UConn Left Out of Conference Realignment, Again

Another round of conference realignment and another time the UConn Huskies have been left out of the mix.

ACCAccording to a report from ESPN, the ACC has decided to add the Louisville Cardinals to the conference over UConn.

The ACC's presidents and chancellors voted to add the Cardinals Wednesday morning to replace Maryland, which will leave for the Big Ten in 2014.

The ACC also considered UConn and Cincinnati for membership. However, sources told ESPN the league only wanted Louisville because there is a sense among league presidents that the ACC can add more schools at a later date if the ACC lost any other schools.

When the ACC had first taken Pittsburgh and Syracuse from the Big East, UConn had thought to have been one of the schools considered then. But their move had been blocked by then Boston College AD Gene DeFilippo because of lawsuits filed by the then Connecticut state attorney now US Senator Dick Blumenthal.

Many had thought UConn would have a chance once he was out along with UConn president Susan Herbst's connections to the ACC. Obviously that's not the case.

Now once again, UConn is left in the wind of conference realignment.

Over the next few years, the Big East is adding nine schools to the conference for football. Some of those schools will be added in all sports as well.

Even with Louisville moving to the ACC, you really have to wonder if conference realignment is done. And if it isn't, you have to hope that UConn is not left of the mix.

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Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 11/28

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 also game day for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team as they'll take on the Colgate Raiders 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 for a fee at SNYUConn.com. 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 Women's Basketball links

Hartley works her way back [carl adamec – sny.com]

Mosqueda-Lewis Will Not Play Wednesday – And More [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Paige Sauer Makes It To Magazine Cover [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Auriemma: Mosqueda-Lewis Will Not Play Vs. Colgate Wednesday [rich elliott – ct post]

Hartley Overcoming Frustration In Return From Injury [rich elliott – ct post]

Geno not thrilled with Tuesday's practice [jim fuller – new haven register]

Hartley shaking the rust off [jim fuller – new haven register]

No. 2 Huskies Welcome Colgate to XL Center on Wednesday [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn's Hartley working back to All-America form [ct post]

Breanna Stewart Takes Geno's Advice, And Needling, In Stride [hartford courant]

Bria Hartley finding her way back to starting lineup [new haven register]

UConn Football links

UConn, Pitt aim to extend seasons [matt fortuna – espn.com]

McEntee will be ready if called upon [jim fuller – new haven register]

Whitmer day-to-day, McEntee prepares to play [john silver – journal inquirer]

Pasqualoni hopeful on Whitmer's availability [ct post]

Trevardo Williams closing out solid UConn career [ct post]

Rooting For Johnny McEntee [hartford courant]

Huskies' Johnny Football was big part of a big win [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Jeff Adrien Returns to D-League [uconn huskies basketball]

Threes Were Key; Defense Was Glue [uconnhuskies.com]

NEW HAVEN 200: Dom Perno, UConn stole victory from Bill Bradley, Princeton in NCAA tournament [new haven register]

UConn Alumni Endorsing Kevin Ollie [hoopsworld.com]

Other UConn related links

Looks Like It's Louisville to ACC, UConn Left Out … For Now [david borges – new haven register]

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2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Rankings – Week 4 (Nov. 27)

AP & USA Today Coaches Polls

The NCAA women's basketball rankings are out and the UConn Huskies women's basketball team remains as the No. 2 in the land.

The Stanford Cardinal remain No. 1 and are followed by UConn, the Baylor Lady Bears, Duke Blue Devils and Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the top five of both polls.

Joining the Huskies and Irish in the top 25 in both polls from the Big East are the Louisville Cardinals (7/6) and St. John's Red Storm (17/15).

The Syracuse Orange, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and DePaul Blue Demons are among the others receiving votes from the Big East in both polls. The South Florida Bulls and Georgetown Hoyas are among the others receiving votes in Coaches' Poll.

