Meet UConn Huskies for ECU fans
Thursday night football strikes in Greenville, NC as the East Carolina Pirates face down the Connecticut Huskies in a conference showdown. The Pirates are 5-1 entering this contest and are looking to gain bowl eligibility through a win tonight. It’s a blackout at Dowdy-Ficklen, and the East Carolina website has a permission slip to miss work for those who are interested.
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Date: October 23
Time: 7:00 PM
TV: ESPNU
Venue: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Last Time: There’s a first time for everything. This does mark the second time this season that two Skip Holtz coached teams have faced off.
Sep 19, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Bob Diaco looks at his play sheet against the South Florida Bulls during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. South Florida Bulls defeated the Connecticut Huskies 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Opponent: Connecticut Huskies (1-5)
Of all the football teams who witnessed the fallout of conference realignment, the Huskies probably lost the most. At various times they were linked to the ACC and the Big Ten and then ended up being left in the rump of the Big East, which is now called the American Athletic Conference. They not only lost their geographical neighbors, but they also lost the old BCS bid that had enabled UConn to go to a Fiesta Bowl.
UConn lost its steam when Randy Edsall departed for Maryland after that bowl game. It returned to insignificance under Paul Pasqualoni and now is looking to find its way back to relevance. Pasqualoni was replaced by former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. Diaco constructed the defense that carried the Irish to the 2012 National Championship game.
Oct 11, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Geremy Davis (85) looks for running room after a pass reception against the Tulane Green Wave in the fourth quarter at Yulman Stadium. Tulane defeated Connecticut 12-3. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
The offense though has been the mystery meat for UConn. No running back is averaging more than 3.3 yards per carry. Their highest offensive output was 21 against Boise. Their only win on the year was over Stony Brook. The transition is rough.
New offensive coordinator Mike Cummings believes in keeping the offense simple if somewhat predictable. Match that with an offensive line that up and graduated last year and you get a not so easy time for the Huskies.
The situation is similar on the defensive line as well. Any team that is in the process of rebuilding its offensive and defensive lines at the same time is in a bad spot. I am sure Shane Carden and Terry Williams won’t be bothered by it too much.
Prediction:
The one danger is if East Carolina sleep walks through an entire game like they did against South Florida in the first half. Complacency is the biggest foe, with the big games against UCF and Cincinnati further down the line.