I have been in a cocoon since the end of the NFL Draft, and I am now emerging from it. No, I won't fly away. I can't tell you how long college football season is. UConn football was non-stop from Aug. 1 through the NFL Draft and then some sideshows with Zach Frazer getting named QB and Scott Lutrus arrested (I still can't believe it).
Letting the Zach Frazer thing sink in the last two weeks and what struck me was that he and Jordan Todman were the only ones on the entire offense as starters. Why?
I don't know if that's good news or bad news. 9 "ors" on offense? That's either great depth or no one stood out. You choose which one you believe to be true. I like the offensive line. As for the WRs? Let's see this summer. Tight end may be a non-factor again this year.
Why name a starter at QB and virtually no other place? UConn couldn't go into camp with a QB battle, and Todman was just the better back. He is going to have a big season if he stays healthy.
The teams needed that QB stability for the summer. This is where the season will be won or lost. The QB and passing game has to get on track.
Here is some food for thought. Frazer won the job outright. He knew it, Cody Endres knew it and Randy Edsall knew it, though he did wait until a week after the spring to name a starter (way to drive ticket sales coach). This offense was made for Frazer and he is comfortable in it. Nearly identical to what he ran in high school. At what point since Frazer stepped on campus as a transfer was Cody Endres ever ahead of him?
Frazer won the backup job in August, only to suffer a concussion. That elevated Endres. The moment Frazer was ready to play he was the backup, and he played against Louisiville. Frazer then gets hurt again (a head injury/concussion). The team wasn't going send Frazer out there to maybe get his third concussion in two months so Endres started (and played well against Cincinati). When Tyler Lorenzen was lifted against Pittsburgh, who came in? Zach Frazer came on in relief and threw three interceptions in 4 passes. I have deleted that game and quarter from my memory.
In spring camp from the get go Frazer acted like the starter and played with the No. 1 team the entire camp. While it officially was a QB competition, I can't say that Frazer was ever down. I never got the feeling that Endres was going to start. I got that vibe back in January.
Frazer was particular about where he was going to transfer. Thi
As for Jordan Todman, he wants to be the feature guy. Last year, he toed the line and said things about how he wanted to help the team. It's hard to want to play when Donald brown is the man. But, Todman doesn't want to split carries. He wants to take them all.
Where does that leave Andre Dixon? There are some carries there as a backup, but he is going to have to fight Kelmetrus Wylie for carries. Wylie is a good back and showed some power between the tackles and speed to the outside. Third string entering summer camp has been a great launching point for UConn running backs.
Dixon's best bet may be as a receiver out of the backfield. Dixon was not utilized in the passing game in 2008 which to me is one of the great mysteries of the season. He was pretty good at it in 2007, so perhaps they can figure out a way to get some touches. Tha'ts all secondary stuff however.
The offense this season is going to start with Zach Frazer and Jordan Todman. The onus will be on them.
For the rest of the summer there are some things to watch out for. The bowl agreements are going to be negotiated. The agreements right now are awful. Whenever you tried to go to the Big East office and ask them to admit that the agreements were awful they would always mention that the negotiating position back four years ago was awful because of the ACC raid. No excuses this time.
If the Huskies go 9-3, in 2010, they can't end up in the St. Petersburg Bowl agaainst a 6-6 CUSA team.
As for 2009, the Big East is wide open. Look at the talent that everyone lost. Huskeis lost 4 four first day draft picks to the NFL and their starting QB. West Virginia and Pittsburgh lost major talent and Cincinnati's defense was hit hard. Rutgers is breaking in a new QB as are the Huskies. Syracuse is in a rebuilding stage and I don't know what happened at Louisville, place turned into a horror show.
South Florida anyone?
Be careful. They were the darlings the last two years only to disappoint.
