Look, I'll be the first one to admit that I had written off the 2012 season for the UConn Huskies football team. And while they were holding on to the fourth quarter lead on Saturday, I still wasn't sold that they would win.

But hey, they proved me and all the doubters wrong.

Chad Christian's third field goal of the game, this one in triple overtime, gave UConn a 23-20 upset win over the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals in front of 45,618 on Senior Day at Papa John's Cardinals Stadium in Louisville, KY.

UConn improves to 5-6 (2-4 Big East) and remains alive for the postseason. All they need to do is win over Cincinnati next Saturday and they become bowl-eligible. It's the second straight loss for the Cardinals who fall to 9-2 (4-2).

This was a game where the UConn defense really needed to be strong like it has been this season despite the under .500 record. The offense was strong in the first half, inept in the second half and came alive under Johnny McEntee in the overtime periods.

McEntee took over for Chandler Whitmer who suffered an upper-body injury and didn't return to the game

UConn got it done in the first half with a strong rushing effort by Lyle McCombs. He's really come along the past few weeks and it has helped UConn out immensely. They also got it done with a strong defensive effort as they shut down the Cardinals running game and forced Bridgewater to throw the ball a lot more than then the Louisville game plan probably called for.

The Huskies defense kept the Cardinals off the board until the fourth quarter when Bridgewater led them down the field before the drive stalled and they settled for a field goal. After UConn got the ball after they stopped a fake punt, they were unable to do anything offensively.

Cole Wagner had his punt downed at the Cardinals eight yard line. From there, Bridgewater led them down the field for the game-tying touchdown with just seconds on the clock.

In the first overtime, the two teams traded field goals. In the second overtime, McEntee hit Shakim Phillips for a touchdown. But on the first play from scrimmage, Bridgewater hit DeVante Parker for a 25-yard touchdown to tie the game.

In the third overtime, Louisville was driving down and had third and goal at the UConn five-yard line when Blidi Wreh-Wilson picked off Bridgewater in the end zone. UConn then ran McCombs three times to set it up for Christian's game-winning field goal.

We can say what we want about this team. They really never give up. And because of that they still have a chance to play in a bowl game.

You know the seniors are going to want to win the final game so they get a chance to play one more. So I fully expect UConn to play a complete game next week. The only question will be is who at the helm, Whitmer or McEntee.

But for now, a win is a win and it's a nice feeling.

Scoring:

1st quarter

CON – 05:28 – Chad Christen 39 Yd Field Goal

2nd quarter

CON – 10:20 – Nick Williams 3 Yd Run. (Chad Christen Kick)

3rd quarter

no scoring

4th quarter

LOU – 11:40 – John Wallace 19 Yd Field Goal

LOU – 00:21 – DeVante Parker 6 Yd Pass From Teddy Bridgewater. (John Wallace Kick)

OT

LOU – John Wallace 37 Yd Field Goal

CON – Chad Christen 37 Yd Field Goal

2nd OT

CON – Shakim Phillips 3 Yd Pass From Johnny McEntee. (Chad Christen Kick)

LOU – DeVante Parker 25 Yd Pass From Teddy Bridgewater. (John Wallace Kick)

3rd OT

CON – Chad Christen 30 Yd Field Goal

To continue reading, the UConn Huskies @ Louisville Cardinals recap, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Offensive Player of the Game:

Chad Christen hit three field goals on the day, including two in overtime. One of those was the game-winner in the third overtime.

Defensive Players of the Game:

Blidi Wreh-Wilson picks up this honor by virtue of his interception of Teddy Bridgewater in the third overtime. He also had five tackles and four pass breakups.

Turning Point(s) of the Game:

Blidi-Wreh Wilson's interception of Teddy Bridgewater in the third overtime to give UConn the ball with a chance to win it on their possession which they did.

Offensive Notes:

Chandler Whitmer was 7-of-21 for just 72 yards and was intercepted once. Johnny McEntee was 2-of-7 for 20 yards and one touchdown pass. Lyle McCombs had 29 rushes for 133 yards and two catches for 33 yards. Nick Williams had three rushes for 15 yards and a touchdown. John Delahunt had two catches for 36 yards. Shakim Phillips had two catches for seven yards and a touchdown.

