2012-13 Football Previews – (Big East) – UConn Huskies
Connecticut has always been known as a basketball school. The Huskies had a brief successful run under Randy Edsall a few years ago, but the past couple years have been small steps backward for this football program.
Big East Conference 2012-2013 College Football Previews: UConn Huskies
Head Coach: Paul Pasqualoni
2011 Record: 5-7
Connecticut Gambling Odds from 5Dimes to win BCS Championship: +120,000
Connecticut Gambling Odds from 5Dimes to win Big East Conference: +2,000
UConn Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2012 Schedule –>
The Big East landscape is about to change in a big way, and it will be interesting to see which team can rise to the top. This is an opportunity for the UConn football program. Can they take advantage?
Paul Pasqualoni certainly wasn’t happy with a 5-7 record in his first year at Connecticut. The losing record ended a string of four straight seasons with a bowl appearance for the Huskies. The team was close, but it just couldn’t finish the deal in 2011. The Huskies lost four games by a touchdown or less. They’ll need to execute better down the stretch this season.
Team Strengths:
Running back is definitely an area of strength for UConn. Lyle McCombs is only 5’8, but he averaged 95.92 yards per game on the ground in 2011, which was second best in the conference. McCombs did all of that in his freshman season, so expectations are high for him this year. There isn’t a lot of depth behind him, so the Huskies need McCombs to stay healthy.
The front seven on defense should be strong once again this year for the Huskies. Trevardo Williams is one of the best pass-rushers in the nation, and I expect him to wreak havoc on many opposing teams this year. All three linebackers return from last year, so the leadership will come from that unit. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Team Weaknesses:
A few years ago the strength of this Huskies offense was their offensive line, but now it is their single biggest concern heading into 2012. Two of their top players graduated, and three more suffered injuries in the offseason. The line is going to be extremely short on experience, and that could be a major problem all season long.
The quarterback competition is on once again in Connecticut this year. Johnny McEntee was the man last year, but don’t be surprised if junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer ends up under center. No matter who is the starting quarterback for UConn, there are lots of question marks moving forward.
2012-2013 UConn Huskies Football Prediction: 5-7
This is a case where the Huskies will likely be a much better team than last year, but they might not end up having anything to show for it. They travel to Rutgers, USF, and Louisville inside the Big East. The offensive line will be a major problem this year, and the defensive line won’t be as dominate as it was in 2011. There will be some progress here, but it likely won’t show up in the standings just yet. I’ll take the Huskies to finish just below .500 once again.
2012 Schedule
8/30/12 7:30 PM ET MASS
9/8/12 12:00 PM ET NCST
9/15/12 12:30 PM ET @MD
9/22/12 2:00 PM ET @WMICH
9/29/12 12:00 PM ET BUFF
10/6/12 TBD @RUTG
10/13/12 TBD TEM
10/19/12 8:00 PM ET @SYR
11/3/12 TBD @SOFLA
11/9/12 8:00 PM ET PITT
11/24/12 TBD @LOU
12/1/12 TBD CIN
