DeLorenzo hoping to make an impact for UConn

Let's see if my math is correct here. In the season-opening loss to Towson sophomore running back Max DeLorenzo did not carry the ball once, against Maryland he got three carries and in last week's loss to Michigan he ran the ball six times. Using that formula one can only assume he will tuck the ball under his arm 12 times when UConn faces Buffalo this afternoon.

That would be just fine for the former Berlin High School star

"I think I can help this offense, each game I am getting more confidence and each game I am getting into more of a rhythm which is big for me," DeLorenzo said. "After my first carry (against Michigan) I felt like the game atmosphere, I felt like how they were hitting, how they were playing on defense so I kind of got a feel for it for each of my next runs throughout the game so I like the way I am progressing and we have to keep moving the chains, we have to get better."

DeLorenzo is listed at 207 pounds and he offers the physical inside the tackle running style that Lyle McCombs (listed at 175 pounds) doesn't bring.

"I think me and Lyle, we complement each other nicely," DeLorenzo said. "He is more of a quick, make people miss and I am more of an inside the tackle (runner), I can make people miss but move the chains and get those 10 hard yards You see a lot of teams, they use multiple backs and it is going to help him maybe even break a few and keep him fresh throughout the game and it is going to help me and help our team which I think is the most important thing

UConn comes into the game ranking 122nd out of 123 FBS teams in rushing offense and facing a Buffalo team which has had some issues against the run, perhaps this is the week when UConn can get something going on the ground.

"We want to break some, we want to be why our offense is (successful) but it is tough," DeLorenzo said. "Right now we are trying to move the ball and get our quarterback Chandler into some third and 3’s, 3rd and 4’s because that is a huge weight off of his shoulders. We are dying to make some plays, dying to turn this thing around."

"Coach P (Paul Pasqualoni) this past week with Michigan really emphasized the run and we really need to run the ball better," DeLorenzo said. "I think for the most part we did, the stats with the sacks didn’t help but we just ran the ball decent against Michigan so now against Buffalo let’s go, we have to turn this around and we have to get a win on the board."