The UConn Huskies football team comes out of the tunnel for the game against SMU at Rentschler Field on December 6, 2014.
Here are the photos from the SMU Mustangs 27-20 win over the UConn Huskies at Rentschler Field on December 6, 2014.
To see full size picture or slide show, please click on image
(mobile/tablet users: to scroll through photos, you can swipe left or right; to remove caption, tap photo.)
photo credits: ©2014 Ian Bethune
UConn forward Morgan Tuck drives past Notre Dame defender Markisha Wright in the 1st half in the Jimmy V Women’s Classic in the Purcell Pavillion at the Joyce Center.
Back when the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team lost to the Stanford Cardinal, head coach Geno Auriemma got a good measuring point of where his team was at in their second game. Since that game, the Huskies have worked to get better as a team.
It showed on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, IN when UConn routed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76-58 in the Jimmy V. Classic at Purcell Pavilion.
The Huskies improve to 6-1 while the Fighting Irish suffer their first loss to fall to 8-1.
Morgan Tuck led the way for UConn with a career-high 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Breanna Stewart added 15 points and nine rebounds while both Moriah Jefferson and Kia Nurse each had 12 points.
Kiah Stokes was a monster on the glass pulling down 18 rebounds while scoring six points and blocking four shots.
Jewell Loyd led all scorers with a career-high tying 31 points. Lindsay Allen chipped in with 11 points while Taya Reimer had eight points and six rebounds. Markisha Wright had a team-high seven rebounds but had just one point.
The Huskies are off for finals and return to action on December 19 when they’ll host Depaul at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT.
UConn Huskies vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish 12/6/14 box score
Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw.
SMU QB Matt Davis (4) dives into the end zone for a touchdown after a 26 yard run against UConn in the third quarter at Rentschler Field on December 6, 2014.
On Friday night, UConn Huskies basketball coach Kevin Ollie said his team had hit bottom after losing to Yale. You have to figure the UConn Football team might be right there with them.
The SMU Mustangs came into the game on Saturday not having won a game. But when the final whistle blew, they found themselves with their only win of the season when they beat UConn 27-20 in front of an announced crowd of 22,921 at rainy Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT.
UConn finishes the season at 2-10 (1-7 American). SMU ends their season at 1-11 (1-7 American).
So how did UConn lose this one, especially after being up 20-6. As has been the case for now eight of their ten losses, they beat themselves with turnovers.
The Huskies had five turnovers (four fumbles, one interception).
“You can’t beat anybody when you turn the ball over five times,” said head coach Bob Diaco. “It’s impossible.”
UConn had built up a 20-6 lead at the half on the strength of their run game and defense. In the second half, they failed to show up on both sides of the ball. Plus the turnovers didn’t help matters.
The Huskies were to receive the ball to start the second half but on the kickoff Arkeel Newsome fumbled it and the Mustangs recovered. They would go in to score to cut the lead to 20-13.
After going three and out, then holding on SMU on their ensuing drive, Deshon Foxx fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Mustangs. Seven plays later, the game was tied at 20-20.
SMU would go ahead for good after blocking a Bobby Puyol field goal. They got the ball at their own 30 and drove it 70 yards capped off Prescott Line who ran in a 12 yard touchdown.
After moving the ball their ball 21 yards after a Brian Lemelle kick return to his 26 yard line, Max DeLorenzo fumbled the ball on a hit from Kevin Pope. UConn would get the ball back after Andrew Adams forced a fumble but the inept offense went three-and-out.
From there, the SMU offense ran out the final 4:13 of the game although they did have some trouble executing the victory formation at the end. They were called for two penalties of illegal formation and finally went to a normal one that saw their QB Matt Davis take a knee that way.
I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t won a game until that point.
“We have to eliminate the things that cause losing,” said Diaco.
Well until the Huskies figure out how to do that, they won’t be any good next year either.