For a full look at the 2013 NCAA Women's Basketball Rankings – Week 4 (Nov. 27), please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Stanford (21) 6-0 953 1 1 Stanford (21) 6-0 765 1
2 Connecticut (17) 5-0 944 2 2 Connecticut (9) 5-0 748 2
3 Baylor (1) 5-1 901 3 3 Baylor (1) 5-1 716 3
4 Duke 4-0 861 4 4 Duke 4-0 675 4
5 Notre Dame 4-0 802 5 5 Notre Dame 4-0 647 5
6 Penn State 5-0 752 6 6 Louisville 7-0 611 6
7 Louisville 6-0 742 7 7 Penn State 5-0 584 7
8 Georgia 7-0 701 8 8 Kentucky 4-1 547 8
9 Kentucky 4-1 656 9 9 Georgia 7-0 527 9
10 California 5-0 615 11 10 Maryland 3-1 496 10
11 Maryland 3-1 602 10 11 California 5-0 476 11
12 Oklahoma 5-1 459 13 12 Oklahoma 5-1 383 13
13 Texas 4-0 453 15 13 Purdue 5-1 363 12
14 Purdue 5-1 374 14 14 Tennessee 4-1 361 15
15 Ohio State 4-1 366 16 15 St. John's 4-1 286 16
16 Tennessee 4-1 328 20 16 Ohio State 4-1 285 17
17 St. John's 4-1 314 18 17 Oklahoma State 4-0 272 18
18 Oklahoma State 4-0 294 21 18 Texas 4-0 218 21
19 UCLA 3-1 274 19 19 Nebraska 5-1 205 20
20 Kansas 5-0 265 22 20 Kansas 5-0 151 23
21 Nebraska 5-1 185 23 21 UCLA 3-1 137 22
22 North Carolina 6-0 181 25 22 Dayton 6-0 113 25
23 Dayton 6-0 177 24 23 West Virginia 3-2 93 14
24 Iowa State 4-0 102 NR 24 South Carolina 7-0 88 NR
25 West Virginia 3-2 91 12 25 Texas A&M 3-3 70 24
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
Vanderbilt 17 Vanderbilt 19
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Texas A&M 72, Florida State 49, Miami (FL) 31, Syracuse 30, Delaware 18, Rutgers 15, South Carolina 15, Vanderbilt 12, Virginia 12, Georgia Tech 7, DePaul 6, Iowa 6, Middle Tennessee 4, Chattanooga 3, Gonzaga 2, Utah 1 North Carolina 47, Iowa State 43, Syracuse 38, Florida State 36, Gonzaga 20, Miami (FL) 17, Middle Tennessee 14, Vanderbilt 12, DePaul 9, Rutgers 6, Virginia 4, Chattanooga 4, Minnesota 4, Green Bay 2, South Florida 1, Georgetown 1

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2012 Blogpoll Top 25 – Week 13

Here is the BlogPoll Top 25 for week 13 in college football. If you're curious to see how I voted, you can check my 2012 BlogPoll top 25 week 13 ballot. You can also checkout the weekly analysis of the BlogPoll Top 25.


College Football Rankings 2011

Results for Week 13

# School Points/blog SD Delta
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (61) 25.13 2.92
2 Alabama Crimson Tide (5) 23.66 2.56
3 Oregon Ducks 21.83 2.18
4 Georgia Bulldogs (1) 21.44 0.95
5 Florida Gators (1) 21.24 1.28 Arrow_up 1
6 Ohio St. Buckeyes (3) 19.70 6.12 Arrow_up 1
7 Kansas St. Wildcats 19.39 0.92 Arrow_down -2
8 Stanford Cardinal 17.69 0.12 Arrow_up 2
9 LSU Tigers 17.41 0.71
10 Texas A&M Aggies 17.16 1.02 Arrow_up 1
11 South Carolina Gamecocks 15.23 0.94 Arrow_up 3
12 Oklahoma Sooners 14.04 2.42 Arrow_up 1
13 Florida St. Seminoles 13.09 1.26 Arrow_down -5
14 Nebraska Cornhuskers 12.09 1.33 Arrow_up 2
15 Clemson Tigers 11.17 1.24 Arrow_down -3
16 Oregon St. Beavers 8.09 3.44 Arrow_up 1
17 UCLA Bruins 8.06 2.45 Arrow_down -2
18 Kent St. Golden Flashes 7.61 3.67 Arrow_up 5
19 Northern Illinois Huskies 6.83 3.76 Arrow_up 5
20 Utah State Aggies 4.74 2.58 Arrow_up 6
21 Northwestern Wildcats 3.66 2.88 Arrow_up 7
22 Michigan Wolverines 3.36 3.08 Arrow_down -1
23 Boise St. Broncos 3.13 3.24 Arrow_up 2
24 Oklahoma St. Cowboys 2.70 3.30 Arrow_down -2
25 Texas Longhorns 2.50 2.97 Arrow_down -7
Others Receiving Votes: San Jose St. Spartans | Louisville Cardinals | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Penn St. Nittany Lions | Vanderbilt Commodores | TCU Horned Frogs | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | Fresno St. Bulldogs | Ball St. Cardinals | San Diego St. Aztecs | Cincinnati Bearcats | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | Central Florida Knights | USC Trojans | Arizona Wildcats | Washington Huskies | Toledo Rockets | Arizona St. Sun Devils | North Carolina Tar Heels | Arkansas St. Red Wolves | Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Updated: Nov 27, 2012 10:02 AM EST

