2010 Connecticut Huskies football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Connecticut Huskies
football team represented the University of Connecticut
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
as a member of the Big East Conference
. The team was coached by Randy Edsall
and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut
. The Huskies finished 8–5, 5–2 in Big East play to share the conference title with Pittsburgh
and West Virginia
. Due to victories over both schools, the Huskies earned the Big East's automatic bid to a BCS
game, and were invited to the Fiesta Bowl
where they were defeated by Big 12
champion Oklahoma
20–48. It was the first major-bowl appearance in the program's 115-year history.
team finished with a record of 8–5, 3–4 in Big East
play and won the PapaJohns.com Bowl
20–7 against South Carolina
.
s coach, Dave McMichael left to accept the same position at West Virginia
, and defensive back
s coach, Scott Lakatos, left for the same position at Georgia
.
On February 4, UConn announced that Jon Wholley would return to the coaching staff as the tight ends coach, and Darrell Perkins would assume the defensive backs coaching position.
and Robert McClain
were drafted into the NFL. In addition to the graduation losses, quarterback Casey Turner, and offensive linemen Scott Schultz and Zac Zielinski, all backups, transferred out of UConn. On July 1, Randy Edsall announced that safety, Marcus Aiken had been dismissed from the University for academic reasons, and that wide receiver
, Malik Generett was ineligible for the 2010 season, also for academic reasons. Generett remained enrolled at the university and could practice with the team, but is not able to play in games.
On July 9, former USC fullback
, D.J. Shoemate announced that he was transferring to UConn from the scandal-plagued Trojan program, which earned a two-year postseason ban. Due to an NCAA ruling that states any USC junior or senior can transfer without sitting out for a year, Shoemate will be eligible to play in 2010.
announced that 20 student-athletes had signed a National Letter of Intent
to attend Connecticut. Four; Jonathan Louis, Greg McKee, Andrew Opoku and Gilbert St. Louis; entered school in January to participate in spring practice. In addition to the 20 high school student athletes, two members from the 2009 recruiting class; Leon Kinnard and Michael Osiecki, also enrolled in school in January.
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
:
Lombardi Award
:
Outland Trophy
:
Rimington Trophy:
Bednarik Award:
Maxwell Award
:
Butkus Award:
John Mackey Award
:
Doak Walker Award
:
. This was the largest crowd ever to attend a college football game.
The first quarter was all Michigan. First a 12 yard touchdown run by Vincent Smith
. A few minutes later came a 32 yard TD run by quarterback Denard Robinson
. Michigan started the second quarter with another touchdown, this time with a 3 yard run by Michael Shaw
. The only scoring by Connecticut came in the second quarter: first a 32 yard field goal by Dave Teggert, and later a 2 yard run by Jordan Todman. In the third quarter Michigan's only points was a 24 yard field goal by Brendan Gibbons. In the fourth quarter Michigan's Vincent Smith ran in another touchdown, this time from 11 yards out. The extra point attempt was no good, however. Robinson ran for 197 yards, setting a school record for a quarterback.
Series: Michigan leads 1–0
After the victory, game balls were awarded to Jordan Todman (offense), Lawrence Wilson (defense) and Anthony Sherman (special teams).
Series: Connecticut leads 1–0
as the Huskies lost to the Owls 30–16. Bernard Pierce
ran for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Owls to their first victory over Connecticut since 2002.
Despite outgaining Temple by over 100 yards in the first half, UConn could only muster two field goals
, and trailed at halftime, 7–6. Todman scored the Huskies only touchdown on the opening series of the second half, when he ran 63 yards for the score. Temple answered with a touchdown scoring of their own, when Pierce scored from one yard out. David Teggart gave the lead back to the Huskies, with a 47 yard field goal late in the third quarter.
With a 16–14 lead, Todman, who earlier briefly left the game with an injured elbow, was stripped by Adrian Robinson
while fighting for extra yards. Robinson returned the fumble for a touchdown. After a Huskies three-and-out series, Temple's Delano Green returned the ensuing punt
to the Huskies two yard line. Pierce later scored his third touchdown. The Owls added a late field goal to make the final score 30–16.
After the game, Todman was named to the Big East Conference's weekly honor roll.
Series: Temple leads 8–4
. The Huskies started the scoring early when Jerome Junior intercepted a pass by Bulls quarterback Jerry Davis for a touchdown. D.J. Shoemate, who started for the injured Jordan Todman, would later add a first quarter touchdown and a 14–0 UConn lead. Buffalo responded by scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter, both on passes from Davis to Ed Young, and the score was tied 14–14 at halftime.
Cody Endres, in his first game back from suspension, replaced UConn's starting quarterback, Zach Frazer, in the second half, and led the Huskies to two quick scores, including a 56-yard touchdown pass to Michael Smith. Robbie Frey, who replaced Shoemate late in the first half, added a touchdown, and finished with 112 rushing yards on 13 carries. Endres threw a second touchdown pass and finished with 139 passing yards while completing 7 of his 11 passing attempts. Blidi Wreh-Wilson completed the scoring for Connecticut when he returned an intercepted pass 46 yards for a touchdown.
