Tyler Lorenzen started off slowly for the UCONN Huskies but rebounded to throw for 186 yards and two touchdowns while running for another as the Huskies defense dominated in a 38-0 win over the Maine Black Bears. Terrence Jeffers was the recipient of Lorenzen’s touchdown passes. The defense held Maine to just 152 total yards of offense and never allowed them in the red zone.
UCONN got on the board just 2 plays into the game for the Maine offense. Maine QB Michael Brusko dropped back to pass and UCONN redshirt freshman linebacker Scott Lutrus picked it off and returned it 21 yards to get UCONN on the board 7-0 after the extra point.
UCONN’s offense struggled a little bit in the first half. Their first offensive drive came to an end at Maine’s 31 when Tony Ciaravino didn’t even come close on a 51-yard field goal attempt. Towards the end of the first quarter, UCONN drove the ball down the field but were stopped at the Maine 7 yard line and had to settle for a Ciaravino chip shot field goal for a 10-0 lead.
Late in the second quarter, the UCONN defense forced a Maine punt in which UCONN got the ball back at their 35. UCONN went into their 2-minute offense and after two incomplete passes, Lorenzen ran it 10 yards for a first down. Lorenzen’s next pass on first down went to tight end Steve Brouse for an 11-yard completion. After a Donald Brown II catch for 8 yards, Lorenzen threw an incomplete pass. The next play was a run by Brown for 13 yards that got the ball down to the Maine 23. Lorenzen hooked up with Jeffers for a 17-yard completion and then a 6-yard touchdown pass for a 17-0 UCONN lead after the extra point.
After UCONN’s and Maine’s first drives of the second half stalled, UCONN got the ball back and went 65 yards on 10 plays that finished up with Lorenzen to Jeffers 2-yard touchdown pass. After another Ciaravino extra point, the Huskies were in total control at 24-0.
The UCONN starters got one more chance to execute on offense towards the end of the third quarter. UCONN went 58 yards in 6 plays as Lorenzen ran the ball in himself. The two big plays of the drive were a Brown 25-yard run and a Lorenzen to D.J. Hernandez 29-yard pass that set up Lorenzen’s TD run.
Dennis Brown and the Huskies’ reserves came on at the end of the third quarter and drove the ball down the field well. Most of the yardage came on the ground from the legs of running back Lou Allen who ran for 42 yards on the drive with the last 31 coming on a touchdown run for a 38-0 Huskies lead.
Notes and musings:
The field was in terrible shape. From my vantage point, it looked like the field had a fungus, probably brown patch, that stemmed from the dry conditions. When you have a fungus, you can’t really water the field because you don’t want it to spread. The grounds crew spent just as much time on the field as the teams replacing divots. I can only imagine what the field will look like after a soccer game that’s being played there today.
UCONN star linebacker Danny Lansanah was the victim of a cheapshot chop-block in the third quarter. X-rays were negative on his ankle and head coach Randy Edsall said he was walking around the locker room after the game.
On the postgame show, WTIC’s Kevin Nathan said that UCONN will probably face Notre Dame starting in 2009. He said it will probably be a 3-year contract. My best guess is that UCONN will go to South Bend twice while Notre Dame would come to the Rent once.