Defensive Notes:

Dwayne Gratz, Yawin Smallwood and Jory Johnson led the Huskies with 11 tackles each. Gratz added three pass breakups while Smallwood had two tackles for a loss of 10 yards. Trevardo Williams had seven tackles and three sacks. Ryan Wirth had six tackles and a sack while Julian Campenni had two tackles and a sack.

Special Teams Notes:

Chad Christian made both of his extra point tries and all three of his field goals (39, 37, 30). None of his three kickoffs went for touchbacks. Cole Wagner averaged 43,8 yards on 10 punts. One of them was downed inside the 20 and two of them went for touchbacks. Nick Williams had three kickoff returns for 34 yards.

Injuries:

Gus Cruz suffered an undisclosed injury but did return to the game.

Chandler Whitmer suffered an upper body injury and didn't return to the game.

Jory Johnson suffered an undisclosed injury but did return to the game

Yawin Smallwood suffered an undisclosed injury but did return to the game.

Trevardo Williams suffered a leg injury.

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater suffered an upper body injury and returned to the game. He then suffered a leg injury but did return to the game as well.

Officials:

Referee: T. Jones  •  Umpire: R. Feeney III  •  Linesman: T. Considine  •  Line judge: K. Codey  •  Back judge: B. Platt  •  Field judge: D. Gallagher  •  Side judge: G. Liotus

Game Notes:

UConn Huskies @ Louisville Cardinals 11.24.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni and Louisville head coach Charlie Strong.

Here are the postgame notes from the UConn Sports Information Department:

• UConn held its opponent scoreless in the first half for fourth time this season and second straight game
• Connecticut faced a ranked opponent for the second time this season, marking the first time since 2009 that UConn has faced more than one team in the top-25
• Huskies have outscored opponents 122-74 in the first half
• After four total punts, UConn picked up game’s first first down on a 29-yard run by redshirt-sophomore Lyle McCombs
• McCombs rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries in the first half; nearly his yearly per game average (74.1)
• Redshirt-freshman Julian Campenni picked up his first career sack in the third quarter
• UConn’s four third-quarter drives consumed just 4:36
• Redshirt-senior quarterback Johnny McEntee made his first appearance since season opener vs. Massachusetts (Aug. 30)
• In the second half, Connecticut quarterbacks completed just one pass on 11 attempts
• UConn has not scored a second half touchdown in BIG EAST play
• The Huskies last second-half TD came on a run by McCombs at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter against Buffalo (Sep. 29)
• Last game for UConn to go more than one overtime was at Notre Dame (Nov. 21, 2009)
• Redshirt-sophomore Shakim Phillips scored his first career touchdown on a three-yard reception in the second overtime
• Last three overtime game came at home against Villanova (Oct. 16, 1999); first in UConn’s FBS era
• Redshirt-senior cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson got his first interception of the season in the third OT and eighth career
• Redshirt-junior kicker Chad Christen’s game-winning field goal came from 30 yard out; putting him at 12-for-15 from inside 50 yards
• UConn is now 3-1 in BIG EAST overtime games
• First win over a ranked opponent since No. 11 USF (Oct. 27, 2007) and only second in program history
• UConn won back-to-back games for the first time under head coach Paul Pasqualoni and for the first time since winning five-straight in 2010
• McCombs reached the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and for the second-straight game

Here are Louisville's postgame notes.

Big East Games and Results:

Friday, November 23

Syracuse 38
Temple 24

South Florida 10
Cincinnati 27

Saturday, November 24

(18) Rutgers 6
Pittsburgh 27

Things to Work On:

• Get healthy. With all of the injuries suffered by the Huskies, you hope that none of them are serious and they are all back for the final regular season game.
• Come up with the ultimate game plan. If UConn wants a chance to play in a bowl game, Coach Pasqualoni and his coordinators need to come up with the ultimate game plan to win next Saturday.

