UConn Football

Jordan Todman and the UConn Huskies defeated Big East conference opponent Pittsburgh last night, and created a cluster at the top of the standings.

Huskies running back Jordan Todman rushed for 222 yards last night vs. the Panthers, but no carry was more important than his four-yard gain on 4th-and-1 from his own 19-yard line, with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game.

Head coach Randy Edsall was confident his team could gain a first down with a small lead and being positioned deep in their own territory. This type of confidence allows his players to know he trusts them when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh appeared as if they were putting the game beyond UConn's reach in the third quarter after consecutive touchdowns from Panthers running backs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham.

On the kickoff after Graham's score, the Huskies struck back with a 95-yard touchdown return by Nick Williams. UConn was able to keep scoring after the electrifying return, and Todman's running allowed the Huskies to burn the clock late in the game.

Whether or not you agree the Big East is worthy of its automatic bid into a BCS bowl game, there is no doubting the competitiveness of the conference.

All eight teams in the conference can still win the Big East title. Even Cincinnati at 1-2 in Big East play and 3-5 overall can win the BCS bid, after winning the conference last season before losing to Tim Tebow and Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

UConn is only one win away from becoming bowl eligible, and has a great shot to win the Big East conference outright.

The Huskies had only been averaging 13 points scored per game in Big East play this season, but their enthusiastic hometown supporters gave them the boost they needed to score 30 vs. Pittsburgh.

UConn is 5-0 at home this season, and is improving with each game. With wins against West Virginia in overtime last weekend, and vs. Pittsburgh last night, the Huskies have proven they can beat the Big East's best teams, and are worthy to represent the conference in a BCS bowl game in January.

It's all so very easy this week. Three games and two major upsets. Let's get right to it, Big East fans:

UConn 16, West Virginia 13

Remember we said not to sell Randy Edsall short? This one had Edsall's signature all over it. Just when there were rumblings about UConn, the Huskies show up and show up big time and take down West Virginia!

Huge, very huge.

And they did it with the deposed Zach Frazer as the starting quarterback. Face it, UConn had very little going for it as this game approached. But right there in front of a national television audience, once again Edsall made us all believers.

You must give huge credit to the Huskies defense. Noel Devine was limited to 67 yards, and Geno Smith to 64.

Jordan Todman was a total workhorse with 33 carries for 113 and a TD.

This was Florida State-like déjà vu for the Mountaineers with the near-goal-line fumble in overtime that paved the way for this stunning upset.

Grades

UConn: A+     

West Virginia: F

Syracuse 31, Cincinnati 7

Things are no doubt quite upbeat on campus today for the Orange. Huge, big, convincing win. Now Cincinnati fans will moan about the absence of starting quarterback Zach Collaros but you'd think there were enough weapons remaining to have made a better game of it.

Delone Carter put up his 109 yards. Isaiah Pead was held to a piddly 23 yards on 11 carries. Great job by the Syracuse defense.

One note to this and it sure falls into the old "statistics are for losers" category—Cincinnati out-gained Syracuse in total yards 277-262.

How about that, Syracuse defense?

Grades

Syracuse: A+   

Cincinnati: F

Pittsburgh 20, Louisville 3

This was a "discovery" game for Louisville. The Cards are new and improved but not yet ready for a team like Pitt. Take Bilal Powell out of the mix and you get what you get.

The Pittsburgh ground game still isn't up to speed as Dion Lewis and Ray Graham only combined for 105 yards.

Both these teams still have questions to answer.

Grades

Pittsburgh: B     

Louisville: D

There you have it. Huge performances by Syracuse and UConn. Nothing like a little shakeup in the Big East, is there? See you on Wednesday this week with an early game and an early preview with entrees and appetizers to get you going for the weekend. 

UConn football has had a roller-coaster two weeks since its last game, which was a loss at Rutgers on Friday, Oct. 8.  The Huskies stand at a mediocre 3-3 and 0-1 in the conference.