Sio Moore, who was making his first career start, had 16 tackles and an interception, and was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week. Robbie Frey was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Game balls: Robbie Frey (offense), Jerome Junior (defense) and Anthony Sherman (special teams)
Series: Connecticut leads 14–4
The Huskies took the lead when they scored on the opening drive of the second half with a touchdown pass from Endres to Corey Manning. It was Manning's first reception and touchdown of his career. UConn would add a field goal and a defensive touchdown from Blidi Wreh-Wilson later in the second half. Wreh-Wilson's interception return for a touchdown was his second in as many weeks. Late in the game, Vanderbilt snapped the ball through the end zone for a safety to make the final score, 40–21. It was Connecticut's second win ever against an opponent from the SEC
.
Wreh-Wilson, who also recovered a fumble
in addition to his interception and touchdown, was named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Week. Todman was named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Tied 1–1
threw for 322 yards and led Rutgers to 10 fourth quarter points as the Scarlet Knights defeated UConn, 27-24. The Huskies led by 7 with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game when Dodd completed a 52 yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Deering to tie the game. San San Te later kicked the game winning field goal with 13 seconds left in the game.
Jordan Todman led the Huskies with 123 yards rushing, including a 66 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The run was a career long for Todman. Quarterback Cody Endres made his second consecutive start, and threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. Nick Williams scored his first career touchdown when he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Series: Rutgers leads 21−9
week of the season to play the Cardinals. During the week off, two starters were lost from the team when offensive guard
, Erik Kuraczea withdrew from the university, and quarterback
, Cody Endres was suspended for the remainder of the season. Head coach Randy Edsall
later announced that Endres would not return to the team for his senior season in 2011. Endres's suspension meant that freshman
, Mike Box would make his first career start. He would only complete 4 of 12 passes for 35 yards, and would eventually leave the game with a concussion.
Louisville scored 13 points in each half and was led by Bilal Powell
, who had 105 yards rushing. They earned two touchdowns, one on a pass from Adam Froman to Cameron in the first quarter, and the second on a 75 yard punt return from Doug Beaumont. Kicker
Chris Philpott added 4 field goals. The Huskies were led by 80 rushing yards from Jordan Todman. Their only venture into the red zone resulted in a missed field goal by Dave Teggart.
It was the first time UConn was shut out
since November 2005, when they lost at Pittsburgh
, 24-0.
Series: Louisville leads 4–3
s, including one by Ryan Clarke in overtime.
West Virginia scored first when wide receiver
Brad Starks took an end-around
handoff 53 yards for a touchdown just under 5 minutes into the game. Kicker Tyler Bitancurt added a 43-yard field goal to make the score 10−0 at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies did not gain a first down until the second quarter, and punted
on each of their first 6 possessions. However, Zach Frazer, who started in place of an injured Mike Box, led them on a 12 play, 63 yard drive, culminating with a 39 yard field goal from Dave Teggart to end the first half. It was the first point that they had scored in nearly 8 quarters.
West Virginia opened the second half with a drive to UConn's 26 yard line, before they were stopped on fourth down. Todman scored on a 24 yard run on the ensuing drive, making the score 10−10. Tyler Bitancurt added a 42 yard field goal to give the Mountaineers a 13−10 lead at the end of the third quarter. Following a Huskies punt, West Virginia drove into UConn territory when Sio Moore forced Geno Smith
to fumble. Lawrence Wilson recovered the ball for UConn. The next play after the turnover, Frazer completed a 40 yard pass to Kashif Moore to put the ball at the West Virginia 15 yard line. Teggart later kicked a 26 yard field goal to tie the score at 13. The score remained 13−13 until the end of regulation.
In overtime, UConn won the coin toss and elected to play defense on the first possession. West Virginia moved the ball to the one yard line when Clarke fumbled and Wilson recovered for the Huskies. With the Mountaineers failing to score a point on their possession, the Huskies would only need to kick a field goal to win the game. UConn took the ball at West Virginia's 25 yard line, and Todman ran 4 times for 16 yards before Teggart kicked the game winning 27 yard field goal.
In the week following the game, UConn swept the Big East weekly honors when Jordan Todman was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week, Sio Moore won the Defensive award, and Dave Teggart, the Special Teams honoree. Moore, who had 17 tackles, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles, was also awarded the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.
Series: West Virginia leads 6−1
. UConn scored on the ensuing drive on a 36 yard pass from Frazer to Kashif Moore to tie the game at 7. Dave Teggart added 2 field goals to give the Huskies a 13–7 lead in the third quarter.
Later in the third quarter, Pittsburgh was able to get its offense going when Tino Sunseri completed a 42 yard pass to Jon Baldwin
. The Panthers scored on the drive with a one yard run from Lewis. After a Connecticut punt, Pitt extended its lead to 21–13 on a Ray Graham touchdown run. Nick Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to make the score 21—20 at the end of the third quarter. It was Williams' second kick-off return for a touchdown of the year.
