Former Husky RB Donald Brown Heading To Super Bowl

Donald Brown #31 of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lucas Oli Stadium on January 16, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana - Getty Images

Here’s a press release from the UConn Sports Information department about former UConn Huskies running back Donald Brown who will be playing in the Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts.

STORRS, Conn. – Former University of Connecticut running back Donald Brown will become the third Husky to play in a Super Bowl when his Indianapolis Colts take on the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, Feb. 7 in Miami.

Brown, a rookie with the Colts, gained 18 yards on six carries in the Colts’ NFC Championship Game victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Brown had 78 carries for 281 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season.

Brown was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, becoming the first UConn player to be picked in the first round. He was the leading rusher in the NCAA FBS in 2009 and was the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year.

UConn will also be represented in this year’s Super Bowl by two players on practice squads. Keith Gray, who started 31 games for UConn at center through 2008, is on the Colts’ practice squad while former quarterback Tyler Lorenzen (2007-08) is a tight end on the Saints’ practice squad.

Nick Giaquinto, who played at UConn from 1975-76, was the first Husky to play in the Super Bowl. He played in Super Bowl XVII in 1982 for the victorious Washington Redskins and in Super Bowl XVIII in 1983 that Washington lost.

In addition, Brian Kozlowski, who played at UConn from 1989-92, played in Super Bowl XXXIII (1999) for the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, who lost to the Denver Broncos.

2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards Winners

SAG AwardFor those who wonder why I venture into these sorts of posts about movies it’s because I’m a movie buff. I love watching movies, new or old. So each year when the awards come out, I always look to see how many of the movies and television shows I’ve seen or watch. So without further adieu, here is the list of the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award Winners and those who were nominated after the jump. Continue reading →

Dixon, Witten Part of East’s 13-10 Win In Shrine Game

Andre Dixon (L), Lindsey Witten (R) - Hartford Courant photos

Two members of the 2009 UConn Huskies football team, running back Andre Dixon and defensive end Lindsey Witten, were busy playing football on Saturday in the East-West Shrine Game. Both were part of the East’s 13-10 win at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Witten has one tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries while Dixon did lead the East squad with 24 yards rushing on seven carries.

I was able to find something from Scouts, Inc. on Dixon’s day and another article about Witten from Friday’s practice. They are below for your enjoyment.

Here’s what Scouts, Inc. had to say about Dixon’s day for the East squad.

East RB Andre Dixon (Connecticut) has surprisingly looked hesistant at times today. He’s a downhill runner on film and during practices this week so we didn’t expect to see the stutter steps at the line of scrimmage today. He has room to improve as a receiver with his hands away from his frame and running crisper routes, but he’s athletic enough to do it. He’s also a willing pass blocker who will step up and take on blitzing linebackers. Despite today’s struggles, he’ll be a good value for someone in the middle rounds.

And here’s what Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. had to say about Witten after practice on Friday.

DE Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
Witten had a solid week of practice, but today’s good showing leaves a favorable impression in scouts’ minds. He showed active hands and good upper-body strength during team run period. He also showed a little bit of a mean streak when he got double-teamed and fought through it nicely. He used his quickness around the edge and his active hands to victimize Rutgers OL Kevin Haslam during one-on-one pass rush drills. There are concerns about his ability to anchor in the run game, but he showed quickness and is tougher than his size (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) might suggest.

Editor’s note: Links from Scouts, Inc. are for ESPN Insider

UConn Men Upset No.1 Texas 88-74

Stanley Robinson is mobbed by fans after UConn's 88-74 upset win over top-ranked Texas at Gampel Pavilion on Jan. 23, 2010 - Patrick Raycraft/Hartford Courant

It was a tale of two halves for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon.

In the first half, it looked as though they were going to be blown out of Gampel Pavilion after trailing by eight points to the No. 1 Texas Longhorns at the half while committing 16 turnovers. The second half it was like the two teams switched uniforms as UConn was lights out on both ends of the floor while Texas was turning the ball over.

Texas' Avery Bradley can only watch as UConn guard Jerome Dyson puts the finishing touch on a score off of a Texas turnover late in the second half at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs on Jan. 23, 2010. Dyson led the Huskies with 32 points in their 88-74 upset over Texas - Patrick Raycraft/Hartford CourantAnd because of that strong second half and Jerome Dyson’s career-high 32 points, the Huskies came back for an 88-75 upset of the Longhorns in front of 10,167 fans and a nationally televised audience on CBS.

The Huskies got their first win over a ranked team this year and improve to 13-6.  It’s the second straight loss for the Longhorns who fall to 17-2 on the season.

More importantly, it gives the Huskies a much needed win for their tournament resume as they go forward.

Despite eight turnovers (six in the first half), Kemba Walker had a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists and also added six steals. Stanley Robinson added a double-double of his own with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Gavin Edwards came off the bench to add 11 points.

Even though he only scored five points, Ater Majok had probably his finest game in a UConn uniform as he played with energy unlike we’ve seen from him all season. He had six rebounds and led the Huskies with four blocked shots while playing a season-high 31 minutes.