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UConn School of Business, Coach Geno Auriemma Announce Premier Leadership Conference

Geno Auriemma

Here's a press release from the UConn School of Business and UConn Huskies women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma about a new leadership conference:

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut School of Business and UConn Women's Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma are teaming up to launch a major new leadership conference that will blend best practices with creative, effective approaches to today's business challenges and opportunities.

Auriemma joined UConn President Susan Herbst, School of Business faculty, staff and students, and corporate partners on Tuesday to announce the innovative new leadership initiative. It is presented in partnership with Walmart, several other partners, and dedicated UConn alumni.

The inaugural Geno Auriemma-UConn Leadership Conference will focus on leadership excellence in an ever-changing environment and will take place April 29 and 30, 2013, at Mohegan Sun Convention Center.

"Being passionate about leadership and sustaining excellence, I have been working with the UConn School of Business to develop a conference that brings together provocative thinkers from different fields to share their perspectives and provide insight into some of the challenges business leaders face today," Auriemma says.

In addition to Walmart, sponsors include Virtus Investment Partners, Aetna, The Hartford Courant, Fox CT (Fox 61), Hartford Magazine, WTIC-AM 1080, WTIC-FM 96.5 and Lite 100.5 WRCH. The UConn Alumni Association also is supporting the initiative.

Auriemma's leadership skills on and off the court have earned him widespread recognition as a creative thinker with a talent for developing potential in others and finding effective ways to address challenges. Those leadership traits have also helped several UConn School of Business alumni reach the top of their professions.

One of those leaders, Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon '81, '88 MBA, will deliver a keynote speech, "Leading in a Time of Crisis," to kick off April's inaugural conference. The two-day event also features several other prominent speakers and highly relevant discussions, including guidance on how to lead a multi-generational workforce and strategies for sustaining excellence.

To continue reading the press release, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

"This program will give us a terrific opportunity to connect our talented pool of business school faculty, the wide-ranging knowledge of our UConn alumni, and some of the topmost leaders from across varied industries and communities," President Susan Herbst says. "It will serve as a valuable forum where we can learn from one another about what it takes to excel as leaders in today's ever-changing business environment."

Tuesday's announcement also marked the launch of the program's website, a comprehensive resource that includes a registration link, details on the schedule and speakers, and other useful features.

The site, www.genoleadership.com, also gives visitors an opportunity to join an email list to receive conference highlights, leadership resources, useful links and other information.

UConn alumni will be eligible for registration discounts. Proceeds from the conference will be received by the UConn Foundation, Inc., and will benefit Leadership Education at the University of Connecticut's School of Business.

UConn alumni and other officials in the business community have often asked the UConn School of Business to provide leadership programs for corporate executives outside of the traditional classroom setting. This new conference will offer them a hands-on, transformational learning opportunity designed to sharpen their skills and gain inspiration from others.          

"Leadership is a most critical need in today's ever-changing business environment," says Lucy Gilson, academic director of the Geno Auriemma-UConn Leadership Conference and an associate professor of management in the UConn School of Business.

"This conference provides a unique opportunity for its participants to benefit from the expertise of our faculty, the skills and experiences of our alumni, and the knowledge of our business partners," she says.

