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 some of the other sports. 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 Men’s Basketball links

U.S. beats Poland in U19 consolation round [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Now, That’s The Maya Moore UConn Fans Know And Love [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Maya Moore leads Lynx past Sun [New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

College Football 77 in 77: #58 Connecticut Huskies [The Sports Bank]

Brockton’s Chris Lopes gives back to school that set him on right path [Brockton Enterprise]

Other UConn related links

Pay-for-play a critical decision in college sports [Stamford Advocate]

It was quite a different night at Fenway Park on Saturday night considering everything that had happened there on Friday night.

There were no fights between any of the players, no pitchers slipping on a wet mound and no big explosions by the Boston Red Sox offense. And with John Lackey on the mound against the Baltimore Orioles, a team he’s dominated in the past, no one was quite sure what to expect considering Lackey’s recent struggles.

Well last night we saw the Lackey that Theo Epstein gave the big free agent contract to. We’d seen pieces of this before this season but he hasn’t completely put together a good stretch just yet.

Hopefully after his start in the 4-0 win, he’ll be able to build upon it after the All-Star break. Lackey went 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out seven. He also hit two batters in Derek Lee and Nick Markakis.

We’ve all been worried that part of the struggles for Lackey had to do with elbow that saw him land on the disabled list earlier on the season. After seeing his fastball last night, I highly doubt the elbow is the problem at all. He threw his fastball for strikes as it had good life and he commanded it very well. Because of that fastball command, he was able to use his offspeed stuff more effectively then we’ve seen in the past.

When former Red Sox pitching coach and current Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell was in town earlier this week, he had said part of Lackey’s problems were the execution of his pitches. Whatever Curt Young and Lackey worked on to help with the execution of those pitches definitely made things better for Lackey.

Now we can only hope that Lackey and Young continue the work over the All-Star break before his next start. Given the state of the Red Sox rotation right now with all of the injuries, we need more pitching performances like this from Lackey and not some of the previous stinkers.

Alfredo Simon was making his first start for the Orioles in two years and he did his best to match zeroes with his counterpart. The Red Sox didn’t make it easy on him either.

Simon had to work out of a bases loaded jam in the first when he got David Ortiz to ground into an inning-ending double play. He allowed one runner to reach the next three innings as well but no damage was done. However in the 5th inning is when Simon’s luck ran out.

After Marco Scutaro flew out to start the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury followed with his second triple of the season. Dustin Pedroia then grounded into a fielder’s choice that saw Ellsbury get caught by Simon. Heads up baserunning though by Pedey as he ended up at second base. The Orioles decided to intentionally walk Adrian Gonzalez.

The move didn’t work out though as Kevin Youkilis doubled in Pedroia to put the Red Sox out front 1-0. Once again, the Orioles decided to use the intentional walk, this time to Big Papi. And yet again the move failed for the Orioles as Josh Reddick doubled to bring in Gonzo and Youk to make it 3-0 and ending the night for Simon. The Red Sox added another run in the 7th when Pedroia and Youk doubled.

Both Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon were outstanding out of the bullpen in helping preserve the shutout. And ironically enough, Papelbon didn’t make an adventure out of it as he recorded his first 1-2-3 inning in ages. 

With the All-Star break starting on Monday, the Red Sox can do no worse than be in a tie for first place with the New York Yankees since their lead is still at one game. Considering how the season started, this is great. Hopefully, the Red Sox can get the sweep this afternoon and hold first place by themselves. Because that would just be so much better than having to hear the Yankees fans saying they’re in first place as well.

We’ll be back in a bit with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and any links from the morning. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below.