Damion James paced Rick Barnes’ squad with 25 points and seven rebounds. Avery Bradley chipped in with 15 points while Gary Johnson had nine points and seven rebounds.

The first half was pretty ugly for the Huskies as they committed 16 turnovers which the Longhorns turned into 25 points. They could have been down more than 10 at the half but the Longhorns missed some easy shots.

The first four minutes of the game were pretty much evenly contested with the Longhorns holding an 14-11 advantage at the first media timeout. They increased their lead to nine at 20-11 before a 9-0 run by the Huskies tied it up.

The two teams exchanged three-pointers and then Texas went on a 7-0 run. The Huskies would score the next four points to cut to a three point lead but that’s as close as they would get in the half. They would head into the locker room trailing 42-34.

Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker begin the victory celebration near the end of the Huskies' decisive victory over No. 1 Texas on Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion - Patrick Raycraft/Hartford CourantA Robinson turnover to start the second led to an Avery Bradley dunk that gave the Longhorns a 10 point lead and forced UConn acting head coach George Blaney to take a 30 second timeout. A 7-0 run by Walker and Dyson cut the Texas lead to three points at 44-41 but the Longhorns would get the lead up to seven points at 50-43.

After the teams exchanged layups, Dyson hit a three-pointer with 14:24 to go that ignited a 13-0 run that would give the Huskies a 58-52 lead with 11:29 to go. The Longhorns would get no closer than four points the rest of the way as turnovers and missed shots plagued them.

This was exactly what the Huskies needed. While the first half wasn’t pretty by no means, it was what they didn in the second half that mattered. They came out and played basketball to their abilities. And when they do that, they can show what we’ve expected from them all season long.

While the big three of Dyson, Robinson and Walker were strong, it was the contributions from the role players like Edwards, Majok and Donnell Beverly that can’t be overlooked. All three of them were strong and Beverly helped out by slowing things down a little due to Walker’s struggles in the first half.

In the end, it was the win the Huskies desperately needed and one that would make their head coach Jim Calhoun proud. One can only imagine what he was thinking during the first half but he had to have had a big smile on his face when the students stormed the court after the win.

The Huskies are back in action on Wednesday night when they head to the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI for a Big East matchup with the Providence Friars. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised locally on My-TV9 and SNY.

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UConn Women Have No Problems With Villanova

UConn's Maya Moore shoots over Villanova's Emily Suhey, left, and Jesse Carey, right, in the first half as the UConn women's basketball team takes on Villanova at The Pavilion in Villanova, Penn. Saturday Jan. 23, 2010 - Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant

During the UConn Huskies women’s basketball 70-game winning streak from 2001-03, the Villanova Wildcats were the 58th victim during that stretch of wins.

On Saturday afternoon in front of 3,723 at the Pavilion in Villanova, PA, the Huskies made the Wildcats their 58th victim of their current winning streak with a convincing 74-35 win.

With their 58th straight win, the No. 1 Huskies improve to 19-0 (6-0 Big East).  Harry Peretta’s Wildcats fall to 11-7 (0-5).

Maya Moore led the way for UConn with 24 points in just 23 minutes of action.  She also had eight rebounds and four assists. Tina Charles added 14 points and eight rebounds while Kalana Greene had 10 points.

UConn's Meghan Gardler shoots in the second half of the UConn women's basketball game against Villanova at The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa., Saturday Jan. 23, 2010. It was Gardler's first time as a starter, which Auriemma decided to do since she is from the area - Bettina Hansen/Hartford CourantMeghan Gardler made her first career start in what served as her homecoming game and finished with 6 points. Doylestown, PA native Caroline Doty led the Huskies with six assists.

Maria Getty paced the Wildcats with 11 points. Marlbourough, CT native Rachel Roberts added six points in just her second game while Laura Sweeney added six points as well. Kyle Dougherty pulled down five rebounds to lead the Wildcats.

If there was any chance of Villanova ending this winning streak like they did to the UConn’s 70 game winning streak, the Huskies quickly put that notion to bed.

The Wildcats got out to quick 1-0 lead when Getty hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line but it was all Huskies after that. They went on a 18-7 run to open up a ten point lead. Then in typical UConn fashion, they scored the next 21 points to push their lead to 31.

The Huskies took a 45-12 lead into the locker room and never looked back from there as Geno Auriemma had his charges take it easy on his old friend’s team in the second half.

One day someone will give the Huskies a 40 minute battle. My guess is that one day won’t be until sometime during the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies return to action on Tuesday night when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights come to the XL Center for a Big East matchup. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast somewhat nationally on CBS College Sports.

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Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 1/23

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they are in the Philadelphia area to take on the Villanova Wildcats in a Big East matchup. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. and will be televised locally here in Connecticut on CPTV. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.

It’s also game day for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as the No. 1 Texas Longhorns come to Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT for a non-conference nationally-televised matchup. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and will be televised on CBS. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.

And let’s not forget that two members of the UConn Huskies football team will be in action on Saturday afternoon as well. Running back Andre Dixon and defensive end Lindsey Witten are playing for the East team in the East-West Shrine Bowl being held at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

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