UConnReport.com - Rutgers arrives as UConn continues healing

October 31, 2009

Associated Press

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - UConn is looking for some closure Saturday when it hosts Rutgers, the Huskies' first home game since the stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard.

Since the Oct. 18 tragedy, the team has taken part in vigils, emotional meetings with Howard's family and a funeral.

UConn took Howard's jersey and helmet on the road to West Virginia last week, where the team was greeted with cheers and tributes, and lost 28-24 in an emotionally charged contest. On Saturday, there will be more tributes as the team shares its grief with the home fans.

"It's going to take a while for this to move on," said UConn linebacker Greg Lloyd. "Probably until the whole trial and everything and somebody goes to jail for that. And it's still going to take time after that. For me personally, it's a guy that I'm never going to see again; somebody that I used to joke around with and talk to that I won't be seeing. It's a heavy weight to carry around with you."

Rutgers (5-2, 0-2) comes in seeking its first Big East win of the season. Two of Rutgers' five wins have come against lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision opponents - the NCAA allows only one to count toward bowl eligibility - so the Scarlet Knights need at least two more wins to qualify for a bowl game.

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, who coached Howard at a camp at Miami (Fla.) Edison, said several Rutgers players have been affected by his death. Receiver Tim Brown was a friend of Howard's and played at rival Miami (Fla.) Northwestern.

"We will talk about it as a football team," Schiano said. "We have already and we will do it again. We will recognize Jazz in our own way. Once the game starts, it is back to playing football."

UConn head coach Randy Edsall said his team needs to approach the game with a sharp focus. The Huskies have lost three games this season by a total of nine points, all after blowing fourth-quarter leads.

"We all have to move on with our everyday lives and understand what we have to get done," he said. "I am not going to interfere with anybody's individual way of handling this situation with Jazz. But again, everybody knows it's time to move forward and go on."

The Huskies and Scarlet Knights have developed a regional rivalry. The schools are about 170 miles apart, and six of their last seven contests have been decided by 10 points or less, including last year's 12-10 Rutgers win in Piscataway, N.J.

Each team also has a young starting quarterback.

UConn sophomore Cody Endres threw for a career-high 378 yards and two scores last week against West Virginia, and has more than 1,300 yards passing in six games.

His success has coincided with the emergence of senior receiver Marcus Easley, who has had three consecutive 100-yard games, for a total of three touchdowns and 365 yards over that span.

"We have been drawing up some different plays for him and he is doing a great job of getting open out there even when he has coverage," Endres said. "He has finally got his chance out there like I got my chance and he has just been making big play after big play and his confidence is growing as he gets better."

Rutgers freshman quarterback Tom Savage makes his first conference road start. He's thrown for more than 1,100 yards and five touchdowns, with just one interception.

Schiano says the coaches are trying to keep the offense simple, and give Savage a little more of it each week.

"The temptation is there because he is such a strong-armed, big, mature and physical guy, that he should be able to see it all," he said. "Well, it happens so fast out there and every week it is a different scheme out there. This week was totally different than last week."

Both teams are hoping for solid rushing games. UConn's tailback tandem of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon have combined for 1,250 yards, while Rutgers' Joe Martinek is averaging more than 5 yards per carry.

UConn got some good news this week, when doctors cleared linebacker Scott Lutrus to play. Lutrus, who had 106 tackles last year, has missed most of the season with a nerve injury in his left shoulder.

Howard's spot will be filled by redshirt freshman Blidi Wreh-Wilson, with another redshirt freshman, Dwayne Gratz also seeing some time.

"Those two kids, as long as they keep their head on straight and want to work, they have a chance to be good football players," Edsall said. "It is important to them and they want to be good."

Especially this week.

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