Connecticut 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

Special Athlon offer for SI.com readers

The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Head Coach: Randy Edsall (8th season, 37-43) 2005 record: 5-6 Big East finish: 2-5 (t-6th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 34th (174.8 ypg) Passing: 106th (149.5 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 45th (139.8 ypg) Passing: 4th (158.5 ypg) Date Opponent Aug. 31 Rhode Island Sept. 16 Wake Forest Sept. 23 at Indiana Sept. 30 Navy Oct. 7 at South Florida Oct. 14 Army Oct. 20 West Virginia Oct. 28 at Rutgers Nov. 11 Pittsburgh Nov. 18 at Syracuse Nov. 25 Cincinnati Dec. 2 at Louisville Depth Chart: Offense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 83 Brandon Young Sr. 81 Nollis Dewar So. WR 88 Brandon McLean Jr. - Terence Jeffers Fr. LT 64 William Beatty So. 73 Dan Ryan Fr. LG 57 Matt Applebaum Sr. 75 Brian Kersmanc Jr. C 68 Keith Gray So. 74 Alex LaMagdelaine Fr. RG 61 Immanuel Hutcherson So. 55 Donald Thomas Sr. RT 79 Mike Hicks Fr. 71 Matt Wood So. TE 46 Dan Murray Sr. 90 Steve Brouse So. QB 14 D.J. Hernandez So. 16 Matt Bonislawski Sr. FB 30 Deon Anderson Sr. 31 Anthony Barksdale So. TB 44 Terry Caulley Sr. 5 Lou Allen So. Depth Chart: Defense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 59 Jason Ward Sr. 50 Cody Brown So. DT 53 Ray Blagman Sr. 62 Lawrence Green Fr. DT 93 Rhema Fuller Sr. 65 Rob Lunn So. DE 6 Dan Davis Jr. 96 Gary Mack Jr. SLB 14 Justin DeRubertis Jr. 21 Donta Moore Jr. MLB 43 Ryan Henegan Jr. 45 Julius Williams So. WLB 48 Danny Lansanah Jr. 22 Johnathon Smith So. CB 28 Darius Butler So. 9 Courtney Robinson So. CB 29 Tyvon Branch Jr. 41 Ernest Cole Sr. SS 35 M.J. Estep Sr. 7 Glen Mourning Fr. FS 10 Marvin Taylor Jr. 26 Allan Barnes Sr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 98 Matt Nuzie Sr. P 6 Chris Pavasaris Sr. KR 24 Larry Taylor Jr. PR 24 Larry Taylor Jr.

To order your 2006 Athlon Sports annual and receive $1 off plus free shipping courtesy of SI.com, click here.

Coach Randy Edsall expected some growing pains last season. After all, a year removed from the most successful season in its brief history as a Division I-A program, UConn was forced to replace the most prolific passer in school history (Dan Orlovsky) and arguably its greatest linebacker (Alfred Fincher).

What Edsall didn't figure on, however, was that aches and pains would replace growing pains. During a two-week stretch in early October, for instance, the Huskies lost eight starters to injury, two for the season. Eighteen different players who began the year on the two-deep chart missed at least one game. A promising 4-1 start was followed by four straight losses, and UConn never recovered, finishing 5-6 overall and 2-5 in the Big East.

It was particularly frustrating because Edsall and his coaching staff worked so hard to develop enough depth to carry UConn through its second Big East season.

"Of course we wanted to have a winning season and go to a bowl game, but I never saw a lack of effort," Edsall says. "We just didn't have enough firepower. We were young and with the injuries we had, that's what combined to make it the kind of season it was."

There is renewed hope for the Huskies in 2006. They return 14 starters, another 23 lettermen, and hope to sprinkle in some talented newcomers that just might be enough to move them up the Big East ladder and into bowl contention again.

"We always hope we can get to the top," says Edsall. "We're good enough to beat anybody, but if we don't play well we can lose to anybody. I think we can be very competitive in the conference if we can stay healthy and play with more consistency."

OFFENSE

Senior quarterback Matt Bonislawski is healthy again after missing five games in 2005 with a broken left collarbone in his non-throwing shoulder that required surgery. However, he will begin training camp behind sophomore D.J. Hernandez, who was the most impressive quarterback in spring practice.

UConn has talent and depth in the backfield, starting with senior tailback Terry Caulley, a former 1,000-yard rusher who returned following a severe knee injury that sidelined him for most of two seasons. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry in 2005. Sophomore Lou Allen will spell Caulley while fullback Deon Anderson, a three-year starter, has rejoined the program after missing the 2005 season due to personal issues.

The Huskies have one of the Big East's best tight ends in Dan Murray but lack depth in the receiving corps. Look for freshmen to have an impact at wide receiver.

UConn expects to be better up front with the return of four linemen who started the last three games of 2005 together. The lone newcomer is redshirt freshman Mike Hicks, who at 6-7, 336 pounds is the largest player in the program.

DEFENSE

This is an experienced, deep and talented unit. The Huskies will rotate six veterans up front, led by senior tackle Rhema Fuller, who was a second-team All-Big East selection last season.

The Huskies also have nine players who logged significant minutes in the secondary, led by steady safeties M.J. Estep and Marvin Taylor, and a dynamic sophomore cornerback in Darius Butler, who recorded four interceptions as a freshman.

UConn also has five letterwinners back at linebacker, led by junior Danny Lansanah, the leading tackler a year ago despite missing one game with an injury.

SPECIALISTS

Larry Taylor was one of the Big East's most dangerous return specialists until suffering a knee injury in the sixth game against Cincinnati. He averaged 12.3 yards per punt return and 34.2 per kickoff return.

Butler stepped in on kickoffs and averaged 33.8 yards per return, including a 90-yard TD return that helped UConn upset South Florida late in the season.

Placekicker Matt Nuzie was a second-team All-Big East selection as a sophomore when he booted 20 field goals but was inconsistent a year ago (10-of-19). True freshman Desi Cullen could challenge Nuzie, but his best shot will be as a punter, where the only returner is a walk-on, senior Chris Pavasaris.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Edsall preaches consistency, but the one position UConn can least afford inconsistent play is at quarterback, and that's exactly what happened a year ago and again in the spring.

The Huskies played better and under more control offensively when Bonislawski started last season (5-2), but Hernandez may give the Huskies a better chance to win over the long haul because of his athleticism and arm strength. Hernandez must play with more patience, however.

What should help the Huskies, at least early on, is a favorable schedule. UConn plays three of its first four games at home and has a reasonable shot at starting 4-2.

Edsall will lean on his battled-tested defense to set the tone while the offense catches up. If things work under that scenario, a break-even season seems possible, although a winning record and the program's second bowl bid in three seasons might be slightly out of reach.

Preview another team: Select Conference ACC Big East Big 10 Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC

Select Team