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

Big East bowl projections: Week 7 [andrea adelson – espn.com]

Big East power rankings [andrea adelson – espn.com]

Leadership will be tested this week [jim fuller – new haven register]

Johnson named to Big East honor roll again [jim fuller – new haven register]

SAAC “Winter Wear Drive” At Saturday Football Game [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn football notebook: Red Zone woes [ct post]

UConn’s Focus Is On Maximizing The Red Zone [hartford courant]

Five Things We Learned About UConn Football [hartford courant]

Huskies entering pivotal part of schedule [new haven register]

Pasqualoni’s worst call of the day was letting McCombs play [the hour]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Hartley raising expectations [carl adamec – sny.com]

Hayes named to WNBA all-rookie team [carl adamec – sny.com]

Maya Moore leads Minnesota back into WNBA finals [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Alumni Profile: Caron Butler [uconn huskies basketball]

Other UConn related links

W. Soccer. Huskies Tie No. 20 Marquette in Double-Overtime, 1-1 [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Volleyball. Huskies Bounce Back With Four-Set Win at DePaul [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Cross Country. McGuire Leads Huskies For Third Consecutive Meet [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Cross Country. Women’s Cross Country Led By Emily Durgin at New England Championships [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Tennis. Women’s Tennis Competes At Army Invitational [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Tennis. Men’s Tennis Shines At Quinnipiac Invitational [uconnhuskies.com]

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

UConn Football links

Report Card: UConn Vs. Rutgers [desmond conner – hartford courant]

No. 22 Rutgers 19, UConn 3: the wrap [ed daigneault – republican-american]

What we learned about the Big East: Week 6 [matt fortuna – espn.com]

McCombs says little regarding situation [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies lose a slugfest in Piscataway [jim fuller – new haven register]

Missed opportunities: UConn-Rutgers postgame [john silver – sny.com]

Running away: Huskies run game falters [john silver – sny.com]

Rutgers shuts down UConn 19-3 [ct post]

McCombs held out of starting lineup following arrest [ct post]

Questions abound on Pasqualoni [ct post]

UConn Flat In 19-3 Loss At Rutgers [hartford courant]

Lyle McCombs Misses First Quarter As Punishment For Arrest [hartford courant]

The Wrap [hartford courant]

More Trouble For Lyle McCombs [hartford courant]

Huskies fall to Rutgers in Big East opener [new haven register]

Lyle McCombs charged by police in fight with girlfriend [new haven register]

Familiar face helped Huskies land recruit Jamar Summers [new haven register]

Rutgers’ 19-3 win over UConn isn’t pretty, but a 5-0 record certainly is [the star-ledger]

Kyle Flood ‘disappointed’ with Rutgers’ 10 penalties in win over UConn [the star-ledger]

Rutgers’ defense stalwart against the run [the star-ledger]

After beating Connecticut, Rutgers’ Big East title aspirations look legit [the star-ledger]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Intensity Level About To Rise For Shea Ralph And Other UConn Coaches [hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Book reveals Calhoun’s strong influence upon Ollie [ct post]

Karl Hobbs Back On The Road, Recruiting For Huskies [hartford courant]

Other UConn related links

Field Hockey. Boddy Scores Two More Goals as No. 3 Field Hockey Wins, 2-1, at Louisville [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Hockey Season Underway As Huskies Tie York In Exhibition, 3-3 [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Women’s Ice Hockey Falls to RPI, 5-3 [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Volleyball. Huskies Swept at Notre Dame [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. No. 2 Huskies Suffer First Loss At No. 9 Marquette, 3-2 [uconnhuskies.com]

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

This was a game where the defenses of the UConn Huskies and Rutgers Scarlet Knights were probably going to dominate the game. So it would come down to who could limit their mistakes on offense.

And that’s how the game played out on Saturday afternoon at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, NJ as the Scarlet Knights made the most of UConn’s turnovers in a 19-3 win.

The No. 22/21 Scarlet Knights improve to 5-0 (2-0 Big East). UConn drops to 3-3 (0-1).

Rutgers defense is No. 1 in the Big East in rush defense and with UConn being without Lyle McCombs in the 1st quarter, Martin Hyppolyte and Max DeLorenzo weren’t able to get anything done. McCombs was suspended for the first quarter of the game after being arrested for breach of peace after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.

UConn turned to the air without its top running back and got some yards on their first drive. But their second drive of the game brought the first turnover when Chandler Whitmer was picked off Logan Ryan at the UConn 45.

The Huskies D held strong though and limited the Scarlet Knights to a field goal. But on the ensuing kickoff Nick Williams was hit during the return and fumbled the ball giving Rutgers the ball at UConn’s 29. If it weren’t for a holding penalty on the Rutgers drive it would have been 10-0. Instead, the UConn defense tightened up and forced Kyle Federico’s second field goal of the game.

McCombs returned in the 2nd quarter and helped the Huskies to their points of the game. UConn had gotten the ball back after Shamar Stephens blocked a Federico field goal attempt from 50 yards which was recovered by Sio Moore at the RU 47.

After a roughing the passer penalty, McCombs got them down to the Rutgers 17 on a five and a ten-yard run. Scott McCummings then earned the Huskies a 1st and goal from the at Scarlet Knights six yard line. But Rutgers was able to keep McCombs and the Huskies out of the end zone and they had to settle for a Chad Christen 19 yard field goal.

From there it was all about the defenses for the rest of the first half.

UConn was unable to take advantage of a fumble on the kickoff to start the second half and was forced to go three and out. The Scarlet Knights then drove the ball 84 yards for touchdown when Gary Nova hit Stratford, CT native Mark Harrison for a 14 yard touchdown.

Rutgers would add a late touchdown when Whitmer was picked off by Wayne Warren who took it back 25 yards for the score.

Obviously without McCombs early on, the rushing game was lacking. But even when he was in, the team as a whole finished with just 53 yards against a stout Scarlet Knights defense. The other part of the problem was the fact that the blocking on passing downs was horrible.

Whitmer was under pressure on about at least 75% of his passes. He seemed to be knocked down on every pass. And with that he was forced to throw some bad passes. He also made some bad decisions which led to two of his four interceptions.

Defensively, I don’t think the Huskies were all that bad. Even with the offense giving Rutgers a short field, the defense remained strong like we’ve seen all season. The problem for me with the defense was their form on tackling. I saw at least four or five plays that they missed tackles that allowed the Scarlet Knights to gain more yards.

In the end though, it’s another loss.

After all the progress the offense had made, it took two steps backwards. And if Paul Pasqualoni and his staff don’t figure it out soon, it could be a long season in the Big East and another year without a bowl game appearance.

Scoring:

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
UConn Huskies	0	3	0	0	3
Rutgers Scarlet Knights	6	0	7	6	19

1st quarter

RUT – 03:43 – Kyle Federico 45 Yd Field Goal

RUT – 00:28 – Kyle Federico 31 Yd Field Goal

2nd quarter

CON – 02:39 – Chad Christen 19 Yd Field Goal

3rd quarter

RUT – 09:09 – Mark Harrison 14 Yd Pass From Gary Nova (Kyle Federico Kick)

4th quarter

RUT – 03:44 – Wayne Warren 25 Yd Interception Return (Pat Failed)

To continue reading, the UConn Huskies @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights recap, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Offensive Player of the Game:

Jawan Jamison was the first running back this season to go over 100 yards against UConn as he finished with 110 yards on 28 carries. He also caught two balls for 19 yards.

Defensive Player of the Game:

It’s hard to single out any one player on the Rutgers defense, so I’ll give this to the entire Rutgers D. They held UConn to 53 yards rushing and picked off four Chandler Whitmer passes.

Turning Point(s) of the Game:

To me the turning point of the game came early in the 3rd quarter. When Marquise Vann forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the third quarter that was recovered by Andrew Adams, the UConn offense went three-and-out. After a punt, the Rutgers offense went 84 yards on nine plays to score a touchdown.

Offensive Notes:

Tough game for Chandler Whitmer as he was 14-of-32 for 191 yards. He was picked off four times. After being suspended for the 1st quarter, McCombs returned and ran for 32 yards. Scott McCummings missed on his only pass and but ran for 24 yards. Geremy Davis led all Huskies receivers with four receptions for 78 yards. Michael Smith had three catches for 32 yards while Ryan Griffin added three catches himself for 31 yards. Nick Williams chipped in with two catches for 24 yards.

