List of Connecticut Huskies bowl games
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut Huskies (UConn) football team
has represented the University of Connecticut
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) football
since the team's founding in 1896. The Huskies have played in five post-season bowl games since 2004, all following UConn football's transition from NCAA Division I-AA to Division I-A in 2000, and Connecticut's entry into the Big East Conference
for football in 2004. UConn has been invited to a bowl game every season since the 2007 season
, a four-year streak.
Under former head coach
Randy Edsall
, the Connecticut Huskies football program enjoyed unprecedented success. Prior to his hiring in 1999, UConn only appeared in two post-season football contests, during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. In the past decade the Huskies, in addition to their five bowl appearances, have shared two Big East conference championships and been ranked at various times in the Associated Press
(AP), Coaches'
, and Harris polls, as well as the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) standings.
Multiple future National Football League
draft picks
have had superior performances for Connecticut in bowl games, including the first UConn player ever to be picked in the first round of the draft
: running back
Donald Brown
. Brown made appearances in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
, where he led all Connecticut rushers with 72 yards—fourth-best in UConn bowl game history—and the 2009 International Bowl
, where he rushed for 261 yards and a touchdown and was named the game's most valuable player
(MVP)—the best rushing performance in Connecticut bowl game history. Dan Orlovsky
earned MVP honors for his UConn-bowl game-best passing performance in 2004; he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
by the Detroit Lions and currently plays for the Houston Texans
. Wide receiver Marcus Easley
was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
by the Buffalo Bills
.
The Huskies' first post-season bowl game was in 2004, when they participated in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
in Detroit, Michigan
on December 27 against the Toledo Rockets
. The most recent UConn bowl game occurred on January 1, 2011, when the Huskies faced the Oklahoma Sooners
in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl
, Connecticut's first Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) appearance. A loss in that game brought Connecticut to an overall bowl record of three wins and two losses, a .600 winning percentage.
for football. The season before, UConn finished with a 9–3 overall record, but did not receive a bowl invitation due to the lack of conference affiliation. Even as a full member of the Big East, UConn was shut out of the conference-affiliated bowl picture. Pittsburgh
, Boston College (in its last year in the Big East before leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC)), West Virginia
, and Syracuse all finished ahead of the Huskies in a four-way tie for first place; they filled four of the five conference bowl slots. The remaining slot was filled by Notre Dame
, who was not a member of the Big East Conference for football but had a contract allowing them to be selected in place of a Big East team. Fortunately for UConn, the Big Ten did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all of its contracted bowl slots, allowing the Motor City Bowl
to pick the Huskies. UConn's opponent would be the Toledo Rockets
of the Mid-American Conference
(MAC), who earned their berth by winning the 2004 MAC Championship Game
.
The 2004 Motor City Bowl was played on December 27, 2004 at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
. The game was anticipated to be a high-scoring affair, with both teams' quarterbacks
among the top seven nationally in passing that year. However, Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski
had broken his throwing hand during the MAC Championship Game and was largely ineffective; he was only able to complete six of twelve passes
for 43 yards and did not play in the second half. Connecticut scored what was then a Motor City Bowl-record 17 points in the first quarter, from a field goal
, a 32-yard touchdown
pass from quarterback Dan Orlovsky
to wide receiver
Jason Williams on a 4th-down-and-6 play, and a 68-yard punt
return for a touchdown by Larry Taylor. In the second quarter, after Toledo finally scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown by Gradkowski, UConn added 13 more points to the scoreboard. The Rockets would not come back in the second half; the Huskies won the game 39–10. Orlovsky was named the game's most valuable player
(MVP); he completed 20 of 41 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
, who beat the Huskies 66–21 that year, earned the Big East's automatic BCS bowl bid; UConn had to settle for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Their opponent was Wake Forest, the previous season's Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) champion.
In the first half, Connecticut took a 10–0 lead off of a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown by Larry Taylor and a field goal. Wake Forest dominated the second half, taking the lead late in the third quarter off of 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Riley Skinner
to tight end
John Tereshinski. The Demon Deacons added ten more points in the fourth quarter off of a field goal and a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Micah Andrews
. The final score was 24–10 in favor of Wake Forest. UConn earned only nine first downs and failed to score an offensive touchdown.
with a regular season record of 8–5, highlighted by an upset win over then-No. 12 and undefeated Ball State
in the 2008 MAC Championship Game
. This was the second time, after the 2004 Motor City Bowl, that the Huskies faced the MAC champions in a bowl game.
