Former GT Defensive Coordinator Randy Edsall prepares for his fourth season as Head Coach of the Huskies, yet there is still a lot of work to be done. UConn is coming off a 2-9 season with wins against Rutgers and Eastern Michigan. Their 3rd season in Division I-A promises to be more of the same. The Huskies must find a way to stop somebody and run the football.
Offensively, UConn was unable to establish much of a ground game last season as they racked up only 852 yards on the ground for a 77.5 yard average. They didn't throw it much better as QB Dan Orlovsky struggled with a 47.6 completion percentage. UConn will have to become more balanced if they hope to put points on the board and keep their defense off the field.
The defense returns 10 starters, so you'd have to figure they will be somewhat better in '02. Last season they gave up over 400 yards and 33.6 points per game. The line is mediocre and doesn't have a starter over 270 lbs. This will put a lot of pressure on a decent back 7. Edsall is a good defensive coach but if you don't have a line, it's tough to stop folks.
Offensive Starters Returning: 8
Quarterbacks(1 Starter Returning): The Connecticut coaches were excited about the progress of the mobile Keron Henry before a mid-season knee injury. Henry made big plays on the move but was a less than reliable passer as he had a 5 to 1 interception to touchdown ratio. Henry also broke his ankle in the spring game so his status will be up in the air for the GT game. Right now the sophomore Orlovksy is the man. Last season he threw for 1,379 yards with 9 tds and 11 ints. He had a good spring game throwing for 332 yards but that probably says more about the problems UConn has on the defensive side of the ball. He has strong arm, but lacks mobility.
Running Backs(0 Starters Returning): The Connecticut ground game was a total disaster in '01. Last season's leading rusher Taber Small and his 326 yards, 3.3 ypc are gone. Junior Chandler Poole (30 carries for 119 yards) and sophomore Chris Bellamy (61 carries for 237 yards) will be expected to carry the load. UConn uses a 3 WR set most of the time so both of these guys will be expected to carry the load. The hope is that an improved passing game will open up some lanes on the ground.
Wide Receivers & TE(3 Starters Returning): Connecticut uses a 3 WR set so this group should see alot of action. Junior Cliff Hill returns after a 40 catch campaign, although he only averaged 9.9 yards per catch. Jasen Ridley, Wes Timko, and O'Neil Wilson are all experienced receivers and should be a factor. Timko lead the way in big plays with a 14.5 yards per catch average. Senior Tommy Collins takes over at TE. He is steady receiver and will play a part in the passing game.
Offensive Line(4 Starters Returning): Just like the rest of this football team nobody stands out up front. Sophomore LT Ryan Krug and C Brian Markowski lead the way. It's a very young group with 4 sophomores and no seniors in the lineup. Edsall is hoping they can figure out a way to jump start the running game.
Defensive Starters Returning: 10
Defensive Line(4 Starters Returning): What can you say? I'm sure Randy Edsall is dreaming of some big 285 DTs to plug in this line but there don't seem to be any around. This group is short on talent and beef. Sophomore Tyler King did manage to get 5.5 sacks last season. Junior Sean Mulcahy is the leader inside, but both of these guys will need lots of help next season.
Linebackers(2 Starters Returning):Two of the few seniors on this team Razul Wallace and Jamal Lundy are the leaders on defense. Lundy had 88 tackles, 3 sacks and 8 tfl, while Wallace was close behind with 72 tackles and 8 tfl. Edsall hopes the front will allow these guys to make plays. Sophomore Maurice Lloyd takes over the starting spot at OLB after recording 60 tackles as a Freshman.
Secondary(4 Starters Returning): This is one of the stronger units on the field. SS Chris Meyer led the team with 94 tackles and 4 interceptions. Senior Roy Hopkins is the top cover man.
Kickers(2 Starters Returning): K Mark Hickok returns after an outstanding 2001 season. He connected on 12 of 17 attempts including 4 of 5 from 40 or more yards. Adam Coles punted 81 times for a 39.2 average, although he was effective, placing 32 inside the 20.
UCONN Offense vs. GT Defense: The GT starting defense should have it's way. Randy Edsall will likely go to the air from the very beginning and hope to beat us with short passes. I expect GT to get nice pressure on Orlovsky who lacks mobility. It should be a long day for the Huskies.
UCONN Defense vs. GT Offense Connecticut's best hope is to load up against the run and force GT to the air, although their secondary will still be overmatched. If GT gets the ground game going with 7 and 8 yard gains, it's going to be over very quickly. Edsall knows a lot about the offense, so perhaps he will have a few tricks up his sleeve. However, if you can't stop the ground game it doesn't matter.
Game Predicition: GT should have it's way with the Huskies. Connecticut should be a year older and stronger but there just isn't a lot of talent that stands out. Edsall is still a couple of years away from getting the speedy talent you need to compete in I-A. The final score will be dependent on how long Gailey decides to go with his starters.