Defensive Notes:

Jory Johnson led all tacklers in the game with 10 tackles (two solo, eight assisted). Sio Moore had nine tackles (five solo, four assisted) including 1.5 tackles for a loss of three yards. Yawin Smallwood also had nine tackles as did Byron Jones. Ryan Wirth had eight tackles and forced a fumble. He also had the only sack of the game for the Huskies.

Special Teams Notes:

Shamar Stephens blocked a field goal that was recovered by Sio Moore. Marquise Vann forced a fumble on a kickoff that was recovered by Andrew Adams. Cole Wagner had an up and down day as he was awful on his first two punts with the second one coming on a bad snap. He averaged 34.6 yards on five punts with a long of 62. He also had three punts downed inside the 20. Chad Christen was 1-of-2 on field goals with his miss coming from 51 yards while his make came from 19 yards.

Injuries:

There were no injuries to UConn players that I saw.

Officials:

Referee: Tracy Jones  •  Umpire: Greg Brenner  •  Linesman: T. Considine  •  Line judge: Kevin Codey  •  Back judge: Bryan Pratt  •  Field judge: Dan Gallagher  •  Side judge: George Liotus

Game Notes:

UConn Huskies @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights 10.6.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni and Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood. Here are the postgame quotes from the UConn players.

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

• With today’s loss, the Huskies drop to 1-18 all-time against ranked opponents
• Redshirt junior running back Martin Hyppolite made his first career start at running back
• Redshirt senior tight end Ryan Griffin had two receptions on the opening drive and tied his season-high with three catches in the game
• The Husky defense, led by redshirt senior linebacker Jory Johnson’s four tackles, held the Scarlet Knights to just 43 yards of total offense in the first quarter. Rutgers scored two field goals in the initial 15 minutes as a direct result of two Connecticut turnovers
• Johnson finished with a game-high 10 tackles
• Senior wide receiver Michael Smith tied his season-high with three receptions, all in the fourth quarter
• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Geremy Davis led the Huskies with four catches for 78 yards
• Rutgers was held to just 108 yards of total offense in the first half
• Redshirt senior defensive tackle Ryan Wirth recorded his first career sack in the second quarter
• Redshirt freshman linebacker Marquise Vann caused his first career fumble on the second half kickoff. It was recovered by redshirt freshman safety Andrew Adams, his first career fumble recovery
• With the two field goals allowed in the first quarter, Connecticut has still allowed just one first quarter touchdown this season (Buffalo)
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Shamar Stephen blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt by Rutgers’ Kyle Federico. It was the first blocked field goal for the Huskies since the Murray State game on September 4, 2004, when James Hargreaves turned the trick
• Redshirt junior placekicker Chad Christen made a 19-yard field goal late in the second quarter. He is now 7-for-10 in field goal attempts in his Connecticut career after missing a 51-yard attempt at the end of the first half
• Redshirt junior punter Cole Wagner had a season-long 62-yard punt in the third quarter. His career standard is a 66-yard punt at Michigan in 2010. He had three punts downed inside the 20 in the contest, including one inside the one early in the fourth quarter, which was downed by redshirt junior linebacker David Kenney
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Chandler Whitmer was 14-for-32 passing for 191 yards. He was intercepted a career-high four times
• The five turnovers committed by the Huskies was a season-high

Big East Games and Results:

Friday, October 5

Pitt 13
Syracuse 14

Saturday, October 6

USF 28
Temple 37

Miami (OH)
(NR/23) Cincinnati, 7 p.m.

Things to Work On:

• Limit the mistakes on offense. Part of the mistakes on offense particularly Chandler Whitmer came as result of No. 2 on the list, pass blocking. He does need to make better decisions though.
• Pass blocking. As I said above Whitmer seemed to be under duress more often than not.
• Tackling form. Too many missed tackles for my liking.
• Keep Lyle McCombs out of trouble. This is his second arrest in two years with the Huskies. You have to wonder how much more tolerance Paul Pasqualoni will have. If he ends up missing any more games, UConn’s offense could be in trouble.