About Geno Auriemma:

Geno Auriemma has redefined the meaning of success in women's college basketball in his 27 years as head coach of the University of Connecticut. During his illustrious tenure, Auriemma has transformed the UConn program into the standard that all others are measured, both on and off the court.

He has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and led the 2012 U.S. Women's Basketball Team to a Gold Medal in the Olympic Games in London.

Under his guidance, the Huskies have garnered seven national titles, 13 Final Fours, four perfect seasons (1994-95, 2001-02, 2008-09 and 2009-10) and 37 BIG EAST titles.

He also led his team to an NCAA record 90-straight victories from 2008-11. Off the court, his leadership is evident in the flawless, 100 percent graduation rate among his four-year players, and one of the most beloved and followed sports teams in the country.

About the UConn School of Business:

 Founded in 1941, the UConn School of Business is one of the most comprehensive business schools in the nation, offering widely respected academic programs at UConn's campuses in Storrs, Hartford, Stamford, Torrington and Waterbury.

The School of Business has established a strong reputation for high-quality research and academic programs, spanning a wide array of functional disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations and Information Management.

The School of Business is committed to being a globally recognized provider of exceptional managerial and business leadership. Also, as part of New England's premier public university, we are committed to enhancing the competitive advantage of Connecticut's workforce in an expanding global business environment.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aQ6qzk3AfD4?rel=0

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photo credit: john woike – hartford courant

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 11/27

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.

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

UConn Football links

Player of the Week: Big East [matt fortuna – espn.com]

Sean Mulcahy’s Report Card [sean mulcahy – sny.com]

Pasqualoni Optimistic That UConn QB Chandler Whitmer Can Play Saturday [hartford courant]

UConn Women's Basketball links

Mosqueda-Lewis Still Recovering From Concussion [rich elliott – ct post]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Ollie Always Finds A Spot For Fiery Niels Giffey [hartford courant]

Three points from Sunday's win over Stony Brook [new haven register]

Calhoun ready for new challenge [a jersey guy]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Tickets Available For NCAA Quarterfinals Sunday At 1 p.m. [uconnhuskies.com]

SAAC Food Drive A Success! [uconnhuskies.com]

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

In The Red Zone – November 27

In The Red Zone

Patriots Lead Charge in Jets Demise

Just how bad were the New York Jets on Thursday night in the 49-19 loss to the New England Patriots?

  • QB Tom Brady had 323 yards passing it was the most given up by the Jets defense in a game this season.  The most passing yards allowed in over a year when Brady got them for 329 yards last November.
  • TD passes by Brady of 56-yards to WR Julian Edelman and 83-yards to RB Shane Vereen were the two longest TD passes the Jets have allowed in 2012.  They were also the two longest passes allowed and the two longest plays from scrimmage allowed this season by Rex Ryan’s vaunted defense.
  • Brady had 3 TD passes it was the third time this season the Jets defense has allowed three TD passes in a game.
  • Vereen’s 91 receiving yards and WR Wes Welker’s 7 catches (twice before) were the most allowed in those categories this season by New York.
  • Edelman’s 32-yard punt return was the longest allowed by the Jets this year.
  • The Patriots 2 sacks and 1 INT of Sanchez also matched season highs for New York.
  • The Jets 5 turnovers were a season high and the minus 4 turnover ratio for the game tied a season worse that also occurred on September 30 vs. San Francisco.
  • The 475 total yards by New England shattered the previous season high allowed of 390 to Buffalo on September 9.
  • The 4 fumbles lost set a season high for the Jets.
  • The Patriots also have put up the most points in a game (49) against New York in 2012 and scored the most TD’s with 7.
  • This season the Jets are 0-2 at night and 0-7 when they are negative in the turnover column.
  • S Steve Gregory and Edelman each returned a fumble for a TD the most allowed in one game in Jets history.
  • The 475 total yards by New England was the first time the Jets have allowed more than 400 total yards in a game since December 2011 vs. Philadelphia (420).
  • The 49 points by New England was the first time the Jets have allowed more than 40 points in a game since December 2011 vs. Philadelphia (48).

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

Belichick Gets 200th Win

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reached another milestone on Thanksgiving night when he won his 200th NFL game (regular season and post season combined) in his 18th season as head coach.