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

Crawford diary: Talking DL, All-Star game, second half and more [Carl Crawford- ESPN Boston]

Kyle Weiland’s long road to the Red Sox rotation [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Sox cheered by this victory [Boston Globe]

Bard, bullpen holding steady [Boston Globe]

Youkilis eager for his star turn [Boston Globe]

Ortiz regrets altercation [Boston Globe]

Not a bad time to go to pieces [Boston Globe]

Lackey ‘O’ so good [Boston Herald]

Ortiz pulls no punches [Boston Herald]

Jeter’s heroics mirror Biggio [Boston Herald]

Hit parade continues for Redd-hot OF [Boston Herald]

Bard lights-out yet again [Boston Herald]

Sox tip hat to Jeter [Boston Herald]

Lackey impressive as Sox blank O’s, 4-0 [CSNNE.com]

Lackey enjoys rare warm reception from fans [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox notes: Ortiz looks back at brawl [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 4, Orioles 0 [ESPN Boston]

Jose Iglesias, Ryan Kalish still day-to-day [Full Count]

Closing time: John Lackey silences his critics in 4-0 win [Full Count]

John Lackey feels the same, but looks better [Full Count]

What a difference a year makes for Jacoby Ellsbury [Full Count]

Video: David Ortiz Says Marco Scutaro Looked Like Kevin Gregg’s Backpack When He Jumped in During Brawl [NESN.com]

Video: Red Sox Players, Wives to Host ‘Picnic in the Park’ After July 24 Game, Offering Fans Unique Opportunity [NESN.com]

Video: Terry Francona Impressed With John Lackey’s Effectiveness Against Orioles [NESN.com]

Video: John Lackey Says Arm Feeling Better, Stronger, Guarantees He’ll Work Hard, Compete Hard [NESN.com]

Video: Kevin Youkilis Praises Red Sox’ Ability to Find Ways to Push Across Runs [NESN.com]

Red Sox to Offer Free Skin Cancer Screenings During Sunday’s Game Against Orioles [NESN.com]

Kyle Weiland ready for major-league debut [Projo Sox Blog]

Futures Game participant Chiang catching fire for Double-A Portland [Projo Sox Blog]

Lackey gets his groove back [Providence Journal]

Ortiz issues roundabout apology for brawl [Providence Journal]

Sox sitting right where we expected despite soap opera season [Providence Journal]

Orioles showed plenty of fight, but will it help [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Beckett to throw side session on Sunday [Providence Journal]

Albers turning into solid cog in Sox’s bullpen [RedSox.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Baltimore Sun website. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, the Oriole Post.

Photo credit: AP Photo

After some fireworks on the field in the second straight win for the Boston Red Sox over the Baltimore Orioles last night, they’ll try to make in three wins in a row tonight at Fenway Park in game three of a four-game set.

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and you can watch the game on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. If you don’t live in either market you may be in luck as well as the MLB Network is scheduled to air the game in certain markets. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

John Lackey desperately looks to get back on track in his 14th start of 2011. In his previous 13 starts, Lackey is 5-8 with a 7.47 ERA. He has not faced the Orioles in 2011 and was 2-1 with a 2.80 ERA in five starts in 2010 which marks all of his appearances against them in a Red Sox uniform. He’s made 17 starts against the Orioles in his career and is 10-4 with a 3.05 ERA. He’s made 14 straight quality starts against the Orioles and in the last 13 games against them, he’s gone at least seven innings.

Alfredo Simon looks to stop the bleeding for the Orioles in his first start (8th appearance) of 2011. In his previous seven appearances out of the bullpen, Simon is 1-1 with a 4.64 ERA. He’s made six career appearances against the Red Sox and has no record with a 5.40 ERA (3 ER/5 IP). Two of those appearances have come at Fenway Park where he hasn’t allowed a run (just two walks and a strikeout) in 0.1 innings. This is Simon’s first start in two years for the Orioles.

Click on the read more button below to see tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day if you’re on the home page.

Here are this evening’s lineups:

36-50		53-35
1. J.J. Hardy	SS	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Nick Markakis	RF	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Adam Jones	CF	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Vladimir Guerrero	DH	4. Kevin Youkilis	3B
5. Matt Wieters	C	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Derek Lee	1B	6. Josh Reddick	LF
7. Mark Reynolds	3B	7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
8. Nolan Reimold	LF	8. J. D. Drew	RF
9. Robert Andino	SS	9. Marco Scutaro	SS
Alfredo Simon	SP	John Lackey	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers:

Kyle Weiland will be called up on Sunday from Triple-A Pawtucket to start. This will mark the MLB debut for Weiland.

Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.

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

Pregame notes: Beckett, Buchholz updates; Francona on Jeter [Clubhouse Insider]

David Ortiz on brawl: ‘I don’t feel proud with a situation like that’ [Clubhouse Insider]

No decision yet on AS game for Beckett [ESPN Boston]

Youkilis reacts to All-Star selection [ESPN Boston]

David Ortiz felt ‘pushed’ into fight with Baltimore Orioles’ Kevin Gregg [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox drop $2.3M on Dominican prospects [Extra Bases]

A few notes before tonight’s game [Extra Bases]

Sox on the Fourth Video Recap [Fenway West]

Curt Schilling on Mustard & Johnson: Talking David Ortiz fight, Derek Jeter [Full Count]

David Ortiz thinks Kevin Gregg is the one who should play the game right [Full Count]

Side session for Josh Beckett on Sunday [Full Count]

Red Sox happy to see Derek Jeter reach 3,000 hit milestone [Full Count]

Yankees, Red Sox: Having To Fight Through It [Hartford Courant]

Red Sox Reliever Dan Wheeler Earns Amica Pitcher of the Week Honors [NESN.com]

Red Sox Foundation Announces Auction Items for Sixth Annual Picnic in the Park Fundraiser [NESN.com]

David Ortiz Apologizes for Role in Fight, But Pins Blame on Kevin Gregg [NESN.com]

Derek Jeter’s Accomplishments, Respect for the Game Earns Praise in Red Sox Clubhouse [NESN.com]

Video: Fighting Not Part of David Ortiz’s Personality, But He Felt Like He Needed to Respond to Kevin Gregg’s Antics [NESN.com]

Weiland Experiencing a Spike in Production [PawSox.com]

Mike Hazen on Kevin Millwood: “He’s probably going to get a shot at some point somewhere down the line this year” [Projo Sox Blog]

Struggling Lackey seeking return to win column [RedSox.com]

Photo credits: AP Photo, Getty Images

The offense for the Boston Red Sox once again did their jobs but that isn’t the big story of what happened in the 10-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Fenway Park. Actually there are two big stories.

It’s a tough call to figure out whether the benches clearing brawl started by David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg is a bigger story than the fact that Josh Beckett left the his start after five innings due to a hyperextended left knee after slipping on the wet mound at Fenway Park.

The benches had actually emptied on the pitch before the brawl happened in the 8th inning. The at-bat for Big Papi started with Gregg throwing a fastball inside on him. The second pitch was more of the same. On the third pitch, Gregg went even further inside and Papi started towards the mound with some words for Gregg. The benches emptied but the only thing exchanged were some words between the teams.

On the next pitch, Gregg threw a fastball that Papi popped up. Papi started running very slowly towards first only to have Gregg tell him to run to first. This got Gregg ejected immediately and then next thing you know Papi isn’t running towards first, he’s running towards Gregg. While it didn’t look that any punches actually hit anyone, Papi came close to landing an uppercut that would knocked Gregg into next week.

When order was finally restored for a second time, Papi and Gregg found themselves bounced from the game. Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (not in the game) and Orioles reliever Jim Johnson also were ejected from the game although we aren’t sure what they did.

Big Papi didn’t talk to the media after the game. Gregg did and had some choice words for Big Papi as did a few of the other Orioles.

Beckett’s troubles started in the 5th when he slipped on the mound while throwing a pitch. While he stayed in the game to finish the 5th to become eligible for what would turn out to be his 8th win of the season, he didn’t come back out for the 6th. It was announced that he left with the hyperextended left knee.

After the game Beckett said that he would be fine and would go forward to making his appearance in the All-Star game on Tuesday. We’ll see how he feels today but hopefully it’s nothing and returns without incident. The last thing we need is another starter on the disabled list.

If not for those two stories, the big one of the night would have been the fact that the offense put up eight runs in the first to chase Orioles rookie Zach Britton from the game before the end.

