Louisville - Connecticut Week 7 Preview

In what will be the battle of the backups, the Connecticut Huskies will have to buck up.

That's the condensed theme for this week's collision in East Hartford, as UConn welcomes the Louisville Cardinals to Rentschler Field. In a game where two backup quarterbacks--UL's Adam Froman and Connecticut's Cody Endres--will take to the gridiron, the overarching key concerns the mental state of Randy Edsall's boys in blue.

Yes, they do wear blue jerseys for home games in New England, but UConn can't feel too blue after blowing a 21-6 lead at Pittsburgh in week six. A surface analysis of this encounter would suggest, after all, that the Huskies own appreciable advantages in almost every tale-of-the-tape comparison.

The Huskies' defense showed how good it can be in the first three quarters at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field on Oct. 10, standing tall in the red zone and confusing Pitt quarterback Bill Stull. UConn and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando also found ways to flummox and frustrate another talented quarterback, Baylor signal caller, Robert Griffin, on Sept. 19. It will be hard to see how Louisville can move the ball downfield with any appreciable degree of regularity in this game.

On the other side of the ball, Connecticut--while hardly dominant--has shown the ability to establish its running game behind the tandem of Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman. Yes, the best place to attack Louisville is in the secondary, but with UConn's rushing attack forcing the Cardinals to load the tackle box, even Endres--who started the season as the backup to Zach Frazer--should be able to hit his share of downfield passes. Endres does not have a live arm, but the signal caller hasn't thrown a single interception this season. Connecticut won't roll up huge numbers against Louisville, but given the prowess of UConn's defense, the Huskies won't need to run wild.

How, then, can Louisville compete in this contest? It all depends on the mental state of the Huskies. While the Cards come off an exhilarating and uplifting 25-23 win over Southern Miss, attained in the last minute after a clutch 64-yard kickoff return by Trent Guy, the Huskies are smarting after their wrenching last-play loss at Pitt. Letdown losses represent an annual part of college football's noted unpredictability, and if UConn can't revive its spirits this weekend, Louisville--especially with Froman, a speedy quarterback who can make plays as a scrambler--could find the confidence needed to spring an upset.

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Connecticut owns the bigger and better toolbox of skills in this tilt. With that said, the Huskies need to be motivated enough to open that toolbox, and get back to work after instead of throwing a post-Pittsburgh pity party. With A-grade attitude, UConn stands to win this game, but the plucky and persistent Cardinals are waiting in the wings, hoping to swoop into New England and darken the mood of the boys in blue.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer