, this was Edsall’s moment. It will be a while before the Huskies will get an opportunity to win a national championship on the football field.

They might not ever have success parallel to the basketball programs, and if they do Edsall won’t be there to see it. He is too great of a coach and a man, it won’t be long until he reaches the game’s greatest stage, with or without UConn. Most likely the latter. However, the postgame interview with NBC is his crowning moment in Storrs. It wasn’t after a championship but it showed how human he was and how Jasper’s life touched his.

By the end of the interview he was in tears, and proclaimed the win by “little-known Connecticut” the “best we’ve ever had.” In the interview, Edsall didn’t speak to Alex Flanagan, but to Jasper’s family watching in Miami. He told them of his intentions to send the game ball to Florida.                        

“That No. 6 is up there, and I tell you he prayed for us today, and he got it,” Edsall said. “Jazz this is for you. God dang.”                                                                                    

God dang.

The University of South Carolina should make Steve Spurrier spend the next week delivering pizza.

His first stop should be at Randy Edsall's home.

Spurrier, the old ball coach, watched Saturday as Edsall's UConn Huskies beat the game out of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Gamecocks got cold-cocked by Edsall's guys and in the end, it was a 20-7 one-sided victory for college football's Cinderella team of the season.

UConn put a feather in the Big East football cap, knocking out an SEC team. Perhaps Spurrier underestimated these UConn guys, but he shouldn't have.

UConn used the feet of Andre Dixon, who churned out 126 yards with 33 carries and was the game's MVP. But this UConn team was full of MVPs.

"The character, the will, the perseverance, this is a special group," Edsall said as he described his band of winners after the victory. As for Dixon, "what a guy he is..." Edsall said with a smile.

Defensively, the Huskies made South Carolina look stupid. USC quarterback Stephen Garcia looked beyond confused. He put up 38 passes and only 16 found their mark for a measley 130 yards. On the ground, the Gamecocks mustered 75.

"Our defense rose to the occasion," Edsall proudly declared.

Yes, this was a proud UConn team this season that overcame so much. It overcame the murder of one of its standout performers, Jasper Howard. His jersey graced the sidelines once again, as it did for every game he would have played in.

This eighth win capped a winning final run by the Huskies in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season.

Instead, it was a special season, filled with joy and sorrow.

But as 2010 begins, there is joy and hope for the future.

In a game in which it appeared Uconn again had found a way to lose, someone had to step up and change this team's fortune.  That someone is senior running back Andre Dixon.  Playing in the biggest game of his four year career Dixon ran for 114 yards and the game winning touchdown on 20 carries, most of those yards came in the second half and overtimes.  But, this win was about more than one person, this was about a university and their football team that has been put through something never seen before.  A death of a beloved teammate corner Jasper Howard combined with 5 losses by a combined 15 points had really put this team in a tough state of mind.  But, yesterday in South Bend that all changed, playing a team with the history of Notre Dame many thought Uconn did not stand a chance.  Uconn came to play yesterday led by their running back combo Jordan Todman(26 carries 130 yards a td, and a 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown) and Andre Dixon pounded the ball down Notre Dame's throat and really controlled the game's tempo.  With a struggling defense it seemed Uconn would give up 40 points, but led by a young secondary Uconn's defense held in there and for the most part played a really solid game.  Blidi-Ray Wilson, Howard's replacement at corner had an amazing game.  He stepped up in the second half in containing Golden Tate after struggling the weeks before.  Lindsey Witten who was silent in the pass rush finally recorded a sack and seemed to get pressure of Jimmy Clausen most of the game.  When fans look back on this game it would have appeared things were taking a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter; down 20-17 Uconn had two rushing touchdowns called back on questionable holding calls forcing them to settle on a field goal to tie the game.  After recovering a fumble, Uconn had set up kicker Dave Teggart for a 37 yard field goal with 2 seconds to go.  It appeared Uconn had won, but Teggart shanked the kick wide left and Notre Dame seemed to have the advantage heading into overtime and Uconn fans had to be thinking here we go again.  But, things took a good turn for Uconn after junior transfer quarterback and former Notre Dame Zach Frazier(12-25 141 yards 1 td and 1 int) found Kashif Moore in the endzone for an 11 yard touchdown and the lead.  It seemed they were destined to end the game there, Notre Dame had a 3rd and 10 and it seemed the game was over but Clausen found Michael Floyd for a first down at the Uconn five yardline and one play later Uconn found themselves in a deadlock tie after Clausen found Floyd again.  Once again Notre Dame had stolen the momentum and seemed destined to give Uconn another heartbreaking loss, but the defense proved to be resilient and found a way to hold the Irish to a field goal.  Uconn then once again turned to the man they trust most Mr. Andre Dixon who accounted for all the yards and the game winning touchdown on Uconn's final possesion.  Once, Dixon reached the endzone from four yards out, this team finally could take a sigh of relief.  You could see how much this team wanted this game numerous players in tears.  Head Coach Randy Edsall was holding back tears in his post game interview saying, "We're just thankful that we were able to finally put together a win, so now we can take a game ball and send it down to Joe, Angela, and Henry and David, and the Howard family.  Because I know one thing, that little number 6 was up there looking down on us today."  Edsall also called this game, "Best win we have ever had."  And he could not be anymore right, this game did not just change the season for the huskies, but this was a program changing win.  With momentum on their side this team is looking at a chance at going 7-5 and going bowling.  This one win may have just saved this program's season.

