AP/Photo Fred Beckham
UConn 29, USF 27
Dave Teggart has had a rough go of it this season. He missed two field goals in Morgantown, the Huskies lost by 4. He missed two field goals vs Rutgers, the Huskies lost by 4. He missed the game winner in South Bend, Andre Dixon bailed him out in overtime. I must admit, when the Huskies ran the draw play to center the ball for a 42 yard goal, I thought it was a mistake. I thought we needed another 10 yards. I was wrong, Randy Edsall was right. Teggart hit it true, and kicked the Huskies to their third consecutive winning season.
This game did not play out at all how I thought it might. The Huskies running game never really took off…running for just 127 yards. Dixon ran 13 times for 50 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Todman rushed 16 times for 73 yards. Not bad certainly, but not what we are used to.
Who would have thought that our best weapon in a snow storm would be Zach Frazer? Well, he was…he played great. He was high with a couple of throws, including a two point conversion that would have given the Huskies a 7 point lead with 4 minutes to go, but this might have been his best performance. 20 of 30 for 225, 2 TD’s no picks. Sweetness.
I hope Marcus Easley is drafted by someone locally, because I love watching that kid play. Another 8 catches, another 122 yards. 853 yards and 8 TDs? Really? And he didn’t play in the first two games? Unbelievable.
Okay, so that was the good…here is the not so good…the defense failed to hold the lead late, again. Senior safety Robert Vaughn went down with an injury in this one, and when he did, all heck broke loose. The safety play has been spotty all year, and last night was no exception.
What was with the squib kicks? Questionable strategy to say the least, especially when they didn’t work the first few times. South Florida only had to go 56 yards for their go ahead TD with 40 seconds left…If I had a webcam, you’d see me scratching my head.
This team is the model of perseverance, I’ll tell you that. What a season…tumultuos about sums it up, but we did it. 7-5 with a difficult schedule, and a mountain of adversity. This season was Randy Edsall’s shining moment…he kept the kids focused, on course, and they won…and I don’t just mean on the football field.
I’ll never forget this season…I saw some amazing things from behind the red line. I yelled, I laughed, I rejoiced and I cried…the 2009 Huskies…my all time favorite team.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
What a game! I felt the same way when they were setting up the Teggart field goal but what a way to end the regular season for him and the team. Props to you Dave.
Props to the fans who stuck it out too. It was wet and miserable toward the end but our Huskies rewarded us! A warm weather bowl game would be nice after that. Any chance that happens?
The Bowl picture is a mess phop…we just have to sit and wait…we’ll know sometime today…
No better way to finish the season… dramatic, toe curling, win in what I consider to be absolute “football weather.” I wish I could have been there to see it and celebrate! No matter how the bowl decision goes, at least the boys and all the fans can look back at this season, put on a smile, and be proud!
Hey Everybody!, What a game last night, and what a finish , to what has truely been a year that I do not think any of us could ever properly put into the Proper Context of “Words!” For all of the Highs, and Lows, and all of the real deep adversities, and loss of #6 Jasper Howard, none of us could have ever concluded that this Group of Players would have found there way through all of this madness, and found a way to see themselves all the way to the finish line in a way that not one of us could have imagined. Do any of you including myself truely believe , with the struggling season that Dave Taggert has been having , that the whole season would have rested on his shoulders with a “Perfect Straight down the Middle Field goal attempt ” with just 5 seconds left???, C’mon now!, that in and of it self was Awsome, and with the fact that these young men lost a Brother and team mate, and still found a way through it all to hold together and not “Crumble” , and found a way to have this season end with something special for them to take with them is beyond imaginenation of any kind!!! That fact that ESPN yesterday Gave Such High marks and such praise to Coach Randy Edsall, and the team for the way that they played this season, and held together, and refused to crumble under the most adverse conditions imagineable, where most any other big time program would have in there own words ” would have Collapsed” is a very interesting and well deserved bit of praise, when you consider that ESPN, is someone that has not always been very true or kind to this university over the years, I say “Thanks for your Concern ” for this University. I will say that all of us here in Huskey Nation, at one time or another this football season , has had a positive or a constructive comment to be made about the football Team, and as a fan, that comes with the love and pride that we all hold close to our hearts , as we “ALL” want nothing but the best for this Programm, as we want to see them on the same tier as the mens and womens Basketball programs, and they will get there. It has always been my hope that Coach Edsall will want to stay here at this school, much the same as Coaches JC & GA, and want to be a part of something special, money can’t alway’s be the bottom line in life, wanting to be serving something “Higher then Yourself”, and wanting to be someone that stuck it out through all of the good and bad, has to have that same dollar $$$$$$ Value. I would hope that coach RE would at least talk to both JC & GA, and ask them why it is that they stayed the course @ UConn, when they could have gone else where for more $$$, but they chose to make Conn there final coaching job???, before he decides to think of going elsewhere. Money is not everything in life, there are other “Higher Rewards” then that, trust me , I Know from personal experince. What we saw last night , I believe was the “New Beggining ” to the University of Connecticut Football Program, and the beggining to a better place for this team. RE spent 11 seasons molding this team , some good and some not so good, but he has started to build a solid foundation, and last night was proof positive of that!, why would he want to leave now, and start out all over again. We all need to be extremely proud of what has happened here this year, for the Players and the coaches! All I would say to coach Edsall is: Coach remember the word “TEAM”, there is no letter ” I” in TEAM!! If you are the man that I believe you to be and have shown to us all this year!, You will stay here and Finish what you began ” 11 Seasons Ago”. Don’t do this for us the “fans” but do it “For Your Self” , you might just find , that you’ll like what you see at the end of the Journey! What a unbelieveable year! Thank You Team of 2009 for all of the memories!
