UConn LB Marquise Vann (46) attempts to tackle BYU QB Taysom Hill (4) in the first quarter on August 29, 2014 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT

We all know that UConn Huskies LB Marquise Vann will be ready to lead the defense against the Cincinnati Bearcats tonight. But you’ll have to forgive him if he’s happy about playing Cincinnati, his hometown team.

With the Huskies playing the Bearcats, Vann’s family will be making the trip to see him play in person at Rentschler Field tonight. It’s a luxury not afforded to him that often so you know he’ll make the most of it.

Vann is also looking forward seeing Cincy defensive coordinator Hank Hughes who was the defensive coordinator among many other positions during his time at UConn.

Watch and/or listen below as Vann talks about seeing his family as well as seeing Hughes.

photo credit: ian bethune

UConn QB Deshon Foxx (4) fakes the handoff to RB Ron Johnson (3) against Army at Yankee Stadium on November 8, 2014.

Not only does he have a great football acumen, UConn Huskies RB Ron Johnson gets it.

What do I mean by that? He understands the importance of the football family, his brothers on and off the field.

With three games left in the season, the UConn seniors won’t be going to a bowl game. In fact, unless they are a fifth-year senior, they haven’t gone to a bowl game.

So what does Johnson want to see over the final three games besides his own as well as the team’s development? Getting some wins for the seniors, the guys he and other younger players look up to.

Watch and/or listen below as Johnson talks about winning for the seniors.

photo credit: ian bethune

Tim Boyle (14) completes a passing drill during UConn’s preseason practice.

No offense to UConn Huskies QB Chandler Whitmer, who is a great guy, but it is time for head coach Bob Diaco to turn over the keys to the offense to Tim Boyle.

Why?

Boyle was supposed to spend the season learning the new offensive system while Casey Cochran and Whitmer ran the offense. Cochran’s retirement changed that. Since then, it’s been Whitmer with Boyle backing him up getting a series a game.

If Boyle is the quarterback of the future as Diaco has said repeatedly this season since Cochran retired, then he needs to get more than one series per game. When he does get in, it usually lasts three snaps. In the Army game, he got a season-high six snaps.

Diaco has also said he wants to get everyone reps. He’s done that at other positions with freshman players using up their first year of eligibility. Sure at some positions it was necessary to do.

He’s also stated that it’s not about wins and losses. It’s about development.

So why not let Boyle see what he can do these last three games against two solid opponents in Cincinnati and Memphis as well as SMU and prepare himself for the 2015 season.

It makes the most sense to do that and unless something has changed this week, it will be Whitmer, not Boyle, under center when the Huskies have their first offensive possession at what should be a chilly Rentschler Field tonight.

photo credit: ian bethune

UConn head coach Bob Diaco looks up at a replay during the first quarter against the BYU Cougars on August 29, 2014 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT.

There’s been a lot of things printed this year that UConn Huskies football coach Bob Diaco has supposedly said. I won’t list them all here because if you’re a fan of the team you’ve heard them.

Basically he’s never said anything about wins and losses. And he never said there was nothing there when he arrived 11 months ago.

You’ve probably also seen the Jeff Jacobs article in the Hartford Courant about what Diaco said in response to a question from the Associated Press. I’ve got no issues with any of that either.

I’ll let you be the judge as you watch and/or listen to Diaco as well QB Chandler Whitmer and WR/QB Deshon Foxx responses to the same question.

My only problem with what Diaco said is that he wants respect. It doesn’t seem to me that he was very respectful when he called the players fat and weak. If he wants their respect, he needs to practice what he preaches.

That being said, I can unequivocally tell you this.

Things will be brighter with UConn Football. I’ve seen the changes since the first spring practice we were allowed to see.

I’ve seen the physical and mental part of their growth. I’ve seen their brotherhood become stronger. The framework is continuing to be put up every day. And each day, they are getting better.

I could list a 105 things that I’ve seen grow. But I don’t have three hours to list them all.

photo credit: ian bethune

UConn’s Brimah shuts down Dayton’s Kendall Pollard on this first-half play at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament, the UConn men play Dayton at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Patrick Raycraft – Hartford Courant)

It was the same story as it was on Thursday.

The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team got out to a fast start, then went cold letting their opponent back in. Then they battled back again and tightened their defense up.

The end result, like Thursday, was UConn winning 75-64 against a different team in the Dayton Flyers to advance to the finals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

The Huskies (3-0) will take on former Big East foe the West Virginia Mountaineers in the finals on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The Flyers (2-1) will play the Boston College Eagles in the consolation game.

The Boat Show, Ryan Boatright led UConn with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. Rodney Purvis broke out of the slump he was in dating back to the preseason games with 19 points while freshman Daniel Hamilton had 14 points and five rebounds.

The Block Show, Amida Brimah, had five blocks in the game, including three in one possession, and finished with six points and three rebounds.

Jordan Sibert paced Dayton with 18 points while Dyshawn Pierre had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

photo credit: patrick raycraft – hartford courant