In The Red Zone: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins Preview – Week 13

In The Red Zone

This Week

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

The New England Patriots visit their AFC East rival Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens FL on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Patriots —- The Dolphins
Overall 8-3 Overall  5-6
Road record  4-2 Home record 3-2
AFC East  4-0 AFC East  1-2
AFC  7-1 AFC 3-5

Ron Winter is the referee assigned to the game.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from 5dimes.eu via Yahoo Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 9.  The over/under is 51.5. 

My prediction is Patriots 34, Dolphins, 20. Give the points (Patriots) and take the over. I was 3-8 against the spread and 8 for 11 on calling the over/under in 2012. 

Tickets 

The Dolphins are reporting the game as a sell out.

Tickets to the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster.  You can check the availability here.

Getting To The Game 

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game in Miami make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from weather.com.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and stadium information, parking map and a Sun Life Stadium seating chart.  

Tailgating 

Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com.  There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack.  I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good. 

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages.  With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks.  You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time.  Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver.  Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS in televising the game regionally and Greg Gumbel will do play by play while Dan Dierdorf will provide the game analysis.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

See if you’re getting the game courtesy of J.P. Kirby at the506.com.

The DirecTV designation is Channel 711.

Here are all the rules on NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the blackout rules, flex scheduling and commercial breaks.

Radio

The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will do the game analysis. It all starts with Gary Tanguay and Andy Gresh with the pregame show at 10 a.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

The Patriots Radio Network call is available on Sirius Channel 92 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 818.

The Dolphins Radio Network has former Dolphins WR Jimmy Cefalo calling play-by-play and former Dolphins TE Joe Rose and Hall of Famer Bob Griese providing the color with Keith Sims on the sidelines via their flagship stations WINZ and WBGG-FM.

Their call is available on Sirius Channel 113, XM Channel 232 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 816.

Compass Media Network is broadcasting the game nationally with Chris Carrino and Brian Baldinger calling the game.

Patriots All-Access

Patriots All-Access features behind the scenes looks, interviews and breakdowns with head coach Bill Belichick and in depth features on the team.  The program is hosted by Steve Burton of WBZ-TV (Boston) and airs weekly in most New England television markets.

  • Boston MA on TV 38 Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
  • Providence RI on WAN Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
  • Manchester NH on WMUR Saturday at midnight
  • Portland ME on WMTW Sunday at 5 a.m.
  • Hartford CT on WCTX Saturday at 5 p.m.
  • Springfield MA on WFXQ Saturday at 7 p.m.
  • Bangor ME on WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.

You can also watch it anytime on the team website in the media section.

To continue reading the New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins Week 13 preview, please click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Last Week

The Patriots made Fireman Ed quit and go home as they destroyed the Jets, 49-19 on the road.  The Dolphins survived the sprinklers and the Seahawks winning on the final play at home 24-21.

History

  • This is the 94th meeting between the Patriots and the Dolphins since they started to face each other as AFL foes in 1966 when Miami became a franchise.
  • The Dolphins lead the all-time series 50-43. This includes 3 meetings in the playoffs (1982, 1985, 1997) with the Patriots holding a 2-1 post season edge.
  • The Patriots swept the season series in 2011 they won in Week 1 in Miami, 38-24 when Tom Brady threw for 517 yards a team record and 5th highest total in NFL history and again Week 16 with a 27-24 win at Gillette.

Patriots Team Notes

Here is the Patriots roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2012 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 422-368-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in seven appearances.  Overall they are are 23-16 in the post season.

They last appeared in the playoffs in 2011 when they beat Denver home in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 45-10 and defeated Baltimore 23-20 in Foxboro in the AFC Championship Game.  They lost Super Bowl XLVI to the New York Giants 21-17. 

The Patriots were 13-3 (2-1 in playoffs) in 2011 and are the defending two-time AFC East Champions as well as the defending AFC Conference Champions.  They have won the division 8 times and the conference 5 times since 2000.

With a win at Miami on Sunday the Patriots will secure their 12th consecutive winning season and their 10th AFC East Championship since 2000 and 3rd in a row.

It would be the franchise’s 15th AFC East title breaking the tie for most division crowns with Miami.

Since 1999 the Patriots have the best record in the NFL at 155-64.

New England now has a 5-game winning streak after starting the season 3-3.

Since 2001 the Patriots are 70-16 in games played on Thanksgiving or later.

Since 2001 New England is 41-5 in December games.

New England is 57-15 vs. the AFC East since 2001 in the regular season. 

The Patriots are now a combined 19-0 in the second half of the season since 2010.  Their last loss in the second half was in 2009 in the season finale at Houston.

An AFC East rival has not swept the Patriots in a season series since 2000 when Miami and New York swept them.

The Patriots all-time in Miami are 14-33.

The Patriots have swept the Dolphins 8 times in the series history including 5 times in the Belichick era (2003-04, 07, 10-11).

The Patriots have seven non-offensive touchdowns in 2012. The 2010 Patriots and 1961 Patriots teams own the team record with nine non-offensive touchdowns. The NFL record for most non-offensive touchdowns is 13 by Seattle in 1998.

Date             Game                     Touchdown

9/9/12          at Tennessee           Dont’a Hightower 6-yd. Fumble Return

10/21/12       vs. N.Y. Jets            Devin McCourty 104-yd. Kickoff Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Julian Edelman 68-yd. Punt Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Aqib Talib 59-yd. Int. Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Alfonzo Dennard 87-yd. Int. return

11/22/12       at N.Y. Jets             Steve Gregory 32-yd. Fumble Return

11/22/12       at N.Y. Jets             Julian Edelman 22-yd. Fumble Return

The Patriots are 1st in the NFL in points per game with 37.0.  While they allow 22.2 points per game good for 13th in the NFL.

The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 23 times this season while their quarterbacks have been sacked 15 times.

New England is PLUS 24 in turnover differential. The offense has given up 3 INT and 5 fumbles, while the defense has 14 INTs and 18 fumble recoveries. 

