New Year's Eve wrap, Eh!

Donald Brown seemed in great spirits today. If I was him, I would be too. He is the nations leading rusher, is now healthy, and he is in a win-win situation for him.

Today, perhaps for the first time, he was a bit evasive about his future. He didn't want to talk about it, and I suspect it's because he is thinking with his head, not his heart.

Brown is going to take an honest and sober look at the NFL (got to love the use of the word sober on New Years Eve) and if he is a high round pick I think he has to go. You only gt one chance at the NFL. I will never get on an athlete leaving early for professional spots. I can critique some athletes' decisions and whether they were wise, but taking the money isn't a bad thing. It's what adults do. No one should hold them to a higher standard then an another undergrad. The fact he is only a semester short of his degree means that he would be returning to UConn for only football.

Brown seems to like it at UConn now, and once you go you can never get it back. That's the heart talking. You have to strike a balance.

Here is my view. Top two rounds projected as a consensus, I would say Brown has to go. Third round is 60-40 to leaving. 4-7 rounds go from 50-50 to probably 0 percent as the picks go on.

Toronto tidbits

* ON TV they just had a story about Hang Over cures. There is a cabbage beef soup served in town on Main Street that is supposed to cure every hangover. Try sour and bitter liquids the next day.

* Pittsburgh...What did I tell you? Pitt is that extremely talented employee who you fire because he is unreliable. Right when you believe in Pitt they throw up a stinker. 3-0? I am glad I was working. This might be the first Sun Bowl I have missed in a decade. For some reason, I always watch this game.

Here is the view from where I ate lunch.




The Rogers Centre is tremendous. I had my laptop i the first row right field line just typing away.

*If you are coming up, get your money at an ATM over the border. As I understand it, the ATM will give you market value for your currency while an exchange both takes a cut and tries to arbitrage that into a profit. It's $1.21 CSD to $1 USD. Don't take $1.08 CSD to $1.

I took out $60 CSD and it cost me $49 USD. When you do take a look at the Canadian $20, what the heck is the people in the boat supposed to mean? It looks like a cartoon my daughter would watch.

*Lastly, I found a Celsius to Fahrenheit converter. Here is the skinny tonight. -14 Celsius = about 8 degrees F. It's going to be -22 with the wind chill. That is -7 in Connecticut. It's good I am not driving. Kilometers! The metric system is not our friends.

So, just to recap. It's cold.

Happy New Years to everyone.

To Shannon and Julia, love ya.

Quick hits

I have to head back down to Rogers Centre field in 30 hour.

Anyhow, the curfew tonight is 1 a.m. Edsall doesn't expect all his players to go out because of the weather. About 40,000 people are usually in downtown Toronto for the New Years. Not sure it will be that tonight, is scheduled to be -14 Celsius with a nasty nasty wind chill that I expect to reach absolute zero.

OK, enough whining I know.

*Tony C is going to do kickoffs in place of Cullen, who is fine.

*Everyone is healed up and ready to go.

*Edsall declined to talk about Ambrose and the offensive coordinator position. He is going to to address it after the bowl game.

*Edsall was again defended Tyler Lorenzen and his QB play. He expects a much better game out of Tyler on Saturday.

*The bowl tickets have gone slow (will get an official number when I get back down there), but Edsall understands the economy, weather, the fact UConn men and women are playing and such. Still, he was adamant that a bowl game is an important step for the program.

He mentioned how Illinois went to the Rose Bowl and is now siting home. He rejected the idea that even at 7-5 the Huskies' bowl game isn't helpful. The fact there is practice, that they players get rewarded means a big deal to the program.

*Talking about Donald Brown, Edsall went into detail how about a player he can be in recruiting. Although the HUskies didn't win as many as they thought they should have, they did get a lot of recognition because of Brown. That has helped in recruiting. You can go to the NFL, be an all-American, be BE Player of the Year at Connecticut. That's an important step.

*That's about it for now, let me write and then go down for more.

Even ice freezes here

I am in Toronto. It's so cold even native Torontoans are complaining about the cold. I know journalists aren't suposed to root, but I can promise you next year, I am rooting for the Orange Bowl.

My God, it's freezing up here.

I took a 6 am flight out of Bradley because I wanted to be in Toronto to do a story on East Hartford's Will Solomon, who plays for the Raptors (more on that later).

So, I get up at 3:30 am and upon arriving I am told my luggage won't make it because of weight restrictions. The guy said it like it wasn't a problem. He tried to get me on another flight. I decided to take my oversized bag with me as a carry on and personally checked it plane side.

I started thinking? Weight restriction? Was I flying in a Cessna?

Well, I don't know what plane it was, but it was closer to a Cessna than a 737 that's for sure. The plane was a 16 seat turbo prop. Direct to Toronto - Air Canada. The second pilot acted as the flight attendent.

"Bathroom is in back. Keep your seatbelts on."

That's the last I ever heard or saw him.

I somehow dozed off sitting in the first seat before turbulence rudely woke me up. I thought I was in a nightmare. I couldn't hear anything because of the propellers and I look in the cock pit (the cock pit was open for most of the flight, so much for secruity) and I see the pilot reading USA Today. So I am on a tin can up 20,000 feet and this guy is reading the sports page? Bravo, newspapers need readers anytime we can get them.

So anyhow I go to the Air Canda Centre to interview Will Solomon and in the 200 yards between the Rogers Centre and an enclosed skywalk I nearly freeze to death. I don't think I am leaving the hotel for the rest of the trip.

Solomon was very good. He talked abot his time playing hoops in Europe and about professionalism. I am going to write a profile next week. The only time he flinched is when Chris Bosh walked by and gave him a funny look. I don't think Bosh is used to seeing Solomon being interviewed.

As I was leaving the Nuggets were practicing. George Karl looked miserable and the Nuggets players looked like they were messing around. They are form Denver, but I bet they were cold too.

There is a game tonight and one Friday. I am going to try and get to the Friday game.

As far as the rest of the day -- Randy Edsall talks at 2:30 p.m. and Huskies will be available after practice. Turner Gill is avilable at 3 p.m. at the Westin, but I don't think I can make it. And, even walking for two blocks is treacherous.

I'll be back more from updates. I need to eat and take a nap for an hour, or I won't make it until midnight.

Did I mention it's cold up here?

Bon Voyage

Going to hit the sack right now, but I am heading up to Toronto at 6 a.m Wednesday.

I am going to try and blog exhaustively, but I do eventually have to sleep. Tomorrow's itinerary is hit Toronto at 830 am and then I have an interview set up with Toronto Raptors guard Will Solomon of East Hartford. If you don't know, I am a big NBA fan (watching Celtics-Portland right now) and I find Will's career fascinating. Kill two birds with one stone here. I will have a story on Solomon next week.

Have no fear, college football is what I am up there for and I will be heading to UConn's practice at 3:30 in Skydome (I hate the new corporate name).

I'll try and give the flavor of the city.

Big East has a chance to go undefeated. If Pitt wins I like the chances of Cincy and UConn.

Now, onto pressing matters.

What did you think of Papajohns game? That's where UConn is headed unless they win the Big East. It's the final year of the bowl contracts and I will go on record of picking bowl games for next year. This is easy.

BCS: Pitt
gator: Notre Dame (even after a Huskies 27-22 in South Bend late in Novemeber)
Meineke: Rutgers
Toronto: South Florida
Papajohns: UConn
St. Pete: West Virginia

Take it to the bank. The bids are settled. It's BCS or Birmingham for the Huskies.