After trading punts to begin the fourth quarter, the Huskies took a 23–21 lead on a 25 yard field goal from Teggart. Robbie Frey recovered a Graham fumble on the following kick-off for the Huskies. Two plays later, Frazer threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Isiah Moore to extend the lead to 30—21. Pitt scored on their next possession when they went 70 yards in only 1 minute and 50 seconds on a 20 yard touchdown catch by Baldwin. UConn got the ball back at their ten yard line and 4:29 left in the game. With 2:50 left in the game, and the ball on their own 19 yard line, the Huskies faced a fourth down with one yard to gain. Instead of punting the ball back to Pitt, they handed the ball to Todman, who gained 4 yards and the first down. If they had failed to get the first down, Pittsburgh would have been given the ball within range to kick a go ahead field goal. Todman gained 41 yards on the final drive, and the Huskies ran the remaining time off the clock to give them a 30–28 victory.
Lawrence Wilson had 11 tackles and a sack, and was named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Week. Todman was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Connecticut leads 4−3
, there were some in the Syracuse organization who felt that UConn had run up the score on the Orange the previous year, possibly adding motivation to the game. A win for the Huskies would make them bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season, while a loss would eliminate them from a chance to win the Big East Conference.
Connecticut scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game on a one yard run by Jordan Todman. Syracuse responded on the next drive with a 42 yard field goal from Ross Krautman to make the score 7–3. Later in the first half, following a Huskies interception by Kendall Reyes
, Dave Teggart kicked a 35 yard field goal to make the score at half-time, 10–3.
Syracuse scored first in the second half with a second field goal from Krautman. Connecticut went three and out on the next drive and punted the ball back to Syracuse. After a couple of short runs by Delone Carter
, Reyes sacked quarterback Ryan Nassib
on the Orange 8 yard line, forcing him to fumble. UConn's Trevardo Williams recovered the fumble at the 4 yard line. Todman scored a touchdown on the following play to extend the Huskies lead to 17–6. Teggart added two fourth quarter field goals to make the final score 23–6.
Todman finished the game with 130 rushing yards to go with his two touchdowns. Both he and Reyes were named to the Big East Conference's weekly honor roll.
After the victory, game balls were given to Todman on offense, Reyes on defense and Cole Wagner for special teams.
Series: Connecticut leads 5–2
The Huskies opened the scoring when Zach Frazer threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Anthony Sherman. It was the first career touchdown for Sherman, who, as a senior, was playing in his last home game. Cincinnati's Jacob Rogers kicked a field goal to make the score 7–3 at the end of the first quarter. UConn extended their lead to 14–3 on a Robbie Frey touchdown, which followed a fumble by Cincinnati running back, Isiah Pead. The Bearcats responded with a 78 yard drive that ended with a touchdown catch by Armon Binns
. Following a Dave Teggart field goal to make the score 17–10, the Bearcats drove into the Huskies red zone with less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half. A touchdown would have tied the score at halftime, however, for the second consecutive week, Kendall Reyes intercepted a deflected pass. This time, he returned it for an apparent touchdown. The score was called back due to an illegal block in the back penalty against UConn's Lawrence Wilson. The Huskies kept possession, and were given the ball at Cincinnati's 15 yard line. Five plays later, Jordan Todman scored a touchdown to make the score at halftime 24–10.
After a scoreless third quarter, Cincinnati scored a touchdown on a run by Zach Collaros
to make the score 24–17. Robbie Frey returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cincinnati 36 yard line. Five plays later, Todman scored his second touchdown to extend the lead to 31–17. Collaros threw an interception to Blidi Wreh-Wilson on the next possession, and Wreh-Wilson returned it to the Bearcats 14 yard line. Todman added his third touchdown to make the final score 38–17. In all, the Huskies intercepted four Collaros passes.
Todman rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and was named the Big East Player of the Week for the second time. Kendall Reyes was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Cincinnati leads 5–2
bowl bid.
South Florida opened the scoring with a 42 yard field goal from Maikon Bonani on their first possession of the game. UConn tied the game on their next possession with a 40 yard field goal from Dave Teggart. The teams traded punts for most of the remainder of the first half until South Florida's Jon Legiste intercepted a Zach Frazer pass at the Bulls seven yard line. Legiste returned the interception to the South Florida 49 yard line. On the next play, Bulls quarterback Bobby Eveld, who was making his first career start in place of an injured B.J. Daniels
, was intercepted by UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson. Wilson, who caught the ball off of a deflection
, returned the interception for a touchdown and giving the Huskies a 10–3 lead at halftime.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter to make the score 13–6 going into the fourth quarter. Teggart opened the fourth quarter with a 50 yard field goal to give UConn a 16–6 lead. The field goal was the longest of his career to that point. Later in the quarter, South Florida recovered a Jordan Todman fumble at the Huskies 30 yard line. Two plays later, Eveld threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Dontavia Bogan to cut the Huskies' lead to 16–13. Later in the fourth quarter, the Bulls drove the field to the Huskies 5 yard line with under 2 minutes in the game. They were unable to score a touchdown, but Bonani kicked his third field goal of the game to tie the game at 16 with 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. Robbie Frey returned the following kickoff to the Huskies 40 yard line. Zach Frazer then threw completions to Kashif Moore and Michael Smith to set up Teggart to kick the game winning 52 yard field goal with only 17 seconds left in the game. A last second hail mary pass
by the Bulls was knocked down, giving the Huskies a 19–16 victory.
