Q & A

Time to answer some questions from the mailbag. Mike asks:

Q: What are your expectations for the team this season?

I'll save the offensive portion for question No. 2...

Mike, I've grown to like UConn's defense. It's rarely flashy, but it usually finds a way to get the job done as long as it isn't West Virginia on the other sideline. I try not to sound too much like a Kool-Aid drinker, but if Randy Edsall is throwing a true freshmen at defensive end, the guy must be good. I'm talking about Jesse Joseph. He's probably a little on the small side (6-3, 238), but he is strong and quick. The d-line will miss Cody Brown, so there will be some drop off there.

The starting linebackers are excellent and, for as good as Scott Lutrus is, I am always impressed with Lawrence Wilson's knack for being in the right place at the right time. My concern is depth. If someone gets hurt, UConn will likely have some inexperienced players stepping into big roles. Sure, they need to get experience some time, but its always better when you get to play behind the vet.

I believe the secondary will be fantastic. I'm a big Robert Vaughn fan. He has a nose for the ball, and because Jasper Howard and Robert McClain force quarterbacks into making bad passes, Vaughn -- and maybe Jerome Junior -- will be waiting.

The Huskies' special teams is solid. I wouldn't begin to play with spectacular or other grandiose descriptions. Desi Cullen is primed for a good year, as is David Teggart. There's three more years -- including this one -- of Teggart, so he needs to be strong. Coverage has lacked at times last year, and probably will agains with younger guys on the field. The good news is there are guys, like Robbie Frey who make big plays. However, the main concern is punt protection. It cost the Huskies the North Carolina game a year ago.


Q: What do you expect out of the offense tempo wise? Will the team be better offensively?

All the talk is of the no-huddle, and it should be. UConn is going to try to move the chains at a furious pace. Can they? I like its ability to run with Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon. If Dixon plays the way he did two years ago, there's no worries on the ground. Where the no-huddle can flop is if QB Zach Frazer can't complete a pass. Each dead ball nullifies the no-huddle, so drops and incompletions or penalties defeat the purpose.

Don't expect UConn to always use the no-huddle. Every seems to be in love with it, but the draw back to a fast-moving offense is extended field time for the defense.

If the Huskies can grab a sizable lead, expect them to slow the pace.

Will they be better? That's really hard to say. Will Todman and Dixon be better than Donald Brown? Not likely.

Frazer still has to prove he can run the team, and that it's a different offense than he's had the last two years, it has to take some adjusting. Anyone who thinks he will significantly better than last year from the start needs to rethink the position.

I like the o-line because there are so many familiar faces, which the Huskies enjoy. Injuries have chipped away at some depth, but many guys can play at several spots, so UConn should be good there. They will still miss Will Beatty ( A LOT!!!) and Keith Gray. Gray might not have been the best center, but he got the most out of what he had, which started upstairs.

The receivers are the tricky -- and most pivotal -- aspect of the offense in terms of the team's chances to win besides quarterback. The returning wideouts are mad that they've essentially been discounted for the new guys. Fine. It's deserved, but fine. If a healthy Brad Kanuch can stretch the defenses in the manner Randy Edsall imagined years ago, it will be a start. There's so much talk about freshman Dwayne Difton, and physically he's got the goods. He's a mini Darius Butler. He's also got the pedigree -- comes out of South Florida, played for the state title four years in a row and was trained by NFL legend Cris Carter. All this means the kid knows a thing or two. The two guys to watch are Michael Smith, who the team has been raving about of late, and Kashif Moore. Moore was a surprise starter last year and was hot and cold, but mostly cold.

If four wideouts get close to 500 yards each, it's a good year. Or, if one approaches 1,000 and another is in the 500-700 area, things are good.

Q: Thoughts about the Ohio game?

This is a tricky game. Ohio wasn't a good team a year ago but gave Ohio State fits. Most of the team is back, which bodes well for the Bobcats. Their leading rusher had fewer yards last year (529) than Todman and Tyler Lorenzen combined (580), which didn't happen on many carries. All three of their leading rushers had over 300 yards, so they'll mix and match for the matchups or hot hand.

Ohio is much more of a passing team, but I don't like their quarterbacks at all. I have not seen them, but coach Frank Solich described them as guys who can throw on the run. Sure, that's handy but you don't want to talk about how your QBs can throw while running. It means you have a bad o-line.

The other thing is Ohio, while scoring a few fewer points per game than UConn (0.8), it allowed 70 yards more per game against MAC foes.

The line in Vegas says Huskies by 3 or 4. I say 14.