Don't expect miracles

Congratulations to Rob Ambrose. As far as coaches I have met, he rivals UHart men's soccer coach Dan Gaspar with his charisma. That's saying something for anyone who knows Gaspar (know him well covering the old Connecticut Wolves pro soccer team).

I know there are some who blame Ambrose for the stale UConn offense on play calling. I am perhaps more critical of play calling than most. But the Huskies aren't going to suddenly get a coordinator who will design a game plan that looks like Oklahoma's.

Here is the new strategy -- personnel, personnel, personnel and recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.
Huskies WR corps needs a major talent infusion with speed and game breaking ability out wide. The QB play has to get better. The offense was built with Lorenzen in mind, and his strength isn't sitting back there and throwing it 30 times.

With Zach Frazer or Cody Endres next year the offense will pass more. But, they have to be more accurate and the wide receivers need to make a play now and then.

There was a penchant to be overly conservative this year. Perhaps they were trying to hide the lack of game breaking ability.

Can't fault the coach for that after watching the team. It's not a scheme issue. It's a recruiting issue on the outside. That's no secret.

I do know the quarterbacks had a great relationship with Ambrose. That is going to be tough to replace considering the Huskies need to break in a new starter next year. I would expect a swift hire before the players return to campus if it can be done.

Ambrose headed to Towson

Looks like UConn will be in search of a new offensive coordinator. According to Chip Malafronte of the NH Register, Ambrose will be the new coach of Towson.

Ambrose was the favorite as I understand it. Former QB and he was a coordinator there and ran a dynamic offense.

Holiday's are difficult to find people but I do some more searching.

In Today's JI

A little late at night, but here is a notebook on Darius Butler and his enrollment in Prime U. Primetime University of course in Dallas of course.

Now onto a more pressing topic, which is the seeming disaster of International Bowl tickets remaining. If they haven't sold by now, they aren't going to move. There are many reasons for this and of course the economy is No. 1.

UConn is a public institution and for the most part, state employees are immune to the chaos in the private sector (though not only the case, but most jobs are stable with certain raises). When I heard the number, 10,000, I cringed. Ancedotcally, it seemed like way too many tickets considering the state of things. If the athletic department hasn't figured it out now, especially in Connecticut, no one has any money left. 401ks are decimated, costs have risen (until recently of course) and if you are in the financial or real estate industry the bottom has dropped out.

Everyone is private industry is suffering. Money isn't moving, so there is no cash flow. That makes a 10,000 ticket ($450,000) outlay to a bowl game in Toronto daunting. I never expected people to go, but the buying of tickets to donate is a casualty of the economy and seems that UConn underestimated this.

Now, the game isn't that attractive (let's be honest) and it is a cold weather city in the winter after the New Year when everyone is set to go back to work.

So the economy, the place, opponent and time is not attractive. Four strikes against, but the fatal one is the lack of buzz about the team.

There is no momentum for this season.

Sure, part of it is the performance on the field and the fact that the Huskies struggled finishing up, but the second half of the UConn season has been a scheduling disaster.

UConn played six games through Oct. 4 and went 5-1. Then there was the first of three bye weeks. That destroyed the season.

UConn spet a month away from the Rent and then went two straight weeks of games before the they had another bye week. There was two month long breaks between home games.

The fact the season started on the first possible day --Aug. 28-- and ended the last possible day on Dec . 6 made this season too long and I think people started losing interest.

College football is about routine after the halfway mark, the season never got back into a rhythm.

I could feel it writing stories. As a beat writer you get into a routine and rhythm with stories and ideas start to fall into place like a waterfall. After a game, that theme carries over into the following week. The narrative keeps on going and as a writer, you work off that. But, with all the bye weeks, the stories dried up, angles weren't fresh and you ended up losing a focus and theme of the season.

After a bye week, I tried to recreate the narrative and keep the momentum going. It is very difficult though doing that a second and a third time. It's a connection problem.

The narrative of this season was lost by all the time off.

Now, I am sharing this not to complain about how difficult it was to write this season (it wasn't), rather I think the same mechanism is at work with the fan. They were having a difficult time keeping up with the team and essentially they lost interest. Why else would there be no juice whatsoever on Dec. 6 against Pittsburgh? There was absolutely no buzz in the building or even pregame excitement. It felt like a chore.

The key to a good bowl game is to build up excitement and then capitalize on that enthusiasm. By the end of the season there was no excitement simply because the fans in Connecticut had no games to get excited about.

They weren't spoiled, as some might say, rather UConn football stopped becoming an important part of the fall routine because it was not available.

Scheduling is difficult for football, and UConn is still trying to find its niche. But I don't think the schedule did anyone any good this year.

It took the life out of the season.

Humbug!

It's four days until Christmas and all the UConn players were already thinking of home and the holidays. So, for the final practice what did UConn do? Took it light, right? Had a Christmas Party?

Bah! Humbug! Christmas spirit! Not when there is a football game to play in a couple of weeks.

Randy "Scrooge" Edsall wasn't about to let a practice just melt away like Frosty. Instead the Huskies put in part of their game plan for the Jan. 3 International Bowl game against Buffalo. Always working.

"They thought we were going to out here without pads," Scrooge Edsall said. "Not when we are putting the game plan in."

That was the gist of Monday's practice before the Huskies went home for the holidays. Edsall was fired up. The rest of the players? Xs and Os perhaps in their head, not sugar plums.

The players will be return to campus Dec. 26 and resume practice on Saturday.

Here are some news and notes from today and then I have to pay the bills:.

* Darius Butler is back at practice and is "good to go." It's 8 weeks since the knee injury and he is playing with a brace on, but the injury has pretty much healed. He will only play defense. The International Bowl will be a good test for Butler. After the game he is headed back to Connecticut for a couple of days then he will head to Dallas for a two week training course with Deion Sanders in preparation of the Senior Bowl game in Hawaii. The name of the camp is "Prime U" and Sanders likes to get the best college corners in the country and train them. Butler is going to be in Dallas a lot prior to the NFL combine. Sanders invited him down during the season before he got hurt and nothing has changed.

"It's like training with Jordan for basketball," Butler said.

*C.J. Marck has transferred as first reported by Fat White Guy (Rob Lunn). Marck decided to not play in the bowl game because he felt it was unfair since he wasn't going to stick around. Edsall said that he invited Marck to play. Marck has some personal reason to leave, but he was blocked at LB as more athletic players were ahead of him. He is likely headed to an FCS school (D I-AA) so he doesn't have to sit out a year.

*Count Edsall as surprised about hearing that Donald Brown will come back. Nothing will change however. Edsall will do his diligence and present Brown and his family with all the info for the NFL Draft. The rookie salary cap isn't going to be an issue according to Edsall. It's just agent scare tactics to get players to come out.

*Desi Cullen is expected to punt despite having an appendectomy last week. Kickoffs will likely be handled by Dave Teggart or Tony C.

*Rob Ambrose wasn't at practice and is down at Townson interviewing for the Townson head job, his alma mater where he also played quarterback.

*Tickets to the bowl game have gone VERY slow. Right now about 3,000 tickets have been purchased meaning that UConn is going to have to pick up the difference. If 5,000 are sold, Huskies would still be on the hook for 5,000 tickets at $45 per ticket. That's a $225,000 outlay. The Huskies promised 10,000 tickets sold.