With the victory, Connecticut clinched a spot in a BCS bowl game. The following day, it was announced that they would play in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl
against the Big 12
champion Oklahoma Sooners
.
Dave Teggart, who successfully made 4 field goals in 4 attempts, including 2 of over 50 yards, was named the Big East Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week. Linebacker Lawrence Wilson was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Tied 4–4
draft
.
On January 2, reports surfaced that head coach Randy Edsall did not accompany the team on the chartered flight from Phoenix back to Hartford, instead flying to Baltimore
to interview for the vacant Maryland
head coaching position. Later that day, Maryland issued a press release stating that they had hired Edsall to replace Ralph Friedgen
as head coach.
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
football team represented the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
as a member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. The team was coached by Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,252 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. The Huskies finished 8–5, 5–2 in Big East play to share the conference title with Pittsburgh
2010 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
-Rankings:The Panthers debuted at #15 in the preseason Coaches' Poll. and in the preseason Associated Press Poll.Sports Illustrated ranked Pitt #16 in the annual College Football Preview issue on August 16, 2010....
and West Virginia
2010 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2010 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2010. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. They were members of the Big East...
. Due to victories over both schools, the Huskies earned the Big East's automatic bid to a BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
game, and were invited to the Fiesta Bowl
2011 Fiesta Bowl
The 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game played as part of the 2011 Bowl Championship Series of the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
where they were defeated by Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
champion Oklahoma
2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
20–48. It was the first major-bowl appearance in the program's 115-year history.
Previous season
The 20092009 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2009 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
team finished with a record of 8–5, 3–4 in Big East
2009 Big East Conference football season
The 2009 Big East football season was an NCAA football season that was played from September 5, 2009, to January 2, 2010. The Big East Conference consists of 8 football members: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, and West Virginia...
play and won the PapaJohns.com Bowl
2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl
The 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies of the Big East Conference and the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference , on January 2, 2010 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama...
20–7 against South Carolina
2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in...
.
Coaching changes
Connecticut lost two assistant coaches in January, when the tight endTight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s coach, Dave McMichael left to accept the same position at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
, and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
s coach, Scott Lakatos, left for the same position at Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
.
On February 4, UConn announced that Jon Wholley would return to the coaching staff as the tight ends coach, and Darrell Perkins would assume the defensive backs coaching position.
Roster changes
The Huskies lost eight starters from the 2009 team to graduation. Among them, Marcus EasleyMarcus Easley
Marcus Landon Easley is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 107th selection.-College career:...
and Robert McClain
Robert McClain
Robert "Reggie" McClain is a 7th round draft pick with the Carolina Panthers. He was a cornerback, punt returner, and kick returner with the University of Connecticut Huskies....
were drafted into the NFL. In addition to the graduation losses, quarterback Casey Turner, and offensive linemen Scott Schultz and Zac Zielinski, all backups, transferred out of UConn. On July 1, Randy Edsall announced that safety, Marcus Aiken had been dismissed from the University for academic reasons, and that wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, Malik Generett was ineligible for the 2010 season, also for academic reasons. Generett remained enrolled at the university and could practice with the team, but is not able to play in games.
On July 9, former USC fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, D.J. Shoemate announced that he was transferring to UConn from the scandal-plagued Trojan program, which earned a two-year postseason ban. Due to an NCAA ruling that states any USC junior or senior can transfer without sitting out for a year, Shoemate will be eligible to play in 2010.
Recruiting
On February 3, 2010, Randy EdsallRandy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
announced that 20 student-athletes had signed a National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
to attend Connecticut. Four; Jonathan Louis, Greg McKee, Andrew Opoku and Gilbert St. Louis; entered school in January to participate in spring practice. In addition to the 20 high school student athletes, two members from the 2009 recruiting class; Leon Kinnard and Michael Osiecki, also enrolled in school in January.
Awards Watchlists
The players listed below have been named to the following preseason award watch lists.Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
:
- Zach Frazer
Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
:
- Lawrence Wilson
Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
:
- Zach Hurd
Rimington Trophy:
- Moe Petrus
Bednarik Award:
- Lawrence Wilson
Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
:
- Jordan Todman
Butkus Award:
- Greg Lloyd
- Scott Lutrus
- Lawrence Wilson
John Mackey Award
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
:
- Ryan Griffin
Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
:
- Jordan Todman
Schedule
Roster
| 2010 Connecticut Huskies roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Tailbacks
Fullbacks
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
 Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Lawrence Wilson Lawrence Jamel Wilson is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. He finished his collegiate career second in tackles all-time for the Huskies. In both his junior and senior seasons, he led the Big East in tackles and was selected to the All-Big East First Team. He finished... , RS Sr Scott Lutrus -Jacksonville Jaguars:Lutrus was projected to go as high as the fifth round in the 2011 NFL Draft, but ended up being undrafted, and he was considered one of the top undrafted players available. After the 2011 NFL lockout ended, Lutrus was quickly signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a middle... , RS Sr  Defensive Backs
Kickers
|
Coaching staff
Randy Edsall Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to... , Head Coach Classes Key: Fr – Freshman; first year player. So Sophomore Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a... – Sophomore; second year player. Jr Junior (education) "Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman... – Junior; third year player. Sr Senior (education) Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:... – Senior; fourth year player. Bold – Team captain Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... . Italics – Left team during the season. RS Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility... – Previously used a redshirt Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility... . 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for... . Roster |
|||
Michigan
Recap: Connecticut opened the season on the road against the Michigan Wolverines in the first meeting between the two schools. Even though Connecticut is a newcomer to the FBS, the Huskies proved themselves to be one of the biggest draws in college football by attracting an attendance of 113,090 to Michigan StadiumMichigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
. This was the largest crowd ever to attend a college football game.
