Huskies Look for 2nd Landmark Win in Two Years

This September 4, Edsall and UConn will once again march into one of the greatest college football program’s home field looking for a win to put them back into the national spotlight. Saturday afternoon, the Michigan Wolverines will play host to a UConn team that is projected to finish 4th in the Big East this season. For the fastest growing division I football program of all-time, this game could launch the Huskies into the top 25 after just one week of play.

Last November, the University of Connecticut Huskies won what Head Coach Randall Edsall called the biggest game in the program’s history against Notre Dame in South Bend. The double-overtime thriller was a warning to the college football world that UConn could not just compete with, but beat the best.

Last season, the Huskies lost five games by barely more than two touchdowns combined while overcoming the devastating loss of star defensive back Jasper Howard last October. This season, Edsall and his squad look to make a push for their first ever outright Big East championship. Hopes are high for UConn, as some college football experts, notably those at Rivals.com, have them ranked as high as 20th in the nation.

UConn heads into the season with Zach Frazer at quarterback. Last season, he and backup Cody Endres split time after Frazer went down with an injury. Since, Endres has been indefinitely suspended for violating team rules, and Frazer is back at the helm oozing with confidence in an offense that averaged nearly 30 points per game last season. USC transfer DJ Shoemate is expected to have an impact at running back behind starter Jordan Todman.

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On defense, the Huskies will rely on Greg Lloyd at middle linebacker. Lloyd suffered a knee injury last season and many expected him to red-shirt this year, but his hasty recovery has pushed him back into a starting role. He along with linebacker Scott Lutrus lead a vaunted front seven for UConn’s defense, but question remain about their young secondary.

The sports information department at UConn projects that although Michigan’s crowd capacity is just over 109,000, this game may break the record for a college football game’s attendance at over 112,000. That exposure, along with it’s CBS broadcast, is just what these Huskies need to permanently place them among the nation’s elite programs.

UConn has won three of its four bowl appearances since 2004, and set attendance records at the past two (2008 and 2009).

By Michael Ricci
BigEast-Fans Connecticut Huskies Correspondent