Up Next:

UConn returns home to Rentschler Field next Saturday afternoon for a game against the Temple Owls. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and it is the Homecoming Game for the Huskies.

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

Photo credit: getty images, getty images

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 take on Rutgers Scarlet Knights at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

If you missed our UConn vs Rutgers preview, be sure to check that out.

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

UConn Football links

Video: Friday Four Downs [andrea adelson – espn.com]

UConn RB Lyle McCombs Arrested Friday; To Play Against Rutgers Today [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Did you know? Big East Week 6 [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Q&A with UConn LB Jory Johnson [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Jimmy Bennett ready for Big East debut [jim fuller – new haven register]

Big night for UConn commit [jim fuller – new haven register]

Ground games to be key today [jim fuller – new haven register]

Game preview: UConn at Rutgers [lee lewis – republican-american]

Air Whitmer? [john silver – sny.com]

McCombs arrested, in uniform [john silver – sny.com]

Reserves move into starting role on UConn defensive line [ct post]

UConn Heading To Hostile Territory For Game With Rutgers [hartford courant]

Rutgers Didn’t Have To Go Far To Find A Winning Coach [hartford courant]

Huskies take on No. 22 Rutgers [new haven register]

Scarlet Knights ready for Huskies [ap]

Rutgers defense can’t take Connecticut’s sputtering offense lightly [the star-ledger]

Rutgers’ WR Brandon Coleman wants quality over quantity this time vs. UConn [the star-ledger]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Jessica Moore beating the odds [carl adamec – sny.com]

Shea Ralph’s Assessment: Things Are Looking Really Good [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Rankin: Jabari Parker’s Final Five Does Not Include UConn [dom amore – hartford courant]

UConn’s Paradise Jam Opener on CBS Sports Network [david borges – new haven register]

Alumni Profile: Ray Allen [uconn huskies basketball]

Other UConn related links

W. Cross Country. Women’s Cross Country Set For New England Championships [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. No. 2 Huskies Look To Hand No. 9 Marquette First Loss [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Cross Country. Huskies Head to New England Championships [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Men’s Hockey Hosts York University Saturday at 3 p.m. [uconnhuskies.com]

Field Hockey. No. 3 Field Hockey Travels to Louisville Saturday [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Huskies Erase Three-Goal Deficit in 4-4 Tie [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Soccer. Women’s Soccer Drops Heartbreaker at Home to USF, 1-0 [uconnhuskies.com]

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

With the 2012-13 UConn Huskies men’s basketball season set to kickoff next Friday with First Night, new men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie has announced he’s made a few changes on the staff.

Here’s the release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn. — The University of Connecticut men’s basketball coaching staff has been restructured under new head coach Kevin Ollie.

Glen Miller, starting the third season of his second stint on the UConn staff, will assume the duties of Associate Head Coach, while Karl Hobbs, last year’s Director of Basketball Administration, will join veteran George Blaney as fulltime assistant coaches. Kevin Freeman, who was added to the UConn staff last year as Assistant Director of Administration, will take over as Director of Basketball Administration.

“As I said when I accepted the job as head coach at Connecticut, I think I have the greatest coaching staff in the country,” Ollie said. “I feel extremely fortunate to have a staff with so much head coaching experience behind me. I know that we are going to work as hard as we can to continue the legacy of tremendous success that UConn enjoyed under Coach (Jim) Calhoun.”

The UConn coaching staff has a combined 57 years of collegiate head coaching experience with a combined total of 860 victories.

To continue reading, please click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Miller returned to Calhoun’s UConn staff in 2010-11 as Director of Basketball Administration following 17 years of head coaching experience at Connecticut College, Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania. Last year, he moved into the role of fulltime assistant coach and was an integral part of practice work, game strategy, and recruiting.

A native of Groton, Conn., Miller played for two seasons at UConn, then played two seasons for Calhoun at Northeastern. He joined Calhoun’s first staff at UConn in 1986 and worked with the Huskies for seven seasons before being named head coach at Connecticut College in 1993. In six seasons, Miller led Conn College to unprecedented success, including a 28-1 record and a berth in the Division III Final Four in 1998-99.