Update 7:21.

*Terry Baltimore is not with team. "Personal reasons," which happened to happen around the same time grades came out. Tony C is in the lead for kickoffs. Greg Lloyd will be starting at linebacker. Lastly, Alex LaMagdelaine is going to take a shot at playing center in the spring.

The honors keep rolling in...

Brown second team All-American.

Now, that's a prestigious honor.

Becomes first Husky to earn AP All-America honors in FBS era

STORRS, Conn. (December 16, 2008) - University of Connecticut junior running back Donald Brown (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) was named Second Team All-America on Tuesday by the Associated Press. It is the second All-America honors for Brown as he was named Second Team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation last week. He was also named the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-BIG EAST last week.

Brown becomes the first UConn football player to be named to an All-America team since the program was elevated to the Football Bowl Subdivision (former Division I-A) in 2002.

Shonn Green of Iowa and Javon Ringer of Michigan State were the first team running backs while Brown was joined on the second team by Knowshon Moreno of Georgia. Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State and Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State were on the third team.

Brown rushed for 1,822 yards and 17 touchdowns during the regular season and has been atop the national leader board in rushing yards (151.8 yards per game) for the majority of the year. He ran for at least 100 yards in 10 games.

Brown and his UConn teammates take on Buffalo in the International Bowl on
Saturday, January 3, 2009, in Toronto at 12:00 p.m.

In Today's JI

Notebook on Monday's media day festivities in Storrs. Donald Brown coming back, news and other notes.

I have a couple of more things in the works, so I will talk to you all soon.

Petrus named to frosh All-America team

STORRS, Conn. (December 16, 2008) - University of Connecticut redshirt freshman
offensive guard Moe Petrus (St. Laurent, Que.) was named to the Sporting News 2008 All-Freshman college football team on Tuesday.

Petrus started all 12 games of the regular season games for the Huskies at left guard. He was part of an offensive line that allowed running back Donald Brown to lead the country in rushing. UConn was ranked 20th in the country in rushing yards per game and second in the BIG EAST at 204.58 yards per game.

A product of Vanier Prep, he was a 2006 Canadian All-Star and helped Vanier to the Cegep Championship in 2006 with a 12-1 record.

Below is the entire team:

OFFENSE
QB Robert Griffin, Baylor
RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
RB Victor Anderson, Louisville
WR A.J. Green, Georgia

WR Julio Jones, Alabama
TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame
T Elvis Fisher, Missouri
G Moe Petrus, Connecticut
C Michael Brewster, Ohio State
G Joel Foreman, Michigan State
T Andrew Datko, Florida State
K Philip Welch, Wisconsin
KR Damaris Johnson, Tulsa

DEFENSE
DE Brandon Harold, Kansas State
DT Billy Winn, Boise State
DT Lawrence Guy, Arizona State
DE Tom Keiser, Stanford
LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB Mychal Sisson, Colorado State
LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida
CB Jordan Mabin, Northwestern
S Sean Baker, Ball State
S Earl Thomas, Texas
P Bryan Anger, California
PR T.Y. Hilton, Florida International

Late update

Sorry I have been late, I am preoccupied and had other things to do (you wait six months for free time, and now I am still running around).

It was a pretty informative session up in Storrs. Of course Donald Brown was the big news of the day. I am not so sure it was smart of him to just say he is coming back, but it looks like this is where his heart is. I would imagine he will take an honest look at the situation.

That will make UConn a major player in the Big East in 2009. If you can start with a big-time NFL tailback, you can do a lot. That should make everything easier.

Let's get to the other stuff.

Randy Edsall defended Tyler Lorenzen on Monday.

"The kid is a winner, he made this program better, and in heart and my mind he will play well on Jan. 3,” Edsall said.

I am not going to lie, the lack of a passing game is a pet issue of mine and I think the play was non-competitive against Pittsburgh. I just am not sure how much is the quarterbacks fault, though it does rest a lot with it. Lorenzen hasn't had as good a season as last year, he is the first to admit it, but I saw enough last year to know that he can at least play the position competently. Something else is going on this year, and my money is on the wide receivers and then his foot injury.

I felt this way about 2/3 through the season. If Lorenzen never got hurt I think they would have beaten Rutgers in New Jersey and probably have been able to knock off West Virginia. They were up 10-0 on the Cardinals when he got hurt.

So what happened? Why did the bottom come out? No explanation. UConn wasn't as lucky as a year ago. Maybe that's it.

"I think last year a lot of things did go our way. This year is not what I had in mind. It started off the way I thought it would, but it didn’t end up working like it. We fizzled out at the end of the season and we need to figure out a way to move past that.”

The Huskies are disappointed in themselves for the season. At 5-0, and even 7-3, they expected something better.

Donald Brown blamed the offense, which was a moment of truth, though kind of silly to include himself in the discussion. Brown tried to take some of the blame however. Perhaps he should have gained a billion yards.

"The defense did a nice job keeping us in a lot of games,” Brown said. “We didn’t put the defense in the best of situations sometimes. The offense didn’t put points on the board. We allowed turnovers and didn’t make big plays. As a part of the offense, I felt we let our team down.”

Lorenzen thought Brown's season is tremendous and did a little ex post facto campaigning.

"It’s a shame he wasn’t up for Doak Walker Award, he should have been there. I can’t believe he was left off. He is the best running back on the nation. He proved all season long he is the best running back in the nation. He carried our offense. And I don’t know about the other guys, but the load of the offense was on Donnie Brown’s shoulders.”

UConn needs a better passing game. But, it just isn't a matter of another QB coming in. It's going to take a bigger overhaul.

Husky notes

* Darius Butler is slated to return, but we won't know for another week or so if he can play. He needs to get back into condition and it's doubtful he plays two ways, and we have seen the last of him returning kicks for UConn.

* CJ Marck and Greg Lloyd are back with the team after taking care of "personal issues." As far as Andre Dixon, he is going to return to the team. Dixon was suspended after a DUI arrest the final week of the season. He is going to be with the team. Edsall could have jettisoned Dixon, perhaps he is down to his final chance.

*Talked a bit with Mo Petrus about Canada. It's funny how things work. Since he is Canadian he gets interviewed about the International Bowl. He said he went to Toronto once. That is like interviewing me about the Poinsetta Bowl because I happened to be an American.

Petrus played along. But, I think I know where the stupid American tag comes from. He said 30 or so family and friends will come down. Big time year for Petrus. I thought he played great.

Side notes:

*Why was a Papajohns.com Bowl commercial on during the UConn-Stony Brook men's game? That is just an affront to UConn in almost every way.


* Also, the college hoops season is too long. I can't take anymore of Delaware State, Stony Brook or Western Carolina. I understand that these games have to be played and UConn has a brutal Big East schedule and also is playing Gonzaga. So no, they don't have a weak schedule. But, I just can't take anymore 30 point blowouts at the XL Center. I will watch the Zags game and call me in January.

Brown to return, according to Brown

Yes, Donald Brown said it.

"Yeah, we can explore the options, see what they have to say, but I'm coming back. My goal is to go to the Orange Bowl. That's what I want to do, and next year will be my last shot."

I think Donald is speaking with his heart here. UConn coach Randy Edsall is going to continue to gather information and I would hope in January he makes an informed decision.