This team needs a big win this afternoon to get back on track.  The Huskies still have six games left, and for a team that many thought could contend for a Big East Title, UConn has not lived up to the hype.

Over the last week, two starters were dismissed for what appears to be a third failed drug test.  Quarterback Cody Endres was suspended at the end of August and came back in late September where he won the QB job back from Zach Frazer.

Endres, who is on track to graduate next semester, will never play another down for Connecticut football.

Eric Kuraczea, a guard from Ansonia, was suspended at the same time and has left the university. It's sad to see these two men were given second chances and didn't take advantage of them.

It comes at a time when UConn is already struggling with injuries.  The secondary has been depleted, and UConn needed this bye week to get healthy.

The moment everybody is waiting for is the first collegiate start of quarterback Mike Box, a red shirt freshman from Georgia.  Randy Edsall has high hopes for Box and loves the way he prepares off the field and in practice.  He has always been ready when Coach Edsall calls his number.

He is going to need to deliver in a big way this afternoon when UConn takes on Louisville.  Charlie Strong, the first-year head coach at Louisville, is probably going to dial up a lot of blitzes on Box.

On the road in a hostile environment is no easy task for a quarterback with no real-game experience.  It will be exciting to finally see a new face at quarterback for the Huskies.

The last three years have been a revolving door of Tyler Lorenzen, Zach Frazer and Cody Endres.  Mike Box has a chance to come in and grab hold of the starting position by winning football games.  This team needs a spark, and I believe Box will ignite the UConn offense in a large way.

Cody Endres' days as quarterback at the University of Connecticut are done, over, finished for good. He was given a second chance and continued to prove his doubters right. 

Sometimes it isn't about how well a guy can throw a football and perform on the field. There are rules and regulations that all NCAA athletes have to abide by. Based on Endres' recent behavior, he seems not to realize that they apply to him as well.

Well, it is time for Mr. Endres to wake-up and smell the coffee. 

A player who once showed tremendous poise and talent at QB has effectively quit on his team and himself. When Cody Endres walked off the field after a loss to Rutgers two weeks ago, who would have thought that was his last game at UConn?

Endres took his scholarship and ripped it up. He screwed up time and time again, and it was time for him to move on. It's best for him and UConn football.

Nobody knows exactly what led to this suspension, but based on university policy, it is believed that he failed a drug test for a third time. After a third failed test a student athlete is prohibited from all athletic activities for the remainder of the school year.

Endres could see that it was time for him to move on.

Head coach Randy Edsall made a difficult decision to bench Zach Frazer in favor of Endres earlier in the season. Little did he know that his QB had not learned from his past mistakes.

The fact that Endres was suspended for a month at the beginning of the season and repeated the same mistakes says a lot about his character. 

Edsall has always emphasized integrity and following the rules to his team. Somewhere along the line, Cody Endres never quite got that message through his head.

Now he is no longer part of the UConn football program or the academic institution that he accepted a full scholarship to attend. There are bigger things in life than football, but Mr. Endres could not see any of it.

Now UConn will move on, with redshirt sophomore Mike Box looking to answer the call. He will be given the ball on Saturday afternoon at Louisville over senior Frazer. Good for him—he has deserved it, and hopefully he goes out there and gets a win.

The University of Connecticut has suspended starting QB Cody Endres for the remainder of the academic year for violation of the school's drug policy.

I typically don't like bashing school kids for anything that happens on the field/court/diamond/etc.

I also fully remember, despite it being way too many years ago, what it is like to be a college student. It almost goes without saying that a college kid, particularly guys, will do at least one really stupid thing during his four or five years on campus.

What Cody Endres has done goes beyond one really stupid thing. That would have been his first failed drug test. I would absolutely dismiss that as a youthful indiscretion. Important side note: Coaches are not informed about a first offense failed test.

In August, Endres was suspended from the team for over a month for a second failed drug test. Now it gets a little dicey. Now you start to wonder about his commitment to his coach, the team and to the school giving him an out-of-state scholarship worth over $30,000 per year.