The Huskies, led by running back
Donald Brown
's 208 yards rushing, dominated the first half statistically, but found themselves down 20–10 midway through the second quarter due to giving up six fumbles, five of which were recovered by Buffalo. UConn would close the gap to 20–17 by halftime, and take the lead for good late in the third quarter off of a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen
to tight end Steve Brouse. The Connecticut victory was sealed when, late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy
threw a pass that was intercepted by UConn safety Dahna Deleston and returned 100 yards for a touchdown, making the final score 38–20 in favor of the Huskies.
Brown was named player of the game. He finished with 261 rushing yards and one touchdown; his 2,083 rushing yards for the 2008 season was best in the NCAA. Following the game, Brown declared his eligibility for the 2009 NFL Draft
; he would become the first Connecticut player ever drafted in the first round. Three other UConn players were drafted in the second round.
victory at Notre Dame
, and the murder of cornerback
Jasper Howard
. Facing the Huskies were the South Carolina Gamecocks with the same regular season record of 7–5, highlighted by wins over then-No. 4 Mississippi
and then-No. 15 Clemson
. This game would be the first time UConn would face a Southeastern Conference
opponent in a bowl game.
Connecticut took control of the contest in the first quarter, scoring on a one-handed 37-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Kashif Moore and then, after South Carolina failed to convert a fourth down play at their own 32-yard line, kicking a 33-yard field goal to take a 10–0 lead. Running back Andre Dixon
scored on a 10-yard rush early in the fourth quarter to put the game away for UConn; the only Gamecock touchdown, on a two-yard run by Brian Maddox, came after the game had effectively been decided. The final score was 20–7 in favor of the Huskies.
Dixon was named player of the game, finishing with 126 rushing yards and one touchdown. Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley
and South Carolina linebacker
Eric Norwood
were among four players from the two teams to be selected in the 2010 NFL Draft
.
(BCS) game, following a 8–4 regular season where they split the Big East conference championship with Pittsburgh
and West Virginia
. The Huskies earned the BCS berth by beating both West Virginia and Pittsburgh in consecutive weeks during the regular season. They faced the Oklahoma Sooners, who beat Nebraska
to win the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game
. The game marked the first matchup between the Huskies and a Big 12 team in a bowl game, and the first meeting ever in football between Connecticut and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma converted their first two possessions into touchdowns to take a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies struck back as cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted a pass from Sooner quarterback Landry Jones
and returned it for a touchdown; after multiple field goals, the score was 20–10 in Oklahoma's favor at halftime. In the second half, Oklahoma added two more touchdowns on a 59-yard pass and an interception return for a touchdown to extend their lead to 34–10; Connecticut responded by returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Although the Huskies would kick another field goal to reduce their deficit to 34–20, the Sooners would put the game away in the fourth quarter, scoring two more touchdowns to make the final score 48–20. Connecticut failed to score a single offensive touchdown in the game.
Following the game, Randy Edsall left UConn to become head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football
team. He was replaced by Paul Pasqualoni
.
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
has represented 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 National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
since the team's founding in 1896. The Huskies have played in five post-season bowl games since 2004, all following UConn football's transition from NCAA Division I-AA to Division I-A in 2000, and Connecticut's entry into 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...
for football in 2004. UConn has been invited to a bowl game every season since the 2007 season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
, a four-year streak.
Under former head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
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...
, the Connecticut Huskies football program enjoyed unprecedented success. Prior to his hiring in 1999, UConn only appeared in two post-season football contests, during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. In the past decade the Huskies, in addition to their five bowl appearances, have shared two Big East conference championships and been ranked at various times in the Associated Press
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
(AP), Coaches'
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, and Harris polls, as well as the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) standings.
Multiple future National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
draft picks
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
have had superior performances for Connecticut in bowl games, including the first UConn player ever to be picked in the first round of the draft
2009 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...
: running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Donald Brown
Donald 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...
. Brown made appearances in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
The 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, one of 27 non-BCS bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007 with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, where he led all Connecticut rushers with 72 yards—fourth-best in UConn bowl game history—and the 2009 International Bowl
2009 International Bowl
The 2009 International Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Buffalo Bulls at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 3, 2009. The game was the final contest of the 2008 NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision football...
, where he rushed for 261 yards and a touchdown and was named the game's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP)—the best rushing performance in Connecticut bowl game history. Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
earned MVP honors for his UConn-bowl game-best passing performance in 2004; he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
by the Detroit Lions and currently plays for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Wide receiver Marcus Easley
Marcus Easley
Marcus Landon Easley is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 107th selection.-College career:...
was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The Huskies' first post-season bowl game was in 2004, when they participated in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
2004 Motor City Bowl
The 2004 Motor City Bowl, part of the 2004–05 NCAA football bowl games season, occurred on December 27, 2004 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.- Team selection :...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
on December 27 against the Toledo Rockets
Toledo Rockets
The Toledo Rockets are the athletic teams that represent the University of Toledo. The Rockets are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play in the Mid-American Conference . The school's colors are midnight blue and gold.Toledo's...