Miller moved on to Division I, taking over at Brown in 1999-2000, and setting school records for wins in a two-, three-, four-, and five-year span, as well as most Ivy League wins in a season. He recruited and developed 10 all-conference players and the League’s 2004 Player of the Year. Following seven years in Providence, Miller was hired as head coach of the prestigious program at Penn in 2006. He led the Quakers to the Ivy League Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2006-07, setting the school record for most Ivy League wins by a first-year coach. He spent three full years and part of a fourth as the Penn head coach. In 17 seasons as a head coach, Miller compiled 233 victories.

Born 8/20/1961, Miller and his wife Yvonne are the parents of four children: Tony, Genelle, Jillian (a UConn junior), and Emma.

Hobbs, who spent eight years as a UConn assistant from 1993-2001 and helped the Huskies win eight BIG EAST championships and the 1999 NCAA title, returned to Storrs last season and will again become a fulltime assistant on Ollie’s staff.

Hobbs had spent the previous 10 years as the head coach at George Washington University, leading the Colonials to two Atlantic 10 Tournament championships, a regular-season title, and five straight postseason appearances, including three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. He was the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2005-06, and notched 166 wins while at GWU.

Out of Roxbury, Mass., Hobbs was a four-year starting point guard for UConn (1980-84), where he served as team captain and was an All-BIG EAST selection as a senior. He led the team in assists all four years and still ranks fifth on the all-time list.

Hobbs began his coaching career as a six-year assistant at Boston University before joining Calhoun’s UConn staff. While Hobbs was at UConn, he was instrumental in the recruitment of such Husky stars as Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, and Emeka Okafor. The Huskies had a record of 216-56 while Hobbs was on the staff.

Born 8/7/1961, Hobbs and wife JoAnn are the parents of two daughters, RaShauna and Kaliah.

Blaney has spent the last 11 years as a member of Calhoun’s coaching staff, serving as associate head coach for the past five seasons and taking charge of the team on those occasions when Calhoun was incapacitated.

Since Blaney joined UConn, the Huskies have a 278-102 record, captured six BIG EAST championships, made 10 NCAA appearances, three trips to the Final Four, and won two national championships.

Blaney, a 2003 inductee into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, brought more than 30 years of coaching experience with him when he came to UConn, including two seasons at Stonehill, three years at Dartmouth, and 22 years at Holy Cross, his alma mater, where he won 357 games, posted seven 20-win seasons, and made eight postseason appearances.

He also was head coach for three years at Seton Hall in the BIG EAST before leaving to become the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the International Basketball League. Blaney returned to college coaching in 2000-01 as an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island before joining Calhoun at UConn the following year. In 30 years as a collegiate head coach, Blaney compiled an impressive 461-383 overall record.

A native of Jersey City, N.J., Blaney was an All-New England player at Holy Cross, where he scored 1,012 points. After he graduated in 1961, he was drafted in the fourth round of the NBA Draft by the N.Y. Knicks and played the 1961-62 season with the team.

Born 11/12/1939, Blaney and his wife Maryellen have two daughters and three sons, and five grandchildren.

Freeman, a former UConn captain and the program’s all-time leader in games played (140), came back to Storrs last year after playing 11 seasons of professional basketball in Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela. He served as assistant director of administration under Hobbs last year and will assume the director’s position this year.

Freeman, a native of Springfield, Mass., was an all-state performer at Paterson (N.J.) Catholic before his stellar career at UConn. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1999 BIG EAST Championship and selected to the 1999 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team as an invaluable starter on UConn’s first National Championship team. During Freeman’s career, the Huskies compiled a 109-32 record, made three NCAA appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in 1998 and winning the crown in 1999.

He is No. 17 on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,476 points, No. 8 on the all-time rebounding list with 913, and earned his degree in 2006.

Born 3/3/1978, Freeman and his wife Nicole are the parents of a daughter, Kekoa, and a son, Sire.

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

As we learned last week, the Annual Husky Run will take place next Thursday on campus in Storrs, CT. Today, UConn made it official.

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut men’s basketball program will host the annual Husky Run on Thursday, October 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The Husky Run is open to the public and symbolizes the start of preseason activities for the men’s basketball program, leading up to First Night on Friday, October 12.