Brown has been increasingly uncomfortable around the media in the last month. Perhaps he is tired of us (wouldn't blame him), or perhaps he is feeling the pressure. Or maybe he is just sick of talking and talking about the same thing.

I was listening to WFAN on the way home and they announced Brown was staying. Let's just say that this isn't an official release and UConn and Brown are going to go through the motions in January.

Brown has not liked talking about the NFL. If you listen to my recording you can sense the uneasiness in his voice. I don't think he is ready for this talk yet and it kind of jumped at him.

One thing I don't think Brown realizes is that he is considered one of the top 4 running backs in the country. He and Iowa's Shonn Green were heads and shoulders above everyone else. That means when he tells 2 or 3 reporters that he is coming back it makes national news. He doesn't appreciate that yet.

Perhaps he has been in his own bubble and doesn't realize that he is a star. This is big news. He becomes a Heisman front runner next year.

Maybe Brown was tired on Monday, but he didn't look like he was enjoying himself at all. He is the nations leading rusher, he should be enjoying his time in the limelight. He earned it. He hasn't enjoyed himself the last month (at least with the media) since he was a Doak Walker semifinalist.

Got to pay the bills, see you later,

Brown player of the year

Donald Brown was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year, Cody Brown and Darius Butler were on the first team, as was tackle Will Beatty. Scott Lutrus and Robert Vaughn on the second team. I hate to say it, but I think this is a far better list than the Tampa Tribune one. How Donald Brown wasn't player of the year is a farce. Huskies are 1-11 or 2-10 without Brown. He was that good this year, Brown unseats Pat White, who was POY for the last two years on offense.

2008 BIG EAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL AWARDS

BIG EAST CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut (Jr., Atlantic Highlands, N.J.)

BIG EAST CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh (Sr., Export, Pa.)

BIG EAST CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati (So., Palm Coast, Fla.)

BIG EAST CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Victor Anderson, RB, Louisville (Fr., Louisville, Ky.)

BIG EAST CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati

ALL-BIG EAST CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Pos. Player School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School

WR Mardy Gilyard Cincinnati So. 6-1 190 Palm Coast, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast

WR Kenny Britt Rutgers Jr. 6-4 205 Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne

OT Will Beatty Connecticut Sr. 6-6 300 York, Pa./William Penn

OT Ryan Stanchek West Virginia Sr. 6-4 303 Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle

OG George Bussey Louisville Sr. 6-4 306 Louisville, Ky./Western

OG C.J. Davis Pittsburgh Sr. 6-3 310 Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny

C Eric Wood Louisville Sr. 6-4 301 Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder

TE Nate Byham Pittsburgh Jr. 6-3 255 Franklin, Pa./Franklin

QB Pat White West Virginia Sr. 6-2 190 Daphne, Ala./Daphne

RB Donald Brown * Connecticut Jr. 5-10 208 Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Red Bank Catholic

RB LeSean McCoy * Pittsburgh So. 5-11 210 Harrisburg, Pa./Milford Academy

K Conor Lee Pittsburgh Sr. 5-11 200 Upper St. Clair, Pa./Fork Union

KR/PR Mardy Gilyard Cincinnati So. 6-1 190 Palm Coast, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast

DEFENSE

DL Connor Barwin Cincinnati Sr. 6-4 255 Hazel Park, Mich./U. of Detroit Jesuit

DL Cody Brown * Connecticut Sr. 6-3 246 Coral Spings, Fla./Coral Springs

DL George Selvie USF Jr. 6-4 245 Pensacola, Fla./Pine Forest

DL Arthur Jones Syracuse Jr. 6-4 291 Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott

LB Scott McKillop * Pittsburgh Sr. 6-2 240 Export, Pa./Kiski Area

LB Tyrone McKenzie * USF Sr. 6-2 235 Riverview, Fla./Riverview

LB Mortty Ivy West Virginia Sr. 6-2 236 Monroeville, Pa./Gateway

CB Mike Mickens * Cincinnati Sr. 6-0 165 Huber Heights, Ohio/Ohio Wayne

CB Darius Butler Connecticut Sr. 5-11 181 Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Coral Springs Charter

S Brandon Underwood Cincinnati Sr. 6-1 190 Hamilton, Ohio/Toledo St. John’s

S Courtney Greene Rutgers Sr. 6-2 215 New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle

P Kevin Huber Cincinnati Sr. 6-1 210 Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas

Are you going to Toronto?

Big discussion in the JI office about the merits of heading to Toronto for the bowl game. The UConn men and women play this weekend, and it's NFL wild card weekend. This game is going to get BURIED in the newspapers. Saturday noon start considering the Patriots and Jets could be playing that weekend? That equals no play. It's fourth or fifth on the menu right now.

But, will 10,000 die hards make the trip anyway?

What role does the economy play?

I think bowl attendance across the nation is going to get destroyed. Many people put these games on credit cards and pay it off in 2-3 months. That might not be feasible now.

Share your thoughts here if you would like or through jsilver@journalinquirer.com. I want to get a pulse of the excitement, if there is any. If the blog readers are not enthused, then no one is going.


For those who are going, here are some tips.

Passports:

Air Travel:

All Persons are required to present a U.S. passport

Land/Sea Travel:

Citizens ages 19 and over: U.S. Citizens need to present (a) either a passport OR a passport card OR government-issued photo identification (i.e., driver’s license) ALONG WITH (b) proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Children ages 18 and under will only be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

For more information on these requirements, please visit the Department of Homeland Security website at www.dhs.gov

Tickets are $40 American. Buy them through UConnbowl.com.

If you are looking for hotel,flight and other travel, the best website on the internet is hands down www.kayak.com. The beauty of Kayak is that they aggregate different websites instead of trying to sell you preferred deals. Also, on a rental car, if you definitely are going try "pricelining" (new word: Verb -- to use the negotiator tool on priceline.com). You will get a good deal there.

Plenty of hotels in Toronto of course. Try using discount programs such as AAA rates etc. Also, flying into buffalo and then driving isn't a bad idea if you don't have a passport, or can't get the right flight.

As far as driving the entire way, in the summer this is an easy drive from what I understand. It's easy to get to. It's just the New York Thruway to Buffalo. But, in the winter how could you take the risk of a storm near Buffalo? That makes driving somewhat of a gamble. If there is snow in Buffalo in January (I know, rare) you could get stuck in Canada. I would check the weather carefully. I am likely headed up the 30th or 31st, but not sure yet. Game is indoors of course, but dress warmly.


I will update with sights and places to see, eat, drink and visit.

heading to Toronto

Update: Here is Monday's column on the ineptitue of the passing game.

Just got off the conference call that and have a lot of ground to cover.

The Huskies will of course play Buffalo Jan. 3 in the International Bowl. The Huskies are on the hook for 10,000 tickets to the game and tickets will go on sale on Tuesday through UConnbowl.com.

UConn AD Jeff Hathaway got the call from Ken Hoffman around 11:30 a.m. this morning while at church. He left his phone on, and left the pews to accept the bid.

The Huskies felt for some time that this would be the destination. The potential to switch this game with the Motor City Bowl was an option, but not really with UConn. Rutgers was the team that was going to be swapped and play in Detroit.

The payout for UConn will be $1.1 million from the Big East. Hathaway said they should be able to play this ball game in that amount. Payouts from bowls are made directly to the Big East, which pools money and sends it out to the teams in the league.