Up Next:

The Huskies return home to Rentschler Field on Saturday when they'll host the Cincinnati Bearcats. Kickoff is TBA

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Photo credit: john woike – hartford courant (no. 7 in gallery), ap photo

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It's game day for the UConn Huskies football team as they'll take on the Louisville Cardinals at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally in Connecticut on SNY. The game is also available online at WatchESPN. You can also listen on the UConn/IMG Radio Network. And if you missed our UConn vs Louisville preview be sure to check that out as well.

It's game day for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team as they'll play their final game in the Paradise Jam. They'll take on the Purdue Boilermakers at 8:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally here in Connecticut on SNY. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

DC answered some questions in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Did you know? Big East Week 13 [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Preview: UConn at Louisville [lee lewis – republican-american]

SNY’s Sean Mulcahy previews UConn-Louisville [sean mulcahy – sny.com]

Gameday UConn-Louisville [john silver – sny.com]

UConn-Louisville Football: A Lot Riding On The Game For Each Team [hartford courant]

Louisville Out To Bounce Back From Awful Game Vs. Syracuse [hartford courant]

Huskies play at Louisville [new haven register]

UConn Women's Basketball links

Mel Thomas Back At Paradise Jam – In Different Role [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Impressions Of Day Two At Paradise Jam [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Night And Days Of The Iguana At Paradise Jam [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Some video of UConn recruiting target Brianna Turner [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn women drub Marist [ct post]

Breanna Stewart Leads UConn Women Past Marist At Paradise Jam [hartford courant]

Auriemma Values Early-Season Tournaments [hartford courant]

UConn Men's Basketball links

From UConn Practice: R.J. Evans To Miss A Few Weeks; Leon Tolksdorf Also Hurting [dom amore – hartford courant]

Loss of R.J. Evans for 'Significant' Amount of Time Tough Blow for UConn [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Nov. 24: Evans out, Facey and Samuel sign [kevin duffy – ct post]

Evans out with clavicle injury [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Evans out for a “significant” time [john silver – sny.com]

SAAC To Sponsor Food Drive On Sunday At Stony Brook Game [uconnhuskies.com]

Paths cross [journal inquirer]

Pikiell has Stony Brook prepared for a busy weekend [the day]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Latta Leads UConn Past Air Force, 2-1 [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Huskies Force Victory Against Falcons [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Huskies Fall to Yale in OT, 4-3 [uconnhuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

It was just another day in paradise for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team. And by paradise, I just don't mean the tropical location they are at right now.

For the second straight game, the Huskies started strong and fast on their way to 81-39 pasting of the Marist Red Foxes at the Paradise Jam being held at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

No. 2 UConn improves to 4-0 while Marist falls to 2-3. The Huskies will take on the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday night for the title as both teams are 2-0 in the tourney at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Another game, just another leading scoring effort for freshman sensation Breanna Stewart. She picked up first career double-double as she had 20 points and 10 rebounds. She also had UConn's only blocked shot.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 15 points and six rebounds while Kelly Faris had 10 points and five rebounds. Moriah Jefferson rounded out the Huskies in double-figures with 10 points. Bria Hartley came off the bench to lead the team with five assists.

Emma O'Conner led Marist with 18 points before fouling out. Madeline Blais had six points while Elizabeth Beynnon led them with six rebounds to go along with her four points and three assists.

With Purdue having won both of their games, it'd be nice to see them give the Huskies a bit of challenge. But if UConn comes out fast and strong like they have the past two games in the Virgin Islands, it could be a long night for the Boilermakers.

Marist Red Foxes vs UConn Huskies 2012 Women's Paradise Jam box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma as well as some of his players.

To see the video highlights, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: thomas layer – special to hartford courant

The UConn Huskies men's basketball team has two new players for the 2013-14 season as Kentan Facey and Terrence Samuel have faxed in their letters-of-intent.

Here's the release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn. — University of Connecticut men’s basketball Coach Kevin Ollie has announced that the basketball office has received signed National Letters of Intent from forward Kentan Facey and guard Terrence Samuel to attend UConn and join the basketball program beginning with the 2013-14 academic year.