After an inauspicious start in Cleveland with the original Browns in which he went 37-45 he has developed into one of the best coaches in NFL History thanks to Patriots owner Robert Kraft felt he was worth a chance and some draft picks prior to the 2000 NFL season.

Kraft’s allegiance to Belichick has paid off handsomely as the coach has gone a remarkable 163-62 run including playoffs as the head honcho in Foxboro.  It also includes the three biggest wins in franchise history that are represented by the three Lombardi Trophies that call Gillette Stadium home.

He is just the 8th coach to achieve 200 wins joining Dan Reeves (201), Marty Schottenheimer (205), Chuck Noll (209), Curly Lambeau (229), Tom Landry (270), George Halas (324) and Don Shula (347). 

For Patriots fans the arrival of Belichick has brought nothing but success.  Coupled with the ownership of the Kraft family the Belichick-era is achieving never before seen heights in New England and there hopefully is no end in sight.

News and Notes

New England DE Jermaine Cunningham was suspended for four games by the NFL on Monday for violating the performing enhancement drug ban per the CBA.  The suspension begins immediately and he will be eligible to return for the seasons final game against Miami on December 30th in Foxboro.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had his weekly day after conference call with the media on Monday.  (patriots.com)

QB Tom Brady had his weekly Patriots Monday call in. (WEEI)

Offensive snaps by skill players vs. New York  (ESPN Boston)

Defensive snaps played vs. Jets (ESPN Boston)

Vereen’s 83-yard TD catch started the ball rolling (ESPN Boston)

How the game was won in 52 seconds (ESPN Boston)

It was a happy homecoming for Gregory (Boston Globe)

It’s been a dominant two games from Wilfork (Boston Globe)

Laughable Jets stage performance of unparalleled ineptitude (Boston Herald)

Patriots defense delivers again (Boston Herald)

Best and Worst Patriots vs. Jets (Boston Herald)

The Patriots revel in beating Jets like this (Boston Herald)

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.

New England is 3-2 on Thanksgiving games.  The lost in Dallas in 1984; lost to Detroit in 2000 and then beat the Lions in 2002 and 2010 before destroying the Jets tonight.

All three road teams (Houston, Washington and New England) won the Thanksgiving games this year.

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

Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 the Patriots are 26-14 vs. the Jets.

The Patriots have swept the Jets 15 times in the series including the last two seasons and they’ve done it 6 times in the Belichick era (2003-05, 07, 11-12)

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.

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 20-10 vs. the Jets in his career.  He is 19-9 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes two playoff games (1-1).

Belichick is 3-1 as a head coach in Thanksgiving games.

Tom Brady is 18-5 vs. the Jets including 1-1 in the playoffs.  Overall including playoffs he is 148-44.

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.

He has not thrown an INT since Week 6 in Seattle.

Brady tied his career high with his 3rd rushing TD of the year.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 112 consecutive games including playoffs, 95 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker had 7 catches for 71 yards and 1 TD.

For the second game in a row Julian Edelman scored a special teams TD this one on fumble recovery (1st) off of a kick off return.

For the second game in a row Julian Edelman has two TD’s.

Edelman has 4 TD’s in a span of 5 quarters.  Prior he had 4 TD’s in 3.5 years.

Edelman suffered a concussion in the 3rd quarter when he fumbled (1st) after a catch and did not return to the game.

RB Stevan Ridley (21 carries for 97 yards) and RB Shane Vereen (10 for 42) combined for 139 rushing yards on 31 carries.

Vereen also had 2 catches for 91 yards including an 83-yard reception for a TD.

Both second year backs each had a TD.  It was Ridley’s 8th and Vereen’s 4th (1st receiving).

TE Aaron Hernandez returned and had 2 catches but he played every offensive down except two.  He appears fully healed which is huge with the absence of TE Rob Gronkowski.

For the second consecutive game the Patriots scored a TD on offense, defense and special teams.

The Patriots scored 21 points in just 0:52 seconds off of an 83-yard TD pass, a fumble recovered for a TD by the defense and a fumble recovery on a kick off return by the special teams.

The Patriots scored 35 points in the second quarter tying a franchise record vs. Tennessee, 2009.

LB Jerod Mayo had 11 tackles (8 solo) and continues to lead the team in tackles.  Unofficially he has 136 tackles (78 solo).  The team usually adjusts the counts based on coaches film study so in the Friday game preview we will have Mayo’s official total.  He is on pace for another 200 tackle season.