The Patriots are 83 for 156 (53.2%) in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 3 (33.3%) on fourth down attempts.  Opponents are 61 for 136 (44.9%) in 3rd down efficiency and 6 for 14 (42.9%) on 4th down attempts.

New England is 35 of 52 (67.3%) in the red zone while opponents are 19 for 31 (61.3%) in the red zone in 2012.

In goal to go situations New England is 27 for 32 (84.4%) and opponents are 14 for 18 (77.8%).

Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they:

  • Have the most Super Bowl wins, 3.
  • Have the most regular season wins, 201.
  • Have the most wins including playoffs, 220.
  • Have the most conference titles, 6.
  • Have the most division titles, 11.
  • Have the most playoff wins, 19
  • Have played the most playoff games, 29.
  • Are tied for the most playoff seasons, 13.
  • Have the best playoff win percentage, .671.
  • Have drafted the most Pro Bowl players, 20.

New England set the following team records in 2011:

  • Total yards, 6,848.
  • First downs, 399.
  • Net passing yards, 5,084.
  • 100+ yard receiving games, 18.
  • Games with 30+ points, 12 (tied for most in NFL history).

Patriots Staff Notes

This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Dolphins.

Bill Belichick coached teams are 15-11 vs. Miami. Belichick is 15-9 as Patriots head coach and he was 0-2 as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 183-100 in his 18th NFL season.  He is 147-56 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 17-7 in the playoffs, 16-6 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 200-107.

Belichick’s 200 wins are good for 8th all-time.  Former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves is 7th with 201 wins.

Belichick is one of five head coaches in NFL history whose father (Steve Belichick) played in the league.  The others are former Kansas City head coach Todd Haley (Dick Haley), former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan (Dick Nolan), former Cincinnati head coach David Shula (Don Shula) and former NY Jets head coach Joe Walton (Frank Walton).

Belichick is one of just four coaches to win three Super Bowls, joining Chuck Noll (4), Joe Gibbs (3) and Bill Walsh (3).  Those men are all in the Hall of Fame.

He is the only coach in NFL history to win three championship titles in four seasons.

He is the only coach in NFL history to have led his team to 10+ wins in 9 consecutive seasons.

Special Teams coach Scott O’Brien was a member of Nick Saban’s staff in Miami in 2005-06.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Solder

LG: Do. Thomas

C: Wendell

RG: Connolly

RT: Cannon

TE: Hernandez

TE: Fells

WR: Lloyd

WR: Welker

QB: Brady

RB: Ridley

Defense:

DE: Ninkovich

DT: Wilfork

DT: Love

DE: Scott

LB: Mayo

LB: Spikes

LB: Hightower

LCB: Talib

RCB: Arrington

S: McCourty

S: Gregory

Patriots Players Notes

This is Tom Brady’s 13th NFL season he is 14-6 vs. the Dolphins. Of the 6 losses 5 have occurred in Miami.

Overall Brady is 132-38 as a starting QB and is 16-6 in the playoffs for an overall record of 148-44.  Brady is a 7 time Pro Bowl QB; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.  He is also listed as the 21st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

He was ranked in the preseason by ESPN’s Ron Jaworski as the 3rd best quarterback in the NFL.

Brady has 132 career wins he is 5th all-time.

Brady finished the 2011 season with 5,235 passing yards and joined Drew Brees (5,476 in 2011 and 5,069 in 2008), Dan Marino (5,084 in 1984) and Matthew Stafford (5,038 in 2011) as the only players in NFL history to reach 5,000 passing yards in a single season.

Brady has 324 TD passes in his career he is now 5th all-time.  Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 4th with 342.

Brady has thrown at least 1 TD pass in 43 consecutive games.

The Patriots are 88-16 when Brady throws at least 2 TD passes in a game.

Brady has 52 games in his career with 300 or more passing yards he is tied for 5th all-time with Kurt Warner.

On the season Brady is 274 of 421 (65.1%) for 3299 yards with 24 TDs and 3 INTs his QB rating is 105.0.

With 16 completions Brady will move into 9th place on the all-time list.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 111 consecutive games including playoffs, 94 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker leads the team with 80 catches for 961 yards.

Welker has the second most receptions (730) all-time among undrafted receivers. Rod Smith is the NFl’s all-time leader with 849.

TE Rob Gronkowski has 37 receiving touchdowns and 38 touchdowns overall (1 rushing) since 2010. The NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a player’s first three NFL seasons is 43 by Randy Moss and the NFL record for most touchdowns overall by a player in his first three NFL seasons is 47 by Barry Sanders (4 receiving and 43 rushing).

He leads the team with 10 TDs, RB Stevan Ridley is 2nd with 8 TDs.

Ridley leads the team in rushing with 939 yards on 206 carries.  If he gets 61 more rushing yards he will be the 12th Patriot to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and first since BenJarvis Green-Ellis in 2010.

T Marcus Cannon made his first NFL start on Thursday against the Jets.

K Stephen Gostkowski has two field goals of 50 or more yards in 2012.  With one more he will be the first Patriots kicker with three field goals of 50 or more yards in one season.

Gostkowski (7 for 10) needs one more field goal of 50 or more yards to tie Adam Vinatieri (8 for 17) for most in team history.

Rookie DE Chandler Jones and DE Rob Ninkovich lead the team with 6 sacks.

With one more sack Ninkovich will have a new career high for sacks.

Patriots rookie record for sacks is held by Garin Veris who had 10.5 in 1985.

Jones also leads the team with 11 QB hits.

Ninkovich and LB Brandon Spikes lead the team in forced fumbles with 5 each which ties Mike Vrabel’s franchise record.   

Ninkovich leads the team with 4 recovered fumbles.

Mayo leads the team in tackles through 11 weeks with 143 (89 solo).

Rookie S Tavon Wilson leads the team in INTs with 4. He now has more INTs in his rookie NFL season than he did in his college career at Illinois.

McCourty also has team high 11 passes defensed in 2012. CB Kyle Arrington is 2nd with 8 passes defensed.