The first quarter was all Michigan. First a 12 yard touchdown run by Vincent Smith
Vincent Smith (American football)
Vincent Smith is an American football running back and return specialist, who is currently playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team.-Early years:...
. A few minutes later came a 32 yard TD run by quarterback Denard Robinson
Denard Robinson
Denard Xavier Robinson , nicknamed Shoelace, is an American football player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. He started at quarterback in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 2010...
. Michigan started the second quarter with another touchdown, this time with a 3 yard run by Michael Shaw
Michael Shaw (American football)
Michael Shaw is an American football running back for the Michigan Wolverines football team.Shaw was raised and played high school football in Trotwood, Ohio. He played high school football with Roy Roundtree at Trotwood-Madison High School where his coach was longtime National Football League...
. The only scoring by Connecticut came in the second quarter: first a 32 yard field goal by Dave Teggert, and later a 2 yard run by Jordan Todman. In the third quarter Michigan's only points was a 24 yard field goal by Brendan Gibbons. In the fourth quarter Michigan's Vincent Smith ran in another touchdown, this time from 11 yards out. The extra point attempt was no good, however. Robinson ran for 197 yards, setting a school record for a quarterback.
Series: Michigan leads 1–0
Texas Southern
Recap: Jordan Todman rushed for 151 yards on 15 carries and 3 touchdowns, all in the first half, as Connecticut dominated an overmatched Texas Southern team, 62–3. Robbie Frey also eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark with 101 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns. It was the first time the Huskies produced two 100 yard rushers in the same game since November 21, 2009 against Notre Dame. The 59 point margin of victory tied the largest for UConn in their FBS era. The 62 points scored is a Rentschler Field record, and the second most tallied in UConn's FBS years.After the victory, game balls were awarded to Jordan Todman (offense), Lawrence Wilson (defense) and Anthony Sherman (special teams).
Series: Connecticut leads 1–0
Temple
Recap: Jordan Todman rushed for a career high 192 yards, but had a costly fourth quarter fumble that led to Temple's go-ahead touchdownTouchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
as the Huskies lost to the Owls 30–16. Bernard Pierce
Bernard Pierce
Bernard Pierce is an American football running back with the Temple Owls football team.-2009:In 2009, Pierce won the Mid-American Conference freshman of the year award after rushing for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns.-2010:...
ran for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Owls to their first victory over Connecticut since 2002.
Despite outgaining Temple by over 100 yards in the first half, UConn could only muster two field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, and trailed at halftime, 7–6. Todman scored the Huskies only touchdown on the opening series of the second half, when he ran 63 yards for the score. Temple answered with a touchdown scoring of their own, when Pierce scored from one yard out. David Teggart gave the lead back to the Huskies, with a 47 yard field goal late in the third quarter.
With a 16–14 lead, Todman, who earlier briefly left the game with an injured elbow, was stripped by Adrian Robinson
Adrian Robinson
Adrian Robinson, Jr. is an American football defensive end for Temple University. The 2010 season will be Robinson's junior year. Robinson is originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he attended Harrisburg High School....
while fighting for extra yards. Robinson returned the fumble for a touchdown. After a Huskies three-and-out series, Temple's Delano Green returned the ensuing punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
to the Huskies two yard line. Pierce later scored his third touchdown. The Owls added a late field goal to make the final score 30–16.
After the game, Todman was named to the Big East Conference's weekly honor roll.
Series: Temple leads 8–4
Buffalo
Recap: Connecticut returned home to face the University at Buffalo Bulls. It was the first time the teams met since the 2009 International Bowl2009 International Bowl
The 2009 International Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Buffalo Bulls at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 3, 2009. The game was the final contest of the 2008 NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision football...
. The Huskies started the scoring early when Jerome Junior intercepted a pass by Bulls quarterback Jerry Davis for a touchdown. D.J. Shoemate, who started for the injured Jordan Todman, would later add a first quarter touchdown and a 14–0 UConn lead. Buffalo responded by scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter, both on passes from Davis to Ed Young, and the score was tied 14–14 at halftime.
Cody Endres, in his first game back from suspension, replaced UConn's starting quarterback, Zach Frazer, in the second half, and led the Huskies to two quick scores, including a 56-yard touchdown pass to Michael Smith. Robbie Frey, who replaced Shoemate late in the first half, added a touchdown, and finished with 112 rushing yards on 13 carries. Endres threw a second touchdown pass and finished with 139 passing yards while completing 7 of his 11 passing attempts. Blidi Wreh-Wilson completed the scoring for Connecticut when he returned an intercepted pass 46 yards for a touchdown.
