Tuesday presser--lesson in hyperbole

There are sometimes that coaches go overboard in their description of the opponent each week. It's almost comical. Up until this week, the most amazing call I was on was a couple of years ago when the Huskies played Wake Forest. Jim Grobe a couple of years ago convinced me that UConn was going to win the national championship (it wasn't that silly, but he talked like Wake had no shot against the Huskies). That one stands out until today. On the conference call with local media (which happens at the Tuesday lunch) you are usually due some whoppers.

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe took it to another level on Tuesday. Kragthorpe is a good guy by all accounts and talking to him in Newport, it's hard not to like him. So, at least in the little I have to deal with him I find him genuine and approachable.

But, on Tuesday he said Lorenzen was "The Tim Tebow of the Big East."

Wow. Even Lorenzen scoffed at that. It's ridiculous. That is certainly a whopper. Asked again by the media what he meant by Tim Tebow of the Big East.

"I really feel that way," Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe said. "He is a big strong and physical player. He looks like a linebacker. They do a lot of things like Florida does."

I'll let that sit for awhile.

OK, back to UConn.

--Something has to give between Huskies' 279 yards per game rushing and Louisville ranked No.2 in the country against the run. This is the battle.

--Moe Petrus is one of the most interesting players on the team. The 22-year old redshirt freshman guard, is a Canadian with a Haitian father and a white Canadian mother. His parents converted to Islam, so that's why Petrus' first name is Mohammed. He grew up in Montreal, but he has been on skates only twice in his life -- once at the Car Care Bowl. Go figure. Oh, he is also a pretty nasty offensive lineman.

--Brad Kanuch is back. Yes, I know he played the last two weeks, but he is actually smiling again. He is such a positive guy, but he was miserable to even look at when he was injured. He also said that he can get deep an expand the field and that the offense hasn't really tried to do that (and has had no need to).

--Talked with Jasper Howard about punt returning and look for a story in coming days. You know what? It's the hardest position on the field to play. Oh, he knows how to do a fair catch. He knows the rule well --word for word.

--Edsall didn't address the "Unfair Catch" by Larry Taylor last year. He passed and said that the Huskies were focusing on this week. Stunning candor.

--Last note...had a nice talk with Rob Lunn about his blog, which is a result of a class he is taking (an African Studies course). I'll post the link when I am done today on my UConn essentials. He went in and edited some of his comments and posts. Edsall talked with him on Monday about it. Lunn understands there is no filter and promises to be more careful. Lunn is a good writer and has a pretty good wit. The guy has a writers' eye. He sees the world like a writer.

Why do I say that? He wrote a post about how when the Huskies come through the smoke they can't see a thing. Nothing, they are blind and the smoke is cold. That is fire extinguisher stuff. Also, when the Huskies go in for the half he can smell the booze coming out of the student section.

My friends, that is insight I just can't give you 500 feet in the air in a pristine environment. I have more thoughts, but gotta pay the bills.