The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Seniors regained form on defense in win over Tulsa
Unit delivered after a recent rough stretch
EAST HARTFORD — When the 2016 season began, one website projected that the UConn football team had more draftable prospects than any other American Athletic Conference team.
Leading the way were are a trio of defensive players currently in the midst of their senior seasons. Cornerback Jamar Summer was given a third-round grade by the www.draftinsider.net, while linebacker Junior Joseph projected to go in either the fourth or fifth round and defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi was a fifth- or sixth-round prospect. The list didn't even include edge rushers Luke Carrezola and Cole Ormsby, who have combined for 47 tackles for loss and 25 sacks, and speedy linebacker Vontae Diggs.
Coming into the season with 130 combined career starts, the seniors were expected to be the cornerstones of the 2017 UConn team. Then during a fourgame losing streak, the senior-laden defense allowed more than 600 yards of total offense against Virginia, East Carolina, Southern Methodist and Memphis. It was hardly a who's who of college football's offensive juggernauts.
Joseph certainly did his part while Diggs had his moments of brilliance, but what happened to the Jamar Summers who was a threat to intercept nearly every pass thrown his way? When would Fatukasi get back to pushing the opposing center a couple of yards into the backfield? When
would Carrezola and Ormsby come flying off the edge and make life difficult for the opposing quarterback?
Then, just as suddenly as they seemed to lose their way, they were all back in a major way in the first 46 1/2 minutes Saturday against Tulsa, returning to the form they showed as sophomores when they helped UConn get to a bowl game and caught the eyes of NFL scouts.
UConn hadn't recorded sacks on back-to-back plays since Trevardo Williams brought down Teddy Bridgewater on consecutive snaps in a 2012 game at Louisville. The Huskies did it twice in the second half
against Tulsa with Ormsby and Fatukasi getting to Luke Skipper on Tulsa's second drive of the third quarter.
With UConn up 20-0 early in the fourth quarter, a promising Tulsa drive ended with Fatukasi and Carrezola sacks on third and fourth down. Fatukasi and Ormsby each had two sacks, the first time the Huskies had two players accomplish that in the same game since Yawin Smallwood and Sio Moore did it against Maryland in 2012.
“That was a great feeling,” Fatukasi said. “I don't know what to say, everybody is just feeding off everybody, defense is feeding off offense, the offense is feeding off the defense, the defensive players are feeding off of each other, it
is a great feeling.”
The seniors combined for all six sacks and nine of the 11 tackles for loss. Considering that they were on the field when the Huskies gave up a program record 70 points in a loss to Memphis in the previous home game, the bounce back performance had to be extra gratifying.
“It is about us stepping up,” said Joseph, who came up with the game-ending pass breakup in the end zone. “It is what we envisioned happening, all the seniors guys are stepping up every game. If we have those guys step including myself and the other seniors, we can have a really good defense.”
UConn coach Randy Edsall said that UConn move to a 3-3-5 defense has
changed the responsibilities for all the returning players. The adjustment to a new scheme is something that takes time even for multiple-year starters.
“Any time you implement some new things, fundamentals and techniques guys might not be used to playing , I think it takes a little bit of time to get comfortable,” Edsall said. “As a defensive staff, they go into the room, shut the door and they don't listen to all the outside noise or anything along those line just believe in what we do. The kids, once they started believing and seeing success that helps you in building confidence.”