Connecticut Defense Does Well Against Cincy Ground Attack
News: The Connecticut defense held the Cincinnati rushing attack to 72 yards, but allowed 34 points and 284 passing yards.
Analysis: When they were playing at home, the Connecticut defense was tough to run against. The team also forced a fumble. They will retool for 2013 and hope to get UConn into a bowl.
News: The Connecticut defense shut out Louisville for three quarters and held on in overtime for the win on Saturday. The Cardinals only had 27 rushing yards.
Analysis: The Husky defense is ending the season very well. They beat up Pitt two weeks ago and made the Cardinal offense one-dimensional. Teddy Bridgewater did throw for 331 yards and was able to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but the Husky defense seems to be on the upswing.
UConn Defense Bends in Fourth Quarter, But Does Not Break
News: The Connecticut defense shut out Pitt in the first half on Friday, but allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the game close.
Analysis: The Huskies were able to shut down Pitt star Ray Graham and only had to deal with some desperation offense by the Panthers in the late going. Despite the poor season overall, the Husky defense has performed well.
News: The Husky defense allowed just 13 points and 283 yards in a losing effort Saturday against USF.
Analysis: The UConn offense could not get anything going against the Bull defense. The margin of error for the defense is very slim. USF did not score in the second and third quarters.
News: The Connecticut defense has allowed three straight 100-yard rushers, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis: Early in the season, the Connecticut defense had been a strength, but Big East conference play has shown cracks in the armor. Jawan Jamison, Montel Harris, and Jerome Smith have all rushed for at least 100 yards. South Florida is next and Demetris Murray may be in for a big day.
News: The Husky defense was run over by Syracuse for 40 points on Friday. The Orange ran and passed for 251 yards each.
Analysis: The Carrier Dome is a tough place to play, but the Husky defense has lost something over the season. They were unable to corral the Orange offense and could be a squad to avoid for the rest of 2012.
News:Connecticut defense allowed just 17 points but could not overcome two turnovers and a quiet offensive day from the Huskies on Saturday.
Analysis: Temple only had 132 yards passing, but was able to go for 202 yards on 49 carries (a 4.1-yard average). The offense did little to help the Husky offense and Temple had a touchdown with 14 seconds left to tie the game.
News: The Husky defense will be challenge against first-year Big East school Temple, which has scored at least 27 points in three of four games this season.
Analysis: Temple's offense is not flashy and they do not throw the ball much, which may play into UConn's strength. The Husky defense will have to slow down Montel Harris, who had a breakout game against South Florida. They will have also have to keep an eye on quarterback Chris Coyer who has done more with his legs than his arm this season.
News: The Connecticut defense controlled Buffalo and allowed just 17 points in the Husky win on Saturday.
Analysis: Buffalo quarterback Alex Zordich did run for 76 yards, but the rest of the Bull running backs combined for 65 yards on 25 carries. The Huskies finished non-conference play allowing more than 21 points once. They should be in for an interesting challenge against Rutgers next week.
Connecticut Defense Loses Another Defensive Lineman
News: Defensive tackle Jesse Joseph will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles' tendon. Last week, the Huskies lost defensive end Teddy Jennings.
Analysis: The Husky defense has been very solid this season. Before allowing two fourth-quarter touchdowns to the Terrapins on Saturday, UConn had only allowed 14 points. However, if the starters keep going down, you'll want to look elsewhere for your fantasy defense.
Connecticut Defense Holds Wolfpack to Just 10 Points
News: The Connecticut defense had another strong day against North Carolina State. They allowed just 10 points, but the Husky offense generated just seven points in the loss on Saturday.
Analysis: The Huskies shut out Massachusetts in the opener and allowed just 54 rushing yards to the Wolfpack. North Carolina State scored just three points in the first half. The Husky defense could be a fantasy squad worth considering.
News: The Husky defense dominated the undermanned Minutemen and Connecticut scored touchdowns on an interception return and a blocked punt. The Husky defense threw a shutout.
Analysis: UMass is in the first year in the FBS and is not a good team. That said, Connecticut only allowed 59 total yards and took full advantage of their one turnover. Things will be tougher next week against North Carolina State.
News: Connecticut lost at Vanderbilt 24-21 but it wasn't the fault of the defense/special teams, which scored two touchdowns in a losing effort. The Huskies scored on both a blocked punt and a fumble return, nearly leading the team to the win on the road.
Analysis: Given the issues the offense had on Saturday, there are only two sure plays for UConn: tight end Ryan Griffin and the defense/special teams. Kicker Dave Teggart could also qualify provided he get opportunities to score points.
News: Connecticut will be down a defensive starter from last season for today's game against Fordham. Defensive end Jesse Joseph is out with a knee injury and could miss a few more games as well. Teddy Jennings will get the start in his place.
Analysis: Not much to fret about if you're playing the UConn defense today. Eight other starters are back for a unit that's expected to be among the best in the Big East. They should be fine against Fordham.
