Bradley catching on at UConn

True freshmen receivers Brian Lemelle (84) and Dhameer Bradley (1)
each had touchdown catches in 28-17 win over Rutgers

With catches in six of the last seven games true freshman receiver Dhameer Bradley has quietly made an impact at UConn.

Well, there was nothing quiet about his performance yesterday. Starting for an injured Shakim Phillips, Bradley was targeted on the Huskies' fourth offensive play. Although he failed to come up with the slightly low throw from Casey Cochran, there was no hesitation from Cochran four plays later when he connected with Bradley for an 18-yard touchdown reception.

With the Huskies clinging to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter and facing a key 3rd and 9, Cochran connected with Bradley again. This one went for a career-long 19 yards for Bradley as UConn was add the insurance touchdown on a TD pass to fellow true freshman Brian Lemelle.

Bradley was targeted six times and came up with three catches for 41 yards. Bradley had a reception on three of the Huskies' four scoring drives. He also was asked to throw blocks on a multitude of bubble screens thrown to teammate Deshon Foxx as UConn took advantage of Rutgers rolling their coverage to the other side of the field where leading receiver Geremy Davis was lining up..

"Dhameer has always been a tough player," UConn interim coach T.J. Weist said. "He is still a freshman but he stepped up and has been a good football player because he is tough. He is one of our best blockers, I think he is a better blocker than Geremy – at times. When you find a receiver like him who will block as hard as he does, without a lot of experience, to me that is a tough football player. He came in the spring and worked really hard. He kept it all together, showed great maturity and did a great job."

When Phillips was limited to seven snaps because of an ankle injury which would also sideline him for the Rutgers game, Bradley had a chance to see the field for most of the game against Temple. Bradley was targeted four times and had two catches for 18 yards in a 28-21 win.

"I had to step up for Shak Phillips," Bradley said. "He comes in and makes a lot of plays and I had to step in and make plays like he does. Last week he got hurt and I pretty much had started that game, he played seven plays and I had to step in. I knew after that I had to come in and to do what I did.It felt good."

Bradley was eager to atone for his earlier drop and was thrilled to get the chance to get the Huskies on the board. His TD catch marked the first time this season UConn scored a touchdown on its opening possession.

"Coach Weist always says that you move to the next play when something bad happens, I just moved onto the next play and made it happen," Bradley said.

Suspensions lifted for UConn OL Tyler Bullock, DB David Stevenson

UConn interim head coach T.J. Weist said that senior offensive lineman Tyler Bullock and sophomore defensive back David Stevenson have been reinstated after both were suspended indefinitely.

"We got Tyler Bullock back so he is off his suspension so he will give us some added depth," Weist said on a Thursday conference call. "It was more he and Warde making the decision of what is best for them both, going through the legal process. We said it was an indefinite suspension, we knew it was going to be at least one game with him not having a prior record and not having done anything wrong before we took that into consideration."

Stevenson's return could help fill the void if Taylor Mack misses another game which is looking more likely as Weist said Mack is doubtful and that there could be some nerve damage with his shoulder injury. Linebacker Graham Stewart is also doubtful while linebacker Ryan Donohue could be back this week. Weist said he is still in a wait and see scenario with WR Shakim Phillips and Brian Lemelle.

"We have to see what happens with Lemelle," Weist said. He practiced yesterday but no contact. He is questionable.

"(Phillips) practiced yesterday but not necessarily full speed and still day by day. A lot of injuries you can put a timeline on, this one takes a week, this one takes a month but this one is anywhere from a week to two months because you just don’t know how severe it is. Ryan (Donohue) is back and he is probable, he practiced yesterday it wasn’t contact but he did practice. Graham Stewart is doubtful. He practiced some but didn’t have a full practice. Taylor Mack is doubtful, still hasn’t practiced yet and still hasn’t showed enough strength to come back. (He has) some nerves in the shoulder, it hard to come back from, I think he will play but I have to see in practice. Some of the guys who I thought were probable (last week) didn’t make it (back)."

Weist said they made more game-type practices this week as he followed up on his vow to open up the competition at receiver and tight end following the issues with dropped passes last week. Weist said that freshman receiver Dhameer Bradley and Noel Thomas looked good and could have larger roles in the offense while E.J. Norris could see more time at tight end.