Fans can register from 1:30-2:30 p.m. outside of the east entrance of Gampel Pavilion. The event is a 3.4-mile run around campus that begins and ends at Gampel Pavilion.

All runners will receive a FREE T-SHIRT and FREE FOOD after the race. The person who wins this year’s Husky Run will receive a UConn Nike sweat suit.

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

While I was preoccupied yesterday, SNY, the new home of UConn Huskies women’s basketball, announced their studio and game announcing crews for the games.

Here’s the release:

NEW YORK – SNY, the official television home of the UConn Huskies Women’s basketball program, today announced its on-air talent roster and its exclusive game schedule for the 2012-13 season.  The network named former UConn Women basketball greats Meghan Culmo and Kara Wolters as analysts.  Meghan will serve as the network’s game analyst and Kara as the studio analyst for pre-game, half-time and post-game shows.  Joining the veteran UConn voices will be play-by-play announcerAndrew Catalon – who recently served as a play-by-play announcer at the London Olympics for NBC – and SNY reporter/anchor Kerith Burke as the sideline reporter. Gary Apple, who hosts SNY’s Big East basketball studio shows, will anchor the network’s studio coverage alongside Kara Wolters.

SNY also announced its UConn Women’s 2012-13 game schedule – which will feature 20 live games.  All Big East Conference basketball games will be wrapped with comprehensive pre-game, half-time and post-game shows.  The network’s game schedule will tip-off on November 11^th at 1:30pm when the Huskies – eyeing their 17th straight season-opening win – host the College of Charleston Cougars.  Prior to the game, SNY will air a special pre-game show featuring in-depth analysis of the upcoming season, including interviews with players and coaches, and highlight key players to watch. SNY’s official UConn Women’s basketball schedule is listed below.  As previously stated, SNY will also offer an online streaming package for games airing on SNY.  Details regarding the streaming service will be announced shortly.

“We have assembled a formidable and highly experienced group of on-air talent who will bring expert analysis, unique insight and compelling story-telling,” said Curt Gowdy, Jr.,Senior Vice President of Production and Executive Producer of SNY.  “Our coverage will provide unprecedented access to the UConn Women’s basketball program – while delivering innovative, first-rate game production and studio programming.”

“I am thrilled to join the SNY team in covering the UConn Women’s Basketball program,” said Meghan Culmo. “We will provide exceptional coverage for the best women’s basketball fans in the nation.  I cannot wait to get started working with Andrew, Kerith, Gary and Kara – great people who will work so hard to bring the best product to the air for our loyal fans.”

“I’m delighted to be part of the amazing team at SNY, as they have assembled one of the best broadcast teams in the business,” said Kara Wolters. “Their superior production capabilities will bring an unparalleled viewing experience to the fans.  I am thrilled to know that a broad audience will have the opportunity to experience the championship caliber of the UConn women’s basketball program.”

“It’s an honor to be working with the top women’s basketball program in the country,” said Andrew Catalon. “Growing up in the Northeast, I fully understand the passion UConn fans have for this team and that is very exciting. We will respect and honor that tradition.  I am greatly looking forward to working with Meg, Kerith, Kara, Gary and the great team SNY has put together.

Prior to joining SNY, Kara Wolters spent six seasons as the color commentator for the UConn women’s basketball team on their flagship station WTIC-1080 AM.  Her basketball career includes playing four years under Coach Geno Auriemma – earning an NCAA Championship in 1995 where she helped her team post a 35-0 record.  Kara was also the 1997 National Player of the Year during her senior year at UConn.  Kara went on to become one of only seven players in the world to achieve the elusive championship “set” – NCAA championship (1995), the WNBA championship (1999) and an Olympic gold medal (2000).  Kara also won a gold medal for the USA Jones Cup Team (1996); won a gold medal for the USA World University Games Team (1997), and a silver medal in 1995. She played on the US National Team in 1997-98 and 1999-2000. She also earned a European championship with her pro team in Schio, Italy.  In 1998 she began Kara Kares, a foundation to fund brain tumor research, in honor of her sister, Katie, who passed away as the result of a brain tumor in 2004.

