Bowden on Brown

I spoke with Terry Bowden today regarding the start of the season of UConn's Donald Brown. Brown, as you know, is second in the nation in rushing yards and points.

With the kind of numbers the redshirt junior has posted, there is a smattering of talk linking Brown and the Heisman Trophy.

“Based on Donald Brown’s numbers, if he can continue what he has been doing, just looking at the type of recognition (West Virginia’s) Pat White gotten over the years with Brian Brohm in Louisville, Matt Grothe at South Florida, there’s no reason if he continues like this that he won’t be one of the top backs in the country.”

I asked Bowden, an analyst and former coach, is UConn's weak schedule hurts Brown. He noted that his father, Bobby's Florida State team hasn't played a Division-I game yet. All he could tell you for certain is that the 'Noles would be a very good I-AA team. The point is that everyone has light schedules early on, for the most part, so it isn't a knock on anyone player.

In fact, Bowden said should Brown keep his pace and the Huskies struggle, he'll be fine because Brown is on a monsterous tear. If the Huskies keep winning, it provides some room for Brown's numbers to deflate.

“If you put up gaudy numbers — look at Graham Harrell at Texas Tech — he’s closing in on 50 touchdowns and 6,000 yards passing (in a season), then it doesn’t matter what the record is,” Bowden said. “But if you have very good yards; (Brown) needs 2,000 yards, the numbers mean everything.”