"The best win we ever had". This quote by UCONN's Head Coach Randy Edsall at the end of the game sums it up for the Huskies. They came into town with the heart break of losing three close games in a row and on top of that, the heart break of losing a teammate and friend Jasper Howard weeks before. Something had to give. In a very honorable move Edsall said that he was going to send the game ball down to Miami to Jasper Howard's family.

This was one of the best college football games this year. Connecticut is a relatively new school on the scene of division 1 FBS football with only 8 years of experience. For them to come into the storied grounds of Southbend Indiana and beat the mighty Notre Dame Fighting Irish is simply amazing.

I think I had at least 4 heart attacks while watching this game. It started out with ND marching right down the field looking unstoppable on their first drive. Then the tide began to turn and UCONN grabbed momentum with a 43 yard touchdown run by Jordan Todman. That followed by a 39 yard Teggart field goal that snuck in the left upright gave the Huskies 10 unanswered points.

The running game of UCONN was too much for Notre Dame to handle. The Huskies had no secrets about the fact that they were going to run the ball. Time after time they lined up in a jumbo formation and pulled their guards blasting the Irish defensive line back off the line of scrimmage. That combined with the hard bruising running of Todman and Dixon lead to 241 yards on 46 carries and 3 touchdowns for the duo.

UCONN Kicked the game tying field goal with 1:10 to go in the game after having two consecutive touchdown runs by Andre Dixon brought back by horrible penalty calls. The Irish fumbled on the drive with the Huskies recovering deep in ND territory. With 2 seconds left on the clock Teggart's drawing kick drew too much as many of his kicks were doing all night, and missed the game winning field goal from 37 yards. I instantly fell to the floor as he put his hand on his helmet in disappointment of failing to deliver with the game on the line. As a Jets fans I had a nightmarish flashback of the Doug Brien debacle in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field in the playoffs. Teggarts teammates did not give up on him as they rallied around him and told him to keep his head up as all good teammates do, because they would need him later.

This sent the game to overtime where ND won the coin toss and deferred to the second possession. UCONN then scored on an 11 yard pass from Fraizer to Kashif Moore and ND responded on their possession with a 4 yard pass from Clausen to Micheal Floyd. In the second overtime ND started first with the ball and the stingy Connecticut defense held the Irish to a field goal. Knowing what they had to do now, the UCONN offense took the field from the 25 yard line.

UCONN got the ball down near the goal line and ran a trap play to the left side where Andre Dixon ran into the end-zone untouched to solidify a Husky victory. It was a very ironic game in the sense that the first QB that Charlie Weis recruited to Notre Dame was Zach Fraizer who ultimately was the QB that cost him his job.

(To the beat of American Pie by Don McLean)

Bye, Bye, Mr. Charlie Weis,

Lost to UCONN in Southbend, in 2 overtimes.

The ND fans were left, wondering why,

Saying this will be the day Weis says bye.