That second failed test—both failed tests are assumed to have been for marijuana use—should have sent this kid a clear message that he needed to change his behavior. If he didn't know how to change his behavior, the mandatory counseling and treatment that accompanies a second failed test should have helped him understand.

At the end of the suspension period, Endres, in accordance with the school's drug policy, was given another drug test, passage of which was required to resume his activities with the team.

This means that by the time Endres returned to the team in late September, he had completed his treatment program and passed a drug test. He presumably understood the ramifications of continued drug use.

We now get the news that he has failed yet another drug test. I suppose the good news is that at least he learned his lesson to stay away from pot. The bad news is that he instead decided to take amphetamines.

I was all for reinstating Cody Endres after his first suspension. I was starting to think he was a little thick in the head, but that affliction describes quite a few college students. I would not have excluded myself from that description back in the day.

This latest boneheaded move by one of the more important and visible members of the UConn football team has me ticked off. Second chances are a part of life, particularly for kids. I am not a huge fan of third chances for the same mistake. Making the same mistake three times suggests that you either just don't give a crap or that you might be horribly stupid.

Cody Endres has to go.

I am making an exception to my disinclination to bad-mouth student-athletes.

Cody Endres, unless there is some startling evidence that comes up to the contrary, is a stupid, selfish druggie that does not deserve to wear a Husky uniform.

At this point, he is still eligible to return next season. That needs to change. I don't care how good an arm he has. If his scholarship is in effect next season, it will be a black mark on the school and on head coach Randy Edsall.

Given Edsall's reputation as a no-nonsense coach, I don't expect Endres back next year, and he doesn't deserve to be. Let him be someone else's problem.

If some other school accepts him as a transfer, let them suffer the embarrassment of having a three-time loser in their program.

For now, it is on to the Mike Box era. The redshirt freshman will likely be getting his first career start this Saturday in a crucial game at Louisville.

The "we believe," can-do attitude is back for UConn football.  The resurgence of quarterback Cody Endres is a big part of the UConn turnaround since losing at Temple.  With Endres under center UConn has looked like a much more efficient team that can run and pass.  Scary isn't it?

The workhorse of this UConn football team is running back Jordan Todman.  On Saturday against Vandy, Todman carried the football a career high 37 times for 190 yards.  Looks like he had to make up for the lost time after missing the Buffalo game with a hyper-extended elbow.

UConn's defense returned to their physical style of play in the second half on Saturday.  Scott Lutrus is a difference-maker when he is out there starting at strong-side linebacker.

Next to him is Lawrence Wilson who has continued to improve since his successful 2009 campaign.  He is one of the leading tacklers in the Big East and is the anchor of the UConn defense.

Newcomer Sio Moore has wrestled the starting spot away from Greg Lloyd and Jory Johnson.  A redshirt sophomore who continues to make plays game after game.

I've been most impressed with safety Mike Lang this year.  He does whatever the coaches ask him and his competitive spirit has earned him the starting spot.  Last year he was playing wide receiver but this switch seems to be permanent.

Lang has the speed and athleticism to cover any wide receiver that comes into the secondary.  Lang is a player to keep your eye on as the season continues.

Tomorrow night, UConn heads down to New Jersey to take on Rutgers; a team that has given UConn all sorts of problems over the last couple of years.  Greg Schiano has had a disappointing campaign thus far, but he and his team are well-aware of the BCS bid that comes with winning the Big East.

So is Randy Edsall and that has been his goal since he built this program from nothing.  The exposure and experience that come along with playing in a BCS Bowl game are unforgettable.  For the Huskies it would be their first.

UConn has won their last two straight over Buffalo and Vanderbilt.  Not the most difficult opponents, but the Huskies are starting to ride the momentum after starting the season 1-2.  This UConn team understands that every game is a new challenge. 

In conference play the level of intensity and importance is even greater.  This game at Rutgers is one UConn has to win.  They then get a week off to prepare for a trip to Louisville.

The Huskies have another bye week before West Virginia comes to The Rent on Oct. 29, the Friday of Halloween weekend.