Scoring:
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| SMU Mustangs | 6 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
| UConn Huskies | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
1st quarter
SMU – 12:01 – Cody Rademacher 44 Yd Field Goal
SMU – 5:15 – Cody Rademacher 28 Yd Field Goal
CON – 2:13 – Andrew Adams 32 Yd Fumble Return (Bobby Puyol PAT failed)
2nd quarter
CON – 9:29 – Max DeLorenzo 46 Yd Run (Bobby Puyol Kick)
CON – 1:10 – Ron Johnson 13 Yd Run (Bobby Puyol Kick)
3rd quarter
SMU – 13:03 – Prescott Line 4 Yd Run (Cody Rademacher Kick)
SMU – 3:50 – Matt Davis 26 Yd Run (Cody Rademacher Kick)
4th quarter
SMU – 9:22 – Prescott Line 12 Yd Run (Cody Rademacher Kick)
Offensive Players of the Game:
SMU QB Matt Davis ran 22 times for 191 yards and a touchdown. He also had 145 passing yards with an interception.
Defensive Player of the Game:
UConn S Andrew Adams had three tackles, a fumble return for a touchdown and forced fumble.
Turning Point(s) of the Game:
Pick a turnover in the second half, any UConn turnover.
Offensive Notes:
While the weather wasn’t optimal for passing, Tim Boyle showed he’s probably not the answer at QB as he was 4-of-11 for just 29 yards. Chandler Whitmer threw three passes, completing one for 38 yards. His last collegiate pass was an interception. Ron Johnson had 23 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Deshon Foxx had 68 yards rushing while Max DeLorenzo had 66 yards and a touchdown. Geremy Davis finished his college career with three catches for 22 yards. Joshua Marriner had one catch for 38 yards.
Defensive Notes:
Graham Stewart led the Huskies with 11 tackles. Marquise Vann had nine tackles and a forced fumble while Junior Joseph had seven tackles. Jhavon Williams had five tackles and two forced fumbles. Mikal Myers had UConn’s only sack with Andrew Adams adding three tackles, a fumble return for a touchdown and forced fumble.
Special Teams Notes:
Bobby Puyol made two-of-three extra point attempts and had his only field goal attempt blocked (47 yards). Deshon Foxx had a fumble on a punt as did Arkeel Newsome on a kick return. Justin Wain averaged 37 yards on six punts and had two downed inside the 20.
Game Notes:
SMU Mustangs @ UConn Huskies 12/6/14 box score
Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Bob Diaco and SMU interim head coach Tom Mason.
Here are the postgame notes courtesy of UConn Athletic Communications:
SMU beat UConn to escape a winless season, and it’s not the first time the Mustangs program has been in a low place and gotten a win over the Huskies. When SMU returned from the Death Penalty in 1989, their first win was a 31-30 victory over UConn (ESPN Stats & Info).
Injuries:
No major injuries for the Huskies during the game.
AAC Games and Results:
Thursday, December 4
UCF 32
East Carolina 30
Saturday, December 6
Houston 31
Cincinnati 38
Temple 10
Tulane 3
Things to Work On:
Keep bringing in recruits.
Figure out how to hold on the dang ball.
Stop beating themselves
Up Next:
The season is over for the UConn football team.
photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune
HARTFORD, December 6, 2014: Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the the Wolf Pack has recalled forward Shawn O’Donnell from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors, and that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned forward Josh Nicholls from the Wolf Pack to Greenville.
O’Donnell, a 6-1, 192-pound second-year pro, played three games with the Wolf Pack, going scoreless with 17 penalty minutes, prior to being reassigned to the Road Warriors November 6. In 12 ECHL contests, the 26-year-old Halifax, N.S. native collected three goals and five assists for eight points, along with 19 PIM and a +5.
Nicholls, a second-year pro out of the Western Hockey League, earned one assist, his first career AHL point, and had three shots on goal in five games with the Wolf Pack, after being summoned from Greenville November 22. Nicholls has four goals and five assists for nine points, along with six penalty minutes, in nine ECHL games this season.
The Wolf Pack are back on home ice tonight, with the Springfield Falcons visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game. The first 5,000 fans into the game receive a free Wolf Pack car magnet.
Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.
