News:Lyle McCombs had 860 yards and six touchdowns, which was a shade less productive than his freshman season.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs suffered through a poor October in which the Huskies had some bad match ups and the sophomore had some off the field issues. He bounced back in November with a pair of 100-yard games. McCombs will be the centerpiece of the Husky offense in 2013.
Connecticut's McCombs Gets 60 Yards and a Touchdown
News:Lyle McCombs had 21 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown Saturday against Cincinnati. He added two receptions for 18 yards.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs' sophomore season was a nice u-shaped graph. He started quickly, slowed in the middle of the season (including getting arrested), and finished well. In his last three games, the 5-8 running back went for 313 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, McCombs had 860 yards and six touchdowns.
Connecticut's McCombs Runs for 133 Yards Against Louisville
News:Lyle McCombs had 29 carries for 133 yards Saturday in the win over Louisville. He added two catches for 32 yards.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs has put together back-to-back 100-yard games with 253 yards against Pittsburgh and Louisville. He is finishing his sophomore season on an upswing after a very rough October. The 5-8 back has 800 yards with five touchdowns.
UConn's McCombs to Work on Execution During Bye Week
News:Lyle McCombs and the Husky offensive line will fine tune their execution prior to the Nov. 24 games against Louisville, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs broke a string of unproductive games Friday against Pitt. He had 120 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season. The sophomore has 667 yards on 193 carries.
News:Lyle McCombs had 29 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown Friday against Pitt.
Analysis: This looked the Lyle McCombs everyone thought they were getting prior to the season and through the early going. The 5-5 sophomore ran through nice holes created by the Husky offensive line, especially in the first half. He scored for the first time in five games and had his second 100-yard game of the season.
News:Lyle McCombs had 18 carries for 47 yards Saturday against USF. He added three receptions for 28 yards.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs has been very limited over the last four games. He has not scored a touchdwon and has 42 carries for 95 yards (2.3 yards per carry).
News:Lyle McCombs looks to break out of his recent slump against South Florida on Saturday.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs has only rushed for 48 yards in the last three weeks, although he missed the October 13 game against Temple. He had 130 yards on 32 carries against the Bulls last year.
News:Lyle McCombs had 12 rushes for 16 yards on Friday against Syracuse. He did have two receptions for 17 yards.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs missed the game a week ago against Temple with a hand injury and the Orange defense was clearly keyed on him. In UConn's last three games, McCombs has only rushed for 48 yards and no touchdowns.
News:Lyle McCombs (hand) is probable for Friday's game against Syracuse, CBS Sports reports.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs gets all the carries he can handle, but his efficiency as a runner is quite bad and the Syracuse defense is far from a pushover. McCombs is a mediocre option in most formats.
News:Lyle McCombs (hand) may return on Friday against Syracuse, the CBS Sports reports.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs missed the first game of his Husky career on Saturday against Temple with a hand injury. He is the most important played on the UConn offense and had a career-high 152 yards against Syracuse (next week's opponent for the Huskies) last year.
News:Lyle McCombs did not play on Saturday against Temple because of a wrist injury.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs was injured last week against Rutgers. He was replaced by Max DeLorenzo, but could be back for Week 8 against Syracuse.
News:Lyle McCombs was wearing a soft cast on his left hand at practice, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs injured his hand bracing for a fall in the loss to Rutgers on last Saturday. It seems as if he is still able to practice, but the injury may limit him somewhat on Saturday against Temple. If a good backup option is available, McCombs may be reserved for future weeks.
UConn's McCombs Limited by Playing Time, Rutgers Defense
News:Lyle McCombs had just 12 carries for 32 yards in the Saturday loss to Rutgers.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs was suspended for the first quarter because of a Friday evening arrest. He was held to fewer than 60 yards for the first time this season. He should bounce back against Temple next week.
News:Lyle McCombs was arrested Friday night for disturbing the peace and will sit out the first quarter against Rutgers on Saturday as punishment, the Hartford Courant reports.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs was a questionable start against the ferocious Scarlet Knight defensive front. Without the carries in the first quarter, McCombs should probably be benched this weekend.