There are some logistical issues. The Huskies will fly into Buffalo and bus over to Toronto instead of flying in internationally. That way, the Huskies won't have to get passports for the coaches and players.

That's about it here. I will try and find Ken Hoffman somewhere. He wasn't on the call.

More tidbits:

*Edsall said right that Tyler Lorenzen will be his starting QB in the bowl game. "We will end that right here."

*The Huskies will have 15 practices and will start practicing Dec. 15 for the game after being off for finals. They will go home Dec. 23 for Christmas and then reconvene Dec. 26. Huskies will head up to Toronto Dec. 30.

* Huskies have had several players invited to All-Star games. Cody Brown has been invited to the East-West game, the Senior Bowl, and the Texas vs. Nation game. Darius Butler has also been invited to all three games. Will Beatty has been invited to Texas vs. Nation game. That's a pretty impressive list. Butler and Brown figure to be very high draft choices.

*On the subject of Butler, he will start running this week and Edsall said it is a strong likelihood that he will be ready to play.

* Huskies had three bad plays defensively, the McCoy TD run, the 61 yard TD and the 28 yard TD pass. Offense was as bad as it appeared in the passing game.

Bowl talk skinny

Here is what I gather from Ken Hoffman talking Saturday about the Motor City and International Bowl. He runs both games.

Rutgers is the key here. With Pitt and West Virginia slotted for the Sun and Car Care Bowl (talk about a coup for the Car Care bowl), it comes down to Rutgers. UConn will get the last placement because USF is headed to St. Pete.

It's simple really, if a spot opens up in the Motor City Bowl, the MCB would like to fill that spot with a Big East team and bag the International Bowl. If Rutgers wants to play a ranked Ball St. team, as was rumored before Ball St. lost to Buffalo, then I think that is a strong possibility.

The fact that Ball St. lost to Buffalo in the MAC Championship doesn't change the dynamics, only the buzz of the game. MCB will still do the game. Rutgers may not want to go to Detroit now however, especially with NC State likely headed to the Papajohns.com. It looks like it will be NC State against either Rutgers or UConn in Birmingham.

Does Rutgers prefer Ball St. in Detroit or NC State in Birmingham? That is the question.

UConn fills in after. Papajohns.com against NC State, or perhaps Ball St. in the Motor City Bowl Dec. 26 or Buffalo Jan. 3 in Toronto. The fact UConn has been there however muddles the picture. Hoffman said he is leaning towards trying a switch, but would UConn rather go to Toronto on Jan. 3, or back to Detroit the day after Christmas?

This is going to be interesting. It should be much clearer by the end of the day. Rutgers is the key here.

Update: Rutgers appears headed to the Papajohns.com Bowl, likely against NC State. that leaves UConn in the International or Motor City Bowl. If Ball St. is not in Detroit and it is Central Michigan, why would the Huskies want that game over Toronto?

Looks like Huskies are going north. We'll see where they end up soon enough.

The Day is reporting it's International Bowl Jan. 3 against Buffalo. Will call and confirm.

Conference call at 4 p.m., will have some updates after. Curious about the Motor City Bowl. Perhaps Ball St. is headed somewhere else.

Will be back later.

More passing stats

I can't get my head around the Huskies' passing game. I really can't. UConn runs a pro-style offense with the nations leading rusher, yet, only threw for 4 TDs all year?

UConn came into the game ranked 103 in the nation in passing. That's not a terrible stat considering its running game and as far as YPG, they are ahead of Ohio State, West Virginia and Virginia Tech. Still, Texas Tech has thrown 43 TD passes this year. It would take UConn a decade to reach that point at its current pace.

The lack of TD passes shows an incredible lack of production out of the offense. UConn will end the season tied for second to last in touchdown passes with New Mexico. Navy, which runs the option, will end the season with six touchdown passes.

The team with the least amount of passing TDs? No surprise, Army, and they are an option team that threw for less than 600 yards this season.

So, for a team that has a goal to be balanced offensively, the UConn passing game was perhaps the least productive in the country. The touchdown to interception ratio is 4/17. That-13 gap is the widest in the country.

UConn coach Randy Edsall said at the end of last season after a poor showing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl that WR and passing production was the No. 1 target for improvement. It has failed. The passing game has regressed to worse than ineffective. It was not competitive against Pittsburgh. This is the same Pitt team that gave up 54 points at home to Rutgers mainly through the air.

The funny thing is the Huskies offense isn't that bad statistically. They are ranked 64th in total offense and 69th in scoring.

The Huskies had a mediocre passing game, who tells where they could be. Mediocre is all the Huskies needed this season to get to 9 wins, and they couldn't do it. You can't sugarcoat this. It's a total breakdown from play call, to quarterback throwing, to the WRs getting open.

Tyler Lorenzen isn't the same QB as a year ago. This was a guy who in his first game threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns. What happened? He was never a big thrower, but he was accurate in 2007 when he wasn't under pressure. Did this team miss Terrence Jeffers that much?

I can't explain it. I am not sure UConn coaches can either. The production of Brad Kanuch and D.J. Hernandez was minimal. The loss of them this spring doomed their fall. They are good blockers, but didn't get open much this season.

Kashif Moore showed some flashes of speed and ability, but he is a redshirt freshman and not ready to be a primary guy. I like Michael Smith, not sure why he didn't get as many reps as others. He made the games best catch, a one-handed grab while falling down catching one Lorenzen's wounded ducks. He was about 6 yards out of bounds on the catch however.

Everyone else? Anthony Sherman is a keeper, but you don't want to rely on your fullback.

I don't know where the Huskies go. I think Frazer and Cody Endres have enough ability to become threats with their arms next year. But who will they will throw it too? Moore will be better, and I assume Smith is going to see more time. After that?

They have a pair of athletic redshirts in Gerrard Sheppard and Brian Parker. Both have size and athleticism. Sheppard is raw as he only played a year of high school football. That's a problem. The Huskies need someone who runs crisp routes and can make plays. They also have two committed recruits in 6-4 Malik Generret and St. Paul-Bristol wideout Marcus Aiken.
I like their size and reported athletic ability. But, can they run a crisp route and do they have good hands?

UConn needs one more WR to bring in. Perhaps a JC wideout would help. But, that is a road Edsall has only done out of desperation (Ryan Tracey and Lorenzen at QB). I doubt they do it for a WR.

The Huskies have a lot of explosive and athletic players, but they all seem to be on defense. Cody Brown, Darisu Butler and even Dahana Deleston are athletic players. All seniors, all of them very good athletes.

The defensive line prospects are tremendous. The young LBs in Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson are fast and athletic. Corner Jasper Howard looks like he could be a 2-way player at defensive back. If I am him I lobby for some defensive plays.

Where is that explosion and excitement on offense? I don't know, and I don't know if it is ever coming.

Postgame Pitt- mmm Pizza

Not sure where to start with this. Words can't describe how poorly UConn's passing attack was Saturday.

6-of-31, 80 yards, 5 INTs is just non-competitive. It will be the subject of my Monday column, but the Huskies should be better passing. It's all of the above. The line doesn't hold pass blocks well enough, Lorenzen wasn't able to get the ball to the wideouts with any accuracy, and the wide receiver drop balls and can't get open. It's a terrible combination.

I don't get it. Mike Teel, someone who comes under a lot of heat, threw for more touchdowns in a half than UConn has all season. UConn has four passing touchdowns this year. FOUR. They have 17 passes picked off.

