Game 11 Connecticut
Nov. 21, Notre Dame Stadium (80,795), Notre Dame, Ind. 2:30 p.m. EDT NBC
When UConn Has The Ball…
Timing is certainly in Notre Dame’s favor as they will face a Huskies’ offense that will try to reload at several key positions this fall, including two that were taken in the first two rounds of April’s NFL Draft in the nation’s leading running back with an average of just more than 160 yards per game, Donald Brown (Pick No. 27), and left tackle Will Beatty (Pick No. 60).
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In Lutrus, UConn returns its leading tackle from the 2008 season.
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Former Notre Dame quarterback and redshirt junior Zach Frazer ended the spring as the No. 1 quarterback in the battle with redshirt sophomore Cody Endres to replace Tyler Lorenzen who started nine games in 2008 and 21 in his career.
"Zach Frazer is our number one quarterback coming out of spring practice and he has earned that spot," head coach Randy Edsall said in a release issued by the university in late April. "However, as we continue over the summer and into fall camp, there is still competition at that position, like there is at each spot on the team."
Neither Frazer nor Endres has done much in his career to separate himself from the competition. Last season, they combined for just 947 yards, two touchdowns and nine interceptions in ten games played with four total starts. However, Frazer proved more efficient while completing better than 55% of his passes and was the team’s leader in yards per game (107.2) and efficiency rating (103.16).
No matter the starter, he’ll likely face his stiffest challenge of the season against Notre Dame’s secondary.
The backfield must also find an adequate replacement for All-American tailback and first-round selection Donald Brown, who gained 2,083 yards of UConn’s 2,813 yards last season. Redshirt senior Andre Dixon and sophomore Jordan Todman are the early favorites and could split carries this season. Dixon is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2008 campaign during which he gained just 37 yards in ten games after finishing as a second-team all-Big East rusher in 2007 when he gained 828 yards on the ground. Todman was the Huskies’ second-leading rusher last season with 296 yards on 6.3 yards per carry.
On the edges, UConn will feature a pair of receivers that combined for 15 starts in 2008 in Brad Kanuch and Kashif Moore. Kanuch has 27 career starts to his credit, though he was hampered by injuries last season and finished with just seven catches for 69 yards. Moore was the most effective receiver in the Huskies’ passing game in 2008. He led the team with 27 catches, 273 yards and a touchdown.
Up front UConn loses a pair of linemen in Beatty and center Keith Gray who combined for 26 starts last season and 68 total in their careers. They also were key components to an offensive line that helped the Huskies finish ranked No. 13 in rushing offense (216.38 yards/game) and No. 14 in sacks allowed (1.15 sacks/game). Having said that, RG Zach Hurd, LG Moe Petrus and RT Mike Hicks started all 13 games last season, and Hicks has 37 starts in his career as he enters his redshirt senior season.
When Notre Dame Has The Ball…
As recognizable as the loss of Donald Brown is for the Huskies’, the losses on the defensive side of the ball will likely prove more devastating.
Up front, UConn must find a way to replace a pair of defensive ends in Julius Williams and Cody Brown, each of whom started all 13 games in 2008 and combined for 59 in their careers. They were also very productive with 97 tackles combined, and they were Nos. 1 & 2 in sacks with Brown leading the way with 16.5 and Williams also finishing with double digits with 11 sacks. Defensive tackle Twyon Martin is the lone returning starter in the trenches. He started eight games last season and finished with 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The front seven will be strongest in the linebacking corps where the Huskies return all three starters, including leading tackler and 13-game starter Scott Lutrus. Lutrus was far and away the most productive defender with 106 total tackles, including 64 solo tackles and nine sacks. He’ll be joined by the team’s second-leading tackler, Lawrence Wilson, who finished with 73 tackles and six sacks, and Greg Lloyd, who finished with 56 tackles and seven sacks.
The secondary will have to replace cornerback Darius Butler, who was the ninth pick of the second round in April’s Draft, and safety Dahna Deleston. Both players finished with more than 40 starts in their careers. However, a pair of 13-game starters in safety Robert Vaughn and cornerback Jasper Howard return this fall. Howard was the team’s leader with four interceptions in 2008, and was fourth on the team with 60 tackles. Vaughn was seven tackles better and added a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery to his defensive totals a season ago.
Analysis
Last season, this would have been a good matchup, but Notre Dame should prove too strong and too explosive for the Huskies in 2009.
This could prove to be another game where the Irish have to fight some complacency with the finale in Palo Alto looming the following week. The Cardinal of Stanford provided a worthy final hurdle to the BCS in 2005, and could provide a similar challenge this season.
By this time in the 2009 season, the Irish should have the focus of a veteran squad, though, and if they handle their business at home this game shouldn’t be close. On paper, this should be a game the Irish dominate from start to finish. UConn has players capable of matching up well in a few one-on-one battles, but it’s unlikely they’ll have the depth to compete across the board, especially at the skill positions.
Prediction
Notre Dame (10-1) – 42
UConn - 16
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