Jacoby Ellsbury started the inning by flying out. Dustin Pedroia followed that with a single and went to second on an Adrian Gonzalez walk. Kevin Youkilis, who was named to the AL All-Star Team as a replacement for Alex Rodriguez after the game, brought in Pedey with a single. Big Papi quickly made it 4-0 with a monstrous blast into the seats in right field.

The Red Sox didn’t stop there though.

Jason Varitek reached on a walk and then went to third on a Marco Scutaro single. Darnell McDonald then cleared the bases with a double to push the lead to 6-0. Britton finally got the second out of the inning with a strikeout of Yamaico Navarro. In his second AB of the inning, Ellsbury got an RBI single to finally chase Britton from the game.

Pedroia reached off of Brad Bergesen after J. J. Hardy booted the ball. Gonzalez made Hardy and the O’s pay for the error as his single scored Ellsbury to make it 8-0. The inning finally ended after Youk grounded out.

The Orioles relievers settled down after that as the Red Sox would only get two more runs the rest of the way. One of the coming on a Pedroia home run off of Chris Jakubauskas in the 6th and on a Josh Reddick triple in the 8th that scored Pedey after a single earlier in the inning.

Definitely a crazy night at the Fens last night. We know Papi will most likely be suspended but I think we all hope Beckett is okay. As I said earlier, that’s the last thing the Red Sox need right now. When you think about the fact that Tim Wakefield and John Lackey would be the two healthy players in the Red Sox rotation right now that’s not a good thing. Nothing against Wake by the way as he didn’t even start the season in the rotation.

We’ll be back later today with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and any links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below.

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

Fighting words [Boston Globe]

Weiland a surprising choice [Boston Globe]

Plenty of twists in this game [Boston Globe]

Sox discovery sings at Fenway [Boston Globe]

Both blowout and battle [Boston Herald]

Time to worry? [Boston Herald]

Gregg: We’re not scared of them [Boston Herald]

Rookie Weiland set to pitch in [Boston Herald]

Sad end to one good gesture [Boston Herald]

Firepower leads Sox past Orioles, 10-3 [CSNNE.com]

Tempers, fists fly as Sox brawl with Orioles [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox notes: Beckett injures knee [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 10, Orioles 3 [ESPN Boston]

Sox sign young Dominican shortstop [ESPN Boston]

Closing Time: Red Sox win again, but at what cost? [Full Count]

Beckett: Knee injury shouldn’t impact availability going forward [Full Count]

Nick Markakis calls David Ortiz swinging 3-0 ‘a little bush league’ [Full Count]

Red Sox take stock of brawl: ‘A lot of craziness’ [Full Count]

Video: Red Sox Benefiting From Organizational Depth, But Still Putting Forth ‘Tireless’ Effort to Improve [NESN.com]

Video: Red Sox Hoping Kyle Weiland Can Continue Dominant Ways in Major League Debut on Sunday [NESN.com]

Video: Jason Varitek Says Bench-Clearing Brawl Part of the Game, Thinks Josh Beckett Will Be OK [NESN.com]

Josh Beckett Leaves Start With Hyperextended Left Knee, Terry Francona Says Move Was Precautionary [NESN.com]

Video: Kevin Gregg Defends His Actions, Says Red Sox Will ‘Whine and Complain, Because They Think They’re Better Than Everyone’ [NESN.com]

Boston offense delivers its own beating in brawl-filled game [Providence Journal]

Red Sox players saddened by tragedy in Texas [Providence Journal]

Gregg, Ortiz hook up in wild brawl [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Weiland to make his debut on Sunday [Providence Journal]

As temperatures rise, so do ejections [Providence Journal]

Pedroia has knack for hitting balls outside zone [RedSox.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Baltimore Sun website. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, the Oriole Post.

Photo credit: 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 some of the other sports. 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.

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 Men’s Basketball links

Jeremy Lamb Talks USA Basketball And UConn Basketball [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Jeremy Lamb Shows The World What He Can Do [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Charde Houston honored with Staley award [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Charde Houston making a difference [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Maya Moore, UConn Teammates Reunite Saturday [Hartford Courant]

Top 15 Voting: Nykesha Sales [WNBA.com]

UConn Football links

Big East position rankings: Cornerback [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Special Teams Coach White: Need Better KO Coverage, Net Punt [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Former UConn WR Marcus Easley Stays Busy Despite NFL Lockout [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Men’s Hockey To Host 16 games In 2011-12 [UConnHuskies.com]

After not being named to the 2011 American League All-Star team, Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis will now have to make other plans for next week.

