SB Nation - Desi Cullen

Connecticut 26, Louisville 21

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:34:49 -0000

Sigh. The weekend's over, it's time to face this one.

If I said "I don't understand how we just lost that game" - or some slight variation - one time Friday night, I said it 20 times. Three days later I still have no handle on how it happened. Of course this is what fans of UConn victims have been saying for the past two years.

It's not a debate anymore, Vic Anderson is the real deal. If I could have frozen time the moment he caught the dump pass from Cantwell near the end of the first half, I would have put the odds of him getting into the endzone at no better than 10:1. He has the potential to be very special.

I have my doubts over whether or not a quarterback unable to move well enough to make a simple handoff should be taking snaps with the game on the line, but I suppose you have to listen to a senior leader when he says he can go. Bum ankle or not, there's no excuse for Hunter making that throw, especially given the amount of time he had.

Josh Chichester's good is still outweighing his bad, but both are unquestionably present. Cantwell was definitely too keyed in on the big man after the first quarter, a habit which likely cost us six points when he missed a wide open Brock Bolen down the right sideline.

Awesome to see Bilal finally break out. The prospects of an Anderson/Powell backfield for the next two seasons might be the biggest thing this program has going for it.

Penalties absolutely killed us. Earl Heyman's questionable roughing the passer led to a Husky score, Abdul Kuyateh's second false start turned a crucial 3rd and 2 into a 3rd and 7, and I'm pretty sure at least one of the 52 not enough men on the line of scrimmage infractions was costly. The final tally shows just seven flags for 60 yards, but the severity of almost all of them made it feel like much more.

Donald Brown is a future pro, and he deserves more Heisman pub than he's receiving.

I don't understand how the secondary continually allows the middle of the field to exist uncovered. I realize that English was bringing Thomas or Buchanan up to help out against the run, but there were three or four plays where the Connecticut receiver camping out between the hashes didn't have a defender within ten yards of him. That just can't happen.

Me thinks Zach Frazer was the better option at QB for UConn all along. If he can keep opposing secondaries at least semi-honest, then this could be a team the nation sees being blown out in a BCS game.

I'm going to go ahead and step up and take a solid chunk of the blame for this one. I left the hat I'd worn for the Tennessee Tech and Kansas State games over at a friend's house a couple of weekends ago, and ended up being forced to go with my number two. I was worried about this from the day's outset, and I think it's safe to say that my fears were confirmed.

I don't blame you, Stoudt.

It's not really his fault, but the ten minutes of cliche after cliche being hurled in a monotone voice that is the Steve Kragthorpe postgame interview is almost impossible to take after a loss like Friday's. A tipsy friend in the backseat of our car hopelessly said, "I can't take it, turn it off" at least three times while Krags was busy delivering the script any one of us could prepare at this point.

The three fourth-down attempts blew my mind. I realize that Dougherty still isn't 100%, but how are we ever going to know what his ceiling is if we never trot him out there? Kragthorpe said the wind was the biggest factor in each of the decisions, but the wind was at U of L's back the third time. Making the move even less understandable is the fact that Cantwell had just left the game, and the only other option besides trying the 42 or 43 yarder was apparently a draw play on 4th and six. Opting not to take three hurt us badly in a couple of games last year (hey, Syracuse), and it might have cost us the game Friday night.

Being removed of placekicking duties did not help Chris Philpott on kickoffs. Desi Cullen, on the other hand, was a huge weapon for the Huskies. Wonder where the hell they found him.

Doug Beaumont: still awesome.

It's not an original complaint, but I had some serious issues with the music on Friday. Playing nothing for five minutes and then blasting the beginning of a song for three seconds before play resumes is frustrating, as is the choice of "Highway to the Dangerzone" in the moments leading up to the biggest offensive play of the game. Full blame for that interception goes to Loggins.

I came scary close to throwing my second-string hat when the deadball timeout was called.

The play worked, but I don't understand not using a lead-blocker on third and short, especially one as capable as Joe Tronzo.

Hope that joint was great, Matt.

Dexter Heyman may have made the most impressive defensive play of the season thus far when he came flying out of nowhere to keep Donald Brown from getting the corner and prancing into the endzone. When I saw the play developing, I didn't think there was any way one of our guys was going to be able to get there.