In addition Mayo also had a sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hit.

LB Brandon Spikes also had 11 tackles (7 solo), a pass defensed and a forced fumble.  He is second on the team in tackles behind Mayo with 104 (67 solo).

DE Rob Ninkovich had a fumble recovery on Thursday it was his 4th recovered fumble of the season.  He leads the team in that category. 

There were 3 QB hits by the Patriots 1 each by Mayo (2nd), LB Dont’a Hightower (5th) and DE Justin Francis (2nd).

S Steve Gregory had an INT (2nd) and 2 recovered fumbles (1st and 2nd), one was returned for a 32-yard TD.

DB Kyle Arrington had 2 passes defensed (8th) Thursday night, CB Alfonzo Dennard (6th), Spikes (5th) and Gregory (3rd) each had 1 a piece.

DB Devin McCourty (2nd), Gregory (1st), Dennard (1st) and Spikes (5th) all had a forced fumble on against the Jets.  Spikes is now tied with Ninkovich for the team lead and they share the franchise record with Mike Vrabel.

McCourty (2nd, 3rd), LB Mike Rivera (2nd, 3rd), WR Matthew Slater (12th, 13th) and S Derrick Martin (4th) all had special teams tackles against New York.

The Patriots had five takeaways on Thursday and all five of them led to touchdowns.

The Jets have 22 turnovers on the year and 15 of them belong to Sanchez.

The 108 combined points scored in the last two games against Indianapolis and New York set a new franchise record, the previous mark was 101 points set in 2007 vs. Washington and Miami.

In the last four games the Patriots have score 190 points the second highest four game total in NFL history only to St. Louis’ 208 scored in 2001.

In their five game win streak New England has outscored opponents 219-107 and are averaging 43.8 points per game during the streak, while allowing 21.4.

New England scored 5 TD’s on 12 possessions. They also had 3 punts, a missed FGA, a fumble, safety and the end of half clock expired.  For the second game in a row they had 5 TD’s on offense.  They also scored once on defense and once on special teams.

New York had 13 possessions.  2 TD’s, 1 INT, 4 fumbles, 4 punts, 1 field goal, and end of game clock expired.

The Patriots sacked New York QB Mark Sanchez 2 times, while Brady was not sacked.

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 were 3 for 3 (100%) in the red zone.  They had 3 TDs.

New England was 11 for 15 (73%) on third down conversions and 0 for 0 on 4th down attempts.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is 3-6 vs. New England in his career including playoffs.  Overall he is 36-28.

Mark Sanchez is 3-6 vs. the Patriots including 1-0 in the playoffs.

Sanchez has fumbled in 5 of his last 7 games.  The 5 fumbles have led to 24 opposition points and the ending of an overtime game in a loss to New England.

The Jets are 1-2 vs. New England at Met Life Stadium, overall they are 27-26 as the home team all-time in the series.

New York is 36-35 vs. the AFC East in the regular season since 2001.

WR Clyde Gates suffered a concussion in the second quarter and did not return.

New York was 3 for 10 (30%) on 3rd down conversions and 1 for 3 (33.3%) on 4th down attempts.

The Jets were 2 for 4 (50%) in the red zone.  They had 2 TD’s, 1 FG and lost the ball on downs once.

New York is MINUS 3 in turnover differential.  The offense has given up 10 INT and 12 fumbles, while the defense has 8 INT and 11 fumble recoveries.

Next Week

The Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday December 2nd at Sun Life Stadium in Miami FL.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

UConn Depth Chart for Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bearcats @ UConn Huskies

UConn Huskies head coach Paul Pasqualoni has released his final regular season depth chart for Saturday's home finale against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

And after a quick look at the depth chart, there are no changes from the depth chart against the Louisville Cardinals.

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.).