Originally after not being named, Youk wanted to rest up as he’s been battling through a few injuries. But with Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees taking himself out of the game, Youk was tabbed to replace him at third base.

The consensus out there right now that I could gather after the announcement is that while everyone is happy for Youk, they’d rather see him stay home and rest. I have to say I agree with the sentiment 100%.

The Red Sox will have 72 games remaining after the All-Star break. With Youk battling through those nagging injuries, I think the rest would be much better for him. Sure being an All-Star for the third time in his career is great and all, he’d be better served getting himself ready for the stretch run.

What happens to the Red Sox if Youk gets re-aggravates one of his injuries during the game. The Red Sox are screwed. You just can’t replace a bat like Youk. The same goes with his glove.

Hopefully, he’ll think about it and do what’s best for him. And in my opinion and the opinion of many others, that is STAY HOME and rest.

After winning and jumping back into first place in the AL East last night, the Boston Red Sox look to remain there AL in game two of a four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Fenway Park.

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and you can watch the game on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Here’s the latest update on the weather from the Red Sox:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Telvent DTN) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for showers and thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening hours.

All Fenway Park gates will open as regularly scheduled at 5:40 p.m. with a limited opening on Yawkey Way at 5:10 p.m. The Red Sox hope that tonight’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, which is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m., will be played. However, the Red Sox want to alert our fans to the possibility of a delay.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the evening progresses. Additional updates will be provided as necessary.

Josh Beckett will make his final start before heading to Phoenix on Sunday for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. He’s made 16 starts this season and is 7-3 with a 2.12 ERA. He’s made one start against the Orioles in 2011 that came back on April 27 at Camden Yards. In that start, Beckett received a no decision after allowing four runs in six innings. He’s made 15 career starts against the Orioles and is 6-3 with a 3.68 ERA. Four of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA.

Rookie Zach Britton makes his 18th start of 2011 for the Orioles. In his previous 17 starts, Britton is 6-6 with a 3.47 ERA. His only career start against the Red Sox came on April 26th at Camden Yards. In that start, he picked up the win after allowing one run in six innings of work.

Click on the read more button below to see tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day if you’re on the home page.

Here are this evening’s lineups:

36-49		52-35
1. J.J. Hardy	SS	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Nick Markakis	RF	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Adam Jones	CF	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Vladimir Guerrero	DH	4. Kevin Youkilis	3B
5. Matt Wieters	C	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Derek Lee	1B	6. Jason Varitek	C
7. Mark Reynolds	3B	7. Marco Scutaro	SS
8. Felix Pie	LF	8. Darnell McDonald	RF
9. Robert Andino	SS	9. Yamaico Navarro	LF
Zach Britton	SP	Josh Beckett	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers:

Kyle Weiland will be called up on Sunday from Triple-A Pawtucket to start. This will mark the MLB debut for Weiland.

Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.

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

Two nations, over the air [Boston Globe]

Kyle Weiland to start Sunday for Red Sox [Clubhouse Insider]

Red Sox players react to Texas tragedy [Clubhouse Insider]

Weiland to start for Red Sox on Sunday [CSNNE.com]

Sox early notes: Weiland to make debut on Sunday [CSNNE.com]

Beckett caps Pedro-esque first half tonight [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox starter Weiland to make debut Sunday [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox trying out Yamaico in left field [ESPN Boston]

Texas tragedy hits home, say Red Sox players [ESPN Boston]

It all started with Dick Williams [Extra Bases]

Pregame notes: Weiland to start Sunday [Extra Bases]

Kevin Millar on M&M: ‘We’ve waited around’ long enough for J.D. Drew [Full Count]

Kyle Weiland gets the call Sunday and provides a silver lining [Full Count]