. The most recent UConn bowl game occurred on January 1, 2011, when the Huskies faced the Oklahoma Sooners
2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl
2011 Fiesta Bowl
The 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game played as part of the 2011 Bowl Championship Series of the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
, Connecticut's first Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) appearance. A loss in that game brought Connecticut to an overall bowl record of three wins and two losses, a .600 winning percentage.
Summary table
| Key | |
| # | Number of bowl games |
| † | Attendance record |
| ‡ | Former attendance record |
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
- Individual bowl game attendance records are correct as of the end of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season2009 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
.# Season Bowl game Result Opponent Stadium Location Attendance 1 2004 2004 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...2004 Motor City Bowl 2004 Motor City BowlThe 2004 Motor City Bowl, part of the 2004–05 NCAA football bowl games season, occurred on December 27, 2004 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.- Team selection :...W 39–10 Toledo Rockets Ford Field Ford FieldFord Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...Detroit, MI 52,552‡ 2 2007 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl 2007 Meineke Car Care BowlThe 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, one of 27 non-BCS bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007 with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina...L 24–10 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football teamThe 2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe in his seventh season at the school and played its home games at BB&T Field. The team began its season with an Atlantic Coast...Bank of America Stadium Bank of America StadiumBank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...Charlotte, NC 53,126 3 2008 2009 International Bowl 2009 International BowlThe 2009 International Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Buffalo Bulls at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 3, 2009. The game was the final contest of the 2008 NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision football...W 38–20 Buffalo Bulls 2008 Buffalo Bulls football teamThe 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth...Rogers Centre Rogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...Toronto, ON, Canada CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...40,184† 4 2009 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl 2010 PapaJohns.com BowlThe 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies of the Big East Conference and the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference , on January 2, 2010 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama...W 20–7 South Carolina Gamecocks 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football teamThe 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in...Legion Field Legion FieldLegion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...Birmingham, AL 45,254† 5 2010 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...2011 Fiesta Bowl 2011 Fiesta BowlThe 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game played as part of the 2011 Bowl Championship Series of the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season...L 48–20 Oklahoma Sooners 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football teamThe 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...Glendale, AZ 67,232
2004 Motor City Bowl
The first bowl game in Connecticut history came at the conclusion of the 2004 college football season, the first year UConn was a full member of the Big East ConferenceBig 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...
for football. The season before, UConn finished with a 9–3 overall record, but did not receive a bowl invitation due to the lack of conference affiliation. Even as a full member of the Big East, UConn was shut out of the conference-affiliated bowl picture. Pittsburgh
2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
The 2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2004 college football season in which they won a share of The Big East Conference Championship and were awarded with a BCS berth to the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.- Schedule :...
, Boston College (in its last year in the Big East before leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC)), West Virginia
2004 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2004 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the regular season with a 8–4 and traveled to the , where they lost to the Florida State Seminoles 30–18...
, and Syracuse all finished ahead of the Huskies in a four-way tie for first place; they filled four of the five conference bowl slots. The remaining slot was filled by Notre Dame
2004 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2004 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was the college football team that represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tyrone Willingham, and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.- Season...
, who was not a member of the Big East Conference for football but had a contract allowing them to be selected in place of a Big East team. Fortunately for UConn, the Big Ten did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all of its contracted bowl slots, allowing the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
to pick the Huskies. UConn's opponent would be the Toledo Rockets
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC), who earned their berth by winning the 2004 MAC Championship Game
2004 MAC Championship Game
The 2004 MAC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2004 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the , of the East Division, and the Toledo Rockets, of the West Division. The Rockets beat the RedHawks...
.
The 2004 Motor City Bowl was played on December 27, 2004 at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The game was anticipated to be a high-scoring affair, with both teams' quarterbacks
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
among the top seven nationally in passing that year. However, Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Raymond Gradkowski is an American Football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Toledo.Gradkowski has previously been a member of the Tampa...
had broken his throwing hand during the MAC Championship Game and was largely ineffective; he was only able to complete six of twelve passes
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 43 yards and did not play in the second half. Connecticut scored what was then a Motor City Bowl-record 17 points in the first quarter, from a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, a 32-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass from quarterback Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Jason Williams on a 4th-down-and-6 play, and a 68-yard punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
return for a touchdown by Larry Taylor. In the second quarter, after Toledo finally scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown by Gradkowski, UConn added 13 more points to the scoreboard. The Rockets would not come back in the second half; the Huskies won the game 39–10. Orlovsky was named the game's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP); he completed 20 of 41 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
Following two seasons where they struggled to replace graduated quarterback Dan Orlovsky and lost more games than they won, Connecticut returned to bowl eligibility in 2007, finishing the regular season with a record of 9–3 and claiming a share of the Big East Conference championship. Fellow conference co-champion West Virginia2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007 that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement,...
