Previewing the Big East: UConn Huskies

On the edges senior Lindsey Witten and junior Marcus Cambell can cause havoc in the backfield. The two defensive ends both played in 11 games last year and they combined to sack opposing quarterbacks seven times.

As talented as UConn’s young defensive line is, the strength of the defense will be the linebackers. They return all three of their starters from a year ago, juniors Scott Lutrus, Greg Lloyd and Lawrence Wilson.

Lutrus and Wilson were the top two tacklers on the team in 2008 with 106 and 73 tackles, respectively. Lloyd was sixth on the team with 56. 

The trio helped the defense allow the second fewest rushing yards in the Big East last year with just 109.8 yards per game.  With all three back, teams are going to have a tough time running the ball against UConn again this season.

While the linebackers are shutting down the run, the Huskies’ secondary should prove adept at picking off opposing quarterbacks and making plays. The combination of corners Robert McClain and Jasper Howard along with free safety Robert Vaughn grabbed nine interceptions last season.

 That’s one more than either Syracuse or Louisville had as a team, and only one less than USF and Rutgers each had last year. 

While the defense should be great in Connecticut this season, the offense still may not be as balanced as they’re hoping for. If they do figure out how to create a more efficient passing attack then the sky is the limit but with a new quarterback and a new offensive scheme they’re probably a year or two away from achieving the kind of balance they want.

Then considering they have non-conference games against North Carolina, Baylor and Notre Dame as well as conference road games against Pitt, West Virginia and Cincinnati, there is a chance UConn could struggle this year. 

The most likely scenario for the Huskies in 2009 is that Frazer and the rest of the offense will struggle at times and Connecticut will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack in the Big East.  However, if Frazer can step in and provide UConn with a legitimate passing game then they could have a chance to win the Big East this year.  

As long as Randy Edsall is at the helm, you can be sure the Huskies will continue to be extremely competitive and they will continue to exceed expectations.

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