Chris Campa also deserves a shout-out for flying around the field and throwing some weight around all night. Sans a bad offsides penalty, Mo Mitchell was another standout.

Serious question: was Anderson's return to the 25 after he botched the initial catch the longest kick return we've had all season? I can't remember any better.

The Connecticut player waving bye to the crowd and doing the international sign for "shh" after Cantwell's last interception is almost less cool than Larry Taylor. Almost.

A bye week, and then at Memphis on a Friday night followed by a Saturday home game against Middle Tennessee. The city's not exactly going to be buzzing for the first 3/4 of October...hopefully, I suppose.

508-279. Son of a bitch.

What to watch for: Louisville vs. Connecticut

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:21:21 -0000

DocCardsFan's exceptional UConn preview earlier this week has afforded us the opportunity to get a little bit more specific as kickoff approaches.

Here are a few items to keep an eye on tomorrow night.

1. Louisville stacking the box

Though it's easy to claim that his stats are inflated because of the number of carries he's received or the defenses he's gone up against, Donald Brown is the real deal, a fact Louisville's Orange Bowl champion defense learned firsthand when the then freshman scampered for 122 yards on 21 carries in the 2006 regular season finale.

Though he stands just 5-10, 208, the Cards haven't seen a back nearly as physical as Brown, who'll provide the biggest test yet for U of L's still inexperienced linebacking corps. Given Tyler Lorenzen's recent struggles, Ron English stacking the box with eight or nine guys until the Huskies prove they can move the ball through the air is just about the safest bet anyone can make over the next 24 hours.

It's a shame that Richard Raglin is almost certainly going to be in street clothes, because this is the type of game where he could have thrived. Instead, it will be Bobby Buchanan and Latarrius Thomas who will be called upon to make plays within five yards of the line of scrimmage. I'm also interested to see if English opts to use a guy like Brandon Heath as a sort of safety/linebacker hybrid, or whether he gives the physical challenge (Double Dare) to the likes of Daniel Covington and Josh Wiley.

2. Pressing Cardinal corners

English and Eric Lewis's stated objective last week was to not let Josh Freeman complete deep passes over the heads of their defensive backs. The result was a lot of early six or seven yard completions in front of Johnny Patrick and Woodny Turenne. With Lorenzen's confidence shaken and him unlikely to throw anything outside of single-digit yard slants, outs or stops early in the game, I think it's safe to assume that the corners are going to be far more aggressive tomorrow night.

Through four weeks, the Huskies still don't have one wideout with more than 100 yards receiving. Things have gotten so bad that cornerback Darius Butler has been brought over to help out.

If the Cards have to decrease the amount of attention paid to Donald Brown because of the effectiveness of the UConn air attack, then they're going to be in trouble.

3. Connecticut bringing pressure in the middle

Maybe the biggest thing the U of L offense has going for it right now is that the Husky defense is coming off of a week in which it spent all its time preparing for a spread attack and trying to contain a world class athlete at quarterback. Even with what Louisville has been able to accomplish in its last two games, Scott Lutrus, Lawrence Wilson and Greg Lloyd have to be excited about the prospects of blitzing and run-stuffing as opposed to covering wideouts and shadowing Robert Griffin. The trio of sophomores are about as talented as any group of middle men in the Big East, and Todd Orlando is likely going to let them test a hobbled Cardinal offensive line from the opening series of the game on.

4. UConn's defensive ends vs. Louisville's offensive tackles

The Huskies possess probably the best bookend tandem in the conference with Cody Brown and Julius Williams. The pair were among the league's top 20 in multiple defensive categories at the end of last season, and have already combined for five sacks (Brown three, Williams two) in 2008.

Greg Tomczyk did a tremendous job supplanting the injured George Bussey a week ago, but Kansas State can't lay claim to a threat off the edge as potent as either Brown or Williams. If the duo has their way on the outside and the middle is opened up for the Husky linebackers to do work, then the Cardinal offense could end up looking more like it did on Sept. 2 than on Sept. 17.

5. Josh Chichester getting increased looks

Butler is among the top corners in the conference and sophomore Jasper Howard has had his moments, but they stand just 5-10 and 5-9, respectively. Husky safeties Robert Vaughn and Dahna Deleston are each talented veterans with big plays to their credit this season, but they're only a couple of inches taller than Butler.