Sio Moore, who was making his first career start, had 16 tackles and an interception, and was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week. Robbie Frey was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Game balls: Robbie Frey (offense), Jerome Junior (defense) and Anthony Sherman (special teams)
Series: Connecticut leads 14–4
Vanderbilt
Recap: Jordan Todman rushed for 190 yards and scored 2 touchdowns as Connecticut defeated Vanderbilt, 40–21. Both of Todman's touchdowns were in the first half when the Huskies took a 14–0 lead. Vanderbilt scored game's next three touchdowns, all in the span of 3 minutes and 38 seconds to take a 21–14 lead late in the first half. Cody Endres, making his first start of the year, threw a touchdown pass to Kashif Moore to tie the game at 21 going into halftime.The Huskies took the lead when they scored on the opening drive of the second half with a touchdown pass from Endres to Corey Manning. It was Manning's first reception and touchdown of his career. UConn would add a field goal and a defensive touchdown from Blidi Wreh-Wilson later in the second half. Wreh-Wilson's interception return for a touchdown was his second in as many weeks. Late in the game, Vanderbilt snapped the ball through the end zone for a safety to make the final score, 40–21. It was Connecticut's second win ever against an opponent from the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
Wreh-Wilson, who also recovered a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
in addition to his interception and touchdown, was named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Week. Todman was named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Tied 1–1
Rutgers
Recap: Chas DoddChas Dodd
Chas Dodd is an American football player for the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights. After winning two state championships in high school, he was the starting quarterback for Rutgers as a true freshman.-High school:...
threw for 322 yards and led Rutgers to 10 fourth quarter points as the Scarlet Knights defeated UConn, 27-24. The Huskies led by 7 with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game when Dodd completed a 52 yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Deering to tie the game. San San Te later kicked the game winning field goal with 13 seconds left in the game.
Jordan Todman led the Huskies with 123 yards rushing, including a 66 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The run was a career long for Todman. Quarterback Cody Endres made his second consecutive start, and threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. Nick Williams scored his first career touchdown when he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Series: Rutgers leads 21−9
Louisville
Recap: The Huskies travelled to Louisville after their first byeBye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
week of the season to play the Cardinals. During the week off, two starters were lost from the team when offensive guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, Erik Kuraczea withdrew from the university, and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Cody Endres was suspended for the remainder of the season. Head coach Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
later announced that Endres would not return to the team for his senior season in 2011. Endres's suspension meant that freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
, Mike Box would make his first career start. He would only complete 4 of 12 passes for 35 yards, and would eventually leave the game with a concussion.
Louisville scored 13 points in each half and was led by Bilal Powell
Bilal Powell
-New York Jets:Powell was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round with the 126th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Powell made his professional debut on November 17, 2011 against the Denver Broncos.-External links:** UofLSports.com...
, who had 105 yards rushing. They earned two touchdowns, one on a pass from Adam Froman to Cameron in the first quarter, and the second on a 75 yard punt return from Doug Beaumont. Kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Chris Philpott added 4 field goals. The Huskies were led by 80 rushing yards from Jordan Todman. Their only venture into the red zone resulted in a missed field goal by Dave Teggart.
It was the first time UConn was shut out
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
since November 2005, when they lost at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, 24-0.
Series: Louisville leads 4–3
West Virginia
Recap: Jordan Todman had a career high 33 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown as UConn earned its first victory ever over West Virginia. Despite being outgained, 414−278, the Huskies were beneficiaries of 4 Mountaineer lost fumbleFumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, including one by Ryan Clarke in overtime.
West Virginia scored first when wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Brad Starks took an end-around
End-around
The end-around is a play in American football in which a wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in...
handoff 53 yards for a touchdown just under 5 minutes into the game. Kicker Tyler Bitancurt added a 43-yard field goal to make the score 10−0 at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies did not gain a first down until the second quarter, and punted
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
on each of their first 6 possessions. However, Zach Frazer, who started in place of an injured Mike Box, led them on a 12 play, 63 yard drive, culminating with a 39 yard field goal from Dave Teggart to end the first half. It was the first point that they had scored in nearly 8 quarters.
West Virginia opened the second half with a drive to UConn's 26 yard line, before they were stopped on fourth down. Todman scored on a 24 yard run on the ensuing drive, making the score 10−10. Tyler Bitancurt added a 42 yard field goal to give the Mountaineers a 13−10 lead at the end of the third quarter. Following a Huskies punt, West Virginia drove into UConn territory when Sio Moore forced Geno Smith
Geno Smith
Eugene "Geno" Smith is an American football quarterback. He currently plays for the West Virginia Mountaineers in his junior year...
to fumble. Lawrence Wilson recovered the ball for UConn. The next play after the turnover, Frazer completed a 40 yard pass to Kashif Moore to put the ball at the West Virginia 15 yard line. Teggart later kicked a 26 yard field goal to tie the score at 13. The score remained 13−13 until the end of regulation.
In overtime, UConn won the coin toss and elected to play defense on the first possession. West Virginia moved the ball to the one yard line when Clarke fumbled and Wilson recovered for the Huskies. With the Mountaineers failing to score a point on their possession, the Huskies would only need to kick a field goal to win the game. UConn took the ball at West Virginia's 25 yard line, and Todman ran 4 times for 16 yards before Teggart kicked the game winning 27 yard field goal.
