Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

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UConn Football links

Jerome Junior Says Sixth In Big East: “Not Going To Happen” [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

UConn Safeties Expect To Improve Under Coach Don Brown [Hartford Courant]

Shakim Phillips: Former NJ football star transferring to UConn [Metro.us]

Who The Heck Is Pitt Playing: UConn Edition [Cardiac Hill]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Battle 4 Atlantis Schedule Announced [David Borges – New Haven Register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Huskies Beat Italian Select 98-52; Enjoy Another Day in Rome [UConnHuskies.com]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Red Sox’ first overall draft pick Matt Barnes ‘living a dream’ [Full Count]

Baseball. Springer Takes Initial Cuts With Astros [Hartford Courant]

Jeff Hathaway Retires As UConn Director of Athletics [UConnHuskies.com]

Statement from NCAA on Hathaway’s committee slot [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

Hathaway’s legacy up for debate [CT Post]

Writing was on the wall for Hathaway’s ouster [CT Post]

UConn’s Hathaway Years: Fun While They Lasted [Hartford Courant]

W. Soccer. Women’s Soccer Opens Regular Season Action With Loss to Northeastern, 2-1 [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Soccer. Northeastern spoils UConn’s season opener, 2-1 [Norwich Bulletin]

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

After a solid team win last night, the Boston Red Sox look to make it two in a row tonight against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. and will be broadcast in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Royals broadcast area, you can catch the game on Fox Sports Kansas City. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Since moving to the bullpen, Andrew Miller has made two appearances in relief. Tonight he’ll make his 9th start (11th appearance) of 2011. In his previous 10 appearances (eight starts), Miller is 4-1 with a 5.40 ERA. In his only start against the Royals this season back on July 26th, he allowed five runs in just 3.2 innings of work to receive a no decision. He’s struggled against the Royals in his career as he is 0-2 with an 11.08 ERA in five appearances (three starts). He’s made two appearances (one start) at the K and is 0-1 with a 32.40 ERA (6 ER/1.2 IP).

Jeff Francis makes his 26th start of 2011 for Ned Yost’s Royals squad. In his previous 25 starts, he is 4-13 with a 4.76 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox this season. His lone start against the Red Sox during the regular season came in 2007 as a member of the Colorado Rockies. In that start he picked up the win after tossing five shutout innings. The Red Sox exacted their revenge on Francis in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series as they lit him for six runs in four innings.

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

Here are this evening’s lineups:

75-48		51-74
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Alex Gordon	LF
2. Mike Aviles	SS	2. Melky Cabrera	CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Billy Butler	DH
4. Dustin Pedroia	2B	4. Eric Hosmer	1B
5. Jed Lowrie	3B	5. Jeff Francoeur	RF
6. Ryan Lavarnway	DH	6. Johnny Giavotella	2B
7. Carl Crawford	LF	7. Brayan Pena	C
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	8. Mike Moustakas	3B
9. Darnell McDonald	RF	9. Alcides Escobar	SS
Andrew Miller	SP	Jeff Francis	SP

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

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

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Red Sox, Royals pleased so far with Aviles-Navarro deal [Clubhouse Insider]

Adrian Gonzalez on 0-for-14 skid: ‘It’s not physical’ [Clubhouse Insider]

A-Gon shuffling through first slump with Sox [CSN New England]

Miller: ‘I should be fresh’ [ESPN Boston]

Notes: Scutaro due back Saturday [ESPN Boston]

A few random thoughts from Kansas City [Extra Bases]

Pre-game notes from Kansas City [Extra Bases]

Red Sox prospect Noe Ramirez aims to reach big leagues ‘as quickly as possible’ [Full Count]

Top Red Sox prospect Will Middlebrooks promoted to Triple-A [Full Count]

Daniel Bard is ready to ‘put the pedal down’ for the end of the year [Full Count]

Adrian Gonzalez offers explanation for recent struggles [Full Count]

Time Changes Announced for Red Sox Games Against Yankees, Rays in September [NESN.com]

Will Adrian Gonzalez Finish With a Batting Average Better Than .350? [NESN.com]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Royals and Show vs. Tell [Projo Sox Blog]

Bard: HGH testing likely to happen eventually [Projo Sox Blog]

Sox grinding through difficult schedule [Projo Sox Blog]

Clean-shaven Gonzalez searching for timing [Projo Sox Blog]

Giving heel pain boot a key to recovery [RedSox.com]

Miller slides out of ‘pen to face Kansas City [RedSox.com]

Jenks, Drew take positive steps in recovery [RedSox.com]

Red Sox can afford a respite [Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe]

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

Photo credits: AP Photo, AP Photo

It looks as though embattled UConn Huskies athletic director Jeff Hathaway is working his last day on the UConn campus in Storrs, CT.

According to the New London Day, Hathaway has to accept a buyout or he’ll be let go as athletic director at UConn.

The sources said Hathaway will have until the end of business today to accept a buyout plan. If Hathaway does not accept one, he will be terminated.

The sources said Hathaway has asked for $3 million plus other bonuses. It was unclear what UConn has offered. Hathaway works under a six-year contract that rolls over yearly. His base pay, according to the university, is $351,717 with another approximately $600,000 annually for speaking engagements and other duties.

While Hathaway may not be the only one to lose their position at UConn under this review, he is obviously the most high profile. I’m pretty sure that if a professor was losing his or her job, it wouldn’t be news like this.