Why Yamaico Navarro – and not Josh Reddick- is getting the call in left [Full Count]

Which Red Sox Player Will Make the Biggest Impact in the Second Half of the Season? [NESN.com]

Josh Beckett’s Outstanding First Half Has Red Sox’ Ace in Historic Company [NESN.com]

Manny Ramirez Crashes TV Interview Between Tom Werner, David Ortiz at 2004 All-Star Game [NESN.com]

Report: Andre Ethier Interested in Joining Red Sox [NESN.com]

Kyle Weiland to Make Major League Debut for Red Sox on Sunday [NESN.com]

Yaz wrote of Dick Williams and the unforgettable, ’67 season [Projo Sox Blog]

Red Sox climbing the charts defensively [Projo Sox Blog]

Ranking the six Red Sox home runs on Thursday [Projo Sox Blog]

Weiland to start Sunday [Projo Sox Blog]

Beckett, Red Sox look to keep Orioles reeling [RedSox.com]

Weiland to make big league debut Sunday [RedSox.com]

Q&A with Eddie Romero, Jr. [SoxProspects.com]

Photo credits: Reuters Pictures, AP Photo

Here is the press release from the Football Writers Association of America for the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. Included on that list is UConn Huskies defensive tackle Kendall Reyes.

DALLAS (FWAA) – The 2011 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List features the best and brightest of the upcoming season’s defensive players.

One of 87 players on the list most likely will receive the Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded annually to the nation’s best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Every NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision conference and Notre Dame are represented on the list that is pretty evenly divided among linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.

Players may be added or deleted from the Bronko Nagurski Watch List during the season. For the 11th straight season, the FWAA will choose a National Defensive Player of the Week. If that player is not on the Watch List, he automatically will be added. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 17.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner is chosen from five finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 25-man team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner, the best defensive player in America.

The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 12 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Besides the 2011 winner being announced, the banquet will also celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award presented by Florida East Coast Railway. Florida’s Jack Youngblood, an end from the FWAA’s 1970 All-American team, will be honored. Georgia head coach Mark Richt will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.

To see the full list, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

2011 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (87)
Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami, S	Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State, S
Mark Barron, Alabama, S	Mike Martin, Michigan, DT
Jake Bequette, Arkansas, DE	Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, LB
Brandon Boykin, Georgia, CB	Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy, DE
Nigel Bradham, Florida State, LB	Michael Mauti, Penn State, LB
Tanner Brock, TCU, LB	T.J. McDonald, USC, S
Arthur Brown, Kansas State, LB	Chase Minnifield, Virginia, CB
Zach Brown, North Carolina, LB	Charles Mitchell, Mississippi State, S
Vince Browne, Northwestern, DE	Roosevelt Nix, Kent State, DE
Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State, LB	Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina, DE
Miles Burris, San Diego State, LB	Dontari Poe, Memphis, DT
Tank Carder, TCU, LB	Tydreke Powell, North Carolina, DT
Morris Claiborne, LSU, CB	Shaun Prater, Iowa, CB
Quinton Coples, North Carolina, DE	Kheeston Randall, Texas, DT
Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, DE	Kendall Reyes, Connecticut, DT
Jared Crick, Nebraska, DT	Xavier Rhodes, Florida State, CB
Vinny Curry, Marshall, DE	Adrian Robinson, Temple, DE
Lavonte David, Nebraska, LB	Josh Robinson, UCF, CB
Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska, CB	Keenan Robinson, Texas, LB
Tony Dye, UCLA, S	J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati, LB
Marcus Forston, Miami, DT	Kawann Short, Purdue, DT
Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, LB	Mychal Sisson, Colorado State, LB
Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, CB	Shayne Skov, Stanford, LB
Zaviar Gooden, Missouri, LB	Harrison Smith, Notre Dame, S
Logan Harrell, Fresno State, DT	Akeem Spence, Illinois, DT
Cliff Harris, Oregon, CB	Sean Spence, Miami, LB
Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt, CB	Alameda Ta’amu, Washington, DT
Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, LB	Keith Tandy, West Virginia, CB
Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech, CB	Kenny Tate, Maryland, LB
Jaye Howard, Florida, DT	Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech, LB
Delano Howell, Stanford, S	Devin Taylor, South Carolina, DE
Bruce Irvin, West Virginia, DE	Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, LB
Malik Jackson, Tennessee, DT	Taylor Thompson, SMU, DE
Brandon Jenkins, Florida State, DE	Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, LB
James-Michael Johnson, Nevada, LB	Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, LB
Coryell Judie, Texas A&M, CB	Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee, S
Mychal Kendricks, California, LB	Bobby Wagner, Utah State, LB
Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, CB	Brian Wagner, Akron, LB
Jake Knott, Iowa State, LB	Korey Williams, Southern Miss, LB
Luke Kuechly, Boston College, LB	Nathan Williams, Ohio State, DE
Robert Lester, Alabama, S	Billy Winn, Boise State, DT
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, LB	Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati, DT
Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh, DE	Jerel Worthy, Michigan State, DT
Brad Madison, Missouri, DE
By conference: SEC 19, ACC 14, Big Ten 10, Big 12 9, Pac-12 9, Big East 6, Conference USA 5, Mountain West 5, Independents 3, MAC 3, WAC 3, Sun Belt 1.
Players may be added or deleted from the list before or during the season