Both student-athletes hail from the greater New York City area — Facey, who attends Long Island Lutheran High School, is from Glen Head on Long Island and Samuel, who attends South Shore High School, is from Brooklyn. They have been teammates in the well-known N.Y. Rens AAU program.

“I’m elated to have both of these young men sign a Letter of Intent with our program,” Ollie said. “They are high-character people and quality basketball players. I know they will both have great senior seasons at their high schools and we can’t wait until they get to Storrs this summer and become part of our family.”

Facey is a 6-9, 195-pound forward who was born and raised in Trelawny, Jamaica. A solid shot-blocker and rebounder, Facey helped Lutheran post a 23-6 record and capture the Federation Class A championship last year under Coach John Buck.

It was during last summer’s AAU circuit, however, that Facey made a name for himself as one of the most improved rising seniors, starring in tournaments as well as individual skills camps. He is ranked among the Top 100 in the class of 2013.

“Kentan has a relentless motor on the court,” Ollie said. “He is someone who can come in here and be a solid rebounder, who will pursue the basketball every time, up and down the court. Plus, he’s a fabulous young man. I can’t wait to coach him.”

Samuel, a 6-4, 180-pound point guard, called UConn his “dream school,” when he gave the coaching staff an oral commitment in early September. He has established himself as one of the top point guards in New York City under South Shore Coach Michael Beckles. Samuel averaged 11.7 points and 4.8 assists last season, leading the Vikings to a 17-9 record and a second consecutive PSAL Class AA quarterfinal berth. He excels at running a team on the court.

“Terrence is a big, strong guard who plays with grit and toughness,” Ollie said. “He’s a very unselfish player with great court vision. I expect him to be a leader for us on and off the basketball court.”

A signed National Letter of Intent indicates that a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated university for one academic year. The institution agrees to provide athletic financial aid to the student-athlete for one year, provided the student-athlete is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. The program is administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

It's game day for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team as they'll play their second game in the Paradise Jam. They'll take on the Marist Red Foxes at 8:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally here in Connecticut on SNY. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

UConn Women's Basketball links

UConn whips Wake in Paradise Jam opener [carl adamec – sny.com]

Different Field For Paradise Jam This Time [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Geno Auriemma Says He Hasn’t Reconsidered Olympic Future [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Impressions From Night One At Paradise Jam [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Sophs impressive in Paradise Jam opener [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn Post Game Extra presented by People’s United Bank [sny.com]

No. 2 UConn women roll past Wake Forest [ct post]

UConn Women Open Paradise Jam With 95-34 Win Over Wake Forest [hartford courant]

Even In Caribbean, Talk Is Of UConn And ACC [hartford courant]

UConn Football links

Safeties to be tested by Louisville QB [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

For UConn, ‘It’s Official,’ tweets Kentan Facey [dom amore – hartford courant]

Alumni Profile: Jeremy Lamb [uconn huskies basketball]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Unfortunately, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team couldn't bring home the title in the 2012 Paradise Jam. But now the UConn women's basketball team gets a chance to do the same thing.

And if there start to the tournament is any indication, they should be able to do what the men can't do.

Freshman Breanna Stewart led five Huskies in double figures with 20 points in a 95-34 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

The No. 2 Huskies improve to 3-0 on the season. Wake Forest falls to 2-2.

In addition to her 20 points, Stewart had six rebounds and also had three blocked shots. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals while Morgan Tuck had 16 points as well.

Brianna Banks chipped in with 12 points and a team-high six assists with Stefanie Dolson rounding out the Huskies in double figures with 11 points. Kiah Stokes led the Huskies with seven rebounds.

Bria Hartley made her return had eight points in 15 minutes of action. She had missed the previous two games with an ankle injury.

Asia Williams led the Demon Deacons with 10 points. Lakevia Boynkin added eight points while Chelsea Douglas had six. Mykala Walker led all rebounds in the game with nine.