Final Score: Georgia Tech 49 Connecticut 10
Offensively, UConn was unable to establish much of a ground game last season as they racked up only 852 yards on the ground for a 77.5 yard average. They didn't throw it much better as QB Dan Orlovsky struggled with a 47.6 completion percentage. UConn will have to become more balanced if they hope to put points on the board and keep their defense off the field.
The defense returns 10 starters, so you'd have to figure they will be somewhat better in '02. Last season they gave up over 400 yards and 33.6 points per game. The line is mediocre and doesn't have a starter over 270 lbs. This will put a lot of pressure on a decent back 7. Edsall is a good defensive coach but if you don't have a line, it's tough to stop folks.
Offensive Starters Returning: 8
Quarterbacks(1 Starter Returning): The Connecticut coaches were excited about the progress of the mobile Keron Henry before a mid-season knee injury. Henry made big plays on the move but was a less than reliable passer as he had a 5 to 1 interception to touchdown ratio. Henry also broke his ankle in the spring game so his status will be up in the air for the GT game. Right now the sophomore Orlovksy is the man. Last season he threw for 1,379 yards with 9 tds and 11 ints. He had a good spring game throwing for 332 yards but that probably says more about the problems UConn has on the defensive side of the ball. He has strong arm, but lacks mobility.
Running Backs(0 Starters Returning): The Connecticut ground game was a total disaster in '01. Last season's leading rusher Taber Small and his 326 yards, 3.3 ypc are gone. Junior Chandler Poole (30 carries for 119 yards) and sophomore Chris Bellamy (61 carries for 237 yards) will be expected to carry the load. UConn uses a 3 WR set most of the time so both of these guys will be expected to carry the load. The hope is that an improved passing game will open up some lanes on the ground.
Wide Receivers & TE(3 Starters Returning): Connecticut uses a 3 WR set so this group should see alot of action. Junior Cliff Hill returns after a 40 catch campaign, although he only averaged 9.9 yards per catch. Jasen Ridley, Wes Timko, and O'Neil Wilson are all experienced receivers and should be a factor. Timko lead the way in big plays with a 14.5 yards per catch average. Senior Tommy Collins takes over at TE. He is steady receiver and will play a part in the passing game.
Offensive Line(4 Starters Returning): Just like the rest of this football team nobody stands out up front. Sophomore LT Ryan Krug and C Brian Markowski lead the way. It's a very young group with 4 sophomores and no seniors in the lineup. Edsall is hoping they can figure out a way to jump start the running game.
Defensive Starters Returning: 10
Defensive Line(4 Starters Returning): What can you say? I'm sure Randy Edsall is dreaming of some big 285 DTs to plug in this line but there don't seem to be any around. This group is short on talent and beef. Sophomore Tyler King did manage to get 5.5 sacks last season. Junior Sean Mulcahy is the leader inside, but both of these guys will need lots of help next season.
Linebackers(2 Starters Returning):Two of the few seniors on this team Razul Wallace and Jamal Lundy are the leaders on defense. Lundy had 88 tackles, 3 sacks and 8 tfl, while Wallace was close behind with 72 tackles and 8 tfl. Edsall hopes the front will allow these guys to make plays. Sophomore Maurice Lloyd takes over the starting spot at OLB after recording 60 tackles as a Freshman.
Secondary(4 Starters Returning): This is one of the stronger units on the field. SS Chris Meyer led the team with 94 tackles and 4 interceptions. Senior Roy Hopkins is the top cover man.
Kickers(2 Starters Returning): K Mark Hickok returns after an outstanding 2001 season. He connected on 12 of 17 attempts including 4 of 5 from 40 or more yards. Adam Coles punted 81 times for a 39.2 average, although he was effective, placing 32 inside the 20.
UCONN Offense vs. GT Defense: The GT starting defense should have it's way. Randy Edsall will likely go to the air from the very beginning and hope to beat us with short passes. I expect GT to get nice pressure on Orlovsky who lacks mobility. It should be a long day for the Huskies.
UCONN Defense vs. GT Offense Connecticut's best hope is to load up against the run and force GT to the air, although their secondary will still be overmatched. If GT gets the ground game going with 7 and 8 yard gains, it's going to be over very quickly. Edsall knows a lot about the offense, so perhaps he will have a few tricks up his sleeve. However, if you can't stop the ground game it doesn't matter.
Game Predicition: GT should have it's way with the Huskies. Connecticut should be a year older and stronger but there just isn't a lot of talent that stands out. Edsall is still a couple of years away from getting the speedy talent you need to compete in I-A. The final score will be dependent on how long Gailey decides to go with his starters.
Final Score: Georgia Tech 49 Connecticut 10