Here are the stats. Anyway you can swing it on the passing in 12 games.

UConn completed six passes UConn, five to Pittsburgh. UConn has four touchdowns and six punt blocks.

Think about it, UConn has had more punts blocked than touchdown passes. UConn has returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

The lack of productivity is staggering.

I don't know what the answer is. The Huskies have the nations leading rusher, yet, have one of the least productive passing offenses in the country.

Other tidbits:

*Donald Brown was mellow after the game, but he deserves a game ball. 1,822 yards rushing this season to lead all of college football. That is very impressive. Not sure if he returns for his senior season, he has a major decision to make, but he looked like a pro on Saturday. It's even more amazing considering how poorly UConn played in the passing game.


* So where do the Huskies end up? Read the post below, but I would say the likely destination is Birmingham and the Papajohns.com Bowl. It's complicated, but look for Rutgers to go to the Motor City Bowl against Ball St. UConn against either a Sun Belt or at large. If Troy wins tonight, it will be an at large team.


*Lorenzen wasn't expecting to get pulled by Edsall, but considering the struggles, he probably should have been. Edsall didn't want to do it, but it became apparent that the passing game wasn't going to happen with Tyler Lorenzen. Frazer just didn't get started. It was a tough spot to put the kid in, and it backfired. I tried to ask Edsall if the QB position was open for the bowl, but he didn't answer it. I will try on the conference call tomorrow. They got three weeks, they should try all options.

Got to get home and do some more work. Checking out from the Rent, MMMM, Pizza.

Bowl talk

Ken Hoffman, Motor City and International Bowl executive held court at the half.

Here is the skinny, major changes. If the BCS takes Ohio State as the second Big 10 team, that opens up an at large spot in Motor City opposite Ball St. If that is the case, the Motor City Bowl is strongly leaning towards putting a Big East team there. The candidates are UConn and Rutgers most likely.

The International Bowl is likely to get a 6-6 at large team in the present scenario.

What does that mean? It is shaping up to be UConn in Motor City or Papajohns.com and not Toronto.

"That is where I am thinking," Hoffman said about switching a Big East team from Toronto to Detroit. "If there is some 6-6 team (that makes sens) in Detoiot (then Detroit will take it).

Why? The Motor City Bowl doesn't want a 6-6 team (unless it is Notre Dame) playing against Ball St. in the Motor City Bowl.

It's looking like UConn either in Detroit or Birmingham.

This is going to take awhile. The games tonight matter because it depends on what Charlotte and the Sun do. Also, nothing can be moved until the BCS picks and opens up the Motor City Bowl for the swap.

Pretty complicated.

Live Blogging Pittsburgh!

Pregame: Stands 70 percent full. UConn wins toss, and DEFERS. That's an upset. What are the chances the Huskies have a fake field goal or fake punt today? Odds are 1000-1.

First quarter

Update 12:05 p.m.: Stull slips on third and 10. Lindsey Witten acts like he sacked him. No dice Lindsey. Huskies hold Pitt to 3 and out first possession.

Update 12:09 p.m.: Perfectly thrown out by Lorenzen to Easely for 20 yards. Easley somehow drops it. This is UConn in a nutshell. Hernandez also missed a diving catch on third and 15.. Tough catch, but it wasn't an awful throw. The Huskies need to make plays that are there.

Update 12:11: Teggart short on a 53 yard field goal. Too far off grass in the cold. First miss of his career. Ball was returned to the UConn 44. Poor coaching decision. Way to risky for three points.

Update 12:15 p.m.: Stull falls down again for a -7. Turf monster is getting a game ball. WOW. McCoy tackled by the the turf monster after a 3 yard gain on next play. Pittsburgh may not have brought their spikes.

Update 12:19 p.m.: All Pitt's skill guys are on the sidelines changing their spikes. That's bad pregame preparation.

Update 12:23 p.m.: Okay, I am not going to blog every play. But, you decline a third and one to get 2nd and 3. You then throw a flea flicker incomplete (Moore had a step ball need to be laid out, you need a big arm for that). Then on third and 3 you throw it short to Brad Kanuch who had not shot at catching the ball (bad throw). There was a penalty anyway, holding. Just saying. Maybe Huskies should run the Wing T or something.

Update 12:27: Three possessions, three three and outs. Pittsburgh average per play through three possessions -1.1.

First quarter wrap

Huskies defense is dominating. Pitt has 1 first down in first quarter. Huskies offense just can't get going. It's a little better than Pitts, Brown has 40 yards in first quarter, but they can't get anything consistent. Huskies need WRs to make some plays.

Second quarter

12:49 p.m.: Shocking, a punt block. The Huskies special teams is embarrassing. UConn has had six punts blocked this year. How do you win when you give Pitt the ball at the UConn 6? SIX BLOCKED PUNTS!

12:50 p.m.: Miraculously, the Huskies hold. 22 yard FG by Pitt. 3-0. Huskies are used to being in that position. The defense is playing at an elite level.

Update 1:03 p.m.: Huskies drive stalls at the 25. Dave Teggart from 45 yards is good. Huskies converted a pair of third and 5s with run plays. The third time they tried it on third and 6 they lost 6 yards. Huskies need to pass the ball. Eight in the box is turning into 9 in the box. Nine players within 15 yards. UConn is a Top 25 team with a mediocre passing game. UConn can't throw the ball. Still, 3-3 with 5:05 left in first half.

Update 1:09 p.m.: First break of game for UConn. Cody Brown forces fumble with Robert Vaughn recovering Huskies have ball in Pitt territory...

And they go three and out. My lord. The passing offense is worse than the numbers. I don't have an answer.

Update 1:18 p.m.: Off a Jasper Howard interception. Third down pass play completed to the two-yard line is negated by a hold. UConn just can't get going passing. It's a total collapse of the offensive passing game. UConn is 1-of-10 throwing for 4 YARDS.

Haltime update:

Bowl talk. No update. Some stats. Lorenzen 1-of-10 for 4 yards at the half. Pitt has 36 total yards in first half.

Third quarter

Update 1:50 p.m.: Passing game is lagging.

Update 1:55 p.m.: McCoy 47 yard TD run. Tempted to be haughty and call it the ball game. But, Pitt goes 6 plays 87 yards. Defense still is in the half. Not the kind of start you want. Huskies have missed on their last 11 passes.

Update 2:02 p.m.: UConn's passing comedy continues. On third and 15, Anthony Sherman Falls down and Lorenzen 's pass (a perfect spiral) is picked off an is returned to the UConn 6 yard line. Not Lorenzen's fault, but the absolute ineptitude in the passing game continues.

Update 2:05 p.m.: UConn's defense holds Pitt to a field goal. 13-3 Pitt. Throw out the running game. The Huskies are still in it despite the best efforts of the offense and special teams. Defense is tremendous except for one play.

Update 2:11 p.m.: 57 yard TD run by Donald Brown. It's all Donald Brown. Huskies have some life. Great strength and great balance running down the sidelines. Brown will end regular season as nations leading rusher. 13-10 Pitt with 4:29 left in third quarter.

Update 2:16 p.m.: That may have been the game for Pitt. Derek Kinder on first play throws a 61 yard TD pass. Bad angle by Robert Vaughn and it was a catch and run of 61 yards for a TD. Wow, life has left this building. UConn had its big play. 20-10 Pitt. Huskies back in the same position.

Where did this explosion of offense come from?