This is the week that all UConn football fans have been waiting for.  Through trial, tribulation, and heartbreakers time and time again this season, a win this week would help tremendously in keeping the Huskies slim bowl hopes alive.

Zach Frazer will enter Notre Dame Stadium and lead the Huskies out on the field against the team and coach that recruited him all throughout high school.  He understands the significance of this game.

Notre Dame on the other hand has been on a free fall of late.  Head coach Charlie Weis' job security is uncertain and a lose this week to a young Connecticut program could doom his time in South Bend.

Of course there is the mystique and lust of playing against Notre Dame, but this is a game for the UConn to show the nation who they really are.  Notre Dame has lost to teams that it is supposed to beat, and sure could happen again this week.

The execution of Notre Dame has not been the same in recent history.  Charlie Weis had built a team this season that many thought had the potential to contend at the national level.  That doesn't seem to be the case.

Head coach, Randy Edsall has had to deal with much more then just wins and losses this season.  The death of a player, Jasper Howard, shocked the UConn community.

Edsall just wants his team to go out and execute the game plan.  UConn played every game tight down the stretch this season.  It's crazy to think this team has only four wins and has lost five games.

UConn's five losses were by a COMBINED 15 Points!

Staggering to say the least.

Then again at the end of the day it is all about winning, when the clock strikes zero.  There is no question this is the game UConn has had circled on its calendar all year long.  No matter what the record of Notre Dame is, it is still Notre Dame football.

Connecticut will take center stage and to defeat the storied program of Notre Dame, would be a remarkable accomplishment after the season UConn has been through. 

For the Connecticut football team when you look at the 2010 schedule and their projected roster everything should be in place for a special season.  First off, this team will only lose 12 players from this year's team, most will be simple replacements such as reciever Brad Kanuch and only few may be challenging like cornerback Robert McClain and defensive end Lindsey Witten.  When you look at the teams that seem to come from now where to have special season usually they have a strong core group of guys who have played together for years, such as last years Utah team or last years Cincy team.  Now the schedule for the 2009 Uconn Huskies has been rough to say the least, 2010 looks a lot better out of conference games at home against Vanderbilt, Buffalo, and Northeastern all look very winnable, as well as their two road games at Michigan and at Temple.  But, the main reason why the schedule seems so favorable is the big east schedule the top 3 teams in the big east Cincy, Pitt, and WVU all have to come and play the Huskies in East Hartford which will be a major advantage for Uconn.  Take a look at the rest of the teams in the Big East and it seems almost every team except Uconn losses a major part of their 2008 team, Pitt will lose star quarterback Bill Stull and tight end Dorin Dickerson, West Virgina will have major question marks as to who will play quarterback with the loss of senior quarterback Jarret Brown, and Cincy will have to deal with replacing one of the best recievers in the nation in Mardy Gilyard.  Everything that Uconn has gone through this year will only make this team stronger next year, all of these close games and dealing with a death of a teammate has hurt this team mentally this season but next season the tough losses will be looked at as growing pains.  With the offense starting click just imagine how good they will be in year two under offensive coordinator Joe Moorehead.  They have three capable quarterbacks in Zach Frazier, Cody Endres, and highly praised redshirt freshman Michael Box.  Jordan Todman has already shown he is one of the best running backs in the big east and is getting stronger as the season goes on, and recievers like Michael Smith, Dwayne Difton, Mike Lang, and Kashif Moore will give Uconn great depth at the position.  The secondary this year is so young most will return as starters next year such as Blidi-Ray Wilson and Jerome Junior who have looked good and bad this season will be able to look back on this year as a growing experience and be able to build off this season.  The linebacking core and defensive line for the most part will remain in tack, which will make this the most experienced defense in the Big East.  When you look at the roster the talent is there for Uconn, we have a coaching staff everybody seems to have confident in, the schedule seems very favorable, so will 2010 be the year Uconn makes their jump to a BCS bowl game?