WR Matthew Slater has a team high 14 special teams tackles.  Rookie S Nate Ebner is 2nd with 13 special teams tackles.

Former Dolphins now with the Patriots are WR Wes Welker, T Donald Thomas, DE Rob Ninkovich, LB Mike Rivera and CB Will Allen (IR).

DT Vince Wilfork  is a native of Boynton Beach FL.

DE Justin Francis is a native of Opa-Locka FL.

There are only two players on the team who played on at least one of the Super Bowl championship teams, Brady (3) and Wilfork (1).

Roster moves this week:

  • Signed WR Jeremy Ebert to the practice squad.  Ebert was a 7th round pick of the team that was released after the preseason.
  • Promoted RB James Develin to 53-man roster from practice squad.
  • NFL suspended DE Jermaine Cunningham on Monday for 4 games for violation of the performance enhanching drug policy.

On Wednesday the team submitted following players for the injury list. G Dan Connolly (back); TE Rob Gronkowski (forearm/hip); G Logan Mankins (ankle/calf); T Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee); T Markus Zusevics (illness) and DE Chander Jones (ankle) did not practice.  DT Ron Brace (back); S Patrick Chung (shoulder); WR Julian Edelman (concussion); TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle); LB Dont’a Hightower (hamstring); WR Brandon Lloyd (knee); DT Kyle Love (knee) G Nick McDonald (shoulder); WR Matthew Slater (concussion); LB Brandon Spikes (knee); LB Tracy White (foot) and WR Wes Welker (ankle) had limited participation.  LB Jerod Mayo (elbow) had full participation in practice.

On Thursday the following players were on the injury list. TE Rob Gronkowski (forearm/hip); G Logan Mankins (ankle/calf); T Markus Zusevics (illness) and DE Chander Jones (ankle) did not practice. DT Ron Brace (back); S Patrick Chung (shoulder); G Dan Connolly (back); WR Julian Edelman (concussion); TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle); LB Dont’a Hightower (hamstring); WR Brandon Lloyd (knee); DT Kyle Love (knee) G Nick McDonald (shoulder); WR Matthew Slater (concussion); LB Brandon Spikes (knee); T Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee); LB Tracy White (foot) and WR Wes Welker (ankle) had limited participation. LB Jerod Mayo (elbow) had full participation in practice

The Patriots captains for 2012 are QB Tom Brady, DT Vince Wilfork, G Logan Mankins, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Devin McCourty and WR Matthew Slater (special teams).

The Patriots have 5 New England natives on the roster they are: TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT); OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT); DE Ron Brace (Worcester MA); LB Niko Koutouvides (Plainville CT) and OL Jamey Richard (Weston CT – IR).  They have 11 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are CB Will Allen (Syracuse – IR); DE Ron Brace (Boston College); RB James Develin (Brown); RB Tony Fiametta (Syracuse – Exempt List); DE Justin Francis (Rutgers); S Stephen Gregory (Syracuse); DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); OL Donald Thomas (UConn); OL Jeremiah Warren (South Florida – Practice Squad) and NT Vince Wilfork (Miami).

The Patriots have 6 retired numbers: 20 – Gino Cappelletti, 40 – Mike Haynes, 73 – John Hannah, 78 – Bruce Armstrong, 79 – Jim Lee Hunt and 89 – Bob Dee.

Dolphins Team Notes

Here is the Patriots roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2012 Dolphins Schedule/Results

Miami's all-time record is 405-306-4 they are 20-20 in the post season with their last post season appearance coming in 2008 when they lost to Baltimore in the AFC Wild Card game, 27-9.

They last played for a conference championship in 1992 when they lost to San Diego in the AFC Title game, 29-10.

They have won two Super Bowl titles (VII, VIII) in five appearances.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 1984 losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16.  The Dolphins franchise started in 1966 in the AFL.

This is the 40th anniversary year of the 1972 Dolphins undefeated season in which they finished 17-0 and won Super Bowl VII beating Washington 14-7.

The Dolphins hold a 33-14 series advantage over the Patriots at home and they have a 15-10 series lead at Sun Life Stadium (formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park/Stadium, Dolphins/Dolphin Stadium and Land Shark Stadium) since it opened in 1987.

Miami has swept the season series from the Patriots 13 times.  The last time was in 2000.

Dolphins largest margin of victory in the series is 52 points.  Their largest margin of loss is 34 points.

Miami has lost the last 4 meetings between the teams.

Dolphins longest series win streak is 9 games from 1989-93.

Miami has two shut outs in the series, while they have been shut out three times.

The Dolphins are 26th in the NFL in points per game with 19.2.  While they allow 20.5 points per game good for a tie for 9th in the NFL.

The Miami defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 22 times this season while their quarterbacks have been sacked 29 times.

Miami is MINUS 10 in turnover differential. The offense has given up 12 INT and 9 fumbles, while the defense has 8 INTs and 3 fumble recoveries. 

The Dolphins are 52 for 143 (35.4%) in 3rd down efficiency and 3 for 8 (37.5%) on fourth down attempts.  Opponents are 58 for 168 (34.5%) in 3rd down efficiency and 9 for 10 (90%) on 4th down attempts.

Dolphins Staff Notes

Hear what Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Miami head coach Joe Philbin in his 1st season as an NFL head coach; he is 5-6 since taking over.

He has never coached against New England in his career.

Philbin, a Springfield MA native, is a former high school player and coach at Longmeadow (MA) High School.  He also coached at Northeastern and Harvard as the offensive coordinator. 

Prior to coming to Miami he was the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers since 2007.

He is the 10th head coach in Miami franchise history.

Philbin lost his 21-year old son Michael this past January in a tragic water accident in Wisconsin.  He and his wife also have five other children.

Defensive Coordinator Kevin Coyle played DB at UMass from 1975-77.  He coached at College of the Holy Cross from 1982-1990.

Assistant special teams coach Dave Fipp coached at the College of the Holy Cross from 1998-99. 