While the group is skilled and athletic enough to potentially put the clamps on a guy like Doug Beaumont, there's absolutely nothing any of them can do if 6-8 Josh Chichester runs a solid route and the ball is put in the correct place. With Scott Long and Troy Pascley both appearing to be no-gos, the spotlight will once again shine a bit brighter on the man who can't be checked on the baseline inside Rupp Arena.

6. The utilization of Andre Dixon

While Brown is currently leading the country in rushing, many seem to have forgotten that he didn't even lead his own team in the category a year ago. That honor belongs to fellow junior Andre Dixon, who has been hampered by an ankle injury since late August and has carried the ball just once in '08.

Dixon, who lit Louisville up for 170 all-purpose yards a year ago, played sparingly against Baylor, but Randy Edsall has hinted all week that his production would be increased in the conference opener. Dixon might be the top dual threat back in the Big East, so don't be surprised if Connecticut subtly tries to slip him into the game and burn an over-aggressive Cardinal rush defense by hitting him in the flats or on a middle screen. If you see No. 2 trotting onto the field, it'd probably be wise to keep the blitzing to a minimum.

7. The continuing emergence of the Zack Stoudt jersey

This kid's on the verge of having one of the greatest redshirt seasons in the history of college football.

8. U of L trying to look like a varsity high school squad on special teams

I've given up on hoping to win the special teams battle, and have moved on to the more realistic option of at least keeping it close. Timmy Dougherty appears composed enough to handle placekicking duties from inside 45 yards or so, and I think being removed from the job is really going to help Chris Philpott on kickoffs. If you noticed, his best kicks came after made extra points or field goals, while his shanks or kicks that didn't make it to the 20-yard line came after he'd missed or had a field goal attempt blocked.

UConn has one of the best punters/kickoff men in the conference in Louisville native Desi Cullen, and placekicker Tony Ciaravino has been solid from inside of 40 yards. Butler is an extremely dangerous return man, and going up against a Cardinal coverage unit that has struggled with tackling opposing players carrying footballs and looking to advance toward the endzone should make him that much more dangerous.

9. Let's talk edges

OK, this isn't something to watch for, but if you want to fight about it, well, I'll probably change it to something else because I like to avoid conflict.

UConn run offense vs. U of L run defense

Edge: CONNECTICUT

The Huskies have a senior-laden offensive line and the leading rusher in the country. And if Andre Dixon is healthy, he's one of the top six or seven backs in the conference.

UConn pass offense vs. U of L pass defense

Edge: LOUISVILLE

Lorenzen's thrown just one touchdown to six interceptions so far this year, and he comes into this game with his confidence especially shaken after a particularly rough night a week ago. While Butler's athletic enough to come in and make some plays down the field, the Huskies don't have the receivers to make life easier for Lorenzen against an experienced U of L secondary.

U of L run offense vs. UConn run defense

Edge: LOUISVILLE

This is a tight one, and could be where the game is ultimately won or lost. Victor Anderson and Brock Bolen are each coming off of monster performances, but Kansas State's front seven is a far cry from what they'll be up against on Friday. Still, U of L's men in the trenches are playing with a great deal of confidence, and the guys they have behind them don't need enormous openings to make plays.

U of L pass offense vs. UConn pass defense

Edge: CONNECTICUT

Butler and Vaughn are outstanding, and Deleston is an imposing figure across the middle who's made a pretty smooth transition from linebacker to safety. Chichester is the wild card, and as we've seen over the first three games, he has the potential to make both the amazing play look routine and the simple play look impossible. This is also the first 4-3 defense the Cards have faced since Kentucky, and one that has comparable talent and a comparable commitment to putting pressure on the quarterback. U of L didn't exactly set the world - or Rhode Island - on fire through the air in their season-opener, so them making the proper adjustments to ensure that Hunter Cantwell has adequate time to release the football is paramount.

U of L special teams vs. Connecticut special teams

Edge: CONNECTICUT

They're a crafty bunch. Is "crafty" the right word?

Intangibles

Edge: LOUISVILLE

Nobody has to go to work the next day, so I'd expect nothing less than a packed house out for blood in what most fans are approaching as a revenge game.

Make it happen, people.