Jeff, excellent post…and for what it’s worth, I don’t believe Randy Edsall is going anywhere right now. It really was an unbelievable season…Good News we just accepted a bid to play in Birmingham, likely vs South Carolina….7 down, one more to go.
Hey Mike!, This ought to be an excellent bowl game, and a definate upgrade from our privious ones. Three years in a row, and every year they have been better teams, so this again, is a positive step in the right direction for this team and the university. Plus it can only bolster our recruiting for possible blue chip or blue star players who are sitting on the fense, and when you stop to think how a young kid looking to go play at a up and coming program, one would think , that he would at least have to factor in the way UConn has , and had “held Together”, fought through all of the emense “Adversity”, and still managed to salvage the season, when as I stated in my eariler comment, most teams would have folded up and crumbled like an accordian!!! Coach Edsall says he loves it here, his family loves it here, and yes!, while in some of the huskey faithfuls minds, it has taken this team a little longer to get where they think it should be, we all know , that having anything worth while and being successful takes time and patience, last nights game should be a wake up call to everyone who doubts this program, that “hey!, were still here, and we aren’t going away without a Fight!, were not there just yet!, But just stand back and get the hell out of the way, cause we are not going to be the “Door Mat” in the Big East anylonger!” . I have to truely Believe , that after what I have witnessed this year with Coach Edsall, and the way that he handled the team in the loss of Jaz! , This man is where the good Lord wants him to be, and he should not feel that large sums of $$$$$$$$$$, is the underlying factor, in terms of him being a very successful Coach and individual. He has something that I hope he comes to realize, after this season ends, that all of the money in the world can “never buy” , He has Class, and he is an “Extremely Strong Leader, with unparalled Character, and that were some may feel he lacks the X’s and O’s in game situations at times, he way then more , makes up for it with his Leadership, as I dare say , that there a lot of Big time program coaches out there, today, that could not have pulled off what Randy Edsall did this year, and hold it all together for his Kids, like he did , and not himself, as his post game interview at ND , and his comments to Jasper’s Family about that win, went straight to them, that ,that win, and the way everything had gone for this program, and the game ball, was about something better and Higher then Randy Edsall, it was about his players and Jasper’s memory and his Family. There is “NO MONEY ” in the world that can buy this type of “Emotion and Character” It’s priceless!!! , and if i could say one thing to Coach Edsall, it would be that the one thing he needs to do is to try to let his emotions flow out more and express them more to his players during the game, not after the game, as I can tell you being someone that has spent his entire life in and around the “Military”, you as a foot soldier feed off of the emotions of your respective leader at that moment!, just like when Randy was knocked to the Ground right after the game ended last night, he got up and looked and seemed very upset, that one of his players had done that, even though it was an accident, he was Pissed!!!! to say the least, that what he needs to show more of one the sidelines, and trust me, his players will feed off of that. Emotions are a very strong “Tangeable” and a very “Powerful Motivator” in terms of winning, as I would not be here today writting this to you, had I not had my superiors Yelling at me more then once, and to this day , I’ll be forever grateful to them, as I alway’s had a squad leader say to me: ” Pain is Temporary, but Victory is Forever”. I think we all need to have some patience here, and let Randy do what he has been given , and Blessed with , Let him Build this Program “His Way”, as it’s not our place to try and tell him what he has spent most of his life learning and teaching others. We are so close Now!!!, to see him walk away , or be driven out of here because of what we think is best , will truely be a tragidy for the Program, and this University. It is my sincere hope , that he will really take a long hard look at himself, and this program, and that he will make UConn his HOME for a very long time to come, Like “Bobby Bowden did with Florida State Football, 34Years! Let’s Hope Mike!