Offensive assistant Ben Johnson was a coach at Boston College in 2010 and 2011.

Assistant wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan was born in Springfield MA and was a WR at the University of Maine from 1998-2000.

Assistant offensive line coach Chris Mosley coached at Boston College in 2007 and St. Anselm College in 2011.

Wide Receivers coach Ken O’Keefe was born in Milford CT.  He coached at the University of New Haven in 1976-77.

Assistant strength and conditioning coach Dave Puloka was born in Arlington MA and was a linebacker at the College of the Holy Cross from 1997-2000.

Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi was a tight end at the URI from 1988-91 and was a coach for the Rams in 1992. He returned as head coach of URI in 2008. He has also coached at the University of New Haven (1993-97 and was head coach 1999-2001) and Northeastern in 1998.

Offensive Coordinator Mike Sherman was born in Norwood MA and was a college lineman at Central Connecticut State College in 1974-77.  He coached at College of the Holy Cross from 1985-88.

Offensive line coach Jim Turner was born in Boston MA and coached at Northeastern 1994-98 and Harvard 2000-02.

Director of College Scouting Chris Grier is a UMass graduate and former Patriots intern.

Dolphins Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Long

LG: Incognito

C: Pouncey

RG: Jerry

RT: Martin

TE: Fasano

WR: Bess

WR: Hartline

QB: Tannehill

RB: Bush

RB: Clay

Defense:

DE: Starks

DT: Soliai

DT: Wake

DE: Wilson

LB:  Misi

LB: Dansby

LB: Burnett

LCB: Carroll

RCB: Smith

S: R. Jones

S: Clemons

Dolphins Players Notes

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is in his first season in the NFL and he is 5-6.  He was Miami’s first round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M.

He has never faced New England in his career.

He set the Miami rookie record for passing yards (2,373) last Sunday when he passed Dan Marino (2,210).

Tannehill was the first rookie QB to start a season opener in Dolphins history.

Tannehill is 197 of 334 (59%) for 2373 yards, 7 TDs and 12 INTs for a QB rating of 72.9.

WR/PR Davone Bess (1,196) needs just 36 yards to tie former Dolphin WR Wes Welker (1,232) for 2nd all-time on the Dolphins career punt return yards list.  Former S Jake Scott is the all-time franchise leader with 1,330 yards.

K Dan Carpenter has the 5th most points in franchise history with 508.  He trails Uwe von Schamann (540), Pete Stoyanovich (774), Garo Yepremian (830) and Olindo Mare (1,048).

His field goal percentage of 81% is the highest in team history.

LB Karlos Dansby leads Miami with 83 tackles (62 solo).

WR Brian Hartline has 24 catches in his career for 25 yards or more, 6th most in Dolphins history.

Hartline leads the team with 807 receiving yards on 55 catches.  Bess also has 55 catches for 715 yards.

CB Sean Smith, S Chris Clemons and S Reshad Jones lead the team in INTs with 2 each.

Smith is the team leader with 11 passes defensed.

Jones and Smith lead the Dolphins with 2 forced fumbles each.

LB Jason Trusnik leads Miami with 10 special teams tackles (8 solo).

RB Reggie Bush leads the team with 150 carries for 662 yards.

DE Cameron Wake is 10th in team history in sacks with 37.5. He leads the Dolphins this year with 9.5 sacks.

TE Jason Mastrud was a member of the Patriots practice squad in 2010.  T Will Yeatman was in camp with the Patriots as a TE in 2011 but was waived. 

G Ryan Durand is the only Dolphin player from New England he is from Walpole NH.

The following players were listed on the injury report on Wednesday.  RB Jorvorskie Lane (knee) did not practice.  TE Anthony Fasano (hip) and LB Austin Spitler (ankle) were limited in practice.  WR Davone Bess (wrist); CB Nolan Carroll (neck); LB Karlos Dansby (biceps); QB Pat Devlin (hip); S Reshad Jones (thumb) and RB Daniel Thomas (knee/ankle) had full participation.

The following players were listed on the injury report on Thursday. RB Jorvorskie Lane (knee); TE Anthony Fasano (hip) and LB Austin Spitler (ankle) were limited in practice.  WR Davone Bess (wrist); CB Nolan Carroll (neck); LB Karlos Dansby (biceps); QB Pat Devlin (hip); S Reshad Jones (thumb) and RB Daniel Thomas (knee/ankle) had full participation.

Miami’s captains for 2012 are appointed weekly.

There are 4 players on the Dolphins roster from Big East universities and New England based colleges.  They are LB Jonathan Freeney (Rutgers); G Josh Samuda (UMass); G Ryan Durand (Syracuse) and DT Chas Alecxih (Pittsburgh).

The Dolphins have three retired numbers: 12 – Bob Griese, 13 – Dan Marino and 39 – Larry Csonka.

Next Week

The Patriots host the Houston Texans next Monday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA.  Kick off is at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Video: UConn Men Tame The Wildcats 61-53

UConn coach Kevin Ollie talks with Ryan Boatright as he comes off the court late in UConn's 61-53 win over New Hampshire.

It looks like it's going to be one of those seasons where the UConn Huskies men's basketball team plays down to the level of their opponent.

UConn came into Thursday night's game with a record of 5-1 while the New Hampshire Wildcats were 2-3 and had lost their last three games. Obviously given the records you'd expect UConn dominate.

But that wasn't the case as the Wildcats stayed close throughout the game before UConn would eventually go on to a 61-53 win in front of 8,705 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

UConn improves to 6-1 while the Wildcats fall to 2-4.

Ryan Boatright led the way for the Huskies with 19 points and four assists. Freshman Omar Calhoun kicked in 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals. DeAndre Daniels led the Huskies with 10 rebounds to go along with his seven points.

Ferg Myrick paced the Wildcats with 20 points and had seven rebounds. Chris Pelcher had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He also had three blocked shots.

As I said above this looks like how the season is going to go for the Huskies.