Next up for UConn is a matchup with the Marist Red Foxes. Tip is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. and the game will be shown locally in Connecticut on SNY.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ UConn Huskies 2012 Women's Paradise Jam box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma as well as some of his players.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: ap photo (no. 2 in gallery)

This week:

After a bye week, the UConn Huskies hit the road for a Big East matchup with the No. 20/19/18 Louisville Cardinals at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The Line/Prediction:

According to Rivals.com odds, Louisville is favored by 11.5 points. The over/under is 45.5 points.

My prediction for the game is Louisville 31 UConn 21.

Tickets:

According to Ticketmaster, there are a limited amount of tickets available for the game.

Getting To The Game:

Here is the weather forecast for Louisville, KY·

Here are driving directions, parking tips, seating chart and stadium policies for Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television:

Saturday’s game is being televised as the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week. The game will be seen live in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania by SNY.

Eamon McAnaney is on play-by-play with David Diaz-Infante on color and Joe Beninati is the sideline reporter.

The game will be televised in a total of 42 markets around the country and in 10 of the top 25 markets. Stations include: KTXD in Dallas, MASN in Washington, D.C. and Balitmore, Brighthouse Network in Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando, Fla., WWHO in Columbus, WHAS-ABC in Louisville, Cox Sports in Rhode Island and New Orleans, WTVQ-ABC in Lexington, Kent., Time Warner Cable in Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton, N.Y. and WMYS in South Bend, Ind.

The game will be replayed in its entirety on SNY on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 11:00 a.m. The game will be replayed in a condensed “Husky Power Hour” on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., on Monday, Nov. 26 at 8:00 a.m. (Connecticut only) and Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 11:00 a.m. (Connecticut only).

Radio:

For the 21st consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the IMG/UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada.

Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Kevin Nathan on the sidelines.

UConn football on home Saturday dates gets going early with “Breakfast At The Rent” with Ray Dunaway and Scott Gray beginning at 6:00 a.m. The UConn Tailgate Show will air from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with Kevin Nathan and Bob Joyce. The pregame show begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by the game and then postgame “Husky Talk” with Kevin Nathan

UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com. Here is a  full list of stations on the UConn IMG Sports Radio Network.

The UConn vs. Louisville game will also be available on satellite radio on Ch. 112 on Sirius and 197 on XM.

Louisville Radio:

The Louisville Sports Radio Network has coverage of the game. Paul Rogers (play-by-play), Joe Tronzo (analyst) and Doug Ormay (sideline) have the call.

The Louisville call will also be available on Sirius 85 and XM 85.

To continue reading the UConn Huskies @ Louisville Cardinals preview, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Last Week:

UConn was off last week but beat Pitt 24-17 their last time on the gridiron. Louisville was also off last week and fell to Syracuse 45-26 their last time out.

History:

Saturday’s game will be the ninth meeting between UConn and Louisville and the Cardinals lead the series 5-3 — although the Huskies have won three of the five last meetings.

Connections:

UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni has a 1-2 head coaching record against Louisville from his time at Syracuse and last year’s game as the Connecticut coach.

The Orange won at Louisville 15-9 on Oct. 3, 1992 and lost to the Cardinals 30-20 on Sept. 13, 2003 in the Carrier Dome.

UConn does not have any players from the commonwealth of Kentucky on its roster nor does Louisville have any Connecticut players on its roster.

Louisville wide receiver Kai Dominguez and running back Kamal Hogan attended St. Joseph’s Regional as did Connecticut linebacker Ryan Donohue and linebacker/fullback Wyatt Vinci.

Other UConn News:

Here is the UConn roster and 2012 schedule.

Here is UConn's depth chart for the game.

Here are the quotes from UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni's press conference as well quotes from some of the players.

Pasqualoni is the all-time winningest coach in BIG EAST Conference league wins with 65 and overall wins with 113. He is just one of two league coaches in history to win four BIG EAST Championships. His overall college coaching record stands at 150-89-1 (34-17 at WCSU, 107-59-1 at Syracuse and 9-13 at UConn).

Four members of the University of Connecticut football team were named to seven major award watch lists over the course of the 2012 preseason.