News: Due to the fact that the Connecticut National Guard has been using Rentschler Field as a distribution center for food and other supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, UConn's game on Thursday against Fordham has been postponed. The hope is that they can play the game Saturday at noon.
Analysis: Outside of the defense there weren't a lot of fantasy options for the Huskies, even in a deep BCS-only league.
News: While returning starting linebacker Sio Moore is among the best in the Big East there's no glossing over the fact that UConn has work to do at the position. With both Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson moving on two starting spots need to be filled during fall camp.
Analysis: Jory Johnson and Yawin Smallwood look to be the early leaders for the other two starting spots, but there are a number of other players working their way into the battle. Plus, today was the first day in full pads so there's a long way to go before anything is decided.
News: Connecticut forced two turnovers – one fumble and one interception – and recorded four sacks.
Analysis: Connecticut's defense was impressive, keeping Syracuse out of the end zone and holding them to a mere six points.
News: Connecticut forced four turnovers – all fumbles – and recorded one sack.
Analysis: Connecticut's defense stepped up in overtime, forcing a fumble to set up the game winning field goal.
News:Analysis: Connecticut allowed 27 points while totaling five sacks and a kickoff return for a touchdown against Rutgers Friday. They're not a great option against Louisville after the bye.
News: Connecticut forced three turnovers – two interceptions and one fumble – and recorded five sacks.
Analysis: Connecticut is by no means a "shut down" defense, but they've shown an ability to force turnovers when needed. This week they were able to convert one turnover – a Blidi Wreh-Wilson interception – into a defensive score.
News: Connecticut forced four turnovers – all interceptions – and recorded two sacks.
Analysis: They allowed 368 total yards, which is more than they would have liked considering their opponent. Still, Connecticut was able to force turnovers when they needed to and pull away in the second half.
News: After being the first to witness the Denard Robinson show this season, the Connecticut ‘D' took its frustration out on an overmatched Texas Southern team. Connecticut forced four turnovers – three interceptions and a fumble – and only allowed the Tigers a fourth quarter field goal.
Analysis: They allowed just eight first downs in game that was over as soon as it began. Connecticut will look to duplicate this effort against Temple next week.
News: The Connecticut defense watched (literally) Denard Robinson run and throw all over them on Saturday.
Analysis: They surrendered 30 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense, while not recording a single turnover. Fortunately, Michigan figures to be strongest offense they'll see for quite some time.
News: UConn scored on a fumble return for a touchdown, and also got two sacks against Syracuse in a 56-31 win.
Analysis: UConn finishes up the season against South Florida on Saturday.
News: UConn's defense overcame 14 quick points from Notre Dame, forcing two fumbles and holding them to six more points in regulation as UConn upset Notre Dame on Saturday.
Analysis: UConn gave up ten points in the two overtimes, skewing their point total slightly. After struggling early, they were able to pressure quarterback Jimmy Clausen and stuff the run to get the upset. UConn next plays Syracuse on Saturday.
UConn Gives Up Over 700 Yards in Loss to CIncinnati
News: UConn's defense played its worst game of the season Saturday at Cincinnati in a 47-45 loss, giving up 711 total yards and neither getting a turnover or forcing a sack on Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros.
Analysis: This was the most points UConn has allowed all season, but UConn seemed to get its act together in the second half. Cincinnati did not have to punt at all in the first half. UConn next plays Saturday, November 21 at Notre Dame.
News: UConn sacked Rutgers quarterback three times in a loss on Saturday. However, they forced zero turnovers.
Analysis: UConn next plays at undefeated Cincinnati on Saturday.
News: Linebacker Scott Lutrus is expected to play Saturday against Rutgers, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis: Lutrus missed the West Virginia game after coming back from his injury the previous game. This has been a nagging injury all season, and there is a possibility Lutrus will leave the game early if it is too tough to play with.
UConn's Defense Suffers Another 4th Quarter Collapse
News: UConn only had one sack and one interception in their 28-24 loss at West Virginia on Saturday, and once again blew a late fourth quarter lead.
Analysis: The defense had some missed opportunities, as they missed a few sacks on West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown. The Huskies played inspired in the first half in the wake of the death of starting cornerback Jasper Howard, holding running back Noel Devine to only seven yards rushing. However, Devine broke out for 171 yards and two scores in the second half. UConn plays Rutgers on Saturday.
News: Starting cornerback Jasper Howard was killed early Sunday morning after a school-sponsored dance on campus in Storrs, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis: A fire alarm was pulled at 12:26 a.m., causing the building to be evacuated, when shortly afterward an altercation occurred and two people, including Howard, were stabbed. This is a huge blow to UConn's defense and the whole football team's morale heading into a tough game at West Virginia Saturday.
News: UConn forced two interceptions and recovered two fumbles in their win over Louisville Saturday. They also recorded three sacks.
Analysis: UConn plays West Virginia on Saturday. The Mountaineers have historically put up a lot of points against the Huskies defense, so this may be a week where you look to start someone else.