For a full look at the UConn Huskies depth chart for the Cincinnati Bearcats click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

OFFENSE

LT: 72 Jimmy Bennett (RSr., 6-9, 309)
78 Dalton Gifford (RFr., 6-5, 297)

LG 69 Steve Greene (RJr., 6-5, 309)
60 Tyler Samra (Fr., 6-3, 250)

C: 50 Tyler Bullock (RJr., 6-4, 302)
73 Alex Mateas (RSo., 6-3, 293)

RG: 65 Gus Cruz (RSo., 6-2, 306)
68 Bryan Paull (RSo., 6-3, 298)

RT: 77 Kevin Friend (RJr., 6-6, 295)
75 Xavier Hemingway (RFr., 6-4, 262)

TE: 89 John Delahunt (RSr., 6-3, 243)
94 Ryan Griffin (RSr., 6-6, 247)

WR: 6 Michael Smith (Sr., 6-0, 201) OR
31 Nick Williams (Sr., 5-10, 184)
84 Tebucky Jones (RSo., 6-0, 185)

FB: 47 Reuben Frank (RSo., 6-3, 239)
25 Martin Hyppolite (RJr., 6-0, 214)

QB: 10 Chandler Whitmer (RSo., 6-1, 191)
18 Johnny McEntee (RSr., 6-3, 208)

TB: 43 Lyle McCombs (RSo., 5-8, 166)
44 Max DeLorenzo (RFr., 5-11, 213)

WR: 85 Geremy Davis (RSo., 6-1, 214)
8 Shakim Phillips (RSo., 6-1, 200)

DEFENSE

DE: 48 Trevardo Williams (Sr., 6-2, 233)
51 Tim Willman (RJr., 6-4, 270)

DT: 53 Ryan Wirth (RSr., 6-3, 271)
92 Mykal Myers (Fr., 6-0, 300)

DT: 59 Shamar Stephen (RJr., 6-5, 317)
90 Julian Campenni (RFr., 5-11, 281)

DE: 56 Angelo Pruitt (RSo., 6-3, 296)
97 B.J. McBryde (RSo., 6-5, 301)

OLB: 3 Sio Moore (RSr., 6-2, 229)
32 Jefferson Ashiru (RFr., 6-1, 227)

ILB: 33 Yawin Smallwood (Rso., 6-3, 235)
46 Marquise Vann (RFr., 6-0, 224)

ILB: 28 Jory Johnson (RSr., 6-1, 227)
52 Ryan Donohue (Sr., 6-0, 242)

CB: 5 Blidi Wreh-Wilson (RSr., 6-2, 190)
29 Taylor Mack (Jr., 5-9, 170)

S: 16 Byron Jones (RSo., 6-1, 192)
22 Andrew Adams (RFr., 6-0, 186)

S: 15 Ty-Meer Brown (RSo., 6-0, 193)
23 Wilbert Lee (RFr., 6-1, 204)

CB: 7 Dwayne Gratz (RSr., 6-0, 198)
12 David Stevenson (RFr., 5-8, 173)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: 13 Chad Christen (RJr., 6-1, 202)
17 Bobby Puyol (Fr., 6-0, 170)

P: 86 Cole Wagner (RJr., 6-2, 211)
13 Chad Christen (RJr., 6-1, 202)

HL: 86 Cole Wagner (RJr., 6-2, 211)
17 Blaise Driscoll (Sr., 6-1, 189)

KR: 31 Nick Williams (Sr., 5-10, 184)
29 Taylor Mack (Jr., 5-9, 170)

PR: 31 Nick Williams (Sr., 5-10, 184)
29 Taylor Mack (Jr., 5-9, 170)

LS: 67 Adam Mueller (Jr., 6-1, 225)
66 Dominick Manco (RFr., 6-0, 239)

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2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rankings – Week 4 (Nov. 26)

AP & USA Today Coaches Polls

The NCAA men's basketball rankings are out and after two weeks in the polls (one in the Coaches Poll), the UConn Huskies have fallen out of the top 25 in both. They are among the others receiving votes though.

The Indiana Hoosiers remain as the No. 1 team in the land and are followed by the Duke Blue Devils (barf), Michigan Wolverines, The Ohio State Buckeyes and Louisville Cardinals in the top five of the AP Poll. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, the top four is the same with the Syracuse Orange No. 5.

Joining the Cardinals (5/6) and Orange (6/5) in the top 25 of both polls from the Big East are the Cincinnati Bearcats (17/16) and Georgetown Hoyas (20/25).

