August 30....UConn / Indiana

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 18, 2003

• #1

Well Gentlemen,

This is my first post here and I'll be lending insight into Connecticut football this season in addition to several other regional teams. Now CT is a newbie to 1A football and will enter the Big East a year early next year but I believe they'll be a moneymaker again this year!!

For the record...9-2 ATS last year and 16-5 ATS over last 2
Have the linemakers caught up .....maybe ...but doubtful..

Toooooooooooo many still don't even know CT plays 1A.
OK....According to some CT was the most improved team in 1A last year from beginning to seasons end.
THEY WERE YOUNG...70% of offense was soph or younger. They improved rapidly and outscored opp 199-55 in last 4 games. (including 37-20 over Iowa State at Ames)

Bluechip QB Dan Orlovsky 6'5" 230 CT poy outa HS threw for 2500 yds......60%...37-41 in the redzone and led his O on 15+ 80 yd drives in a balanced offense that had the nations leading freshman groungainer. Terry Caulley gained 1250 yards including 191 vs Iowa State and did so missing 2 games and sitting 2 halves in blowouts. He's back and CT is DEEEP in QUALITY running backs.

Add the fact that CT is opening a new 40,000 seat stadium that will be filled to the rafters and Indiana (a weak D last year)especially vs the run and this could set up an interesting play

more later.........

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 18, 2003

• #2

continued...

Right now CT is returning 15 starters and Defense........which also improved significantly may need some time before secondary plays to last years level (5th overall)...Corners will be new but overall D will be better than satisfactory.

Coach Randy Edsall...is more than capable having tenured at Syracuse, BC and def backs at the Jax Jags before coming to CT

Injuries of note: Tim Lassen 270 lb tight end was to replace last years leading receiver (Tommy Collins) Not now...out 6-8 weeks...
6'5" 250lb Danny Murray is athletic and was coming on strong prior to the injury so he'll likely step in

Freshman linebacker Ryan Henegan,also separated a shoulder and will likely redshirt.

Indiana, under coach DiNardo will look forward to new life under ND transfer QB Matt LoVecchio.
Offense is not the problem at Indiana however,its the almost 6 yards per carry that the D gave up last year. That plays into CT strength and will open up the passing as well. I'm looking for CT to get the home W and score some points in this one. We'll see how things develop and how the pointspread looks before playing.

Jimmy Mac

 

schaeon

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• Aug 18, 2003

• #3

nice info and looking fwd to future writeups!

 

BigPete

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• Aug 19, 2003

• #4

UCONN -4 at Oly

 

winkyduck

I am sorry for using the "R" word - and NOTHING EL

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• Aug 19, 2003

• #5

100% agree. as strange as it looks seeing uconn faved over indy - this is the only way the line should be. think uconn in 1st 1/2 might be an even better play.

 

epper

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• Aug 19, 2003

• #6

oh it's good to be back and as most may or may not remember I live in CT and played thme and against last year. I am a season ticket holder and think this team will be solid, but remember they played a lot of no ones. They covered some big lines like G-tech with seconds on the clock. They should roll this year too. Maybe only lose 3-4 games against noone. However IU has LoVichio at qb and a host of RB's. CT should be able to run the ball against this team, but not sure they can score with IU--tough game to call

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 20, 2003

• #7

update:

While I still like CT the points are more than expected and CT starting strong safety
Chris Meyers just quit the team and will transfer.(legal troubles notwithstanding)
Meyers was the 2nd leading tackler with 97 last year and a starter since freshman year.......Very hard hitting junior...John Fletcher will move up.
WRs Seth Fogarty and Jason Williams are not in contact drills nursing shoulders. Williams will be there for Ind. Highly recruited Fogarty is ???
Starting DT Ryan Bushey7 returns Friday from a hamstring

thats it for now .....

 

realswami

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• Aug 20, 2003

• #8

WINDYDUCK,GOT UCONN+4,I THINK YOU CAN PLAY THIS GAME ANYWAY YOU LIKE AND WIN,STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM UCONN IS A GOOD 2ND HALF-AT LEAST THEY WERE LAST YEAR,MAY THE FOOTBALL GODS BE WITH YOU THIS SEASON,REALSWAMI

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 20, 2003

• #9

Uconn -5.5 now and seems to be rising out of the reasonable play category. Too bad...initial thoughts were close to a pk. em but too many questions in the CT secondary AND ????? Will they come out as poised and effective in game 1 vs a Big 10 opponent as they were when they finished last season.......May even have to look at Ind. as they are practicing well and D is (according to coach) ahead of where it was last year. No decisions yet..

 

jaypaw

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• Aug 23, 2003

• #10

jimmy you from CT or did you just go to school there?

(or neither)

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 23, 2003

• #11

Hey Jaypaw,

I did not go to CT but 2 of my sons did, one being a senior there now.
I guess its obvious that I follow the CT sports scene closely and between hoops and cfb its been a good moneymaker of late.