UConn has a stretch where they will have some time to rest and prepare for some of their Big East opponents.  At the same time the end of the season comes quick with Nov. 20 at Syracuse, Nov. 27 Cincy, and Dec. 4 at South Florida.

As far as UConn is concerned the only task on the table is defeating Rutgers tomorrow night on ESPN.  It give the Huskies a chance to show a national audience what UConn football is all about.

Nothing is hurting Cincinnati more than turnovers.

Randy Edsall retained his stoic composure during Tuesday’s media press conference considering Connecticut opens Big East play this week against Rutgers.

When it comes to running, Louisville quarterback Adam Froman would prefer to check his third receiving option.

In terms of rushing yards per game, Pittsburgh has the third best rusher in the nation. His name is not Dion Lewis.

If Rutgers is not scared of Connecticut’s Jordan Todman, then they are not prepared for Friday’s game.

Which Big East school is currently 114th in the nation in third-down conversions?

For the first time in recent memory, a Syracuse-South Florida game should be pretty evenly matched.

HERE is a good chunk of quotes from West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart.

Coming into the season, the UConn Huskies were the trendy pick to take home the Big East championship and reach a BCS Bowl for the first time in their short history.

Those expectations have been tempered significantly now, after a disastrous start to the season. Their opening performance at Michigan was flat-out embarrassing. Then, a week after scorching an FCS-brand cupcake, they hit the road and once again embarrassed themselves in a loss to Temple—a team that was once kicked out of the Big East.

At home against Buffalo last week, the Huskies' horrendous start seemed to be getting even worse. In the second quarter, they blew a two-touchdown lead and went into the half tied at 14 with the lowly Bulls.

Enter Cody Endres.

With quarterback Zach Frazer’s struggles continuing, Randy Edsall wisely benched the former Notre Dame transfer in favor of Endres. From there, the offense took off (despite the absence of Jordan Todman) and the Huskies rolled to a 45-21 victory—their second of the year.

In about a half of football, Endres went 7-for-11, for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Endres’ performance was a reason for Husky fans to reclaim a bit of their optimism, but of course, they were only playing Buffalo.

Today though, the Huskies received a slightly better test from Vanderbilt. The Huskies won again though, in relatively convincing fashion, 40-21.

Cody Endres didn’t have to do much today, with Jordan Todman back in the lineup. The Huskies are a running team and they will continue to be as long as Todman is around. But even so, it’s hard to win many games with a completely one-dimensional offense and Endres looks like a nice complement the his team’s formidable running game. Against Vandy, he went 21-for-30 for 179 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Aside from the one turnover, he performed his duty—to play steady and manage the game—admirably. Although it was Todman’s 190-yard, two-touchdown performance that provided the offense with a dynamic punch, the importance of Endres’ steadiness can’t be overlooked.

The 40-point outburst was impressive, because while Vanderbilt is generally a team that gets kicked around in the SEC every year, they came into the week with a respectable-looking defense. After their first three games, against Northwestern, LSU, and Mississippi, Vanderbilt was ranked 54th in the country in points allowed with 21.3 per game.

Now, 54th is only average, but considering Vandy started off against two SEC teams and Northwestern in the early weeks while the national powers have been warming up with cupcakes, it definitely doesn’t look too bad.

The Huskies still have issues on the defensive side of the ball, but for now at least it’s fair to say that UConn fans should be excited about their offense’s new direction. In a down Big East, it’s fair to say that their conference title hopes have been re-kindled.  

UConn looked terrible in the first half on Saturday at home against Buffalo.  It was clear that a change needed to be made, and Randy Edsall called on junior Cody Endres.

Endres, back from suspension, was ready when Edsall came calling.  He performed in the second half, leading the Huskies to a 45-21 win over Buffalo.

Endres was 7-of-11 for 139 yards and two touchdowns.  His third pass attempt was a beautiful 56-yard touchdown connection with Michael Smith.