To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
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.
Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.
It’s game day for the UConn Huskies football team and UConn women’s basketball team.
The UConn Football team is up first as they’ll take on the SMU Mustangs on Senior Day at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. If you missed our SMU vs UConn preview, be sure to check it out.
The UConn women’s basketball team will take on their bitter rivals, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, in South Bend, IN this afternoon at 3:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and will also be available online at WatchESPN. If you can’t watch the game, you can always listen to Bob Joyce and Debbie Fiske on the UConn IMG Radio Network.
To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click
UConn Football links
Video: “Little Extra Heart Beat” For UConn Football Seniors [sox & dawgs]
Video: UConn DT B.J. McBryde on NFL Possibilities [sox & dawgs]
UConn Can’t Take SMU Lightly; Needs To End On Positive Note [hartford courant]
UConn senior Alex Mateas says offensive line in good hands [new haven register]
UConn Women’s Basketball links
UConn believes it has something to prove vs. Notre Dame [ct post]
Game’s Greatest Rivalry Resumes: UConn Women At Notre Dame [hartford courant]
Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd take center stage as No. 3 UConn battles No. 2 Notre Dame [new haven register]
Huskies hope to make statement against Irish [sny uconn]
Irish women eager to pay back UConn [ft. wayne journal gazette]
UConn-Notre Dame Rivalry [espnW]
UConn Men’s Basketball links
Video: Montague’s Dagger Helps Yale Upset UConn, 45-44 [sox & dawgs]
Tickets Now Available For 2015 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship [uconn huskies]
Yale stuns UConn [ct post]
Huskies hit rock bottom with loss to Yale [ct post]
Yale Stuns UConn 45-44 On Montague Three-Pointer [hartford courant]
Ollie Credits Boatright For Playing Hurt [hartford courant]
5 UConn Men’s Lessons Learned: Too Much ‘I’ In Huskies [hartford courant]
Yale stuns UConn, 45-44 [new haven register]
UConn men’s postgame: Embarrassing loss to Yale [sny uconn]
UConn loses another late-game stunner … this time to Yale [the day]
Huskies ask ‘again?’ [the hour]
Other UConn related links
W. Track & W. Cross Country. Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Inks Four Student-Athletes [uconn huskies]
M. Ice Hockey. Huskies Featured on December Epsiode of New England Hockey Journal TV [uconn huskies]
For 12 UConn Huskies football seniors, today will be the last college football game they play.
Some will get a chance at the NFL while the rest will move on to the real world. What their future holds, no one but them knows.
Each one has their own dreams of what they want to do. And with that, they’ll bring many life lessons from their time at the University of Connecticut wherever they end.
Watch and/or listen below as UConn head coach Bob Diaco along with seniors B.J. McBryde, Deshon Foxx and Alex Mateas talk about Senior Day.
As far as football years go, UConn Huskies DT B.J. McBryde is a young pup. He didn’t start playing the game until his senior year of high school.
With that, he’s still learning the game and according to him he hasn’t reached his peak yet.
So what does that mean as far as getting a chance at the NFL?
Obviously, he’s a project having played so little football. He does have the size and the speed to make it. His skills aren’t NFL level but those can still be developed.
Odds are that he’ll probably get a chance whether being a late round draft or being picked up as undrafted free agent. I doubt he’d make an opening day roster but I’d have to guess that he could most likely spend at least the 2015 season on someone’s practice squad working on his craft.
Watch below as McBryde talks about not giving up and wanting a chance at the NFL
UConn C Amida Brimah (35) makes a move to the basket past a Yale defender in the first half at Gampel Pavilion.
Here are the photos from the Yale Bulldogs 45-44 win over the UConn Huskies at Gampel Pavilion on December 5, 2014.
To see full size picture or slide show, please click on image
(mobile/tablet users: to scroll through photos, you can swipe left or right; to remove caption, tap photo.)
photo credits: ©2014 Ian Bethune
Yale G Jack Montague (4) puts up what turned out to be the winning three pointer over the outstretched arm of UConn G Sam Cassell Jr. (10) at Gampel Pavilion on December 5, 2014.