Good teams find ways to win games, no matter what the situation is this saying always holds true.  This Uconn football team is like no other, they go into a much needed bye week with a record of 4-5 and just 1-4 in the Big East.  Their five losses have been by a combined 15 points, ya this team is a couple of plays away from being 9-0 and Storrs would be buzzing with BCS talks.  But that's not the case, we are as good as our record says we are but every fan should know we can play with any team in the nation.  We finally have a much needed bye to let the kids clear the heads about Jasper Howard's death and to rest up and get healthy.  The bigger picture is this bye week is an extra to get this team ready for a trip to South Bend on November 21st.  Really that games has so many headlines for Uconn, a win there is a program changing win for the Huskies, how about Zach Frazier returning to play the team he first played for before transfering, or how a win gets a step closer to becoming bowl eligible.  This game is as close to a must win game as there is, Uconn needs to win 2 of their last 3 games to become bowl eligible after Notre Dame, they have two home games against Syracuse and South Florida neither of these are gimmes.  Coach Randy Edsall's main focus should be on the defensive side of the ball, where Uconn really struggled on Saturday night against Cincy.  While facing an offense that has Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, and Armando Allen Uconn better be prepared for a shoot out again if their defense does not come to play.  But, something tells me Edsall will have his boys ready and this team finds a way to upset the Irish.  These five losses has got to be adding up and eventually we are gonna get a break hopefully it is this game, but some Irish fans may say im crazy for this but really why can't Uconn beat Notre Dame.  There is not one main reason Uconn can't beat this team, Notre Dame has a great tradition but tradition does nothing for you on the field, Notre Dame's defense has struggled all season and with the way Uconn's offense is clicking there is no reason Uconn can not put up 35 on the Irish.  Defensively Uconn matches up better than they did against Cincy, Notre Dame is not a spread offense they run a pro-style offense which Uconn has faced numerous times this year and has had decent success against.  Some teams they have faced with this offense are Pitt, UNC, and Rutgers all teams Uconn's defense did a decent job against which is all they will have to do if the offense continues its success.  But, Uconn fans as our bowl hopes seem to quickly fade this team seems to be getting closer and closer to getting that season defining win and I say it comes next Saturday in South Bend.

Saturday night was supposed to be all about Cincy football, it was their coming out party and their chance to be labeled as one of the elite teams in college football, but there was something that none of the experts predicted, the Uconn offense played its best game of the season.  The final score may have been 47-45 a cincy win but there is no way you can measure the amount of heart these uconn kids have down 30-10 at halftime it seemed this game was gonna be what Cincy was looking for a blowout on national television but something woke UCONN up and they battled all the way back to make it 40-38 until they gave up a 15 yard touchdown run on a 4th and 1. What everybody in the nation saw saturday night was a birth of a program growing and slowly becoming one of the best teams in the big east, they have been able to compete in every game this season.  All the top 150 recruits saw last night that Uconn does have a solid football team that can be flashy at times and compete with anybody, and who knows this game could really pay off and Uconn could finally sign a recruit ranked in the top 150. But when you look at the overall shape of this UCONN program their future is just so bright, think back to when UCONN first joined the Division 1-A ranks and now see how far they've come now.   Randy Edsall deserves great credit for where this program is today, yes they may be 4-5 this season but does anybody think we would have been able to even compete in the games we did this year a couple years ago or even last year.  In the past we have never had the offense to keep up with an offense like Cincy and this year we finally have shown that we now have an offense and when we are clicking we are very deadly.  With weapons like Jordan Todman, Marcus Easley, Andre Dixon, Zach Frazier and Cody Endres at QB Uconn could never had dreamed of having players of this capability.  This year has shown how far the program has come, losing close games to teams Uconn could never compete with in the past, but lets talk about this season for the huskies for a second, they have three games left in the season they travel to Notre Dame after a bye, then they come home for two home games against Syracuse and South Florida.  The question is can Uconn win two of these three games and become bowl eligible?  I say yes, is winning at Notre Dame really that out of the question this season? The Irish struggle on defense and run an offense that the Uconn defense tends to perform pretty well against.  If the Uconn offense performs like they did against Cincy they can easily win in Notre Dame, it will just come down to if the Uconn defense can just slow down the Irish offense enough to win the game.  But, I will ask this question about the growth of this team through the years, two years ago would we even be discussing if Uconn could beat a storied and legendary program like Notre Dame in their own house?

This Connecticut football team is unlike any other in the history of its program.  The grit and determination this team has showed week in and week out is a true testament to Randy Edsall and his entire coaching staff.