Without a big man stepping up right now, the Huskies have no inside game. Shockingly, this was the first time they outrebounded their opponent (43-40). That's not something you expect to see from a team that is 6-1.

And if there is no inside game, the guards are going to need to pick up their games. With Shabazz Napier having an off night shooting, Boatright and Calhoun picked up the slack.

But until an inside game develops, expect to watch a lot of jump shots from our Huskies squad.

New Hampshire Wildcats @ UConn Huskies 11.29.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie as well as some of the players.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

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

photo credit: mark mirko – hartford courant (no. 12 in gallery)

Jeremy Lamb Assigned To D-League

It looks like former UConn Huskies guard Jeremy Lamb is going to get some playing time in the pros. Unfortunately for him, it's not going be in the NBA but rather the NBA Developmental League (D-League).

Here's the release from the Oklahoma City Thunder:

OKLAHOMA CITY, November 29, 2012 – The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard Jeremy Lamb to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Oklahoma City 's Hasheem Thabeet (34) an Jeremy Lamb (11) defend the basket over Houston's Daequan Cook (14) during the NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, in Oklahoma City, OklaLamb, who was originally acquired from the Houston Rockets along with Kevin Martin on Oct. 27, has appeared in eight games this season averaging 2.1 points in 4.3 minutes.

He will be in uniform when the Tulsa 66ers take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Nov. 30 at the SpiritBank Event Center.

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

photo credit: chris landsberger- the oklahoman

Whale Announce Roster Changes

HARTFORD, November 29, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that forwards Andrew Yogan and Jason Wilson have been reassigned from the Whale to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

CT WhaleYogan, a rookie and a fourth-round (100th overall) selection by the parent New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, has one goal and 11 penalty minutes in 11 games this season with the Whale, and had missed the last four contests due to injury.  Wilson, who was also a 2010 Ranger pick (fifth round, 130th overall), has just been cleared to play, after sitting out the Whale’s first 17 games due to injury.  Last season with Greenville, Wilson had 4-10-14 totals, with 102 PIM, in 56 games.

The Whale start a three-game weekend tomorrow night, Friday, November 30, with a trip to Providence to take on the Bruins (7:05 PM faceoff, “Beethoven Radio” AM 1290, www.ctwhale.com).  Then, Connecticut is home both Saturday and Sunday, vs. Syracuse and Springfield respectively.  Saturday’s game against the Crunch faces off at 7:00 at the XL Center, and the first 3,000 fans receive a free Whale poster from SuperCuts.  The Whale and Falcons face off at 5:00 on Sunday, and, as at all Sunday Whale home games, fans can take advantage of “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”.  Those consist of a ticket, a hot dog or a slice of pizza and a soda, all for just $18.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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

Paw Prints – Cincinnati Bearcats (8-3, 4-2) @ UConn Huskies (5-6, 2-4) Preview

Paw Prints - UConn football

This week:

Cincinnati Bearcats @ UConn Huskies

The UConn Huskies will play their final regular season game of 2012 on Saturday afternoon at Rentschler Field when they host the Cincinnati Bearcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The Line/Prediction:

According to Rivals.com odds, Cincinnati is favored by 4.5 points. The over/under is 40.5 points.

My prediction is UConn becomes bowl-eligible with a 23-17 win.

Tickets:

According to the Ticketmaster, there are still plenty of tickets available for the game.

Getting To The Game:

Here is link for the weather report for Rentschler Field. Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Rentschler Field. Here is a Rentschler Field seating chart and here is some general information for Rentschler Field.

The parking lots will open up 4 hours before kickoff. Here is a list of the tailgating rules at the Rent.

At UConn home games, FanFest takes place starting four hours before kickoff up until 30 minutes before the game. It takes place between Gates A and B outside the stadium gates.

The offerings change each game, but activities typically include inflatable games for children, live bands, promotional vehicles and UConn student-athletes from various teams signing autographs.

The “Husky Walk” is a chance for fans to welcome the UConn team as they get off the team buses and head to the stadium. That takes place approximately two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff between Gates A and B.

Once again this season at the end of home games, the UConn team will sing the “UConn Husky” fight song in front of the student section at Rentschler Field.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television:

Saturday’s game is being televised regionally by ABC. Bob Wischusen is on play-by-play with Danny Kanell on color, Maria Taylor is the sideline reporter.

The game will be replayed on SNY in a condensed “Husky Power Hour” on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and on Monday, Dec. 3 at 9:00 a.m. (Connecticut only) and Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. (Connecticut only).

Radio:

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

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

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

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

The UConn vs. Cincinnati game will also be available on satellite radio on Ch. 92 on Sirius and 190 on XM.

Cincinnati Radio:

University of Cincinnati fans have had no trouble tracking the Bearcats due to their radio network.

700 WLW begins its 17th season as the Bearcats' broadcast partner. The station's 50,000-watt signal can project UC games to 38 states and a third of Canada, and worldwide via 700WLW.com, making it possible for UC football and men's basketball fans to hear every game.

Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Jim Kelly, Jr. (analyst) and Tom Gelehrter (sideline) have the call.

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

Last Week:

UConn beat Louisville 23-20 in triple-overtime. The Bearcats beat South Florida 27-10.

History:

Saturday’s game will be the ninth meeting all-time between UConn and Cincinnati and the Huskies are 2-6 all-time against UC and 2-5 in BIG EAST action. UConn has a 2-1 record for games played at Rentschler Field

Connections:

UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni has a 4-2 career head coaching record vs. Cincinnati from his time as head coach at Syracuse and last year at UConn.

At Syracuse, he defeated the Bearcats in 1993 (24-21 win at home), 1994 (34-19 win at UC), 1998 (63-21 at home) and 2004 (19-7 at home) and lost in 2000 (12-10 at home).

The UConn roster has three players from Ohio on it – redshirt senior defensive end Ted Jennings of Dayton, redshirt freshman defensive lineman Angelo Pruitt of Cincinnati and freshman linebacker Marquise Vann of Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati roster does not have a Connecticut native on it.

