While temptation abounds, the baptism comes with three early ones.
Connecticut(-5') over Indiana (1*)
Respect has to be earned. Giving points to the beefeaters presents no easy task. Nevertheless, I expect an emotional effort and fewer breakdowns from the team with a heck of a lot on the line to earn the advantage over 60 minutes.
Wisconsin(-3) over West Virginia (1*)
The pieces seem in place for a second wind under the Alvarez tenure before any significant rust sets in (even Hayden Fry at Iowa managed that before the writing was on the wall). The Mountaineers have not fully reloaded their musket as they try to atone for last year's humbling ( 34-3 at halftime).
Miami (Ohio)(+11) over Iowa (1*)
There is nothing to suggest that Iowa is poised to be a world beater out of the gate this season. It looks like a live dog is arriving to give the Hawks some nervous moments.
GL
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HARTFORD COURANT (8/30/03):
It's a new day. A new era for UConn football begins today with the first game at the Huskies' new stadium in East Hartford. A crowd of about 35,000 - less than a sellout - is expected at Rentschler Field.
UConn will play Indiana in a game that embodies the Huskies' move to major college football.
"We became a Division I team for a reason," linebacker Maurice Lloyd said. "They didn't build that stadium for us to play in and lose. It's a Division I stadium, and we have to come out there every day and play as a Division I team."
The Huskies assume residence at Rentschler Field - kickoff is at 12:06 p.m. - with high hopes and momentum on their side.
"Any team that goes into a new stadium with the excitement around an athletic program like we have right now - the fans and crowd - is going to be at an amazing advantage," quarterback Dan Orlovsky said.
There is some concern that the excitement might be difficult for the Huskies to harness.
"I'm sure we'll be extremely hyped," linebacker Alfred Fincher said. "The first quarter we're going to be so excited. We'll probably make some dumb mistakes. Once we settle down, we'll come out and perform. After a while you don't even hear the fans. You just see what you have to do."
UConn sold more than 25,000 season tickets for the first season at Rentschler. UConn's former home field on campus, Memorial Stadium, had a seating capacity of 16,200.
The new stadium, built on land donated by United Technologies, has all the modern amenities, including 600 club seats and 38 luxury suites.
The stadium was only in the planning stages when many of the UConn players were recruited.
"It makes you feel like you're in the elite," linebacker Uyi Osunde said. "I can't imagine what it will be like with 40,000 people. I hope it's crazy."
UConn defensive tackle and tri-captain Sean Mulcahy summed up the players' estimation of the stadium.
"It's awesome," he said. "It might even be a little bit of intimidation. [Visiting] teams are going to be, `This school is for real. They have a legit stadium and some legit fans.'"
UConn ramped up the buzz for today's game by closing last season with four consecutive victories, including a 37-20 upset of Iowa State on the road.
The Huskies also defeated Florida Atlantic (61-14), Kent State (63-21) and Navy (38-0) during the winning streak to finish the season 6-6.
"There's some expectations, especially after last season, but I think we can live up to them," wide receiver Shaun Feldeisen said. "We want to start things out right in the stadium. We want to start out with a win. We ended the old stadium with a win. When you open a new one, you want to start out on the right foot."
The Huskies are 51/2-point favorites over Indiana. The Hoosiers, from the Big Ten, were 3-9 in 2002 and lost their final six.
This game may tell a lot more about the Huskies than the surge at the end of last season. A victory over the Hoosiers would be the biggest in school history because of the situation - new stadium, record crowd, Big Ten opponent. UConn has never played a Big Ten school.
"You've got to be a good football team if you're in the Big Ten," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "The Big Ten is maybe the top conference in the country. It's physical football teams. It's people that are going to get after you. We've got a tremendous challenge and a tremendous opportunity."
UConn upgraded its football program to Division I-A in 2000. The first two seasons were difficult. The Huskies were 3-8 in 2000 and 2-9 in 2001, and were pounded by Boston College (55-3), Middle Tennessee (66-10), Ball State (29-0), Virginia Tech (52-10) and Temple (56-7) along the way. The 2002 season was the first in which the Huskies were at the NCAA maximum of 85 scholarships.