Prior to joining the network, Meghan Culmo has been a color analyst on radio and television for more than a decade. She has appeared on Connecticut Public Television, ESPN, MSG and Lifetime Television, among others. While at CPTV, she hosted “The Geno Auriemma Show”, which she has done for the past 15 years. Meg’s playing career featured several historic milestones, including the first ever BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championships.  She was a 1,000 point scorer and All BIG EAST performer – as well as Captain her senior year.  Meg earned Most Outstanding Player at the 1991 BIG EAST Championships as the Huskies claimed the title. Her resume also includes being a member of the coaching staff that helped guide the Huskies to their first of seven NCAA National Championships.

In addition to his role on SNY, Andrew has worked three Olympics for NBC – including London – as well as tennis at Wimbledon.  Andrew’s other play-by-play experience includes NFL games on CBS, NBC and WKYC.  Andrew worked for CBS at the 2011 & 2012 Masters – doing play-by-play for the featured group channel. He also worked the 2010 & 2011 US Open Tennis Tournaments for CBS, calling the action in 3D. In addition, He has worked for the NBC Sports Network, and Big Ten Network.  Catalon also was a sports anchor/reporter at NewsChannel 13 in Albany, NY, where he hosted the “Big Board Sports with Andrew Catalon,” the Capital Region’s only Sunday night sports wrap-up show.

2012-13 UConn Huskies women’s basketball schedule

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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.

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UConn Football links

Paw Prints – UConn Huskies (3-2, 0-0) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0, 1-0) Preview [sox & dawgs]

Revenge vs. UConn not on Rutgers’ minds [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Who will transform tomorrow? [matt fortuna – espn.com]

A simple game? Coach P makes it so [lee lewis – republican-american]

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

C Alex Mateas 100 percent, Tyler Bullock to play — Thursday update [john silver – sny.com]

The other side: Reading up on Rutgers [john silver – sny.com]

The Blitz: UConn at Rutgers [uconnhuskies.com]

Connecticut Plays Ranked Rutgers Saturday [bigeast.org]

Stratford’s Harrison enjoying two roles — father and Rutgers receiver [ct post]

Video: UConn-Rutgers renew rivalry [espn.com]

UConn Needs Its Special Teams To Help Stop Rutgers [hartford courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Chong, McCall Due In Storrs; Canada On The Map? [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Geno to be honored in D.C. [jim fuller – new haven register]

Pat Summitt: Cherish The Memories [hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Recruiting Roundup: October 4 [kevin duffy – ct post]

Annual Husky Run Set For Thursday, October 11 at 2:30 p.m [uconnhuskies.com]

Other UConn related links

W. Soccer. Women’s Soccer Hosts USF & No. 20 Marquette This Weekend [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Volleyball. Volleyball Heads to the Midwest for Two [uconnhuskies.com]

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

When the Boston Red Sox made the big deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers we knew they were going to get five players. But we also knew that two of them wouldn’t join the Red Sox until the season is over.

Well now that the miserable 2012 season for the Red Sox is over, they have now received the two players-to-be-named later from the Dodgers.

Here’s the release from the Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands from the Los Angeles Dodgers, completing the August 25 trade that sent right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and infielder Nick Punto to the Dodgers in exchange for first baseman James Loney, infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. and right-handed pitcher Allen Webster.  To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Guillermo Quiroz was designated for a assignment.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

De La Rosa, 23, tallied an 11-9 record with six saves, a 2.86 ERA (74 ER/233.0 IP), 237 strikeouts and just 187 hits allowed in 59 career minor league appearances (39 starts) over six seasons in the Dodgers system, and earned the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year award in 2010.  Signed by Los Angeles as an international free agent in July 2007, the right-hander made his Major League debut with the club in 2011 and posted a 4-5 record with a 3.71 ERA (25 ER/60.2 IP) and 60 strikeouts over 13 games (10 starts).  After beginning the 2012 season on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery underwent on August 9, 2011, he made one Major League appearance for Los Angeles in August and compiled a 1-0 record with a 2.08 ERA (3 ER/13.0 IP) and 12 strikeouts in six minor league outings, including five on rehab, between the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers, High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga.