, who beat the Huskies 66–21 that year, earned the Big East's automatic BCS bowl bid; UConn had to settle for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Their opponent was Wake Forest, the previous season's Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) champion.
In the first half, Connecticut took a 10–0 lead off of a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown by Larry Taylor and a field goal. Wake Forest dominated the second half, taking the lead late in the third quarter off of 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Riley Skinner
Riley Skinner
Riley Skinner is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest.-College career:...
to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
John Tereshinski. The Demon Deacons added ten more points in the fourth quarter off of a field goal and a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Micah Andrews
Micah Andrews
Micah Andrews is an American Football running back for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was named on the 2004 ACC All-Freshman team as well as being named the ACC Rookie of the Week on September 20...
. The final score was 24–10 in favor of Wake Forest. UConn earned only nine first downs and failed to score an offensive touchdown.
2009 International Bowl
Connecticut was selected as a participant in the 2009 International Bowl following a 7–5 regular season where they won their first five games, only to lose five of their last seven contests. Facing the Huskies were the Buffalo BullsBuffalo Bulls football
The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first...
with a regular season record of 8–5, highlighted by an upset win over then-No. 12 and undefeated Ball State
2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008–2009 college football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State...
in the 2008 MAC Championship Game
2008 MAC Championship Game
The 2008 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 5, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Ball State Cardinals, of the West Division, and the Buffalo Bulls, of the East Division...
. This was the second time, after the 2004 Motor City Bowl, that the Huskies faced the MAC champions in a bowl game.
The Huskies, led by running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Donald Brown
Donald 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...
's 208 yards rushing, dominated the first half statistically, but found themselves down 20–10 midway through the second quarter due to giving up six fumbles, five of which were recovered by Buffalo. UConn would close the gap to 20–17 by halftime, and take the lead for good late in the third quarter off of a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback 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...
to tight end Steve Brouse. The Connecticut victory was sealed when, late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy
Drew Willy
Drew Willy is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
threw a pass that was intercepted by UConn safety Dahna Deleston and returned 100 yards for a touchdown, making the final score 38–20 in favor of the Huskies.
Brown was named player of the game. He finished with 261 rushing yards and one touchdown; his 2,083 rushing yards for the 2008 season was best in the NCAA. Following the game, Brown declared his eligibility for the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 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...
; he would become the first Connecticut player ever drafted in the first round. Three other UConn players were drafted in the second round.
2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl
Connecticut was selected as a participant in the 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl following a tumultuous 7–5 regular season, marked by the loss of five games by a total of fifteen points between them, a double-overtimeOvertime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
victory at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, and the murder of cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Jasper Howard
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 :...
. Facing the Huskies were the South Carolina Gamecocks with the same regular season record of 7–5, highlighted by wins over then-No. 4 Mississippi
2009 Ole Miss Rebels football team
The 2009 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi during the 2009 college football season. The team was led by Houston Nutt, who was in his second season as the Rebels' head coach...
and then-No. 15 Clemson
2009 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2009 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2009 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney, who was in his first full season as head coach. The Tigers played their home games in Memorial Stadium...
. This game would be the first time UConn would face a Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
opponent in a bowl game.
Connecticut took control of the contest in the first quarter, scoring on a one-handed 37-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Kashif Moore and then, after South Carolina failed to convert a fourth down play at their own 32-yard line, kicking a 33-yard field goal to take a 10–0 lead. Running back Andre Dixon
Andre Dixon
Andre Jamar Dixon is an American football running back who currently plays for the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He was signed by the Hartford Colonials as a first round draft pick in 2010. He played college football at Connecticut....
scored on a 10-yard rush early in the fourth quarter to put the game away for UConn; the only Gamecock touchdown, on a two-yard run by Brian Maddox, came after the game had effectively been decided. The final score was 20–7 in favor of the Huskies.
Dixon was named player of the game, finishing with 126 rushing yards and one touchdown. Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley
Marcus Easley
Marcus Landon Easley is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 107th selection.-College career:...
and South Carolina linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Eric Norwood
Eric Norwood
Eric Norwood is an American football defensive end for the Carolina Panthers. He formerly played for the University of South Carolina. During his collegiate career, he set school career records in tackles for loss and quarterback sacks...
were among four players from the two teams to be selected in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.