In the week following the game, UConn swept the Big East weekly honors when Jordan Todman was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week, Sio Moore won the Defensive award, and Dave Teggart, the Special Teams honoree. Moore, who had 17 tackles, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles, was also awarded the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.
Series: West Virginia leads 6−1
Pittsburgh
Recap: Jordan Todman set new career highs with 222 yards rushing on 37 carries as the Huskies defeated Pittsburgh 30–28. Zach Frazer made his second consecutive start and completed 9 of 20 passes for 100 yards. He threw an interception on the first play of the game, and Pittsburgh responded with a 4 yard touchdown run by Dion LewisDion Lewis
Dion John Lewis is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft...
. UConn scored on the ensuing drive on a 36 yard pass from Frazer to Kashif Moore to tie the game at 7. Dave Teggart added 2 field goals to give the Huskies a 13–7 lead in the third quarter.
Later in the third quarter, Pittsburgh was able to get its offense going when Tino Sunseri completed a 42 yard pass to Jon Baldwin
Jonathan Baldwin
Jonathan Dupree Baldwin is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs.-College career:Baldwin played for the University of Pittsburgh...
. The Panthers scored on the drive with a one yard run from Lewis. After a Connecticut punt, Pitt extended its lead to 21–13 on a Ray Graham touchdown run. Nick Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to make the score 21—20 at the end of the third quarter. It was Williams' second kick-off return for a touchdown of the year.
After trading punts to begin the fourth quarter, the Huskies took a 23–21 lead on a 25 yard field goal from Teggart. Robbie Frey recovered a Graham fumble on the following kick-off for the Huskies. Two plays later, Frazer threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Isiah Moore to extend the lead to 30—21. Pitt scored on their next possession when they went 70 yards in only 1 minute and 50 seconds on a 20 yard touchdown catch by Baldwin. UConn got the ball back at their ten yard line and 4:29 left in the game. With 2:50 left in the game, and the ball on their own 19 yard line, the Huskies faced a fourth down with one yard to gain. Instead of punting the ball back to Pitt, they handed the ball to Todman, who gained 4 yards and the first down. If they had failed to get the first down, Pittsburgh would have been given the ball within range to kick a go ahead field goal. Todman gained 41 yards on the final drive, and the Huskies ran the remaining time off the clock to give them a 30–28 victory.
Lawrence Wilson had 11 tackles and a sack, and was named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Week. Todman was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Connecticut leads 4−3
Syracuse
Recap: Connecticut then travelled to upstate New York to take on the Syracuse Orange. Coming into the game, the Huskies had defeated the Orange on 3 straight occasions. Syracuse entered the game with a victory over Rutgers which made the Orange bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. Although refuted by coach, Doug MarroneDoug Marrone
Douglas Charles Marrone is an American football coach. He currently serves as head coach of the Syracuse University Orange, replacing Greg Robinson...
, there were some in the Syracuse organization who felt that UConn had run up the score on the Orange the previous year, possibly adding motivation to the game. A win for the Huskies would make them bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season, while a loss would eliminate them from a chance to win the Big East Conference.
Connecticut scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game on a one yard run by Jordan Todman. Syracuse responded on the next drive with a 42 yard field goal from Ross Krautman to make the score 7–3. Later in the first half, following a Huskies interception by Kendall Reyes
Kendall Reyes
Kendall A. Reyes is an American football defensive tackle with the University of Connecticut Huskies football team. In 2010, he served as one of four team captains and was named to the All-Big East Conference first team following the season.-External links:* UConnHuskies.com...
, Dave Teggart kicked a 35 yard field goal to make the score at half-time, 10–3.
Syracuse scored first in the second half with a second field goal from Krautman. Connecticut went three and out on the next drive and punted the ball back to Syracuse. After a couple of short runs by Delone Carter
Delone Carter
Delone M. Carter is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse....
, Reyes sacked quarterback Ryan Nassib
Ryan Nassib
Ryan Paul Nassib is an American football quarterback for the Syracuse Orange.-Early years:Nassib attended Malvern Prep. As a senior he completed 80 passes for 1,237 yards as he was named to third team all city at quarterback...
on the Orange 8 yard line, forcing him to fumble. UConn's Trevardo Williams recovered the fumble at the 4 yard line. Todman scored a touchdown on the following play to extend the Huskies lead to 17–6. Teggart added two fourth quarter field goals to make the final score 23–6.
Todman finished the game with 130 rushing yards to go with his two touchdowns. Both he and Reyes were named to the Big East Conference's weekly honor roll.
After the victory, game balls were given to Todman on offense, Reyes on defense and Cole Wagner for special teams.