The 25-year-old Sands spent most of 2012 with the Dodgers Triple-A Albuquerque affiliate and was named to the Pacific Coast League’s Postseason All-Star Team.  This season, he led all Triple-A batters with 107 RBI and finished third in the PCL with 26 home runs while also tallying 17 doubles, four triples, 84 runs scored and 59 walks in 119 games.  The right-handed batter hit .383 (51-for-133) with a minor league-leading 46 RBI over his last 34 regular season games with Albuquerque.  In five postseason contests for the Isotopes he hit .381 (8-for-21) with a double, a homer and seven RBI.  Sands also appeared in nine Major League games over two stints with the Dodgers this year and in 70 career Big League tilts, all with Los Angeles over the last two seasons, he has hit .244 (54-for-221) with 17 doubles, four homers, 27 RBI, 22 runs and 26 walks.  Selected by the Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Sands is a career .289 hitter (502-for-1,737) with 86 doubles, 16 triples, 119 home runs, 379 RBI, 356 runs, 236 walks and 28 stolen bases in 469 minor league games in the Dodgers system.

Quiroz, 30, was acquired from the Seattle Mariners on September 4 and appeared in two games for the Red Sox this season, going 0-for-2 at the plate.  He began the season with Seattle’s Triple-A club in Tacoma, batting .278 (84-for-302) with 15 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, 45 runs scored and 36 walks in 89 games.  Originally signed by Toronto in 1998, the right-handed batter has played in 103 career Major League games with the Blue Jays (2004-05), Mariners (2006, 2009-10), Rangers (2007), Orioles (2008) and Red Sox (2012), going 53-for-257 (.206) with 11 doubles, two homers, 28 RBI, 19 runs scored and 17 walks.

I know everybody knows this already but since I’ve been preoccupied with some personal stuff all day, I’m just getting around to this now.

We can all rejoice. Bobby V has been canned. Thrown out to the trash.

Here’s the release from the Boston Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today announced, following a meeting among team leaders and Manager Bobby Valentine, that Bobby will not return in 2013.   A search for a new manager will begin immediately.

“Our 2012 season was disappointing for many reasons,” said Executive Vice-President/General Manager Ben Cherington, who made the announcement and who will lead the search.  “No single issue is the reason, and no single individual is to blame.  We’ve been making personnel changes since August, and we will continue to do so as we build a contending club.  With an historic number of injuries, Bobby was dealt a difficult hand.  He did the best he could under seriously adverse circumstances, and I am thankful to him.”

The Red Sox used 56 players in 2012, the most in club history. Their 9-player blockbuster trade August 25 with the Los Angeles Dodgers was their largest in 40 years.

“This year’s won-loss record reflects a season of agony,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino.  “It begs for changes, some of which have already transpired.  More will come.  We are determined to fix that which is broken and return the Red Sox to the level of success we have experienced over the past decade.

“Difficult as it is to judge a manager amid a season that had an epidemic of injuries, we feel we need to make changes.  Bobby leaves the Red Sox’ manager’s office with our respect, gratitude, and affection.  I have no doubt that he will continue to contribute to the game he loves so much and knows so well.”

Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner said, “This season was by far the worst we have experienced in over ten years here.  Ultimately, we are all collectively responsible for the team’s performance.  We are going to be working tirelessly to reconstruct the ballclub for 2013.  We’ll be back.

“We thank Bobby for the many contributions he made and for the energy he brought each day.  He is a baseball man through and through.”

Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry said, “In our meeting with Bobby today, he handled everything with dignity and class, and it is deeply appreciated. Ultimately, we as owners are responsible for arming our organization with the resources — intellectual, physical, and financial — to return to the levels of competitiveness to which we aspire and to which our fans are accustomed.  Our commitment to winning is unwavering.  It is a commitment to this team, to this city, and to these fans who have supported us through thick and thin.

“We have confidence in Ben Cherington and the kind of baseball organization he is determined to build.”

“I understand this decision,” said Valentine.  “This year in Boston has been an incredible experience for me, but I am as disappointed in the results as are ownership and the great fans of Red Sox Nation.

“It was a privilege to be part of the 100 year anniversary of Fenway Park and an honor to be in uniform with such great players and coaches.  My best to the organization.  I’m sure next year will be a turnaround year.”

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