The review was brought about by new UConn president Susan Herbst who took over this summer. She had ordered a review of the athletic department when she came on board.

This is not surprising in the least especially given the recent turmoil surrounding the men’s basketball program with the Nate Miles scandal and the APR scores. During the Miles scandal, Hathaway didn’t jump out there and defend his head coach Jim Calhoun. And with the weight that Calhoun can pull, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing he could do.

The only coach of the big sports that was actually hired by Hathaway was UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni. Calhoun and women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma were hired by John Toner.

While it had been reported that Hathaway might be let go when the review was ordered, he wasn’t and has stuck around campus going about business as usual.

Now, he’ll be looking for work.

Update 6:00 p.m.: Hathaway is out as AD at UConn. He’s reached a buyout agreement.

Update 6:45 p.m.: Hathaway has actually “retired” from his duties at UConn.

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

We always hear how much wins are a meaningless stat. We know this to be true when John Lackey is second on the team in wins with 11 while the best pitcher this season for the Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett, had been stuck on nine wins for what seems like an eternity.

We also know that for Beckett, it’s not about how many wins he has but rather how he pitches and if the team gets a win. When they lose when he’s on the mound, he doesn’t make excuses. And when he gets the win, he’ll credit the team. That’s what great pitchers do. You’ll also hear the same thing when Jon Lester is on the mound.

The Red Sox offense hasn’t been kind to their best pitcher though this season. In his 23 previous starts, they were averaging 3.30 runs of support per game for him. Fortunately for Beckett last night, the Red Sox got four runs for him as he picked up what’s been an elusive 10th win of 2011 in a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Beckett gave the Red Sox seven strong innings, scattering seven hits while allowing three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The dynamic duo at the backend of the Red Sox bullpen, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, once again got the job done to preserve another Red Sox win.

I can honestly say that I don’t remember a better duo at the back end of a bullpen since the 1996 Yankees when Mariano Rivera was setting up for John Wetteland. Whenever Joe Torre went to the pair at the end of the game, you could just mark the W in the column before the game was over.

And for the most part in 2011, the case has been the same with Bard and Papelbon. Bard picked up his 29th hold which leads the AL and Paps picked up his 29th save which is good for 4th in the AL.

With Kevin Youkilis on the shelf for the next two weeks and David Ortiz out for at least a week, someone on the offense is going to need to step up. Last night it was Dustin Pedroia who came through when the Red Sox needed him.

He provided the first two runs of the game with a single in the 3rd inning. And he brought in the winning run with a single in the 5th inning. He finished with three hits on the night. Jason Varitek knocked in the first run of the game for the Red Sox with a single.

Former Yale catcher Ryan Lavarnway made his MLB debut last night and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. However, he did show good plate discipline. He’ll more than likely be the DH until Big Papi returns from his heel bursitis injury.

Last night’s solid team win helped the Red Sox stay a ½ game behind the Yankees for first in the AL East. Unless something catastrophic happens, both of these teams are heading to the postseason. It’s just a matter of who is the division winner and who is the winner of the wild card.

For us here in Red Sox Nation, we hope to see the Red Sox as the AL East champions.

We’ll be back later today with the lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and more for tonight’s game. But for now enjoy the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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Red Sox reload on road [Boston Globe]

A chance to catch Lavarnway’s act [Boston Globe]

Youkilis forced to DL [Boston Globe]

Gedman eyes son’s progress [Boston Globe]

Red Sox look to stars to beat Royals [Boston Herald]

Sox call upon young slugger Ryan Lavarnway [Boston Herald]

Red Sox lineup takes another hit [Boston Herald]

Tired-but-true excuse by Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Daniel Bard: MLB players ‘eventually’ will agree to HGH testing [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox grind out win over Royals, 4-3 [CSN New England]

Pedroia key ingredient for Red Sox [CSN New England]

Notes: Beckett highly critical of recent schedule [CSN New England]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 4, Royals 3 [ESPN Boston]

Pedroia clutch again? No surprise there [ESPN Boston]

Beckett speaks his mind on the schedule [Extra Bases]

The Red Sox secret weapon in recruiting Senquez Golson? Carl Crawford [Full Count]

Closing Time: Josh Beckett, Dustin Pedroia help Red Sox edge Royals [Full Count]

Josh Beckett isn’t a big fan of how the Red Sox schedule is shaping up [Full Count]

Video: Terry Francona Not Too Concerned About Kevin Youkilis’ Trip to Disabled List [NESN.com]

Video: Ryan Lavarnway Was Hoping for September Call-Up, Calls Early Promotion ‘Good Surprise’ [NESN.com]

Pedroia (3 RBI) fills vacuum at cleanup [Providence Journal]

With injuries piling up, Lavarnway finally gets his shot [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Sore back sends Youkilis to DL [Providence Journal]

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

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Kansas City Star and the Topeka Capital-Journal websites.

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

Photo credit: Getty Images

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below 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

Video: UConn, USF special teams [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

DC answered some questions in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

First (Preseason) AP Poll To Be Released Saturday, My Ballot [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Football Open Practice This Saturday [UConnHuskies.com]

Nick Williams Hopes To Do More For UConn Than Just Return Kickoffs [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Day 2 in Italy; Visit to the Vatican, Beat the Netherlands [UConnHuskies.com]

Other UConn related links

W. Volleyball. Huskies Begin 2011 Season With Blue Vs. White Scrimmage [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Soccer. Women’s Soccer Set To Open Regular Season Against Northeastern [UConnHuskies.com]

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