Series: Connecticut leads 5–2
Cincinnati
Recap: Connecticut returned home to Rentschler Field to honor the graduating seniors and to play the Cincinnati Bearcats. The previous day, West Virginia defeated Pittsburgh, meaning UConn would win the Big East conference with wins in their last two games of the season.The Huskies opened the scoring when Zach Frazer threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Anthony Sherman. It was the first career touchdown for Sherman, who, as a senior, was playing in his last home game. Cincinnati's Jacob Rogers kicked a field goal to make the score 7–3 at the end of the first quarter. UConn extended their lead to 14–3 on a Robbie Frey touchdown, which followed a fumble by Cincinnati running back, Isiah Pead. The Bearcats responded with a 78 yard drive that ended with a touchdown catch by Armon Binns
Armon Binns
Armon Binns is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Cincinnati....
. Following a Dave Teggart field goal to make the score 17–10, the Bearcats drove into the Huskies red zone with less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half. A touchdown would have tied the score at halftime, however, for the second consecutive week, Kendall Reyes intercepted a deflected pass. This time, he returned it for an apparent touchdown. The score was called back due to an illegal block in the back penalty against UConn's Lawrence Wilson. The Huskies kept possession, and were given the ball at Cincinnati's 15 yard line. Five plays later, Jordan Todman scored a touchdown to make the score at halftime 24–10.
After a scoreless third quarter, Cincinnati scored a touchdown on a run by Zach Collaros
Zach Collaros
Zach Collaros is an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He graduated from Steubenville High School in 2007, and has been named the Bearcats' starter going into the 2010 season.- 2008 season :...
to make the score 24–17. Robbie Frey returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cincinnati 36 yard line. Five plays later, Todman scored his second touchdown to extend the lead to 31–17. Collaros threw an interception to Blidi Wreh-Wilson on the next possession, and Wreh-Wilson returned it to the Bearcats 14 yard line. Todman added his third touchdown to make the final score 38–17. In all, the Huskies intercepted four Collaros passes.
Todman rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and was named the Big East Player of the Week for the second time. Kendall Reyes was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Cincinnati leads 5–2
South Florida
Recap: The Huskies travelled to Tampa to conclude the regular season to take on the South Florida Bulls. With a victory, they would share the Big East title with West Virginia and Pittsburgh, and due to victories over each, would claim the conference's BCSBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
bowl bid.
South Florida opened the scoring with a 42 yard field goal from Maikon Bonani on their first possession of the game. UConn tied the game on their next possession with a 40 yard field goal from Dave Teggart. The teams traded punts for most of the remainder of the first half until South Florida's Jon Legiste intercepted a Zach Frazer pass at the Bulls seven yard line. Legiste returned the interception to the South Florida 49 yard line. On the next play, Bulls quarterback Bobby Eveld, who was making his first career start in place of an injured B.J. Daniels
B. J. Daniels (American football)
Bruce Edward Daniels is the quarterback for the University of South Florida football team. He is from Tallahassee, Florida and is 6'1" tall and approximately 212 lbs...
, was intercepted by UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson. Wilson, who caught the ball off of a deflection
Pass deflected
In American football a pass deflected, also known as a pass defended, a pass defensed, a pass knock down, or a pass break up, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player...
, returned the interception for a touchdown and giving the Huskies a 10–3 lead at halftime.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter to make the score 13–6 going into the fourth quarter. Teggart opened the fourth quarter with a 50 yard field goal to give UConn a 16–6 lead. The field goal was the longest of his career to that point. Later in the quarter, South Florida recovered a Jordan Todman fumble at the Huskies 30 yard line. Two plays later, Eveld threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Dontavia Bogan to cut the Huskies' lead to 16–13. Later in the fourth quarter, the Bulls drove the field to the Huskies 5 yard line with under 2 minutes in the game. They were unable to score a touchdown, but Bonani kicked his third field goal of the game to tie the game at 16 with 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. Robbie Frey returned the following kickoff to the Huskies 40 yard line. Zach Frazer then threw completions to Kashif Moore and Michael Smith to set up Teggart to kick the game winning 52 yard field goal with only 17 seconds left in the game. A last second hail mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
by the Bulls was knocked down, giving the Huskies a 19–16 victory.
With the victory, Connecticut clinched a spot in a BCS bowl game. The following day, it was announced that they would play in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl
2011 Fiesta Bowl
The 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game played as part of the 2011 Bowl Championship Series of the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
against the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
champion Oklahoma Sooners
2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
.
Dave Teggart, who successfully made 4 field goals in 4 attempts, including 2 of over 50 yards, was named the Big East Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week. Linebacker Lawrence Wilson was also named to the weekly honor roll.
Series: Tied 4–4
Oklahoma–Fiesta Bowl
After the season
Shortly after the completion of the Fiesta Bowl, Jordan Todman announced that he would forego his senior season and enter the NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
.
On January 2, reports surfaced that head coach Randy Edsall did not accompany the team on the chartered flight from Phoenix back to Hartford, instead flying to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
to interview for the vacant Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
head coaching position. Later that day, Maryland issued a press release stating that they had hired Edsall to replace Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
as head coach.
See also
- Connecticut HuskiesConnecticut HuskiesThe Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
- Connecticut Huskies footballConnecticut Huskies footballThe Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
- 2010 Big East Conference football season2010 Big East Conference football seasonThe 2010 Big East football season was the NCAA football season of the Big East Conference. Conference members began regular-season play on September 2, but did not begin conference play until October 8; the regular season continued through December 4...