Senior Tight End Ryan Griffin

• John Mackey Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List

Sophomore Running Back Lyle McCombs

• Doak Walker Award Watch List
• Maxwell Award Watch List

Senior Linebacker Sio Moore

• Butkus Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List

Senior Defensive End Trevardo Williams

• Bednarik Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List
• Nagursky Trophy Watch List

Sophomore Linebacker Yawin Smallwood

• Nagursky Trophy Watch List (added on September 18, 2012)

The following four Huskies were named team captains for the season in the week prior to the season opener vs. UMass – redshirt senior outside linebacker Jory Johnson (Mobile, Ala.), redshirt senior offensive tackle Adam Masters (Bethesda, Md.), senior wide receiver Nick Williams (East Windsor, N.J.) and redshirt senior cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson (Edinboro, Pa.).

The Huskies need to win each of their final two games to earn bowl eligibility for the fifth time in six years.

UConn owns an all-time mark of 26-34 in BIG EAST Conference games since joining the league for football in 2004.

UConn is 5-24 on the road in BIG EAST games.

UConn is 1-3 all-time in games at Louisville.

UConn is 1-18 against ranked teams.

UConn is 34-20 in games following a loss since Oct. 26, 2002.

Senior defense end Trevardo Williams is the now the school career lead in sacks with 27.5.

Senior wide receiver and returner Nick Williams (East Windsor, N.J.) has been named one of four finalists for the third annual Pop Warner National College Football Award.The award, established in 2010, recognizes a Pop Warner alumnus who has made a difference on the field, in the classroom and in his community. It is presented to a student-athlete who has taken the ideals of Pop Warner to the next level and serves as a role model to Pop Warner’s young scholar athletes.

Here is where UConn stands in the lastest NCAA statistics:

• Total Defense – 9th at 296.20 yards per game
• Rushing Defense – 11th at 107.60 yards per game
• Passing Defense – 21st at 188.60 yards per game
• Scoring Defense – 19th at 18.40 points per game
• Sacks – 2nd at 2.70 per game
• Tackles For Loss – 22nd at 7.00 per game
• Total Offense – 109th at 320.60 yards per game
• Rushing Offense – 115th at 87.00 yards per game
• Passing Offense – 63rd at 233.60 yards per game
• Scoring Offense – 117th at 17.30 points per game
• Punt Returns – 13th at 13.85 yards per return

Here is where UConn individuals stand in NCAA leaders

• Trevardo Williams – t18th in sacks at 0.85 per game (leads BIG EAST)
• Yawin Smallwood – t27th in tackles for loss at 1.30 per game (tied for first BIG EAST)
  T20th in tackles at 10.00 per game (third BIG EAST)
• Nick Williams – 15th in punt returns at 13.47 per return
• Sio Moore – t27th in tackles for loss at 1.30 per game (tied for first BIG EAST)

Notes from this week's opponent Louisville:

Here is the Louisville roster and 2012 schedule.

Here is Louisville's depth chart.

Here are the quotes from Louisville head coach Charlie Strong's press conference.

Charlie Strong is in his third season as the head coach at Louisville. In 2010, he led Louisville to a 7-6 record and a victory over Southern Mississippi in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. In 2011, the Cardinals were 7-6 and 5-2 in the BIG EAST to tie for first place. Louisville lost to North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl.

Prior to taking over the Louisville position, he was an assistant coach at Florida from 2003-09. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Gators since 2003 and was the associate head coach since 2005. Strong was also an assistant coach on the Gator staff from 1988-89 and 1991-94.

Strong also had assistant coaching stints at South Carolina (1999-2002), Notre Dame (1995-98), Mississippi (1990) and Southern Illinois (1986-87). He is a 1983 graduate of Central Arkansas, where he was a three-time all-conference selection in football and two-time pick in track and field.

It is Senior Day for Louisville. 13 players (10 scholarship, 3 walk-ons) will be honored by Strong before the game.

Here is a list of the seniors who will be playing their last home game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Mario Benavides, Daniel Brown, Adrian Bushell, Bo Eggers, Stephen Goodwin, Nick Heuser, Alex Kupper, Nate Nord, Scott Radcliff, Andrell Smith, Will Stein, DeMarcus Topp, Chris Zelli.