There is great excitement, on campus, regarding this football team and they may prove to deserve it. Many returnees BUT a couple of key players will be missing vs Ind. This is a game I had hoped to cash big but 5.5 is a big number for little CT to lay vs a Big 10 school


GL
Jimmy Mac

 

jaypaw

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #12

lookin good up 10-3 at the half!

 

UWinSports

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #13

Good Luck

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #14

Final Take on the game...........
Well,

I watched the whole game and Indiana, because of an inexperienced offensive line, kinda forced them to emphasize the run in the first half. M Lovecchio was sacked at least 5 times overall and the Ind. D tired late. Its gonna be a long season for Indiana. ...........play against.....not a lotta west coast offense.

Now for CT.......Matt Orlovsky IS the BEST I've seen in a long time..
By the time he leaves CT he'll be at the top of the QB list of draftees......6'5" 230.....poised....strong arm....high completion ratio....in charge out there......today 26-42 for 307yds, 3 td 1pk.

Terry Caulley..24 carries for 166yds ....218 all purpose.
VERY Few unassisted tackles on this kid... 5'7" and he drags defenders on almost every carry. STRONG and quick

CT loses Maurice Loydd....last years leading tackler for a partial tear ACL........????????? gotta be at least a month or more...
So thats BOTH of last years leading tacklers gone .... Ind didnt throw much or with great effeciency but CT corners can be had.

Good W today .....CT offense is solid...Ind is NOT
Ind. D not as bad as score or yards....CT D was scrappy but not as strong as it appears.


GL with all the rest of your games today

Jimmy Mac

 

CMAN

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #15

nice work

thanks for the moola

 

olddog

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #16

Jimmy - some fine insights on the game - did you bet it? Your last post prior to game time said "no decisions yet..." grt post-game analysis.

Cman - I'm glad you won but I think Jimmy implied line was too high, so pass on game.

"Uconn -5.5 now and seems to be rising out of the reasonable play category. Too bad...initial thoughts were close to a pk. em but too many questions in the CT secondary AND ????? Will they come out as poised and effective in game 1 vs a Big 10 opponent as they were when they finished last season.......May even have to look at Ind. as they are practicing well and D is (according to coach) ahead of where it was last year. No decisions yet..."

 

JimmyMac+

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #17

This is the post that I wrote at another site for the final decision

Well,

Indiana has a mobile Matt LoVecchio and quality receivers in Glenn Johnson and Courtney Roby.... these guys should score some points tomorrow against the suspect CT secondary ...BUT...
I'm going to play CT
Indiana started fall practice with only 68 scholarship players 42 freshmen 20 of whom are walkons....only 7 seniors (4 scholarship)

Last year they gave up 235 ypg on the ground and 428 overall. Over the last 8 years they have given up 40 or more points close to 33% of the time......As we saw last year CT is balanced and can score.

CT.... OFFENSE..........Deep at QB but Orlovsky is the man....Tailback 3 QUALITY backs but Caulley is the man. Fullback...5'11" 241 Deon Anderson is the most impressive physical player on the team.. Tackle Ryan Krug 6'4" 310 could be the best among all major independants including ND. Strong man Brian Markowski joins with part time starter LeAndre Dupree at guard and Billy Irwin is a quick281 lb centerwho returns backed by long snapper Jeff Fox.
DEEP at wr and a good thing as leading wr (Brandon Young) is out with a hamstring.

Defense..... will be led by experienced players including pro prospects....6'6" 295 Sean Mulcahey and 250 lb End...Uyi Osundi who finished last year with 9.5 sacks (only 2.5 less than whole Indiana team)........corners and strong safety...Justin Perkins = a redshirt freshman and Earnest Coles ??? SS Meyer who quit the team 2 weeks ago will be missed........ A strong linebacker corps. will be led by teams leading tackler Maurice Lloyd. (118-78 unassisted) and Albert Fincher.

I know that CT is up against the Big 10 here but look how they played BC early, and Io. St, etc. at seasons end last year. Nobody beat up on Navy (not even ND) like Ct did so I'm not going to worry too much about the athletic differences....CT has closed the gap and is ready to open their new stadium with a big W.....I'm gonna guess 38-24


MY BAD..........I posted these writeups at 2 other sites and did the cut and paste thing.
I REALLY thought that I had put the pick on all 3 but I failed to do so...........
I played it for 1 unit and was more intent on watching both teams closely.

At my age 56......these brain farts happen....
Hope some of you used the info to make the pick.

Jimmy Mac

 

olddog

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• Aug 30, 2003

• #18

No problem - it didnt slow down cman; the line and your ambivalence did scare me off the game -- there are plenty more UConn games left and I look forward to your analysis...and at 57 my brain is constantly farting.