2008 Connecticut Huskies football team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Connecticut Huskies
football team represents the University of Connecticut
in the 2008 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference
. The team is coached by Randy Edsall
and plays its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut
.
, who rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown. When he was given the ball, he made things happen time and time again. The injury bug also hit the Huskies and hit them hard. Starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen suffered a broken foot early in the second quarter paving the way for Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazier to take over the helm. Later in the third quarter, senior tight end Steve Brouse suffered a broken fibula. Despite the injuries to two of their senior offensive leaders, the Huskies rallied late behind Frazier and two way player Darius Butler
. Trailing by one point with 2:45 left in the game, Linebacker Lawrence Wilson picked off Cardinal's quarterback Hunter Cantwell
and went 45 yards the other way to put UConn up 26-21, with the two point conversion being unsuccessful. The UConn defense held strong on the ensuing possession, sealing the victory, and the Huskies second consecutive 5-0 start.
.
, Darius Butler was selected by the New England Patriots at #41, Will Beatty and Cody Brown
were selected late in the 2nd round at #60 (Will Beatty, New York Giants) and #63 (Cody Brown, Arizona Cardinals).
After the Draft, four other Huskies signed free agent contracts with NFL Teams. Those Huskies include: Julius Williams
(Jacksonville Jaguars), Dahna Deleston (Chicago Bears), Tyler Lorenzen
(Jacksonville Jaguars), and Keith Gray (Carolina Panthers)
On May 2, 2009, Senior Martin Bédard
was taken in the second round of the CFL Canadian Football League
Draft by the Montreal Alouettes
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
football team represents the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in the 2008 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. The team is coached by Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
and plays its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,252 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
.
Schedule
Hofstra
Making their 2008 season debut, the Huskies came out strong scoring 14 points in each of the first two quarters en route to a 35-3 victory against FCS opponent Hofstra. In the game, Donald Brown rushed for 150 yards and four touchdowns before giving way to Robbie Frey who added a score of his own. UConn also extended their home winning streak to 8 games extending back to last season.Temple
As UConn took the show on the road, conditions were less than ideal as Hurricane Hanna (in a weakened state) made her presence felt in Philadelphia. The game which was billed by Temple as UConn/Temple II didn't really live up to the hype of the controversial game last year. In a game which was largely played within the 20's, Donald Brown rushed for a career high 214 yards, and the game winning touchdown in overtime. Place kicker Tony Ciaravino added two field goals to give UConn their twelve point total for the day.Virginia
Junior tailback Donald Brown rushed for over 200 yards for the second consecutive week and senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen had a terrific game running the Connecticut offense as the Huskies manhandled Virginia, 45-10, in a non-conference football game played before a sellout crowd of 40,000 at Rentschler Field.Baylor
Junior tailback Donald Brown scored on a three-yard run with 6:04 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Connecticut defense held Baylor on fourth down with less than a minute to play as the Huskies hung on to defeat the Bears, 31-28, before a crowd of 38,870 at Rentschler Field.Louisville
The Huskies took the show on the road to start a very long, and potentially very rewarding three game road trip. The defense for UConn was less than stellar allowing 508 yards of offense, almost double their own output. The shining light for the Huskies was Donald BrownDonald Brown (American football)
Donald Eugene Brown II is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2006 to 2008.-High school career:Brown attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New...
, who rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown. When he was given the ball, he made things happen time and time again. The injury bug also hit the Huskies and hit them hard. Starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen suffered a broken foot early in the second quarter paving the way for Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazier to take over the helm. Later in the third quarter, senior tight end Steve Brouse suffered a broken fibula. Despite the injuries to two of their senior offensive leaders, the Huskies rallied late behind Frazier and two way player Darius Butler
Darius Butler
-New England Patriots:Butler was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 10, 2009, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots that included a total of about $2.1 million in guaranteed money....
. Trailing by one point with 2:45 left in the game, Linebacker Lawrence Wilson picked off Cardinal's quarterback Hunter Cantwell
Hunter Cantwell
Hunter Cantwell is an American football quarterback who most recently was a member of the practice squad with the Baltimore Ravens and has also played for the Carolina Panthers. He was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
and went 45 yards the other way to put UConn up 26-21, with the two point conversion being unsuccessful. The UConn defense held strong on the ensuing possession, sealing the victory, and the Huskies second consecutive 5-0 start.
International Bowl
The Huskies had a great season and were invited to their third bowl game in school history for the second straight year. On January 3, 2009 they played the University of Buffalo Bulls in the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada. The Huskies started off committing sloppy turnovers in the first half but would go on to win the game 38-20. Steve Brouse caught the only touchdown pass of the game while running back Donald Brown rushed for 261 yards on 29 carries and one TD. He was named the MVP of the game and after the game he decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
.
2009 Draft
Four players on the 2008 UConn football team were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25, 2009. Donald Brown was selected at #27 by the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Darius Butler was selected by the New England Patriots at #41, Will Beatty and Cody Brown
Cody Brown
Cody Dion Brown is an American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
were selected late in the 2nd round at #60 (Will Beatty, New York Giants) and #63 (Cody Brown, Arizona Cardinals).
After the Draft, four other Huskies signed free agent contracts with NFL Teams. Those Huskies include: Julius Williams
Julius Williams
Julius Williams is an Canadian football defensive end who is currently playing for the Edmonton Eskimos. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
(Jacksonville Jaguars), Dahna Deleston (Chicago Bears), Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler John Lorenzen is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
(Jacksonville Jaguars), and Keith Gray (Carolina Panthers)
On May 2, 2009, Senior Martin Bédard
Martin Bédard
Martin Bédard is a professional Canadian football fullback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Alouettes in the second round of the 2009 CFL Draft. He played college football for the UConn Huskies.-External links:**...
was taken in the second round of the CFL Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Draft by the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Coaches | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 23 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Harris | Not released | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||||
| BCS | Not released | -- | 25 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||||||
Post Season Team Awards
The 2008 Connecticut Huskies post season team awards were handed out during their annual team banquet. The award winners were:- Most Valuable Player
- Donald BrownDonald Brown (American football)Donald Eugene Brown II is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2006 to 2008.-High school career:Brown attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New...
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Donald Brown
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Cody Brown
- Special Teams Player of the Year
- Robbie Frey
- Joseph M. Giannelli Unsung Hero Award
- William Beatty and Dahna Deleston
- John L. Toner Scholar Athlete Award
- Keith Gray
- Football Alumni Award
- Tyler Lorenzen and Steve Brouse
- Kendall Madison Award
- Darius ButlerDarius Butler-New England Patriots:Butler was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 10, 2009, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots that included a total of about $2.1 million in guaranteed money....
- Brian Kozlowski Award
- Julius Williams
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
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Offensive Linemen
William Beatty (American football) William Keith Beatty is an American football offensive tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is currently the starting Left Tackle. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft... LT Mike Hicks (American football) Mike Hicks is an American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Sharks. He played as a wide receiver for the University of Mississippi before transferring to the University of Tennessee at Martin... RT Defensive Linemen
Linebackers
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Defensive Backs
Darius Butler -New England Patriots:Butler was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 10, 2009, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots that included a total of about $2.1 million in guaranteed money.... CB Jasper Howard Jasper Tyrone Howard , was a cornerback for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2007 to 2009. He was fatally stabbed on October 18, 2009, hours after UConn's win over the Louisville Cardinals.- Early life :... CB Robert McClain Robert "Reggie" McClain is a 7th round draft pick with the Carolina Panthers. He was a cornerback, punt returner, and kick returner with the University of Connecticut Huskies.... CB Special Teams
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