Huskies look to build off recent strong starts
TAMPA, Fla. — When the UConn football team faces South Florida on Saturday, the Huskies will be carrying a 10-game losing streak against Football Bowl Subdivision competition. However, there is some positive news to report.
The Huskies scored touchdowns on their opening drives in each of its last two games, something last done by a UConn team against Syracuse and West Virginia late in the 2007 season. The last time the Huskies opened three consecutive games by scoring touchdowns on their first offensive possession came against Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Navy in November, 2002.
“I think the key is we start off doing everything we are supposed to do,” UConn senior receiver Tyraiq Beals said. “Everybody is doing their job and we move the ball and that is definitely a positive way to start games off.”
As impressive as the Huskies were in the gameopening drives against Cincinnati and Memphis, it is a little troubling how quickly the offense began to sputter after the impressive starts. UConn would drive inside the Cincinnati 30 just once in its next eight offensive possessions. The next four drives in the loss at Memphis resulted in three punts and an interception.
“Part of that is we script openers and we do all of that stuff so they are mentally in it, they anticipate what it is,” UConn offensive coordinator John Dunn said. “We aren’t doing anything differently for the rest of the game. We are running the same plays, but the key is us having the mental discipline to be able to do it over, over and over again. We have to have the mental discipline to do it all of the time, not some of the time, not when you feel like it, not only on plays 1-10 but whatever the play is, have the mental discipline to go through your checklist every single play and that comes with maturity.
“We come in on Sunday (to watch film) and this one guy made a mistake and it was a result of a 1-yard gain as opposed to 8. The next play it is another guy. It is not egregious stuff like, ‘Hey, you didn’t block the guy but you might not have blocked him on the right shoulder.’ All of a sudden instead of it being 2nd and
6, 3rd and 2, it is 2nd and 9,
3rd and 7. That is a huge difference and you start stacking all of those, ‘Oh, it could have been 7 yards and it was 1’ you start stacking those and at the end of the game you look and say, ‘man, that’s why.’ ”
With all the defensive struggles this season, it would be rather beneficial for the offense to have more than one productive offensive drive to allow the defense a chance to rest.
UConn figures to lean on its veteran players including two closing in on personal milestones.
Senior David Pindell needs 33 yards to join Pete Petrillo and Bryant Shirreffs as only the third UConn quarterback with
500 rushing yards in a season. Senior receiver Hergy Mayala needs four catches to become the 20th Husky with 100 career receptions.