Lemelle hoping to making impact

It hasn't been the easiest of starts to Brian Lemelle's freshman season at UConn.

One of the most highly-touted members of this year's freshman class won the punt return job during preseason camp but in his first game disaster struck. UConn had just scored to pull within eight points of Towson and forced a punt. Lemelle muffed a punt that was recovered by Towson. Just six plays later Towson put the game away.

The next time out Lemelle was understandably cautious as he let multiple catchable punts hit the turf costing UConn field position.

UConn could count on Nick Williams, currently on the Washington Redskins practice squad, to make big plays in the punt-return game. However, UConn ranks 113th out of 123 teams in punt returns this season and the Huskies have managed just 22 punt return yards

Lemelle said he has made strides in that department and is hoping to come up with a spark on special teams for the Huskies today.

"I think I am moving forward," Lemelle said. "The team is moving forward, it happened and I think them doing that (supporting him) helped me get prepared and more comfortable."

Lemelle, the all-time leading receiver in Pennsylvania high school football history, credited T.J. Weist for helping him decide to come to UConn. Now Weist is the interim head coach and he mentioned the possibilities of some younger receivers like Lemelle having a bigger role as the season moves along.

"I liked having Coach (Paul) Pasqualoni there but he’s changed things up a little bit and I like what he is doing with it, hopefully we can move forward from here," Lemelle said. "Things are a lot more energetic and guys seems like they really want to practice, that is a lot faster pace and we are getting after it.

"I think it is tough at time. I never changed coaches in high school and I guess it takes some adjusting. I think the off week did help, we realize what Coach (Weist) is trying to do and what the game plan is and having him coach the rest of the season."

Lemelle vows to be ready if he sees more time on the field with the UConn offense.

"If that is what they ask me to do, I think I will be ready," Lemelle said. "Coach Weist has helped me a lot, the schemes of defense and how to read defenses. Coach (Mike) Digman also as a receiver coach is showing me tricks of the trade as a receiver and how to get leverage on a DB. They have been showing me a lot of things."

T.J. Weist named interim head coach at UConn

UConn made it official that offensive coordinator T.J. Weist has been named the interim head coach following the firing of Paul Pasqualoni.

Weist is in his first season as UConn's offensive coordinator and receivers coach. He said he was unsure of how he's going to handle all his duties. I would think he would have a hard time running the team while still being the receivers coach but we'll have to see how that plays out.

"We have to talk about how we are going to replace those two coaches whether it is within the staff, within our program or outside of our program, I will sit down with our guys and look at the options," Weist said. "I have to be realistic about being the head coach and the responsibilities that I have. I want to put my focus on being the head coach and this team and that has to be my focus first and I will go there whether I will be the coordinator, call the plays, coach the receivers I don’t have that answer yet."

Weist was one of the major reasons why receiver Brian Lemelle, one of the most high-profile recruits in this current true freshman class, came to UConn. Now he is the guy running the show recruiting wise (although linebackers coach Jonathan Wholley became the recruiting coordinator earlier this year).

Both Weist and AD Warde Manuel said all verbal commitments will be honored but of course that won't stop opposing teams from going hard after the UConn commits to see if they can get them to flip.

"Right now we are honoring the commitments that we have," Weist said. "We are going to call them and make sure they know there is stability, we want the players we are recruiting to know there is stability and understand the direction of the program and that will be a big focus for us in recruiting. How are we going to handle them in recruiting and their questions, we aren’t going to ignore it and we are going to reach out the them and keep recruiting. Right now this is my job. What happens in December is up to Warde, this is my job and this team is my focus and nothing else. I agree with him when he said the bottom line is to win, I don’t disagree with it. If we want to lead this program then we have to win, we have to do it in a style and manner with character and the things from us, I understand what he wants and I think our recruits need to understand that."

While part of me questions the promotion of an offensive coordinator of an offense ranked dead last among 123 FBS teams in rushing offense and near the bottom in sacks allowed and total offense, I know that the UConn receivers swear by Weist.

"He brings fire to that position," junior receiver Geremy Davis said. "He played that position, he is a fundamental guy and he is going to bring that to a team as a whole He brings fire and he is a player’s coach so we are going to show his mentality."