Zach Frazer continued to get the first-team reps this week, even though he had underperformed.  Frazer led the Huskies at the end last year, but he has struggled this season.  It finally came to an end after he was intercepted late in the second quarter.

He was inaccurate, and his inability to put points on the board resulted in his benching.  For now, it is Endres who has the keys to this UConn offense.

As long as he remains efficient and accurate he will continue to start at quarterback.  In a year where the Big East doesn't have a team ranked in the top 25 currently, of course this UConn team could challenge for the automatic BCS berth if it continues to win games.

The UConn defense looked strong against Buffalo sacking the quarterback and making interceptions.  This Huskies team is no front-runner, but they need to continue to make strides.

It takes time and this college football season is a long year.

Look for Cody Endres to remain the focal point of the Huskies offense.

UConn has been outmatched in two football games this season: one in which they should have been at Michigan, and one in which they shouldn't have been at Temple.

No disrespect to Al Golden and what he has done at Temple, but Randy Edsall needed to find a way to win that game. The Big East hasn't beaten anybody this season, and as far as I'm concerned, they would struggle against the Mountain West Conference.

TCU, Utah, Air Force, and BYU all would cause matchup problems on both sides of the ball for the teams in the Big East. This Huskies team, who many predicted to win their conference, needs to get its act together.

I don't want to pin UConn's struggles on a single player, but QB Zach Frazer has to start finding his wide receivers. How good is a strong running attack when you can't throw the football? Sorry Zach, but a 50 percent completion rate isn't going to cut it.

It is time to make the right reads and connect on throws down the field! If Frazer fails to accomplish that at home Saturday against Buffalo, he needs to be pulled. I don't know how much longer Edsall is going to wait for the senior QB to come around.

Sure, he hasn't thrown an interception this season, but some of his passes have been awful. If I had to grade his performance thus far, it would be hard to give him better than a D.

It all starts with the quarterback and it is about time for Frazer to step up and lead this football team.

At running back, Jordan Todman has been superb. Yet, I believe he was injured from the fall he took on the sideline last week. He finished the game, but a costly fumble was the difference in the fourth quarter. If Todman can't go, that means more work for Robbie Frey and USC-transfer D.J. Shoemate.

Look for Dwayne Difton, a 4-star recruit from Miami, to make an impact on Saturday. He will make his first start, replacing Isiah Moore at split end. He struggled last season, but has worked hard in the offseason. Somebody other than Michael Smith needs to start catching passes. Maybe Difton is the answer to this reoccurring problem.

On defense, nobody really knows how serious LB Scott Lutrus' injury is. I don't think he comes back until conference play, if that. If it is a stinger, then he could be out indefinitely. It will be a tough loss, because he was healthy going into the year.

Jory Johnson, who took over for an injured Lutrus, has performed at times in his absence. Sio Moore is also contributing at linebacker.

Jerome Junior is once again starting at strong safety. He will have to play at a high level to keep that starting job. Harris Agbor hasn't performed early in the season, will now back up Junior.

Kendall Reyes needs to step up and lead the defensive front. The captain from Nashua, N.H., moved to defensive end, as Edsall looks to shuffle the front four in an attempt to jump-start the defensive pressure.

The big rock in the defense is LB Lawrence Wilson. His size and strength is the dominating force on the D; he leads the Huskies in tackles this year.

Enough talk, I just want to see this team go out and compete. That's all I ask: to see a team take the field and give it everything they have. Edsall said it is not time to panic, but it is getting pretty darn close. If UConn expects to win the Big East, it needs to use the next two games as a strong tune-up.

The Huskies don't want to go down to Piscataway after dropping a winnable game at home. If Uconn loses to Buffalo or Vandy, they don't belong in any type of conversation about the conference champion.

If the Huskies play mistake-free football, then they will be in good shape. Stop the turnovers; it is time to put points on the board early and often. For a team that received lots of buzz in the offseason, it has underperformed mightily three weeks into the season.

Fortunately, there is still plenty of time to turn it around. The sooner the better, because once Big East play starts, there is no going back. Come on Randy, do what needs to be done.