UConn’s assistant head coach Hank Hughes coached the defensive line for the Bearcats in 1993 under Tim Murphy. Cincinnati went 8-3 that season.

Other UConn News:

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

UConn roster, UConn's depth chart, 2012 UConn football schedule

Pasqualoni is the all-time winningest coach in BIG EAST Conference league wins with 67 and overall wins with 115. He is just one of two league coaches in history to win four BIG EAST Championships. His overall college coaching record stands at 151-89-1 (34-17 at WCSU, 107-59-1 at Syracuse and 10-13 at UConn).

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

Senior Tight End Ryan Griffin

  • John Mackey Award Watch List
  • Lombardi Award Watch List

Sophomore Running Back Lyle McCombs

  • Doak Walker Award Watch List
  • Maxwell Award Watch List

Senior Linebacker Sio Moore

  • Butkus Award Watch List
  • Lombardi Award Watch List

Senior Defensive End Trevardo Williams

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

Sophomore Linebacker Yawin Smallwood

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

Williams played Pop Warner football in Highstown, N.J., in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Williams is UConn’s all-time leader in return yardage (punt and kickoff) with 2,389 yards and was named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week – the second time this year he has earned that honor – following the Pittsburgh game. He is an economics major who will graduate this December and was a member of the 2011 BIG EAST All-Academic team.

The 2012 finalists also include Duke quarterback Sean Renfree, Miami (Fla.) running back Mike James and Michigan offensive guard Patrick Omameh. The winner of the Pop Warner National College Football Award will be announced on December 5 during the 56th annual Pop Warner Super Bowl.

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

It is the final home game for the following 16 seniors:

WR Denzell Allen (Ledyard, Conn.), OT Jimmy Bennett (Alexandria, Va.), TE John Delahunt (Ottawa, Ont.), QB Blaise Driscoll (Avon, Conn.), CB Dwayne Gratz (Piscataway, N.J.), TE Ryan Griffin (Londonderry, N.H.), OLB Jory Johnson (Mobile, Ala.), OT Adam Masters (Bethesda, Md.), QB Johnny McEntee (Fullerton, Calif.), LB Sio Moore (Apex, N.C.), WR Michael Smith (Houston, Texas), FB Martin Tartaglino (Torrington, Conn.), WR/KR Nick Wiliams (East Windsor, N.J.), DE Trevardo Williams (Bridgeport, Conn.), DT Ryan Wirth (Medford, N.J.), CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (Edinboro, Pa.).

The Huskies need to win the Cincinnati game to earn bowl eligibility for the fifth time in six years.

UConn’s win over Louisville marked the second time in school history that the Huskies beat a ranked team.

UConn owns an all-time mark of 27-34 in BIG EAST Conference games since joining the league for football in 2004.

UConn is 21-10 in BIG East Conference games at Rentschler Field.

UConn senior defensive end Trevardo Williams is now the school career leader in sacks with 30.5.

Here is where UConn stands in the lastest NCAA statistics:

  • Total Defense – 10th at 305.73 yards per game
  • Rushing Defense – 9th at 100.27 yards per game
  • Passing Defense – 30th at 205.45 yards per game
  • Scoring Defense – 19th at 18.55 points per game
  • Sacks – 13th at 2.91 per game
  • Tackles For Loss – 14th at 7.36 per game
  • Total Offense – 113th at 313.36 yards per game
  • Rushing Offense – 114th at 92.64 yards per game
  • Passing Offense – 73rd at 220.73 yards per game
  • Scoring Offense – 117th at 17.82 points per game
  • Punt Returns – 16th at 13.05 yards per return

Here is where UConn individuals stand in NCAA leaders

  • Trevardo Williams – 5th in sacks at 1.05 per game (leads BIG EAST)
  • Yawin Smallwood – t25th in tackles for loss at 1.36 per game (second in BIG EAST)
    19th in tackles at 10.09 per game (third in BIG EAST)
  • Nick Williams 16th in punt returns at 12.65 per return
  • Sio Moore t28th in tackles for loss at 1.32 per game (third in BIG EAST)

UConn Huskies - Cincinnati Bearcats statistical comparison

Notes from this week's opponent Cincinnati:

Here are the quotes from Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones' press conference.

Cincinnati roster, 2012 Cincinnati schedule

Butch Jones is in his third year as the head coach at Cincinnati and led the Bearcats to a 4-8 record in 2010 and last year the team had a 10-3 record and beat Vanderbilt in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He has an overall head coaching record of 49-26 and is 22-14 at Cincinnati.

Prior to taking over the UC program, he was the head coach at Central Michigan from 2007-09. He led Central Michigan to a 27-13 record during his tenure there with three bowl appearances and a pair of Mid-American Conference championships.

He was an assistant coach at West Virginia from 2005-06 and on the Central Michigan staff from 1998-2004. Jones was on the Ferris State staff from 1995-97 and was a graduate assistant at Rutgers from 1990-92.

Jones graduated from Ferris State in 1990 and played two years of football.

Heading into the final weekend of the season, UC still has a shot at winning a share of its second-straight BIG EAST Championship and fourth in five years. If Louisville beats Rutgers Thursday and Cincinnati beats Connecticut Saturday, there would be a fourway tie for the BIG EAST title between UC, UofL, RU and Syracuse at 5-2. There is no scenario where UC could earn the league’s BCS bid.

UC has won three of the past four BIG EAST Championships and has played in a bowl game in five of the past six seasons.

UC is one of only five NCAA FBS AQ programs to have won 10 games in four of the past five seasons, joining Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia Tech.

UC is bowl-eligible for the sixth time in the last seven years.

UC honored 24 seniors in a pregame ceremony before the 27-10 win over USF.

