With a change in the offensive system at North Carolina State, Bryant Shirreffs wanted a change in scenery. He ultimately decided on playing for Bob Diaco and the new look UConn Huskies football team.
But due to NCAA transfer rules, Shirreffs can’t play for the Huskies in 2014. Instead, he’ll spend the season learning the playbook and running the scout and look teams in practice.
Watch below as Diaco and Shirreffs talk about what lies ahead in 2014.
From UConn:
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men’s basketball program announced that it has agreed to home-and-home series with Ohio State and Arizona, which will stretch over the next four seasons.
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Ohio State, out of the Big Ten, and Arizona, out of the Pac-12, are perennial Top 25 programs and fixtures in the NCAA Tournament. Each has had memorable games against UConn in the past.
The series against Ohio State will begin in the 2015-16 season in Connecticut, with Huskies visiting Columbus the following season in 2016-17. Both games will be held during December.
UConn will travel to Tucson to play Arizona in the McKale Center during the 2017-18 season, and the Wildcats will return the game in Connecticut in 2018-19. Again, both games are tentatively set for December.
UConn is 2-3 all-time against Ohio State, but has not played the Buckeyes since its 64-58 victory on March 27, 1999, in the NCAA National Semifinals in St. Petersburg, Fla., as the Huskies went on to win their first National Championship. UConn’s other victory over Ohio State was also in a national tournament, a 72-67 triumph on March 30, 1988, in Madison Square Garden to capture the NIT Championship. UConn’s three losses to Ohio State came in 1983-84 in Columbus, in 1984-85 at the Hartford Civic Center, and in 1991-92 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Cincinnati.
The Huskies are a perfect 5-0 all-time against Arizona, the most recent game a 65-63 thriller on March 26, 2011, in the NCAA West Regional Championship in Anaheim, Calif., advancing UConn to the Final Four in Houston, where the Huskies won their third national title.
UConn’s other games against the Wildcats have taken place in 1999-2000 in the Great Eight Basketball Classic in Chicago’s United Center, in 2000-01 at Gampel Pavilion, in 2001-02 in Tucson, and in 2005-06 at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.
As we know, UConn Huskies QB Chandler Whitmer decided to return to school for his fifth and final year of eligibility.
He didn’t have to do it. He already had his degree from UConn as he graduated last December.
And given how the 2013 season played out for him, you really did think there’s just no way he was coming back especially with a new coach in Bob Diaco coming in.
But a call from Diaco to Whitmer changed Whitmer’s thinking and here we are in August of 2014 with him as the key backup to Casey Cochran. And according to Diaco as it has been well documented, he plans to play two QB’s in the game.
Watch below as Diaco and Whitmer talk about Whitmer’s return to the football program.
UConn Huskies head coach Bob Diaco had an interesting dilemma on his hands. He had three starting quarterbacks coming back for his team in Tim Boyle, Casey Cochran and Chandler Whitmer.
As a true freshman in 2013, Boyle saw action in five games, starting four before being replaced by Cochran for the final four games of the season.
While I can’t say what Diaco was thinking, the general thought was that Boyle would sit out this year gaining an extra year of eligibility. Normally most freshman don’t play, earning a redshirt year. Basically what this all means is that all college athletes have five years to play four.
With Boyle, he still has four years to play three. So to me, it wasn’t a surprise when Diaco announced that Boyle was “going to be protected” this year.
What Diaco means is that if Boyle doesn’t have to play, he won’t. But if he does, he’ll be ready to come in.
Watch below as Diaco explains the situation with Boyle and also Boyle’s reaction to the news.
For the 2014 season, New England Patriots fans can listen to every play of every game on the “Safety Insurance, 98.5 The Sports Hub, Patriots Radio Network”. Each game, home and away, from preseason to post season is broadcast from the three-time Super Bowl Champions flagship station, WBZ-FM in Boston.
Back for his second season behind the microphone as the play by play voice of the Patriots is Bob Socci. Socci, who took over last season after the legendary Gil Santos retired, called Navy Football for 16 years.