I am with with you Jeff…I too hope Edsall becomes the Joe Pa or Bobby B of UConn. I also agree that many a coach, of much bigger programs than ours, couldn’t have held it together the way that he did through this tragedy. Randy Edsall is an absolute asset to our program. He is welcome to stay as long as he wants as far as I’m concerned.
First 20 games in the Big East the Huskies were 6-14. Over the next 21 we are 11-10. Progress brother, progress.
Amen ! To that mike. Some teams can do it quicker then others, and some times other teams need to build a little slower, and build accordingly. It would be my hope, that Coach Edsall would come to realize that while having job security which means a good paycheck, to support your family, having “Uddles of it”, does not always mean you were successful in your life , and thats what what makes your life meaningful, and successful . JC & GA could have left a long time ago for the almighty Dollar, but did not!!! they chose to stay here and become part of something very special!. Money sometimes can become the “Demize” of ones prosperity, and the begining of there downfall!!!, it’s not the “Cure All”. Just because RE could leave here and go elsewhere!, does not mean that he will be better or as successful as he was here at UConn!, the grass is not alway’s Greener elsewhere!!! Have a great week Mike! GO HUSKIES!
I will add Jeff that Edsall is actually compensated quite well…1.35 mil per year last time I checked…I’ll reiterate that I don’t believe he is going anywhere…He makes good money, is building something, has top of the line facilities, plays on national TV plenty, is in a BCS conference, is able to recruit his native PA, on top of all of that…a good percentage of the fan base an alums are quite happy with bowl appearances…to be frank, what Edsalll has done over the past three seasons (9-4, 8-5, and so far 7-5 this year)…if this was Notre Dame, they’d be talking about making a change…What’s fun about coaching in that environment?
Hey Mike !, Good Monday Morning. I wouldn’t want to coach there under those conditions!, they have so much “Money$$$” to throw around and with them, and what they pay a coach!, they want “Instantainious” Results, and do not want to hear about any excuse’s in the process. My son called last nite, he is a UConn alumand is serving in the Army down at Ft.Campbell , Ky., he is going down to Birmingham to see he Huskies play, as it is not a far drive for him. As far as RE goes, I think he is alot like JC & GA, in that he really does not pay to much attention or really cares to much what the nay -sayers think nor feel about his program. I think he’s pretty thick skin’ed, and he will dance to the beat of RE, and his Fans who want to see him stay here at home and keep moving forward. It’s monday morning Mike, and I’m still sitting around thinking about all that has gone on here this season with the Football program, and how nice it is going to be at Xmas time for the players, and especially for the Howard Family to have this all fall into place for all of them , as it will surely lift a whole lot of the “heaviness” from there weary hearts, and truely give all of them something to be truely happy about! My guess here will be that somehow , some way, coach RE is going to make sure that the Howard family will be there in Birmingham, Al. at Legion Field , on Jan. 2nd.. This is truely something awsome and still hard to imagine. Hey “Only here In Huskey Nation” Mike ! Right!!!!!! Great things happen for those who BELIEVE! Have a great week Brother!
Randy Edsall clearly marches to his own drum beat…has done since he’s been here. I like that about him. UConn football fans need to try to keep everything in perspective…Third bowl in a row…and we had a tough schedule this year…and with everything that happened…it’s not a miracle that we are here, but it’s a testament to those kids and our coach…perseverance.
About Jasper’s family…hopefully they smiled when they heard about the bowl…something as simple as a smile can get the healing process going…The last I heard Jasper’s mom was still not able to watch the football games…his stepfather has been watching.
If they want to be there, there is no doubt that Randy and the University will make it happen…I just don’t know if Jasper’s mom is ready…Christmas is a wonderful time of year for most of us…but I think when you’ve had a personal tragedy, sometimes Christmas, especially the first one, can be difficult. As Randy said, Jasper was in South Bend, and helped one of his best friends, Kashif Moore catch that pass in overtime…hopefully that can make them smile this holiday season.
Oh, and tell your son we said thank you for his service, and to you as well.
Saturday night in East Hartford was, simply, football. College football. Tailgating in the snow, the way it should be. Can you believe it? UConn is suddenly and certainly a football school.
No doubt Wu. Don’t know if you caught the Duke debacle (That’s what I am calling it) in the Garden…they flashed to a Duke fan during the game, who was holding up a sign that read “Hey UConn, stick to football”…
I have to admit, I laughed, and I was actually proud. People are taking notice…and a January 2nd, Saturday afternoon Bowl game, vs South Carolina…smack in the middle of bowl season will help even more..