UConn Football Struggles Early in Loss at Michigan

UConn didn't show up to the Big House prepared for Rich Rod's spread offense and the lethal weapon of Denard Robinson.  His quarterback lit up the Huskies through the air and on the ground.

He rushed for a record 197 yards against UConn.  He frequently was left free to run up the middle and outside the corners.  The Huskies looked as if they had never seen a mobile quarterback.  The real problem was the speed of Michigan.

UConn struggled up front on the line against the huge offensive line that Michigan has.  Getting blown back off the ball every play makes it difficult for a team to get penetrations on the quarterback.  Robinson faced little pressure all day and because of this he was able to read the defense and run for big gains.

When the Huskies fell into a 21-0 hole early, you knew it wasn't going to be difficult to dig out.  Though they didn't give up, considering they scored 10 points in the second quarter to make it a 21-10 game at half.

Where UConn really lost the game was in the third quarter, when a D.J. Shoemate fumble on fourth and one only a few yards from the endzone cost the Huskies dearly.  Instead of cutting the deficit to a touchdown, UConn was now back on defense.

Michigan was dominant on offense.  It could run and pass the ball at will.  The corners for UConn looked slow and some of the tackling techniques were downright ugly.  It certainly seemed that the Huskies were overmatched and unprepared for this national televised game.

The linebackers for UConn made a lot of plays but they were after Michigan was moving the ball five or six yards at a time.  Scott Lutrus didn't play much in the second half due to an apparent shoulder injury which is yet to be determined to what extent.

The play of Zach Frazer was pathetic.  Yes, some of the wide receivers dropped some catchable balls, but 18 for 37 isn't going to get the job done.  He didn't throw an interception, but there were at least a couple of passes thrown that should have been picked off.  One hit a Michigan linebacker square in the chest.

I couldn't believe how bad the UConn defense looked.  This was a group that last year that lost all five games by a total 15 points.  Randy Edsall has a lot of work to do in preparing his team for Big East opponents.

It has always been the UConn defense that keeps them close at the end of games.  This game it was a whole different story.  Michigan fumbled the ball a couple of times, but got it back immediately. 

UConn's punter shanked a punt that literally went five yards.  Kicker Dave Teggart had a 40-yard line drive kick blocked and another kick that was tipped.

The UConn special teams was very inconsistent, which only added to their struggles.

The one bright spot was Jordan Todman, who ran for 105 yards on 20 carries.  He also scored UConn's only touchdown of the afternoon.

There is a lot to digest from this game.  It is only one game and the Huskies have eleven games left to play.  There are some major adjustments that need to be looked at for the improvement of this team.

Those changes should take place this weekend with UConn's home opener set for Saturday against Texas Southern at noon.