In addition to Navy Football, Socci (pronounced so-she) has spent the first half of the 2013 as the radio voice of the Pawtucket Red Sox and is the lead announcer for CBS Sports Networks coverage of Patriot League basketball games.
Joining Socci is Patriots color analyst Scott Zolak who after one season as the sideline reporter came into the booth for the 2012 season after long time analyst Gino Cappelletti retired. Zolak was a former 4th round draft choice of the Patriots as a quarterback out of the University of Maryland in 1991. He was with the Patriots from 1991-98 and spent 1999 with the Miami Dolphins.
To get you ready for the game, make sure you tune in along the Patriots Radio Network three hours prior to game time for Patriots Preview and stay for three hours after the game with Patriots Postgame. Veteran TV and radio personality Gary Tanguay hosts both shows and is joined by former University of Rhode Island lineman Andy Gresh for analysis both before and after the game.
Patriots Preview is an information packed prelude to kickoff, and has the only game-day interviews with head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots president Jonathan Kraft.
Patriots Postgame wraps up the game with a breakdown of the game, live press conferences with the players who made a difference and reaction from you, the fans.
NFL game feeds are also available with a subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio and you can also receive NFL games on XM Satellite Radio with a “XM Premier Package” subscription added to your regular XM account.
Below is a list of the stations in the Patriots Radio Network.
| Patriots Radio Network Affiliates | ||
| Massachusetts | ||
| WBZ | Boston | 98.5 FM |
| WAQY | Springfield | 102.1 FM |
| WBEC | Pittsfield | 1420 AM |
| WPKZ | Fitchburg | 1280 AM |
| WNAW | North Adams | 1230 AM |
| WBSM | New Bedford | 1420 AM |
| WPVQ | Greenfield | 95.3 FM |
| WSAR | Fall River | 1480 AM |
| WWFX | Worcester | 100.1 FM |
| WXTK | Hyannis | 95.1 FM |
| WMRC | Milford | 1490 AM |
| Maine | ||
| WBLM | Portland | 102.9 FM |
| WEBB | Augusta | 98.5 FM |
| WEZQ | Bangor | 92.9 FM |
| WEGP | Presque Isle | 1390 AM |
| Connecticut | ||
| WTIC | Hartford | 1080 AM |
| WINY | Putnam | 1350 AM |
| WMOS | New London | 102.3 FM |
| WINE | Brookfield | 940 AM |
| WGCH | Greenwich | 1490 AM |
| New Hampshire | ||
| WXXK | Lebanon | 100.5 FM |
| WFNQ | Nashua | 106.3 FM |
| WPKQ | North Conway | 103.7 FM |
| WSAK | Hampton | 102.1 FM |
| WSHK | Portsmouth/Dover | 105.3 FM |
| WNNH | Concord | 99.1 FM |
| WLNH | Laconia | 98.3 FM |
| WEMJ | Laconia | 1490 FM |
| WINQ | Keene | 98.7 FM |
| Vermont | ||
| WCPV | Burlington | 101.3 FM |
| WDVT | Rutland | 94.5 FM |
| WKVT | Brattleboro | 92.7 FM |
| WRFK | Barre/Montpelier | 107.1 FM |
| WSTJ | St. Johnsbury | 1340 AM |
| WIKE | Newport | 1490 AM |
| Rhode Island | ||
| WPRO | Providence | 630 AM |
| WEAN | Providence | 99.7 FM |
| New York | ||
| WUSP | Utica | 95.5 FM |
| WUSP | Utica | 1550 AM |
| WRCK | Utica | 1480 AM |
| WPUT | Brewster | 1510 AM |
During his press conference after practice on Monday, August 19, UConn Huskies football coach Bob Diaco named Casey Cochran as his starter.
Cochran beat out Chandler Whitmer and Tim Boyle for the starting nod. Whitmer will see game action according to Diaco.
Watch as Diaco explains the decision making process towards naming Cochran as the man to lead UConn in 2014.