This will head coach Charlie Strong’s third Senior Day and the Cardinals are 0-2 so far in home finales.

Entering its 94th season of football, the University of Louisville now has four coaches who have started their coaching careers at Louisville with three straight winning seasons. Bobby Petrino (2003-06) and John L. Smith (1998-2002) were the last two head coaches to post three straight winning seasons in their first three years on the job until head coach Charlie Strong became the fourth with a win over USF.

Lee Corso (1969-72) was the other coach to post three consecutive winning seasons to start his career. Corso, Smith and and head coach Charlie Strong also won league titles during their first three seasons.

After taking over a program that went 15-21 in the three years prior to his arrival, head coach Charlie Strong is on pace to do something special in just his third year as head coach. With a win over Connecticut, Strong would be the third coach at Louisville to win 10 or more games. John L. Smith won 11 games in his fourth season and Bobby Petrino also tallied an 11-win season in just his second year on the sidelines.

With its 9-1 record, Louisville is within one win of reaching a double-digit win plateau for only the fourth time in school history. With a win over Connecticut on Saturday, the Cardinals would gather their 10th win of the season.

Louisville is 53-61-1 all-time against current members of the BIG EA ST. Louisville’s 22 victories over Cincinnati is the most vs. any BIG EAST opponent for the Cardinals.

Since joining the BIG EAST in 2005, the Cardinals are 18-9 in BIG EAST home games.

Since 1998, the Cardinals have won 74.7 percent of their home games, going 71-24 over that span.

With its first quarter touchdown against Syracuse, Louisville raised its current total of games in which it scored to 157. The 157 straight games mark the longest streak in program history. The last time the Cardinals were shut out came on Sept. 23, 2000.

In three years under head coach Charlie Strong, the Cardinals are 9-3 in games following a defeat.

At 9-1, Louisville is bowl eligible for the third consecutive season under head coach Charlie Strong.

Thursday UConn Football Links:

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Big East predictions: Week 13 [andrea adelson – espn.com]

DC answered some questions in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

What to watch in the Big East: Week 13 [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Wednesday roundup: Is pro-style way to go? [john silver – sny.com]

The Blitz: Huskies at Cardinals [uconnhuskies.com]

Connecticut Visits Louisville in BIG EAST Network Game of the Week Saturday [bigeast.org]

UConn Needs Another Strong Game From Defensive Leader Sio Moore [hartford courant]

Next Week:

The Huskies return to home to Rentschler Field, for what could be their final game of the 2012 season, next Saturday to host the Cincinnati Bearcats. Kickoff is TBA as of right now.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

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UConn Football links

Today's UConn football links can be found in the Thursday links section of the UConn vs Louisville preview.

UConn Women's Basketball links

Faris up to speed; Hartley set for Wake Forest [carl adamec – sny.com]

Notes From St. Thomas With The UConn Women [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Something Worth Noting About Possible UConn-ACC Deal [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn AD Warde Manuel Update On Big East, ACC, Big Ten Rosters [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Bria Hartley Anxious For Thursday’s Return [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Happy Thanksgiving From Paradise (Jam) [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Huskies Get A Taste Of Paradise; Dolson Has A Classic One-Liner [rich elliott – ct post]

No. 2 Huskies Set For Paradise Jam [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn's Dolson shaping up to be very productive [ct post]

Bria Hartley Back For Wake Forest Game [hartford courant]

Huskies hit the road again for Paradise Jam [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Dom answered a question in his mailbag [dom amore – hartford courant]

Maybe It's Time for Kevin Ollie to Get That Long-Term Deal [david borges – new haven register]

Final Thoughts, Trip Tidbits from Paradise Jam [kevin duffy – ct post]

Q&A: Did Ollie’s contract status hurt UConn with Brandon Austin? [kevin duffy – ct post]

Other UConn related links

W. Lacrosse. 2013 Lacrosse Schedule Features Seven Home Games [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Huskies To Host Air Force in Storrs Friday at XL Center Saturday [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn, Louisville may be next to leave Big East [ap]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.