The class of 2012 includes: DB Dominique Battle, LB Maalik Bomar, DB Camerron Cheatham, RB Adam Fearing, DB Drew Frey, DL Dan Giordano, OL Sean Hooey, DB Bruce Horner, WR Damon Julian, QB Brendon Kay, TE Travis Kelce, DB Pat Lambert, LB Colin Lozier, OL Sean McClellan, WR Danny Milligan, DL Brandon Mills, DB Malcolm Murray, TE Demetrius Richardson, DB Aaron Roberson, DL Walter Stewart, WR Kenbrell Thompkins, DB Chris Williams, DL John Williams and RB George Winn.

The Bearcats adopted Mitch Stone, a 13-year old brain cancer patient at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation in 2009. For more information, visit www.MitchsMission.com.

Cincinnati NCAA rankings

Cincinnati-UConn NCAA rankings comparison

Thursday UConn Football Links:

Big East predictions: Week 14 [andrea adelson – espn.com]

What to watch in the Big East: Week 14 [matt fortuna – espn.com]

UConn, ShopRite Team Up For Canned Food Drive [uconnhuskies.com]

Connecticut Looks to Become Bowl Eligible Against Cincinnati [bigeast.org]

UConn — particularly in football — has to hope it's not stuck forever [ct post]

Seniors Wants To Keep UConn Football Season Going [hartford courant]

The Difference? It All Comes Down To Football [hartford courant]

Next Week:

Depending on the outcome of this game, UConn could be heading to a bowl game or be done for the season. We won't know until after the game on Saturday.

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

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 11/29

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

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 men's basketball team as they'll take on the New Hampshire Wildcats at the XL Center in Hartford, CT at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally here in Connecticut on SNY and is also available online at WatchESPN. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

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

UConn Football links

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

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Ollie on Realignment and Rebounding … Notes and Quotes from UConn Practice [dom amore – hartford courant]

Kevin Ollie: 'Susan, Warde Will Make Best Decision for University. Because I Love This University." [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Nov. 28: “Wherever we’re at, we’re going to be competing for conference titles.” [kevin duffy – ct post]

Former UConn big man Oriakhi regains swagger, game returns with Mizzou [jeff goodman – cbssports.com]

Ollie offers up some (not much) ACC talk [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Ollie Banks On Breakout Game By Huskies Frontcourt [hartford courant]

UConn men's basketball: Rebounding disadvantage [hartford courant]

Huskies turn attention to New Hampshire [new haven register]

UConn's only worry right now: New Hampshire [the day]

UConn Women's Basketball links

Faris a shooting star in UConn win [carl adamec – sny.com]

This UConn run is one for the ages [carl adamec – sny.com]

Geno Auriemma Not Discouraged By Latest ACC News [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn-Stanford Extend Series Thru 2014-15 [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Caroline Doty And The Importance Of Perspective [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Impressions From UConn’s Brush Off Of Colgate [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Auriemma Talks UConn And Realignment [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma Thrilled With New Two-Year Deal With Stanford [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma Hopeful Mosqueda-Lewis Will Return Vs. Maryland [rich elliott – ct post]

Banks Making A Difference For The Huskies [rich elliott – ct post]

Caldwell to announce college decision on Friday [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies share the ball in victory [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn women trounce Colgate [ct post]

Faris finally making a difference with her shooting touch [ct post]

UConn notebook: Auriemma makes Louisville's move to ACC in stride [ct post]

UConn Women Beat Colgate, 101-41 [hartford courant]

Kelly Faris, Huskies brush off Colgate [new haven register]

Other UConn related links

Reflections on UConn and ACC [john silver – sny.com]

Happy days in Storrs [lee lewis – republican-american]

M. Soccer. Carlos Alvarez and Mamadou Diouf Named Hermann Trophy Semifinalists [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Less Than 500 Tickets Remaining For Men's Soccer NCAA Quarterfinals [uconnhuskies.com]

ACC votes to add Louisville, not UConn [ct post]

UConn — particularly in football — has to hope it's not stuck forever [ct post]

A look at the new Big East [ct post]

Why Louisville, Not UConn [hartford courant]

The Difference? It All Comes Down To Football [hartford courant]

Students Fear UConn Is Being Left Behind [hartford courant]

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

Video: UConn Women Clean Up Colgate 101-41

UConn President Susan Herbst and her brother Jeffrey, President of Colgate, exchanged team jerseys before the start of the UConn - Colgate women's basketball game at the XL Center Wednesday night in Hartford.

Sister versus brother. University president vs University president.

That's what was on the line on Wednesday when Susan Herbst's UConn Huskies took on Jeffery Hersbt's Colgate Raiders. Hopefully Jeffery got 61 points in the family wager otherwise it was his sister who took home bragging rights.

Behind a career-high 20 points from Brianna Banks, UConn went on to a very easy 101-41 win over Colgate in front of 7,934 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The No. 2 Huskies improve to 6-0 on the season while the Raiders fall to 2-4.

In addition to her 20 points, Banks also had three rebounds, five assists and four steals. Stefanie Dolson was a force in the paint with 18 points, seven rebounds and dished out three assists. Kelly Faris, as usual, had a nice all-around game with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Breanna Stewart led the Huskies with eight rebounds and also had 12 points, two blocked shots and two steals. UConn played this game without sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis who missed the game with concussion symptoms.

Jhazmine Lynch led Colgate with nine points but also had six turnovers. Catherine Lewis added eight points and Kelly Reid led the team with five rebounds.

While the final outcome of this game was never in doubt, it was a good tuneup for the Huskies as they prepare for two games next week with ranked teams in Maryland and Penn State. Both should be UConn's first real tests of the season and it will tell Geno Auriemma where his team is at at this point in the season.

First up will be the Maryland Terrapins on Monday night at the XL Center in Hartford, CT at 7 p.m.

Colgate Raiders @ UConn Huskies 11.28.12 box score

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

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

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

photo credit: john woike – hartford courant (no. 2 in gallery)

Statement From UConn On Conference Realignment

After being passed over for Louisville by the ACC earlier on Wednesday, UConn president Susan Herbst and UConn Huskies athletic director Warde Manuel have released statements about the move.