As promising as the end of last season was, it has to be kept in perspective. Florida Atlantic (2-9 in '02) is in I-AA. Navy (2-10) was missing its starting quarterback and was coming off en emotional loss to Notre Dame the week before. Kent State (3-9) lost its starting quarterback early in the game. Iowa State (7-7) got caught looking ahead to a bowl game, which it also lost.
The margin by which the Huskies won the four games (combined 199-55) gave the surge added importance. UConn set a school single-game home scoring record against Kent State to close out 50 years of football at Memorial Stadium, breaking a record set a week earlier against Florida Atlantic.
Though 15 starters return for UConn, including Orlovsky and running back Terry Caulley, Edsall has told the players that it is the program that is on a four-game streak and not this team.
"The one thing everybody has to remember, this is still a building process that we're going through," Edsall said. "We're still not the finished product. We have to continue to progress with this team and continue to build the program."
What UConn did last season was also noted by the teams the Huskies play this season. The schedule includes highly ranked Virginia Tech and North Carolina State, as well as Boston College and Wake Forest.
"We know every game we're going to have to play to the best of our ability because every team is going to be ready for us," linebacker James Hargrave said.
Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo, recognizing the situation his team faces today, had some simple advice for his players: "Buckle it up."
UConn has played in big stadiums and in front of big crowds. Just last season, the Huskies played Miami at the Orange Bowl (52,131), at BC (40,066) and at Iowa State (34,582). But this will be the biggest home crowd for a UConn game, breaking a record set last season (16,849 vs. Ball State Sept. 28).
"The stadium is great," Edsall said. "This is a whole different era that's never been approached before. It really legitimizes what this whole Division I-A process is all about. [But] we need to go out and perform. It's great for the fans and recruiting. But when we come out of that tunnel and walk onto that field, we've got to go play."
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Charleston Gazette (8/30/03):
A Tennessee-Chattanooga opener, like the one WVU won 56-7 last season, would work just fine for (West Virginia HC Rich) Rodriguez, given that he will enter the season with rebuilt offensive and defensive lines, a nearly-new group of running backs and a few other holes to fill here and there. And the rebuilding job got even harder on Wednesday when the Mountaineers lost their best and most versatile offensive lineman, right tackle Tim Brown, to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury.
?Even some of the upperclassmen who will be playing, they don?t have a whole lot of experience,?? Rodriguez said. ?They?re going to get baptized early and it?s important that we hang in there and not lose our focus if they make a few plays on us, which they will.??
The Badgers, who walloped WVU 34-17 last year in Madison ? it was 34-3 at halftime ? bring a talented, experienced team to Morgantown to face the Mountaineers and a crowd that could reach close to 60,000. Coach Barry Alvarez?s team had to rebuild its offensive line and replace quarterback Brooks Bollinger, but did so with another group of huge linemen ? the Badgers average 307 pounds across the front ? and a senior quarterback, Jim Sorgi, who has five starts to his credit.
?I think [Alvarez] is a little more comfortable than I am because of the experience he has back,?? Rodriguez said. ?We hope coming to Mountaineer Field is a tough place for everybody, but it?s only tough if you play well. They can take the crowd out of it if they play well and we play poorly.??
West Virginia counters with a handful of experienced veterans like quarterback Rasheed Marshall and tailback Quincy Wilson on offense and linebacker Grant Wiley and cornerbacks Brian King and Lance Frazier on defense. But both lines have had to be rebuilt, most of the receivers are untested and Wilson?s backups in the backfield are all new.
That?s why Rodriguez would prefer to have a tune-up before facing a schedule on which Wisconsin is just the first of five Top 25 teams.
?You hope that you don?t make those kind of first-game mistakes that can cause you to lose a game,?? Rodriguez said. ?If you play a team that?s not as strong as you are, you can make some of those typical first-game mistakes and penalties and still come out with a win. If you do that against a team like Wisconsin, there?s no question you?re going to get beat.??