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tigerfwaa@aol.com or 972-713-6198.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2011 preseason watch list calendar:

Tues., July 5: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award
Wed., July 6: Biletnikoff Award/Mackey Award
Thurs., July 7: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Fri., July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Mon., July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Tues., July 12: Rotary Lombardi Award
Wed., July 13: Rimington Trophy
Thurs., July 14: Butkus Award
Fri., July 15: Davey O’Brien Award/Doak Walker Award
Mon., July 18: Walter Camp Award

2011 FWAA ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE
Kirk Bohls	Austin American-Statesman	Big 12
Buddy Davis	Ruston Daily Leader	WAC
Tommy Hicks	Mobile Press-Register	Sun Belt
Mike Huguenin	rivals.com	ACC
Tom Kensler	Denver Post	Pac-12
Iliana Limon	Orlando Sentinel	C-USA
Kelly Lyell	Fort Collins Coloradoan	Mountain West
Brett McMurphy	cbssports.com	Big East
Randy Peterson	Des Moines Register	Big Ten
Zach Silva	Toledo Blade	MAC
Andy Staples	si.com	SEC
Phil Steele	Phil Steele Publications	National

Here is the release from Football Writers Association of America for the 2011 Outland Trophy Watch List. Included on the list are UConn Huskies center Moe Petrus and defensive tackle Kendall Reyes.

DALLAS (FWAA) – The prestigious 2011 Outland Trophy Watch List was released today with a galaxy of potential line stars who could win the award that goes to the best interior lineman in college football, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Every Division I Bowl Subdivision conference, along with independents BYU and Notre Dame, had at least one player on the annual list, which includes only tackles, guards and centers on both sides of the ball. Of the 65 players on the watch list, 16 defensive tackles occupied spots. The rest of the linemen were on offense.

The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 25-man team and eventually the three Outland finalists to be named on Nov. 21. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football. The winner of the 66th Outland Trophy, named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century, will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8 on ESPN.

The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 12, 2012, in Omaha, Neb.

For a full look at the 2011 Outland Trophy Watch List, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