Joining UConn from the Big East in the others receiving votes are the Pittsburgh Panthers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Marquette Golden Eagles.

For a full look at the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings – Week 4 (Nov. 26), please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Indiana (47) 6-0 1,606 1 1 Indiana (27) 6-0 769 1
2 Duke (18) 6-0 1,554 5 2 Duke (4) 6-0 723 5
3 Michigan 5-0 1,421 4 3 Michigan 5-0 691 4
4 Ohio State 4-0 1,416 3 4 Ohio State 4-0 689 3
5 Louisville 5-1 1,347 2 5 Syracuse 4-0 630 6
6 Syracuse 4-0 1,323 6 6 Louisville 5-1 615 2
7 Florida 5-0 1,227 7 7 Florida 5-0 573 8
8 Kentucky 4-1 1,180 8 8 Kentucky 4-1 557 7
9 Arizona 3-0 1,076 10 9 Arizona 3-0 520 10
10 Kansas 4-1 937 12 10 Kansas 4-1 484 11
11 Creighton 6-0 926 14 11 Creighton 6-0 463 12
12 Gonzaga 6-0 854 17 12 Gonzaga 6-0 440 16
13 Michigan State 5-1 818 15 13 North Carolina 5-1 355 9
14 North Carolina 5-1 718 9 14 Michigan State 5-1 320 19
15 Oklahoma State 5-0 668 20 15 Missouri 5-1 319 14
16 Missouri 5-1 665 13 16 Cincinnati 6-0 295 20
17 Cincinnati 6-0 571 22 17 Oklahoma State 5-0 261 22
18 North Carolina State 4-1 553 16 18 North Carolina State 4-1 240 15
19 Colorado 5-0 478 23 19 Colorado 5-0 172 NR
20 Georgetown 4-1 257 NR 20 UNLV 3-1 144 18
21 Minnesota 6-1 197 NR 21 San Diego State 4-1 139 25
22 Illinois 7-0 185 NR 22 Illinois 7-0 103 NR
23 San Diego State 4-1 182 25 23 New Mexico 6-0 68 NR
24 UNLV 3-1 175 18 24 UCLA 4-2 62 13
25 New Mexico 6-0 141 NR 25 Georgetown 4-1 56 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
UCLA 11, Memphis 19, Connecticut 21, Baylor 24 Memphis 17, Baylor 21, Connecticut 23, Wisconsin 24
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Alabama 108, Wichita State 99, Connecticut 93, UCLA 85, Pittsburgh 55, Oregon 44, Notre Dame 42, Memphis 23, Butler 20, Wisconsin 16, California 12, Florida State 10, Saint Joseph's 9, Ohio 8, Marquette 7, Murray State 5, Temple 5, Baylor 4, Tennessee 3, Virginia Commonwealth 1, Colorado State 1 Minnesota 48, Pittsburgh 41, Connecticut 38, Alabama 38, Notre Dame 36, Florida State 26, Wisconsin 24, Wichita State 16, Memphis 16, California 14, Murray State 13, Kansas State 12, Oregon 12, Saint Joseph's 10, Ohio 10, Saint Mary's 8, Tennessee 5, Butler 5, Marquette 4, Baylor 3, Maryland 2, Virginia Commonwealth 2, Texas 1, Colorado State 1, Davidson 1, Ole Miss 1

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Breanna Stewart Named To Big East Honor Roll

Well it's not another Big East Freshman of the Week honor but it's still recognition nonetheless.

The Big East announced on Monday that UConn Huskies freshman sensation Breanna Stewart has been to named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll in women's basketball.

The University of Connecticut's Breanna Stewart shoots over Purdue's Sam Ostarello at the Paradise Jam Saturday night. Stewart averaged 19 points, 6.7 rebounds and had seven blocks and four assists to help the Huskies to the 2012 Women's Paradise Jam title.

In the opener against Wake Forest, she had 20 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Against Marist in the second game, she picked up her first career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds along with one blocked shot.

On Sunday in the championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Stewart had 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. She was named the 2012 Women's Paradise Jam Tournament MVP for her efforts.

Stewart and the rest of her Huskies squad are back in action on Wednesday night when they'll host the Colgate Raiders at the XL Center at 7 p.m.

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photo credit: thomas layer – special to hartford courant