Loss hits Lemelle hard

When this group of incoming freshman headed to UConn perhaps only former Xavier High quarterback Tim Boyle generated more buzz that record-breaking wide receiver Brian Lemelle.

Lemelle, who caught more passes and had more receiving yards during his days at Bishop McDevitt High than any other player in Pennsylvania high school football history, wasted little time making his presence felt during preseason camp.

He quickly earned quality reps at wide receiver and emerged as UConn's primary punt returner due to his game-breaking potential and sure hands.

However, with just over three minutes left to go in his first collegiate game Lemelle's world turned upside down.

UConn had pulled within one score of Towson after Shakim Phillips' second TD catch of the game and Chandler Whitmer's two-point conversion pass to Spencer Parker. The Huskies forced a three-and-out on Towson's ensuing offensive possession and all Lemelle had to do was corral a punt and the Huskies would be 68 yards from potentially tying the game. However, with Towson players quickly approaching, Lemelle dropped the ball. The Tigers recovered the ball and six plays later Terrance West iced the 33-18 Towson win with a 5-yard TD run.

Obviously Lemelle was devastated following the game and even nearly two weeks later it was clear the pain had not fully subsided.

"I took it personally, and it hurt a lot," Lemelle said.. "They were all there for me, telling me to shake it off and it is a play, keep your head up and keep on moving and it is one play and you have to learn from it.

"I am working extra hard and know it is not going to happen again.

"Right after the game I really didn’t want to deal with a lot of things. My parents were up there and they said they could see in my face."

Lemelle is not the first play to mishandle a punt. His predecessor at UConn Nick Williams has done the same thing as did former UConn special-team dynamo Larry Taylor. Even Wes Welker, perhaps the most sure-handed player in the NFL, let a punt slip through his fingers during last week's Denver/Baltimore game.

The first time Maryland punts on Saturday, Lemelle is expected to be the player waiting for the ball to arrive. The bigger question is whether Lemelle can work his way into the rotation at receiver. With a knee injury expected to sideline Kamal Abrams for a few more weeks, it was redshirt freshman John Green and not Lemelle who moved into the two-deep chart but Lemelle could see some snaps at receiver as a true freshman.

"It is going well," Lemelle said. "It is just like high school coming in as a freshman you have to work your way up, you have to work from the bottom and work your way up the ladder."

Walsh is in select company

When UConn released its depth chart for the season-opening game against Towson yesterday and former Hand High star Matt Walsh was listed as the starting fullback, I decided to take a look back and see who was the last true freshman to be listed as a starter heading into the season.

As it turns out, the answer is a pretty familiar name as current redshirt senior Jesse Joseph was listed as the No. 1 defensive end (ahead of fellow true freshman Trevardo Williams) back in 2009.

Walsh moved by redshirt freshman Jazzmar Clax to claim the No. 1 fullback job. With the uncertainty surrounding the health of starting tight end Sean McQuillan and the Huskies likely to use three wide receivers more often than not, there could be a chance for a significant number of snaps for Walsh, the 2012 New Haven Register State Football Most Valuable Player on Thursday night.

I spoke with Walsh during UConn's media day about his quest to carve out immediate playing time as a freshman.

"Physically I feel like I am capable of keeping up with everybody here at this level, it is just learning and it takes time," Walsh said. "I feel like I am coming along well and I am working hard trying to get on the field anyway I can

"I am not saying I can start and I don’t know where I will be but I am going to do all I can to make sure I can get on the field any way I can. Jazzmar Clax is a great fullback, a great athlete."

The only other true freshman in the two-deep on either offense or defense is guard Kyle Schafenacker although receiver Brian Lemelle is listed as the No. 1 punt returner. Last year the only true freshman on the two-deep for offense or defense was Kyle Bockeloh, who was listed as the backup center. Three years ago Jefferson Ashiru, Mike Osiecki (who has retired due to multiple concussions) and Marquise Vann all made the two-deep as reserve linebackers.

One statistic of note regarding the depth chart is that there are more upperclassmen in the two-deep heading into the season opener than there were at this point last season. There are 17 juniors or seniors listed as starters and another eight as second stringers on the 2013 depth chart. Back in 2012 there were 13 starters and 10 reserves who were on the two deep for offense and defense.