Here's the release from UConn:

UConn HuskiesMessage From The University of Connecticut

UConn President Susan Herbst

“I know this may seem like a tough moment for our fans, but we need to focus on the fundamentals of academic success across the university and in our athletic program as well. We are winners — we win, we like to win and we will continue to play the best possible opponents. We will be athletically successful, regardless of our conference, because of our successes in NCAA competition. We will keep building our winning record through the lens of a great university, that focuses on academics, not on the fluid and unpredictable nature of conference realignment. Again, I realize this is a difficult day, but when we focus on research, discovery, and student success, we’ll never go wrong.”

UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel

“Conference realignment is a prominent national issue in collegiate athletics and will continue to be so into the future. UConn has established a rich history as a very successful academic and athletic institution. We understand that because of that UConn will continue to be brought up in the discussion regarding potential schools considered in realignment.

“We have and will continue to monitor the situation regarding conference realignment and work to ensure that UConn is in the best position for the continued success of our athletic programs. We are proud of the success of our coaches and student-athletes and the tradition that has been established of winning conference and national championships.

“We are proud and appreciative of our great Husky fan base. Husky Nation is strong all over the country and the world. UConn has one of the most captive audiences of any school in the country and we have strong penetration in several of the nation’s largest television markets.”

The UConn men’s basketball program has won three national championships since 1999 – the only school to do so in this time period – and one of just seven programs in the history of the game to win three or more titles.

The UConn football team has made incredible strides since it moved to the FBS in 2002. The Huskies have won two BIG EAST Championships, played in five bowl games – including four over the past five seasons — and became the fastest program to rise from FBS inception to an appearance in a BCS game in history.

The excellence of the women’s basketball program is unparalleled to any school in the country as UConn has won seven national championships and appeared in 13 Finals Fours, including five straight.

Olympics sports programs at UConn are successful and have competed in and won NCAA national championship play in a number of them.

UConn will further enhance its athletic program in the 2013-14 academic year as its men’s ice hockey team begins play in Hockey East, the premier league in the country for that sport. Connecticut will become one of just nine institutions nationally to play men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football and men’s ice hockey in a major conference.

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

Red Sox Trade Zach Stewart to Pirates For PTBNL

Starting pitcher Zach Stewart #47 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 29, 2012 in Anaheim, California.

One week after being designated for assignment, the lone remaining player from the Kevin Youkilis trade, Zach Stewart, has been traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player-to-be-named-later.

Here's the release from the Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today traded right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later.  The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

The 26-year-old Stewart was designated for assignment by Boston on November 20.  He went 0-2, allowing 14 runs in 5.2 innings over two starts with the Red Sox this season after being acquired from the White Sox on June 24.  Stewart also made 11 regular-season starts for Triple-A Pawtucket after the trade and went 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA (26 ER/59.1 IP) and 42 strikeouts compared to 14 walks. 

Selected by the Reds in the third round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Stewart began the 2012 season with 18 games (1 start) for the White Sox and has pitched in 33 career Major League games (14 starts) for the Blue Jays (2011), White Sox (2011-12) and Red Sox (2012), posting a 3-10 record with a 6.82 ERA (78 ER/103.0 IP) and 64 strikeouts.

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photo credit: getty images

Greg Colbrunn Named Red Sox Hitting Coach

New Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell continues to add to his staff as Greg Colbrunn was named hitting coach for the team on Wednesday.

Here's the release from the Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today named Greg Colbrunn as the club’s Major League hitting coach.  Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington and Manager John Farrell made the announcement.

Boston Red SoxColbrunn, who played 13 years in the Majors and won a World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001, will be in his first season on a Major League staff and first in the Red Sox organization in 2013.  During his Major League career, his teams reached postseason play five times.

The 43-year-old Colbrunn has spent the past six years with the Yankees’ Single-A Charleston affiliate, serving five seasons as the RiverDogs hitting coach from 2007-09 and 2011-12, and one campaign as the club’s manager in 2010.

“Greg’s success as a hitting coach and his experiences as a Major League player make him a strong addition to the Red Sox coaching staff,” said Farrell. 

In Charleston this past season, he worked with outfielders Mason Williams and Tyler Austin, and catcher Gary Sanchez, all of whom were recently rated among the Top 5 prospects in the Yankees system by Baseball America, with Williams tabbed as the organization’s best prospect.  The 2012 RiverDogs finished fourth in the 14-team South Atlantic League with a .268 average (1,230-for-4,597), fifth with a .727 OPS and tied for fifth with 672 runs scored.   

Under his guidance, Charleston finished second in the South Atlantic League in average (.265), on-base percentage (.334), hits (1,254) and runs (705) in 2008, and led the league in triples (46) and walks (495) while placing second in hits (1,228), and third in average (.260) and on-base percentage (.337) in 2009.  In his only season as the RiverDogs manager in 2010, Colbrunn led the club to a 65-74 (.468) record.

Selected by Montreal in the sixth round of the 1987 draft out of Fontana (CA) High School as a catcher, Colbrunn hit .289 (801-for-2,769) with 155 doubles, 12 triples, 98 home runs, 422 RBI, 337 runs, 170 walks and 29 stolen bases over 992 career big league games with the Expos (1992-93), Marlins (1994-96), Twins (1997), Braves (1997-98), Rockies (1998), Diamondbacks (1999-2002, ’04) and Mariners (2003) while appearing primarily at first base.   

He made 260 career appearances as a pinch-hitter, batting .310 (71-for-229) with 11 doubles, nine home runs, 48 RBI and 20 walks.  His .310 average and .476 slugging percentage as a pinch-hitter are both the second-best career marks among players with at least 250 plate appearances in the pinch since 1974.

Colbrunn hit for the cycle on September 18, 2002 at San Diego while playing for Arizona, collecting five hits including two home runs.  He became the first player with a multi-homer cycle in a nine-inning game since Ralph Kiner did it in 1950.

Colbrunn played in 21 career postseason games, including six with the Diamondbacks during their 2001 title run, and compiled a .344 average (11-for-32) in postseason play.

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