2011 Fiesta Bowl
Connecticut was selected to play in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, their first Bowl Championship SeriesBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) game, following a 8–4 regular season where they split the Big East conference championship with Pittsburgh
2010 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
-Rankings:The Panthers debuted at #15 in the preseason Coaches' Poll. and in the preseason Associated Press Poll.Sports Illustrated ranked Pitt #16 in the annual College Football Preview issue on August 16, 2010....
and West Virginia
2010 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2010 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2010. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. They were members of the Big East...
. The Huskies earned the BCS berth by beating both West Virginia and Pittsburgh in consecutive weeks during the regular season. They faced the Oklahoma Sooners, who beat Nebraska
2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference...
to win the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game
2010 Big 12 Championship Game
The 2010 Big 12 Championship Game was played at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas to determine the 2010 football champion of the Big 12 Conference. It was the final championship game for the conference as two members of the Big 12 had announced their...
. The game marked the first matchup between the Huskies and a Big 12 team in a bowl game, and the first meeting ever in football between Connecticut and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma converted their first two possessions into touchdowns to take a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies struck back as cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted a pass from Sooner quarterback Landry Jones
Landry Jones
Landry Jones is an American football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners.-Early years:Jones attended Artesia High School in his hometown where he led the football team to two consecutive Class 4A state championships, throwing for a combined 7,013 yards and 89 touchdowns. As a senior in 2007,...
and returned it for a touchdown; after multiple field goals, the score was 20–10 in Oklahoma's favor at halftime. In the second half, Oklahoma added two more touchdowns on a 59-yard pass and an interception return for a touchdown to extend their lead to 34–10; Connecticut responded by returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Although the Huskies would kick another field goal to reduce their deficit to 34–20, the Sooners would put the game away in the fourth quarter, scoring two more touchdowns to make the final score 48–20. Connecticut failed to score a single offensive touchdown in the game.
Following the game, Randy Edsall left UConn to become head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
team. He was replaced by Paul Pasqualoni
Paul Pasqualoni
Paul Pasqualoni is the current head coach of the University of Connecticut football team. On January 13, 2011, Pasqualoni was named to lead the Huskies, two weeks after former coach Randy Edsall left for the University of Maryland....
.
Individual statistics
The below tables list the top five performers by yardage in the indicated statistic.| Key | |
| Pos. | Position |
| QB | Quarterback |
| RB | Running back |
| FB | Fullback |
| WR | Wide receiver |
| TE | Tight end |
| Avg. | Average yards per run/pass/reception (Yards divided by carries/completed passes/receptions) |
| Long | Longest single run or reception |
| TD | Touchdowns |
| Comp. | Completed passes |
| Att. | Attempted passes |
| Pct. | Pass completion percentage (Completed passes divided by attempted passes) |
| Int. | Interceptions |
| Rec. | Receptions |
Rushing
| Player | Pos. | Game | Carries | Yards | Avg. | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 2009 International Bowl | 29 | 261 | 9.0 | 1 | 75 | |
| RB | 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl | 33 | 126 | 3.8 | 1 | 15 | |
| RB | 2011 Fiesta Bowl | 32 | 121 | 3.8 | 0 | 19 | |
| RB | 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl | 13 | 72 | 5.5 | 0 | 58 | |
| RB | 2004 Motor City Bowl | 15 | 72 | 4.8 | 0 | 15 |
Passing
| Player | Pos. | Game | Comp. | Att. | Pct. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Int. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 2004 Motor City Bowl | 20 | 41 | 48.8% | 239 | 5.8 | 2 | 1 | |
| QB | 2011 Fiesta Bowl | 19 | 39 | 48.7% | 223 | 5.7 | 0 | 2 | |
| QB | 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl | 9 | 21 | 42.9% | 107 | 11.9 | 1 | 0 | |
| QB | 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl | 13 | 26 | 50.0% | 98 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| QB | 2009 International Bowl | 4 | 6 | 66.7% | 49 | 12.3 | 1 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos. | Game | Rec. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 2004 Motor City Bowl | 9 | 109 | 12.1 | 0 | 44 | |
| FB | 2011 Fiesta Bowl | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 0 | 41 | |
| WR | 2011 Fiesta Bowl | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 28 | |
| TE | 2011 Fiesta Bowl | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 0 | 15 | |
| WR | 2004 Motor City Bowl | 2 | 47 | 23.5 | 0 | 41 |