Connecticut's McCombs Runs for 97 Yards and a Touchdown
News:Lyle McCombs had 29 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown on Saturday in the win over Buffalo. He added three receptions for 33 yards.
Analysis: The Buffalo defense was tough on Lyle McCombs and his longest run was 12 yards. The 5-8 sophomore blasted into the endzone with five minutes left in the third quarter to finish the Husky scoring. McCombs has scored touchdowns in four of five games.
News:Lyle McCombs rushed 23 times for 119 yards, but was held out of the endzone by Western Michigan in the loss on Saturday.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs had scored a touchdown in each of the first three games of the season, but this was his first 100-yard rushing game. The Huskies went away from McCombs in the second half as they tried to claw their way back in the game, but the sophomore had another productive game.
News:Lyle McCombs had 27 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies beat Maryland on Saturday.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs is the main offensive cog for the Huskies. He has 236 yards on 70 carries this season and should continue to get the ball a great deal.
News:Lyle McCombs had 20 carries for 60 yards and scored UConn's only touchdown in the third quarter of the Huskies' loss to North Carolina State on Saturday. McCombs added two receptions for 51 yards.
Analysis: The Huskies' offense was pretty much stuffed by the Wolfpack defense. Lyle McCombs had a long run of 15 yards and a 43-yard gain on a screen pass. If there is one Huskies' player worth owning and starting, though, it's McCombs.
News:Lyle McCombs had 23 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies dominated UMass. He added two receptions for 23 yards.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs showed nice ability to burst through creases and was able to power through a few defenders. He also had a lot of short gainers. Needless to say, UConn will feed the ball to McCombs a great deal this season and he should have a solid season as a fantasy running back.
News:Lyle McCombs told the Connecticut Post that he is ready for another 275 carries or more as a sophomore.
Analysis:Lyle McCombs ran for 1151 yards as a freshman, which was the fourth highest total for a first-year player in Big East history. If quarterback Chandler Whitmer can provide the Huskies with more of an aerial assault, it may open things up on the ground for McCombs. Expect the sophomore to lead the Big East in rushing yards.
News: UConn quarterback Scott McCummings and running back Lyle McCombs were two of the catalysts in their 40-22 win over Rutgers, eliminating the Scarlet Knights from the Big East race. McCombes rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns while McCummings added 47 yards and a pair of scores of his own.
Analysis: UConn's been most effective when committing to the run as opposed to trying to sell out in the passing game with Johnny McEntee. McCombs will be a player to watch for UConn next season.
News: Connecticut quarterback Scott McCummings and running back Lyle McCombs led the way on the ground in the Huskies' 28-21 win over Syracuse. McCombs rushed for a career-high 152 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, and McCummings added 59 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.
Analysis: Given Johnny McEntee's struggles in the passing game UConn had to rely more on the run, which proved to be a good thing for both McCombs and McCummings.
News: Connecticut running back Lyle McCombs went over the 100-yard mark again, rushing for 124 yards in the Huskies' 35-20 loss at Pittsburgh. McCombs rushed for more than 100 yards for the third time in the last four games.
Analysis: There is no doubt that the Huskies consider him to be the best option at running back by a wide margin. And with the passing game being as mediocre as it was last season, look for the freshman to get more work.
News: Connecticut running back Lyle McCombs led the way offensively in the Huskies' 16-10 win over USF, rushing for 130 yards on 32 carries. This was the redshirt freshman's fourth game of 100 yards or more on the season.
Analysis: The Huskies beat USF without scoring an offensive touchdown for the second straight year thanks in large part to McCombs. Can he become a viable fantasy option? The Huskies aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, so that remains to be seen.
News: Connecticut running back Lyle McCombs was unable to get any serious momentum going on the ground, rushing for 73 yards on 20 carries in the Huskies' loss to West Virginia.
Analysis: Going into the game McCombs averaged 4.1 yards per carry, and that number will drop a little after Saturday. And until UConn can consistently threaten opponents through the air it's going to be tough for him to find holes against tougher competition.