2011 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (65)
Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State, OT	Ryan Miller, Colorado, G
Jeff Allen, Illinois, OT	David Molk, Michigan, C
Don Barclay, West Virginia, OT	Al Netter, Northwestern, OT
Chris Barker, Nevada, G	Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh, OT
Kelvin Beachum, SMU, OT	Xavier Nixon, Florida, OT
Tony Bergstrom, Utah, OT	Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois, OT
Mike Brewster, Ohio State, C	Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State, OT
James Brown, Troy, OT	Moe Petrus, Connecticut, C
Jared Crick, Nebraska, DT	Ken Plue, Purdue, G
Andrew Datko, Florida State, OT	Dontari Poe, Memphis, DT
David DeCastro, Stanford, G	Nate Potter, Boise State, OT
Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, OT	Tydreke Powell, North Carolina, DT
Lonnie Edwards, Texas Tech, G	Kheeston Randall, Texas, DT
Joel Foreman, Michigan State, G	Riley Reiff, Iowa, OT
Marcus Forston, Miami, DT	Kendall Reyes, Connecticut, DT
Dalton Freeman, Clemson, C	Matt Reynolds, BYU, OT
Garth Gerhart, Arizona State, C	Mitchell Schwartz, California, OT
Cordy Glenn, Georgia, OT	Kawann Short, Purdue, DT
Ben Habern, Oklahoma, C	Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss, OT
Braden Hansen, BYU, G	Akeem Spence, Illinois, DT
Logan Harrell, Fresno State, DT	Alameda Ta’amu, Washington, DT
Dan Hoch, Missouri, OT	Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State, G
Khaled Holmes, USC, C	Chris Thompson, Houston, C
Jaye Howard, Florida, DT	Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech, G
Malik Jackson, Tennessee, DT	William Vlachos, Alabama, C
Chris Jacobson, Pittsburgh, G	Larry Warford, Kentucky, G
T.J. Johnson, South Carolina, C	Brandon Washington, Miami, G
Barrett Jones, Alabama, G	Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina, OT
Ben Jones, Georgia, C	Billy Winn, Boise State, DT
Matt Kalil, USC, OT	Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati, DT
Jonathan Martin, Stanford, OT	Jerel Worthy, Michigan State, DT
Mike Martin, Michigan, DT	Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin, G
Zack Martin, Notre Dame, OT
By conference: Big Ten 13, SEC 11, Pac-12 9, ACC 7, Big 12 7, Big East 6, Conference USA 3, Independents 3, Mountain West 2, WAC 2, MAC 1, Sun Belt 1.
Tackles, guards and centers are eligible for consideration Candidates may be added or removed during the season

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tigerfwaa@aol.com or 972-713-6198.

The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2011 preseason watch list calendar:

Tues., July 5: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award
Wed., July 6: Biletnikoff Award/Mackey Award
Thurs., July 7: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Fri., July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Mon., July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Tues., July 12: Rotary Lombardi Award
Wed., July 13: Rimington Trophy
Thurs., July 14: Butkus Award
Fri., July 15: Davey O’Brien Award/Doak Walker Award
Mon., July 18: Walter Camp Award

Related links:
• All-time Outland Trophy winners
• Outland Trophy official site (outlandtrophy.com)

2011 FWAA ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE
Kirk Bohls	Austin American-Statesman	Big 12
Buddy Davis	Ruston Daily Leader	WAC
Tommy Hicks	Mobile Press-Register	Sun Belt
Mike Huguenin	rivals.com	ACC
Tom Kensler	Denver Post	Pac-12
Iliana Limon	Orlando Sentinel	C-USA
Kelly Lyell	Fort Collins Coloradoan	Mountain West
Brett McMurphy	cbssports.com	Big East
Randy Peterson	Des Moines Register	Big Ten
Zach Silva	Toledo Blade	MAC
Andy Staples	si.com	SEC
Phil Steele	Phil Steele Publications	National

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 some of the other sports. 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.

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 Men’s Basketball links

USA vs. Russia Tomorrow [David Borges – New Haven Register]

UConn Men’s Basketball Connections Stand Out At Pro-Am [Hartford Courant]

41 Games In 41 Days – Game 2, Vermont [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Maya Moore Meets Her Former UConn Teammates [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Women’s Basketball Moves to 18-Game Conference Schedule [BigEast.org]

A Look Back At 2010-11 – Looks Can Be Deceiving [Hartford Courant]

Sun guard the leader from long range [Norwich Bulletin]

UConn Football links

Biletnikoff Award watch list [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Big East position rankings: Safety [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Video: Connecticut impact player [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Former UConn WR Marcus Easley Talks About Tough Times, Camp [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

DC also answered a question in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Easley back in Stratford with some football friends [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

Hartford Alumni Chapter To Host Kickoff Dinner [UConnHuskies.com]

Getting To Know A UConn Football Coach: Mike Foley [Hartford Courant]