It was a case of déjà vu for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team on Friday night against the Yale Bulldogs.
They found themselves up by two points late in the game only to miss a foul shot and then give up the winning three pointer in almost the same exact spot as Sunday against the Texas Longhorns.
Jack Montague‘s three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left gave Yale the 45-44 upset win over UConn in front of 9,538 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT.
The Huskies fall to 3-3 while the Bulldogs are now 8-2.
Amida Brimah led the way for defending national champions with 14 points and added four rebounds. Sam Cassell Jr. was the only other member of UConn to hit double figures with 12 points. Kentan Facey led the team with six rebounds while scoring eight points.
Ryan Boatright, who was a game time decision with an ankle injury, scored six points and had six assists. However he committed four turnovers and missed the crucial free throw on the front end of a 1-and-1 late in the game.
Javier Duren paced Yale with 15 points while Justin Sears had a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
The last time Yale beat UConn, it was December 12, 1986. Seventeen days later that year, they lost to Hartford 49-48. They hadn’t lost a game to in-state opponent since that game, a span of 68 games.
The Huskies break for finals and look to find an identity before hitting the XL Center court on December 14 when they”ll take on Coppin State.
Yale Bulldogs @ UConn Huskies 12/5/14 box score
Here are the post game quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.
Here UConn’s postgame notes.
photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune
Syracuse, NY, December 5, 2014 – After spotting the Syracuse Crunch a 5-0 first-period lead Friday night at the War Memorial Arena, the Hartford Wolf Pack mounted a furious comeback, but the Crunch held on for a 6-5 victory.
Mike Angelidis had two goals, including the game-winner, for Syracuse, and Vladislav Namestnikov had a goal and two assists. Chris Bourque and Danny Kristo had a goal and an assist each for the Wolf Pack, and Ryan Bourque had two assists.
“It’s definitely nice to see that we are capable of doing that,” Chris Bourque said of the Wolf Pack comeback, “but at the same time it’s disappointing that we put ourselves in that big of a hole to start the game. We definitely weren’t ready to play and it showed, 5-0 after the first, but a real good effort by the guys coming back and making it 6-5. It shows some resilience, and we didn’t give up until the final buzzer.”
The Syracuse first-period scoring parade started at the 59-second mark, after the Wolf Pack’s Marek Hrivik was called for boarding 32 seconds in. Namestnikov, in his first AHL game of the year after being assigned by parent-club Tampa Bay, knocked his own rebound past Wolf Pack starting goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, after a nice move by Jonathan Marchessault set up the play.
The Crunch then got a pair of goals in 18 seconds starting at the 3:26 mark, chasing Skapski (four saves) from the game.
Angelidis made it 2-0 Syracuse at 3:26, backhanding the puck in from Skapski’s left, after taking a feed from Yanni Gourde.
The lead grew to 3-0 at 3:44, with Joel Vermin scoring on a deflection. Nikita Nesterov wristed the puck at the net from the right point, and Vermin tipped it through Skapski’s pads.
That brought Cedrick Desjardins into the game, and the Crunch power play got one by him at 13:34, with Jake Dotchin scoring his first pro goal. Dylan Blujus set Dotchin up at the top of the left circle, and Dotchin’s one-timer beat Desjardins’ catching glove.
Gourde made it a five-goal lead with 3:26 remaining in the period, with his 10th of the season. Tanner Richard was able to shed a check behind the net, and Gourde got loose and banged Richard’s pass inside the post to Desjardins’ left.
After the first-period disaster, though, the Wolf Pack got right back into the game in the second, scoring three times.
Ryan Haggerty got Hartford on the board on a power play at 1:55, scoring for a second straight game. Haggerty kept the puck in the zone near the left point, and fired a shot that went through a Justin Vaive screen and got by Crunch goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis (30 saves).
Chad Nehring then got his first AHL point with a goal just 1:54 later, at 3:49, cutting the lead to 5-2. A Josh Nicholls bid went off of Gudlevskis’ chest, and Nehring batted it out of the air and into the net.