After yet another heartbreaking defeat to No. 5 Cincinnati last night by a final of 47-45, the Huskies wake up this morning with a record of 4-5, and slim chances of going bowling.

Arguably the Huskies could be 9-0, but in football it is all about finishing the game. A football team is as good as its record, but there is not a better 4-5 team in the country then the UConn Huskies.

That is nice praise and everything, but at the end of the day it is all about competing for the big east title, and going to a BCS championship.  That is why Edsall came to UConn and has built Connecticut football into what it is today.

This season has been extremely tough on the UConn community.  All five losses have been by a combined 15 points.  Leading in the fourth quarter of four of the games, and then last night the Huskies never gave up with a two point conversion away from tying the game with five minutes left after being down 20 on two occasions.

More importantly, the Huskies have to deal with the loss of own of their teammates.  The impact and playing ability of Jasper Howard is even more evidently missed now then ever before.

The Huskies have had to deal with the grief and emotional pain of that situation and at the same time have taken the field with nothing but strength and intensity to win.  They have been right there time and time again, but when the clock his zero, the Huskies have ended up on the wrong side in the losers column.

They have dealt with numerous injuries time and time again.  Whether it was Frazer going down first, then Endres last week.  This team has remained constant and upbeat about the offense.

On Defense the linebacker depth has been hit hard at various times in the season.  Also UConn's secondary has had to play a combination of freshman.  This team has always been ready to play no matter the circumstances.

The Connecticut Huskies are that close to being a national program.  Relatively there division one experience is still very young and it takes time to arrive on that stage.  With that being said, the Connecticut Huskies head into a bye week with some much needed rest.

You better believe they will hit the practice field hard next week before they head to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame.  Another chance for the Huskies to show what UConn football is all about on national television.

Yes, there have been many disappointments this season but in the end a lot of good will come out of every loss this football team has endured this season.

No matter how this season concludes, Randy Edsall is proud of the way his kids have played.  Each and every fan should praise how the Connecticut football team has handled everything that has been thrown its way this season.

When the Connecticut Huskies reach that next level, the feeling will be that much more rewarding.

So far this Uconn football team's season can be described as heartbreak and tragic but if you looked around the uconn practice facility you would think this team is 8-0 not   4-4. The team is upbeat and believes they can win this game. Uconn has lost four games this season by a combined thirteen points with their latest lost, the most tragic of the season came to Rutgers where the Uconn defense gave up an 81 yard touchdown pass to Rutgers reciever Tim Brown.  But that is all for not with this team, it is a new week and the motto for this team is what happened last week is last week.  This weeks test for Uconn is traveling to #5 Cincinatti to face a team that has the best offense in the big east featuring wide reciever Mardy Gilyard and quarterbacks Tony Pike and Zach Collaros.  Pike was a heisman candidate before he got hurt and Collaros has been great in relief, it looks like Pike will not start and it will be Collaros at QB for Cincy.  But, what does this mean for Uconn well to be honest they need this game, a win in this game could change this team's luck the rest of the way.  Cody Endres is out for the season which means we will see Zach Frazier who played terrible for 3 quarters against Rutgers but managed to play great in the fourth, Frazier will need to play turnover free in this game and carry the momentum from the fourth quarter in the Rutgers game into this game.  Overall Uconn must play flawless Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman must run the ball well, and the Uconn offense will try to pound the ball most of the game to keep Cincy's offense off the field.  Wide Reciever Marcus Easley may be a matchup problem for Cincy as he has been on a tear as of late he has four straight games with a touchdown reception.  The main question for this game is can the Uconn defense slow down the Cincy offense?  Uconn's defense has played great for 3 quarters for most of their games and then fall apart in the fourth, they need to play a complete game and pressure whoever the QB is into mistakes.  The Cincy offense has only turned the ball over four times all season so it may be hard to force turnovers but the must pressure the QB and the corners must improve their play other than Robert McClain Uconn is very young in the defensive backfield and i expect Cincy to attack this matchup all day.  There is no reason why Uconn can not compete and win this game, really they have proven they can play with anyone but the pressure is on Zach Frazier and the Uconn defense to make plays.