Connecticut(-5') over Indiana (1*)
Respect has to be earned. Giving points to the beefeaters presents no easy task. Nevertheless, I expect an emotional effort and fewer breakdowns from the team with a heck of a lot on the line to earn the advantage over 60 minutes.
Wisconsin(-3) over West Virginia (1*)
The pieces seem in place for a second wind under the Alvarez tenure before any significant rust sets in (even Hayden Fry at Iowa managed that before the writing was on the wall). The Mountaineers have not fully reloaded their musket as they try to atone for last year's humbling ( 34-3 at halftime).
Miami (Ohio)(+11) over Iowa (1*)
There is nothing to suggest that Iowa is poised to be a world beater out of the gate this season. It looks like a live dog is arriving to give the Hawks some nervous moments.
GL
---------- ---------- ----------
HARTFORD COURANT (8/30/03):
It's a new day. A new era for UConn football begins today with the first game at the Huskies' new stadium in East Hartford. A crowd of about 35,000 - less than a sellout - is expected at Rentschler Field.
UConn will play Indiana in a game that embodies the Huskies' move to major college football.
"We became a Division I team for a reason," linebacker Maurice Lloyd said. "They didn't build that stadium for us to play in and lose. It's a Division I stadium, and we have to come out there every day and play as a Division I team."
The Huskies assume residence at Rentschler Field - kickoff is at 12:06 p.m. - with high hopes and momentum on their side.
"Any team that goes into a new stadium with the excitement around an athletic program like we have right now - the fans and crowd - is going to be at an amazing advantage," quarterback Dan Orlovsky said.
There is some concern that the excitement might be difficult for the Huskies to harness.
"I'm sure we'll be extremely hyped," linebacker Alfred Fincher said. "The first quarter we're going to be so excited. We'll probably make some dumb mistakes. Once we settle down, we'll come out and perform. After a while you don't even hear the fans. You just see what you have to do."
UConn sold more than 25,000 season tickets for the first season at Rentschler. UConn's former home field on campus, Memorial Stadium, had a seating capacity of 16,200.
The new stadium, built on land donated by United Technologies, has all the modern amenities, including 600 club seats and 38 luxury suites.
The stadium was only in the planning stages when many of the UConn players were recruited.
"It makes you feel like you're in the elite," linebacker Uyi Osunde said. "I can't imagine what it will be like with 40,000 people. I hope it's crazy."
UConn defensive tackle and tri-captain Sean Mulcahy summed up the players' estimation of the stadium.
"It's awesome," he said. "It might even be a little bit of intimidation. [Visiting] teams are going to be, `This school is for real. They have a legit stadium and some legit fans.'"
UConn ramped up the buzz for today's game by closing last season with four consecutive victories, including a 37-20 upset of Iowa State on the road.
The Huskies also defeated Florida Atlantic (61-14), Kent State (63-21) and Navy (38-0) during the winning streak to finish the season 6-6.
"There's some expectations, especially after last season, but I think we can live up to them," wide receiver Shaun Feldeisen said. "We want to start things out right in the stadium. We want to start out with a win. We ended the old stadium with a win. When you open a new one, you want to start out on the right foot."
The Huskies are 51/2-point favorites over Indiana. The Hoosiers, from the Big Ten, were 3-9 in 2002 and lost their final six.
This game may tell a lot more about the Huskies than the surge at the end of last season. A victory over the Hoosiers would be the biggest in school history because of the situation - new stadium, record crowd, Big Ten opponent. UConn has never played a Big Ten school.
"You've got to be a good football team if you're in the Big Ten," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "The Big Ten is maybe the top conference in the country. It's physical football teams. It's people that are going to get after you. We've got a tremendous challenge and a tremendous opportunity."
UConn upgraded its football program to Division I-A in 2000. The first two seasons were difficult. The Huskies were 3-8 in 2000 and 2-9 in 2001, and were pounded by Boston College (55-3), Middle Tennessee (66-10), Ball State (29-0), Virginia Tech (52-10) and Temple (56-7) along the way. The 2002 season was the first in which the Huskies were at the NCAA maximum of 85 scholarships.