UConn WR Geremy Davis looks on during the stretching drills at practice on Wednesday, August 6, 2014.
We are exactly two weeks away from the 2014 season opener for the UConn Huskies football team as they’ll take on the BYU Cougars at Rentschler Field on August 29 at 7 p.m.
With new head coach Bob Diaco in charge, things will be very different than last year.
So I’ll ask you this.
Do you have your tickets for the game against BYU yet? Maybe pickup a mini-plan or even season tickets. If you’re an alumni or a fan of the team, be sure to get out there and show your support.
It would be great to see a packed house for opening night on national television and the Boise State game, heck entire home schedule.
So head over to UConnTickets.com and pick up your individual, mini-plan or season tickets today.
UConn Huskies football coach Bob Diaco is a big fan of the tight end position as evidenced by the almost four minutes he spent talking about them during his press conference on Monday.
He talks about Sean McQuillan, a Glastonbury native, Tommy Myers, a Coventry native and Steve Hashemi, a Trumbull native, as well as the others in the mix for the position.
Here’s a look at some photos from Monday’s UConn Huskies football practice:
STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut men’s basketball team has announced a 12-game non-conference schedule for the 2014-15 season, highlighted by games against perennial national powerhouses Duke and Florida, and an in-season tournament in Puerto Rico.
The 2014-15 non-conference slate includes six home games, two away games, and four games on neutral courts. In addition, the Huskies will play two preseason exhibition games in early November. Home venues for each game will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2014 National Champion Huskies will play the first of two exhibition games on Tuesday, Nov. 4, against Division II Southern Connecticut State University. After playing a preseason contest against UConn last year, the Owls went on to have the finest season in school history, finishing with a 30-3 record, 18-2 in the Northeast-10, and reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Huskies’ second exhibition game will be on Sunday, Nov. 9, against Division II Assumption, out of Worcester, Mass., also a member of the Northeast-10.
UConn opens the regular season at home on Friday night, Nov. 14, entertaining Bryant University of the Northeast Conference, which posted an 18-14 record last season.
Following the opener, the Huskies will head for San Juan and participate for the first time in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, Nov. 20, 21, and 23 at Coliseo Roberto Clemente. UConn first opponent in the tourney will be College of Charleston, 14-18 last year, on Nov. 20 at 12:30 p.m. On Friday, Nov. 21, the Huskies will either meet Dayton, which won 26 games last season and reached the NCAA Elite Eight, or Texas A&M, which won 18 games. On Sunday, the final day of the tournament, UConn will face an opponent from among George Mason, West Virginia, New Mexico, or Boston College. The tourney will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
Upon returning home, UConn will renew its series against the University of Texas, hosting the Longhorns on Sunday, Nov. 30, at noon on ESPN2. Texas won 24 games last season and reached the third round of the NCAA tourney.
In-state rival Yale, which reached the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and won 19 games last season, visits the Huskies on Friday, Dec. 5. Following a nine-day break for final exams, UConn will then play host to Baltimore-based Coppin State on Sunday, Dec. 14.
Four days later, on Thursday, Dec. 18, UConn and Duke will meet for the first time in five years at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The Blue Devils won 26 games last year and are projected to add one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.
Columbia, which won 21 games last year and also participated in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, comes to UConn on Monday, Dec. 22, while in-state rival Central Connecticut makes a visit to challenge the Huskies on Sunday, Dec. 28.
UConn’s final two regular-season non-conference games will take place on the road in January.
On Saturday, Jan. 3, the Huskies will travel to Gainesville to meet Florida. The Gators won 36 games last season, but lost two exciting contests to UConn — in December at Gampel Pavilion and in the NCAA National Semifinals in Arlington. Texas, in front of the largest crowd in college basketball history (79,444).
UConn ends its regular-season non-conference slate on Saturday, Jan. 17, in Palo Alto, Calif., where it will battle Stanford, an NCAA Sweet 16 team last year, at Maples Pavilion.
Game times, home game locations, and television information will be announced at a later date, as will UConn’s complete schedule, including its 18 American Athletic Conference games.