News: Connecticut could be gaining a running back soon, and that's welcome news with D.J. Shoemate done for the season (applying for a medical redshirt). Martin Hyppolite, who has been out since the spring due to a knee injury, says that he's about 90 percent healed but isn't sure if he'll be able to return this week.
Analysis: Hyppolite would be one more option to pair up with Lyle McCombs, who has shouldered much of the load through five games. But at the least Hyppolite would add a body to the backfield rotation.
News: There were questions before Connecticut's game today against Western Michigan with regards to the status of running back D.J. Shoemate. And according to Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant the senior will apply for a medical redshirt due to a shoulder injury suffered in the loss to Iowa State two weeks ago.
Analysis: Losing Shoemate puts more on the plate of Lyle McCombs, although Jonathan Jean-Louis should also see more work as a result. McCombs rushed for 136 yards in the Huskies' 38-31 loss to Western Michigan.
News: Connecticut has announced on their pregame depth chart that senior running back D.J. Shoemate will start against Iowa State. Shoemate sat out the first two games of the season with a sprained ankle. Johnny McEntee will once again start at quarterback.
Analysis: This is a good sign for Shoemate owners who may lack the depth to not have to play him. But Lyle McCombs won't disappear either. These two have running styles that compliment each other well.
News: Once again Connecticut will deal with the issue of running back D.J. Shoemate's ankle, with the hope being that he'll be ready to go against Iowa State. Head coach Paul Pasqualoni said the senior was "92%" going into the Vanderbilt game and he held him out as a result.
Analysis: If Shoemate can go he makes up a solid tandem with Lyle McCombs. But it's tough to predict whether or not he'll play since he was held out last week at 92%. Game-time decision seems likely; it may be best to hold off on playing Shoemate this week.
News: According to Connecticut head coach Paul Pasqualoni, senior running back D.J. Shoemate is 'very close' to 100% after missing last week's game with a sprained ankle. Shoemate stated earlier this week that he expects to start against Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
Analysis: Pasqualoni also made it known that he doesn't believe a player should lose his spot due to injury, so it seems like the senior will get the start. But Lyle McCombs isn't going to just go away, not after his performance last week (141 yards, 4 TDs).
News: Connecticut running back D.J. Shoemate said that his sprained ankle is feeling better and he expects to start on Saturday night against Vanderbilt. Shoemate was held out of the win over Fordham, allowing freshman Lyle McCombs to go off for 141 yards and four touchdowns.
Analysis: Shoemate may get the start but given what McCombs did against Fordham it would be silly to expect the USC transfer to get 25+ carries.
News: Connecticut running back Lyle McCombs, who got the start against Fordham today, put forth quite the debut in the 35-3 victory. McCombs rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. The freshman also caught two passes for 17 yards.
Analysis: Just minutes before the game McCombs was listed as the starter and he took full advantage. Following the game head coach Paul Pasqualoni disclosed that D.J. Shoemate sprained his ankle in Thursday's practice, something no one outside of the team had known.
News: Connecticut will start running back Lyle McCombs at running back today against Fordham. He was listed as co-starter with D.J. Shoemate on the depth chart released earlier this week.
Analysis: McCombs had a solid camp, but it looks like UConn will have to rely on a committee to run the football.
News: UConn released the depth chart for Thursday's opener against Fordham, and one of the eye-catching spots was running back. Listed with D.J. Shoemate as co-starter is redshirt freshman Lyle McCombs. Also of note is that tight ends Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt are co-starters as well.
Analysis: The name some media around the program have mentioned at running back is senior Jonathan Jean-Louis, so the presence of McCombs could be seen as a surprise. But he's obviously had a good enough camp to warrant his place on the depth chart.
News: UConn wide receivers Isiah Moore and Geremy Davis were both limited in practice on Saturday due to injury. Running back Lyle McCombs also sported a "medical" jersey, but he was able to take part in nearly all of the drills.
Analysis: Moore is a projected starter so any injury news on him is important, and given the depth at the position the Huskies can't afford any more personnel losses. Both were at least out on the field, so that may be a good sign with information not being disclosed.