As promising as the end of last season was, it has to be kept in perspective. Florida Atlantic (2-9 in '02) is in I-AA. Navy (2-10) was missing its starting quarterback and was coming off en emotional loss to Notre Dame the week before. Kent State (3-9) lost its starting quarterback early in the game. Iowa State (7-7) got caught looking ahead to a bowl game, which it also lost.
The margin by which the Huskies won the four games (combined 199-55) gave the surge added importance. UConn set a school single-game home scoring record against Kent State to close out 50 years of football at Memorial Stadium, breaking a record set a week earlier against Florida Atlantic.
Though 15 starters return for UConn, including Orlovsky and running back Terry Caulley, Edsall has told the players that it is the program that is on a four-game streak and not this team.
"The one thing everybody has to remember, this is still a building process that we're going through," Edsall said. "We're still not the finished product. We have to continue to progress with this team and continue to build the program."
What UConn did last season was also noted by the teams the Huskies play this season. The schedule includes highly ranked Virginia Tech and North Carolina State, as well as Boston College and Wake Forest.
"We know every game we're going to have to play to the best of our ability because every team is going to be ready for us," linebacker James Hargrave said.
Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo, recognizing the situation his team faces today, had some simple advice for his players: "Buckle it up."
UConn has played in big stadiums and in front of big crowds. Just last season, the Huskies played Miami at the Orange Bowl (52,131), at BC (40,066) and at Iowa State (34,582). But this will be the biggest home crowd for a UConn game, breaking a record set last season (16,849 vs. Ball State Sept. 28).
"The stadium is great," Edsall said. "This is a whole different era that's never been approached before. It really legitimizes what this whole Division I-A process is all about. [But] we need to go out and perform. It's great for the fans and recruiting. But when we come out of that tunnel and walk onto that field, we've got to go play."
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Charleston Gazette (8/30/03):
A Tennessee-Chattanooga opener, like the one WVU won 56-7 last season, would work just fine for (West Virginia HC Rich) Rodriguez, given that he will enter the season with rebuilt offensive and defensive lines, a nearly-new group of running backs and a few other holes to fill here and there. And the rebuilding job got even harder on Wednesday when the Mountaineers lost their best and most versatile offensive lineman, right tackle Tim Brown, to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury.
?Even some of the upperclassmen who will be playing, they don?t have a whole lot of experience,?? Rodriguez said. ?They?re going to get baptized early and it?s important that we hang in there and not lose our focus if they make a few plays on us, which they will.??
The Badgers, who walloped WVU 34-17 last year in Madison ? it was 34-3 at halftime ? bring a talented, experienced team to Morgantown to face the Mountaineers and a crowd that could reach close to 60,000. Coach Barry Alvarez?s team had to rebuild its offensive line and replace quarterback Brooks Bollinger, but did so with another group of huge linemen ? the Badgers average 307 pounds across the front ? and a senior quarterback, Jim Sorgi, who has five starts to his credit.
?I think [Alvarez] is a little more comfortable than I am because of the experience he has back,?? Rodriguez said. ?We hope coming to Mountaineer Field is a tough place for everybody, but it?s only tough if you play well. They can take the crowd out of it if they play well and we play poorly.??
West Virginia counters with a handful of experienced veterans like quarterback Rasheed Marshall and tailback Quincy Wilson on offense and linebacker Grant Wiley and cornerbacks Brian King and Lance Frazier on defense. But both lines have had to be rebuilt, most of the receivers are untested and Wilson?s backups in the backfield are all new.
That?s why Rodriguez would prefer to have a tune-up before facing a schedule on which Wisconsin is just the first of five Top 25 teams.
?You hope that you don?t make those kind of first-game mistakes that can cause you to lose a game,?? Rodriguez said. ?If you play a team that?s not as strong as you are, you can make some of those typical first-game mistakes and penalties and still come out with a win. If you do that against a team like Wisconsin, there?s no question you?re going to get beat.??
