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Connecticut Huskies - 2008 Season Preview

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

It’s official: Connecticut is no longer just a basketball school. The Huskies, a team picked to finish near the bottom of the Big East in 2007, shared the title with West Virginia and went to a bowl game for the second time. However, this team still has a mountain to climb, literally: While the Huskies did share the conference crown with the Mountaineers, they also lost to them 66-21 and have been dominated in their history by WVU. So while UConn has more talent than it ever has since joining Division I, just getting to a bowl for a second straight season (for the first time) and closing the gap on West Virginia is a reasonable goal.

Coach: Randy Edsall (10th year, 50-55 overall)

2007 record: 9-4 (5-2 Big East), lost to Wake Forest in Meineke Car Care Bowl

Returning starters: 19 (offense: 9, defense: 8, kicker/punter: 2)

Top returnees: QB Tyler Lorenzen, TB Donald Brown, C Keith Gray, LT Will Beatty, S Dahna Deleston, CB Darius Butler, DE Cody Brown, TB Andre Dixon, LB Scott Lutrus, LB Lawrence Wilson

Key losses: WR Terence Jeffers, RG Donald Thomas, DT Dan Davis, LB Danny Lansanah, CB Tyvon Branch

2008 SCHEDULE

Aug. 28 Hofstra

Sept. 6 @ Temple

Sept. 13 Virginia

Sept. 19 Baylor

Sept. 26 @ Louisville

Oct. 4 @ North Carolina

Oct. 18 @ Rutgers

Oct. 25 Cincinnati

Nov. 1 West Virginia

Nov. 15 @ Syracuse

Nov. 22 @ South Florida

Dec. 6 Pittsburgh

Key game: Nov. 1 vs. West Virginia - WVU has defeated the Huskies in each of the last four seasons since UConn joined the Big East in football. The combined margin of victory is 179-64, including a 37-11 victory in the last game at UConn.

2008 OVERVIEW

Former JuCo All-American QB Tyler Lorenzen is back for the Huskies. The lefty completed 197-of-347 passes (57 percent) for 2,367 yards and 13 touchdowns with only six interceptions last year, and he rushed for 328 yards. However, UConn does need more than 185 passing yards a game it got in 2007. This year will be the first time UConn has had the same starting quarterback in consecutive seasons since Dan Orlovsky departed in 2004.

UConn is very solid at running back. Donald Brown gained 896 yards (5.6 per carry) and scored seven touchdowns in becoming the only freshman in the conference to earn postseason all-star accolades (second team). Also back is Andre Dixon, who gained 828 yards (5.0 per carry) and also earned second-team all-conference honors. Dixon also lit a fire under Brown, who was languishing in the early part of the season.

Last year’s leading receiver, Terence Jeffers, surprisingly transferred. Two of the top returners — Brad Kanuch and D.J. Hernandez — missed virtually the entire spring with injuries. UConn hopes Ellis Gaulden, a two-time Big East high jump champ, can stay healthy. In addition, CB Darius Butler played both ways during the spring, and he is expected to get about 10 to 15 snaps per game at receiver. He caught a game-winning 27-yard touchdown pass in the spring game.

On the offensive line, UConn brings nearly everyone back other than guard Donald Thomas, who was a first-team All-Big East performer last year. This unit is so deep that two players who combined for 20 starts in 2007 — guard Alex LaMagdelaine and tackle Mike Hicks — could begin the 2008 season as reserves.

The defensive line is much like the O-Line in its depth. UConn used an eight-man rotation last year, so plenty of players got experience. Three starters return in ends Cody Brown (7.5 sacks) and Julius Williams (8.5 sacks) along with tackle Rob Lunn. Brown is the star of the group, leading all UConn defensive linemen in tackles (50) and the team in tackles for loss (16.5). UConn did lose top recruit Jarrell Miller, who was expected to compete for a defensive tackle starting spot. The redshirt freshman suddenly left school for personal reasons.

At linebacker, the Huskies lose All-Big East performer Danny Lansanah but Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson are back. Lutrus will move inside to replace Lansanah and started all 13 games at strong-side linebacker as a rookie, made 107 tackles, intercepted four passes and was chosen a first-team freshman All-American. Wilson started all 13 games on the weak side, finished second on the team with 113 tackles and earned second-team freshman All-America honors.

 

Dahna Deleston, who started all 13 games at safety last season and finished fourth on the team with 103 tackles, has been moved to linebacker. The anchor in the defensive backfield is Butler, a lockdown cornerback when he’s not playing receiver. He was second on the team with seven breakups, intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles last year. Robert Vaughn returns at free safety, while Kijuan Dabney replaces Deleston at strong safety. Junior Robert McClain and sophomore Jasper Howard are battling for the other starting cornerback spot. UConn finished 10th in the nation last year in pass efficiency defense, so the pressure is on this group to repeat that.

Overall, UConn is a program on the rise, and it was able to sign Edsall to a contract extension, which is a big coup. The Huskies are strong at QB and RB but need to find some receiving threats. Edsall has been focusing on adding speed to a defense that excelled last year other than in the West Virginia game. Does this team have more experience and talent than last year’s nine-win club? Yes. However, eight wins with this schedule and another bowl would be considered a success.

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