Update 2:22 p.m.: Lorenzen intercepted. Trying to make something happen on a third and 9. Moore dropped a pass for a first down. Huskies can't throw the ball. There are no answers.

Update 2:28 p.m.: Huskies go three and out. Receivers aren't open, QB can't throw it. UConn has the nations leading rusher and the passing game is 4-of21, two interceptions for 22 yards? That's not competitive.

Update 2:29: GAME OVER. Stull to Nate Byham. Set up by an 18 yard punt. Pittsburgh has scored 24 points in the third quarter. Awful performance.

Third quarter wrap

Huskies fell apart on defense and the offense was abysmal. 24 points in the third quarter? And UConn can't complete a pass. I can't tell you how great Donald Brown is.

Update 2:24 p.m.: Frazer in at QB. Too little to late.

Fourth quarter

Update 2:38 p.m.: Tipped ball. Frazer picked off at the 20. The passing numbers are going to be as ugly as you have ever seen it.

Update 2:42: Pittsburgh fumbles. The Panthers trying to keep UConn in the game.

Update 2:45 p.m.: Frazer throws a ball up for grabs. I don't know what kind of play that is. He is 0-for-3 with two picks. My head hurts. This is the worst QB/WR play I have ever seen.

Update 2:50 p.m.: Retiring the blog for the evening. I just don't have anything left it write. It's worse than the numbers indicate.

Update 2:53 p.m.: Check back. The futility continues. Pittsburgh interception returned for TD. Humbling loss for the Huskies. Frazer 0-for-4 3 INTs. I don't know what to make of this.

One thing is certain. The Huskies need a QB who can throw the ball, and they need WRs to get open. The performance today has been terrible.

4-of-25 for 22 yards and 5 INTs. This against a team that was soft passing.

Pregame Pittsburgh

Sorry for the late post, was doing WTIC pregame.

First off, bowl prospects. I didn't talk to Sun Bowl executives directly, but the rest of the beat has and I will relay their thoughts. Here is the gist of things. Sun is here to see Pitt. If Pitt wins, they will be presented with a Sun Bowl bid. If Pitt loses, it goes until tomorrow.

West Virginia is next in line. Those are the two teams the Sun is really looking at. As far as UConn, they can put themselves in the mix with a win, but don't hold your breath for El Paso regardless of what happens.

So where do the Huskies end up? Ken Hoffman, the executive director of Motor City Bowl and International Bowl, is scheduled to be here. He hasn't arrived yet, but he is on the list.

There was talk that Rutgers would be matched up with Ball St. in the Motor City, in place of international, which would move UConn to Papajohns.com. That ship might have sailed with a Buffalo win over N0. 12 Ball St. yesterday.

Quite simple. As far as opponents? In Toronto it's Buffalo, in Birmingham it could be Arkansas State (with a win over Troy today) or it will be an at large team. North Carolina State looks to be a good fit.

We'll see after today.

As far as today's game, there is no one here. The parking lots aren't nearly as filled as they should be. It's not a sellout, and there is a good chance we will see some no shows. I'll report back for Senior Day.

My money is UConn 20, Pittsburgh 17 today.

Update 11:48 p.m.: Senior festivities. Nice touch by the Huskies. I would say there is about 10,000 fans in the stands, maybe.

Here is how it looks from the press box. 5 MINUTES BEFORE SENIOR DAY!

Keys to the Pittsburgh game

Keys to the game

1. Win in the trenches
This games come to the offensive and defensive lines of both teams. Donald Brown and Le Sean McCoy are two of the best backs in the country. But, they need blocking and aren’t the kind to make the entire team miss. On the lines is where this will be won or lost.

2. Score early
If it wasn 't painfully obvious against South Florida two weeks ago, the Huskies
can’t function when the running game is off the table. UConn needs to score early and keep the game manageable. Getting down more than one score and it could spell doom for the UConn offense.


3. Get off the field on third down
The Huskies need to shutdown Pittsburgh on third down conversions. The Huskies hold opponents to a 33 percent conversion rate on third down, Pittsburgh converts over 38 percent of the time.

Friday pregame

I am off to a Christmas Party tonight. Tried to get Mrs. Silver to sit home and watch the MAC title game and it was a no go. I don't get it, out all dressed up and being fancy and sociable? Or the MAC Championship, Ball St.-Buffalo. I will tape it (love how the verb to tape it has developed into a word to include watching all recordings, even those recorded digitally)

The story isn't up on the JI website, but I had the chance to write about Dahna Deleston for Friday. Here are some thoughts on him that I didn't include in the story for length reasons and because they are just tidbits and don't really connect to the theme.

I was covering a lot of high school football when he was at East, so I got to know a lot of people in the area in regards to high school football. When Deleston was offered by UConn there were many who thought it was just a throw away give the local kid a scholarship. Deleston was a great offensive player in high school, but didn't translate at the college level. Safety isn't a position you look for in high school anyway. It's perhaps the most different position in college from high school there is. In high school, safeties just play deep and that's it. There is a tremendous amount of reads that go into playing safety at the college level. I give Dahna credit for that.

The first time I saw Deleston however was not on the football field, but the baseball field. I was in my first week at the JI and my first assignment was to cover an East Catholic-Plainville baseball game. I can't remember anything about the game, but I do remember a sophomore center fielder who looked like a tremendous prospect.

Several year's later I used to be the JI's beat writer for the NECBL Manchester Silkworms. I got to know some scouts and there was one veteran scout who I respected a lot. He was retired and was just doing some part-time work (side note, I spent 5 innings talking with this guy about a pitchers delivery once). We were talking one day and he asked whatever happened to the Deleston kid from East Hartford? Told him about football etc. and he gave a disappointed exhale. He said if Deleston wanted to play baseball he would have been a sure-fire pick 20 years ago if that was all he concentrated on. Kid had it all athletically, and if he worked as hard on baseball as football he would be playing professionally.

Dahna just liked football better. I talked to him about this last year and he

It also strikes me with how much different a person he is. During his freshman year I wrote a special section story on the local kids UConn signed -- Deleston and Windsor's Nollis Dewar. I was struck by both their demeanors. Deleston was shy and almost embarrassed to be talking to me. He was so quiet I could barely hear him on my tape recording. He said everything was a whirlwind and he was pretty much confused about everything. Dewar? He scowled at me an acted as if I was bothering him.

How did their careers end up?

I have to get going to the party so check back later. I have the keys to the game and more bowl thoughts. The Star Ledger says that Rutgers could take the International and in a switch, play in the Motor City against Ball St. Interesting. That would put UConn in the Papajohns.com against an at large or Sun Belt 7-5 team Arkansas St.

I don't want to criticize other teams, but Connecticut playing Arkansas St in football in Birmingham, Alabama four days after Christmas is just insane. I can't think of any positive for the Huskies except the extra practice.

Thursday ramblings

Came off UConn Buffalo to check in UofL vs. Louisville...49-0 first half? Any chance, no matter how remote, at the Sun Bowl is probably gone for Huskies (doubt it was ever in play. No UConn buzz).

Think back for a moment to the UConn-Rutgers game. If Dave Teggart was kicking, UConn wins at Rutgers easily and the Scarlet Knights probably go 4-8. Talk about awaking a monster. They were 1-5 when they played UConn. May get a Top 25 vote from me this week.

Good for the Scarlet Knights.

