UConnReport.com - No quit in UConn in win over Louisville

October 17, 2009

Zac Boyer
UConnReport.com Editor

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - As the seconds ticked off the clock and UConn entered the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against Louisville, head coach Randy Edsall ran down the sideline screaming and pumping his fist to motivate the Huskies.

The actions would be consistent of a coach watching his team just barely hang on for survival. But the Huskies were up by 18 points and, though Louisville had the ball, quarterback Adam Froman had just been sacked by Lindsey Witten for a five-yard loss.

For a team with a history of blowing fourth-quarter leads this season, the Huskies didn't do too bad. Louisville would pull within 12 but eventually bow to UConn, 38-25, at Rentschler Field.

"I was hoping it wouldn't get to that situation, to tell you the truth, because after you turn 50, it's not much going forward," Edsall said. "It's all going downhill after that. You can't sit there screaming and hollering like you used when you're 34 or 35. It takes a toll on you."

UConn (4-2, 1-1 Big East) had been outscored 40-10 in the fourth quarter this season, leading to questions about the defense's viability and the offense's ability to sustain drives when it mattered.

While the Huskies did allow a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns - a 2-yard run by Victor Anderson early and a 4-yard pass from Froman to reserve running back Blayne Donnell as time expired - a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Todman sandwiched in between was enough to keep the Huskies ahead.

"I think it was effort," said cornerback Jasper Howard, who finished with 11 tackles and also forced and recovered a fumble in the third quarter. "Everybody knows we wanted to finish the game, so everybody gave that extra edge, that extra want, that extra will. Everybody wanted to finish the game, and nobody wanted to come back in the locker room with everybody with their head down and 0-2 in the Big East."

That effort produced several career bests. Andre Dixon rushed a career-high 33 times for 153 yards, including three touchdowns - tying a high previously set at Baylor. Kashif Moore had a career-high 67-yard reception in the second quarter.

And Marcus Easley caught a career-high six passes for 108 yards and a touchdown - the first UConn player to have back-to-back 100-yard games since John Fitzsimmons did so against Villanova and James Madison in 1999.

"The one thing we talked about was not even looking at the scoreboard," Dixon said. "Everybody was running around, saying, 'Let's go.' Even coach Edsall was running around up and down the sidelines like, 'Hey, let's finish, let's go.'"

UConn set the tone early when Blidi Wreh-Wilson intercepted a pass by Froman that was first tipped by Greg Lloyd, followed by Dixon's first touchdown of the afternoon.

Louisville (2-4, 0-2) would turn the ball over four times, leading to 24 points by the Huskies.

"It's a big difference when your offense can capitalize off the transition that you give them," said safety Aaron Bagsby, who forced a fumble in the third quarter. "It makes us feel good as a defense."

What likely doesn't feel good: The Huskies surrendered a season-high 457 yards to the Cardinals, including 295 through the air and 162 on the ground. Froman completed 24 of 31 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, while Bilal Powell picked up 87 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.

But UConn was able to counter with its own offensive outburst. Cody Endres completed 14 of his 21 attempts for 273 yards and the touchdown pass to Easley, though an interception that ended the Huskies' drive at the end of the first half was the quarterback's first of the season.

Jordan Todman carried the ball just eight times but gained 63 yards and added the fourth-quarter touchdown. Moore, Brad Kanuch and Ryan Griffin each caught two passes, and Lawrence Wilson led the UConn defense with 16 tackles - one short of a career high.

While the overall performance bodes well for the Huskies heading into next week's pivotal match-up at West Virginia, a team UConn has never beaten, the sustained effort may be the bigger victory.

"We got to the fourth quarter, and I was like, 'Guys, we're not going to let this thing happen again,'" Edsall said.

	Zac Boyer, the editor and publisher of UConnReport.com, covers UConn sports on the Rivals network. He can be reached by e-mail at zacboyer@rivals.com.
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