A Ryan Malone goal, his first in a Wolf Pack uniform, made it a 5-3 game at 9:37. After a Ryan Bourque’s shot hit the side of the net, the puck bounced to the right-wing side of the goalmouth, and Malone backhanded it off of Gudlevskis and in behind him.
The Wolf Pack surge continued early in the third period, with the Wolf Pack power play connecting at the 4:02 mark, with Luke Witkowski in the box for tripping. Chris Bourque grabbed the puck in the left-wing corner and fed it to Danny Kristo jamming the middle, and Kristo put a shot past Gudlevskis’ catching glove to make it a one-goal game.
Angelidis got the eventual game-winner only 2:09 later on a Syracuse power play, off of a goalmouth scramble. Namestnikov’s shot from the right point was stopped by Desjardins, but the Wolf Pack could never find the rebound, and Angelidis, while down on the ice in front of the net, was able to rap it in.
That goal loomed large, as the Wolf Pack responded 1:39 after that, at 7:50, with their third man-advantage goal of the game. With Witkowski off for unsportsmanlike conduct, Chris Bourque fired a shot from a sharp angle on left wing, and it got by Gudlevskis on the long side, underneath the catching glove.
The Wolf Pack exerted furious pressure in the final minute, with Desjardins on the bench for an extra attacker, but could never tie the score, despite a great chance for Ryan Bourque from the slot in the dying seconds. Bourque’s shot went over the net, and Syracuse survived to get the win.
The Wolf Pack are back on home ice Saturday night, with the Springfield Falcons visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game. The first 5,000 fans into that game receive a free Wolf Pack car magnet.
Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.
To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Hartford Wolf Pack 5 at Syracuse Crunch 6
Friday, December 5, 2014 – Onondaga County War Memorial Arena
Hartford 0 3 2 – 5
Syracuse 5 0 1 – 6
1st Period-1, Syracuse, Namestnikov 1 (Marchessault, Nesterov), 0:59 (PP). 2, Syracuse, Angelidis 7 (Smith, Gourde), 3:26. 3, Syracuse, Vermin 6 (Nesterov, Namestnikov), 3:44. 4, Syracuse, Dotchin 1 (Blujus, Richard), 13:34 (PP). 5, Syracuse, Gourde 10 (Richard, Paradis), 16:34. Penalties-Hrivik Hfd (boarding), 0:32; Paradis Syr (holding), 8:32; Vaive Hfd (tripping), 12:53; Jackson Hfd (interference), 17:16; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 17:16; Paradis Syr (roughing), 17:16; served by Richard Syr (bench minor – too many men), 19:14.
2nd Period-6, Hartford, Haggerty 5 (Lindberg, R. Bourque), 1:55 (PP). 7, Hartford, Nehring 1 (Nicholls, Jackson), 3:49. 8, Hartford, Malone 1 (R. Bourque, Mueller), 9:37. Penalties-Koekkoek Syr (cross-checking), 0:58; R. Bourque Hfd (slashing), 11:52; Vaive Hfd (goaltender interference), 19:45.
3rd Period-9, Hartford, Kristo 6 (C. Bourque, Kostka), 4:02 (PP). 10, Syracuse, Angelidis 8 (Namestnikov, Marchessault), 6:11 (PP). 11, Hartford, C. Bourque 8 (Bodie, Kristo), 7:50 (PP). Penalties-Witkowski Syr (tripping), 2:08; Jackson Hfd (cross-checking), 4:47; Witkowski Syr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 6:49; Angelidis Syr (delay of game), 9:45.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 15-13-7-35. Syracuse 12-14-7-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 3 / 6; Syracuse 3 / 6.
Goalies-Hartford, Skapski 5-4-0 (7 shots-4 saves); Desjardins 5-3-0 (26 shots-23 saves). Syracuse, Gudlevskis 7-4-0 (35 shots-30 saves).
A-4,234
Referees-Michael Mullen (18), Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Andy Petrus (26), Chris Woodworth (17).