As far as a Thursday update, nothing interesting on this afternoons teleconference. Steve Brouse is going to play at tight end. That's about it. Brouse was missed blocking and of course as a pass catching target.

I do want to point out something that doesn't make sense to me about the Pittsburgh-UConn game. All the pundits I am reading, mostly national, have Pitt winning this game and going to the Sun Bowl. It's an almost universal acceptance. I wouldn't argue with that scenario, Pitt is Top 25 and has looked great in recent weeks. But, how come the line is UConn -2 1/2?

How do you rectify almost universal acceptance that Pitt is superior and going to win with a betting line that has UConn -2 1/2?

There is a cognitive dissonance here. That just doesn't make sense. To entice money on this game, UConn is favored? What do the pros know, that I don't? I know how betting lines work, they are built to try and get action on both sides to insure the house wins. Why does UConn need to be -2 1/2 to get money on Pitt?

The pros do not like Pittsburgh in this game, but the national pundits and everyone else loves Pitt. It's going to be interesting to see who is right. I was skeptical of the line, but last time I checked Vegas books are still in business, aren't they?

I read the NY Times blog on Tommy Tubberville's resignation and Randy Edsall was mentioned as a possible candidate for the opening at Auburn. I know, I laughed too. These things get out of control. I am surprised Edsall hasn't been mentioned as a member of Obama's cabinet. He has been connected to every other job in the universe.

Auburn is a job any coach in the Big East would have to listen too. I don't see it (why not Wake's Jim Grobe?), but if Edsall is offered Auburn, I will help him pack and drive him to the airport. That's a great job. You can win a national championship at Auburn.

Lastly, I haven't checked my email, but I was wondering if I was a candidate for the Syracuse job. What is going on up there? Everyone is a candidate, still no coach. How many interviews do you have before you hire someone? Edsall said no, Al Golden said no, Lane Kiffin interviewed and then got a better job. Either they are going to make a major run at Edsall Saturday night despite what Edsall has said, or they are shooting too high with their coach.

Skip Holtz would be a coup, but he could be in line for some other jobs that are bound to open if not this year, than definitely next. Wasn't the purpose of getting rid of Robinson early to actually beat everyone else to the punch and hire a coach? That seems to have backfired.

An established head coach isn't going to make the jump to Syracuse. Their best bet is to get a hot shot young assistant, or an NFL coordinator with college experience in the Northeast (cough, Mark Whipple).

Take care.

Tuesday presser

It was a surreal Tuesday presser. There was Randy Edsall waxing poetically about his seniors. There was an incredulous Edsall saying he has never talked to Quadry Ismail, Jim Brown, or Floyd Little about the Syracuse job.

Edsall is also in favor of a college football playoff (more than the plus 1), and he also wants nowhere near the St Pete Bowl (exams).

Then there is some news.



Running back Andre Dixon is suspended indefinitely by the team for a rules violation? The violation? Getting arrested.

Dixon was arrested on Tuesday morning, at 1:40 a.m. on North Eagleville Road for operating a motor vehicle vehicle under the influence. Dixon was also cited for following to close.

Here are the particulars: Dixon was following a police car too closely early Tuesday morning and the officer stopped him. The officer, suspecting intoxication, then asked Dixon to take a field sobriety test, which he failed.He was arrested and released on a $500 non-surety bond. He has a court date Dec. 15.

It's been a tough go for Dixon. A year ago he was a second team All-Big East selection a year ago and has been buried as Donald Brown has turned himself into the one of the top running backs in America. Dixon never got going this season after suffering an ankle injury prior to week one.

I am skeptical that Dixon will ever be back.

Other news items.

*Steve Brouse will return as the punt protector and tight end.

*C.J. Marck is joining Greg Lloyd on the personal issues front and is out for Saturday's game. Personal issues could be academic, or, it could be personal. That's the problem for being vague.

*19 seniors will be honored on Saturday. Among those will be safety Glenn Mourning and defensive back Terry Baltimore. Both of them have a year of eligibility left but have decided this was it.

Be back late, got to pay the bills.


Short update: Just looking at Bowl scenarios. A case could be made for the Sun if UConn wins Saturday and WVU loses to USF. I think in that scenario UConn may be the second highest ranked team. But, is the Sun even an option?

Take a look at their website. UConn isn't even one of the teams in the fan poll about 'Who you want to come to El Paso?'

Toronto or Birmingham most likely regardless what happens.

Monday chatter

First off, Randy Edsall on the Big East call said that Donald Brown will consider jumping to the NFL after this season.

This is the prudent thing to do (to explore it). Brown, a Kinsieology, major is close to graduating anyhow. He either needs one more semester, or at worst some summer classes. That's how UConn designs it. For example, Tyler Lorenzen has only one class this semester and will graduate in the winter. D.J. Hernandez graduated last spring (he is taking masters level classes).

So, in essence, the only reason for him to return to UConn is to take one class and play football.

Why should he explore it carefully? The shelf-life of a running back in the NFL is short, and considering the position Brown plays, he is one cut, or one roll-over from a defender from never playing again.Running backs get hurt all the time, and they are a dime a dozen.

The question for Brown is can he improve his draft stock at all by staying another year? I don't see Brown as a first round pick. He does strike me as a second or third round pick at running back.

If Brown is 1st or second round back, he probably should go. Third round, then you got to figure if the money is worth sacrificing another year.

What is clear, is he has options. He can graduate and go to the NFL and full fill his dreams. He can come back for one last go-around and absolutely shatter every UConn running mark. UConn is shaping up to be a pretty good team next year anyway.

Now, onto the BCS debacle.

Now, I am a firm proponent of the bowl system. Everyone is selfish about a playoff. A playoff will ruin every other bowl game that is played. It destroys the smaller conference football, and any other team that does not win is relegated to loserville.

What would UConn and Pitt be playing for this weekend? Why would Rutgers even care about getting to 7 wins? It's because each team has different goals. There are only 7-8 teams a year who can realistically think about winning a national title.

There are also logistical and practical reasons that a playoff won't work (Conference championships, neutral sites in multiple weeks for fanbase, sheer complication of football travel).

Still, the fact that Oklahoma is ahead of Texas in the BCS to me is mind-boggling. They play the same teams, and Oklahoma beat Texas Tech, which beat Texas, which beat Oklahoma. Was the Oklahoma win over Cincinnati the clincher? Probably.

It's just a mess. It's coin-flip, though I would pick Texas over Oklahoma on virtue of the neutral site victory (the truest result of the bunch).

Still, that's not what I see as the problem.

Here is the debacle.

What happens if Missouri upsets Oklahoma? Then Texas in the national title game by doing nothing? How is that fair to Alabama, which is No. 1 right now and has to play Florida (folks, the best team in the country).

The fact that Texas can get in with a loss by Oklahoma or Alabama strikes me as backwards. What happens if Florida beats Alabama, and Oklahoma wins? Then there is a chance it's Oklahoma-Texas.

I would imagine the computer will jump up Florida, but who knows?

Looming is USC and Penn St. I love USC and think they are the second best team in the country.
Here is my Top 10 I submitted this week.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Penn St.
7. Utah
8. Texas Tech
9. Boise St.
10. Ohio St.

If Florida wins the SEC championship, and doesn't get to the BCS game, I am strongly going to look at Florida, and even USC, as my No. 1 vote in the final poll. I will let the games play out, but I am not sure the BCS is going to give us the nations two top teams.

That's very frustrating.