Connecticut Huskies vs Syaracuse Orange Preview

The Connecticut Huskies are flying high after taking down Notre Dame. But just in case Randy Edsall's team is feeling full of itself this Thanksgiving Week, the boys in blue need to maintain focus with Syracuse coming to East Hartford, Conn.

Syracuse isn't the toughest team in the Big East, nor the most explosive accumulation of talent in the conference. The Orange, under first-year coach Doug Marrone, haven't lit up scoreboards or revived the program after the ill-fated Greg Robinson era ended in upstate New York. SU walks into Rentschler Field with a 4-7 record and a number of player defections, including one act of desertion by receiver Mike Williams. This is not a loaded opponent Connecticut is playing - that much is certain.

Yet, this very same team - for all its woes - is a team that's coming off a Big East win. Yes, Syracuse finally claimed a conference scalp last weekend, in a thorough 31-13 dismantling of a shellshocked Rutgers squad. SU quarterback Greg Paulus completed 13-of-16 passes and displayed more precision than he had at any other point in the 2009 season. The Orange outgained the Scarlet Knights by a wide margin, 424 yards to 130. Marrone's men fashioned a complete game in the Carrier Dome, and that's why this week's opponent can't be underestimated.

It's really rather simple for Randy Edsall and his staff: Keep the momentum going, keep the good vibes flowing, after last week's sensational 33-30 double-overtime win at Notre Dame. UConn has worked too hard and persevered for too long to get to this point to let down its guard. The Huskies might be playing a dangerous opponent, but they're also up against an inferior one as well. As long as UConn can take Syracuse seriously and display the same work ethic that's been in evidence for the past month, this team will attain bowl eligibility and grab the postseason prize it deserves after a year of such pronounced heartbreak off the field.

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A bowl trip, especially a journey to a sunny Sun Belt climate, would be a great reward for the 2009 Connecticut Huskies. But if this team is to register a 7-5 season, a feat which could quite possibly translate into a delightful plane flight to a Southern locale, UConn's approach must be all business at Rentschler Field. With careless mistakes (such as the breakdowns in the secondary which led to the Rutgers loss) and offensive inconsistency (which brought about the 12-10 loss to North Carolina), Connecticut can lose to the up-and-coming kids from the Cuse.

One week's Notre Dame knockout can't lead to a post-Thanksgiving letdown; turkeys are great for the dinner table, but not for a football field. The Huskies, with one solid and steady Saturday, can stand on the sunshine side of .500 and earn the postseason date that's now utterly attainable.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer