Andrew Adams, Taylor Mack starters on latest UConn depth chart

UConn released its depth chart for the game against Southern Methodist and the only changes are in the secondary as cornerback Taylor Mack is listed as a starter ahead of Jhavon Williams and Andrew Adams is a starting safety as Ty-Meer Brown, who started the first seven games before missing the Louisville game with a shoulder stinger. Brown is not listed on the two-deep chart.

There were no changes on the offensive two-deep chart as Tim Boyle is still listed as the starting quarterback and Deshon Foxx is listed as the second-string receiver and as one of the two kickoff returners.

"Ty-Meer is still out as of now, we are still evaluating him," UConn interim head coach T.J. Weist said on Monday's American Athletic Conference coaches' call. "Obviously he didn’t dress for the game. He had a neck injury, a pretty serious stinger in practice, we are still evaluating and letting the swelling going down. He had too much pain to really do anything in the game or too much stiffness I should say. We are waiting for more results to see how he is and he is week to week right now.

"Deshon Foxx practiced yesterday. He got a stinger during the game and it really didn’t go away but after the game he was fine. He was fine in practice yesterday so he is good to go."

UConn defense close to full strength

While it is not an excuse for the way the Huskies have struggled, it should be notes that Friday night could be the first time that UConn could have the services of every defensive player listed on the two-deep chart headed into preseason camp.

The injury bug began when Andrew Adams, a projected starter at safety, injured his shoulder in a blocking drill late in camp. Adams needed to undergo surgery and missed the first four games. A high-ankle sprain suffered in the Maryland game knocked linebacker Graham Stewart out of action for four games. A shoulder issue kept cornerback Taylor Mack out of the lineup for the last four games. David Stevenson, who came into the season as the top reserve cornerback, was suspended for four games.

Now they are all expected to be in action when the Huskies host Louisville on Friday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN2).

Mack's return could be the most important considering how much the young secondary has been exposed over the last couple of games.

"(He's practicing) in pads, all the tests are positive," Mack said. "I spent the bye week in pads and I’m doing light contact, I do it every day and see how it feels. The way that the tests look and the way my shoulder is now, I will be cleared to play."

Mack's absence was due to a nerve issue with his shoulder and neck after he made a hit in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner to score a touchdown.

"My whole shoulder, neck, arm went numb, it was more intense pain than it was before," Mack said.

"I am working every single day trying to get my shoulder right, with the nerve in my neck and there is no electricity to give you the strength back in my arm," Mack said. "It is frustrating because you want to get back and there is nothing you can do. They say patience is a virtue. I prayed and luckily I should be able to come back (against Louisville). It was the play when I hit Devin Gardner going into the end zone.

Stewart returned to action in a 62-17 loss to Central Florida but he is still not 100 percent.

"I’ve been (practicing) since the UCF week so that is my time frame to get back but I have been trying to get back since Buffalo but ankle (injuries) are annoying," Stewart said.

"At the end of the day it is the kind of injury that it is going to nag you no matter what you do and the training staff has been taking good care of me and I am feeling better."

Stewart believes the Huskies can still salvage the season even if it won't result in a trip to a bowl game.

"I feel a sense of urgency," Stewart said. "I am glad to be back and I need to make plays. The season hasn’t gone our way but the season is not over, we can turn it around with this game and win out. That is what we want to do but I am trying to work hard, get back in the swing of things and put us in position to win.

"My reps are limited during practice and during a game. It is whatever I can do I am out there to do. It is a tough situation to be in because I know what I can do but my body is not letting me, whether it is I can’t cut or I can’t accelerate like I want to."

It is not Stewart's first brush with injury since he transferred from Florida. Last year he tore his pectoral muscle while trying to max out in the bench press.

"That is the worst thing that you can do is feel sorry for yourself," Stewart said. "Maybe it is some bad luck but all I can do is focus on the next  day and know it is going to get better.

"Through any adversity that you go through in life you always have to stay positive. There is no use of being negative or feeling down on yourself because you snap your finger and anything can change. Primarily what I am focused on is how can I get better and how can I help the team and at the end of the day that is all I can worry about."

Casey Cochran now No. 2 QB at UConn

UConn released its depth chart for Friday's game against Louisville and the most noteworthy change came at quarterback when redshirt freshman Casey Cochran is listed as the No. 2 QB instead of former starter Chandler Whitmer.

Since freshman Tim Boyle replaced Whitmer as the starting quarterback, Cochran is the only other quarterback to see the field for the Huskies. Cochran was 2 for 3 for 11 yards against Cincinnati and was 7 of 11 for 95 yards including a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Lemelle in a loss to Central Florida.

Whitmer started the first four games and passed for 896 yards with five touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Obviously I will have more on this tomorrow when we meet up with UConn interim coach T.J. Weist and selected players on the weekly media interview session.

Also, senior Tyler Bullock is listed as the starting right offensive guard but also as the second stringer at left guard, a spot previous held down by freshman Kyle Schafenacker.

Cornerback Taylor Mack is back in the two-deep but listed as the backup to Jhavon Williams.. Linebacker Graham Stewart is also back on the two-deep chart. Like Mack he began the season as a starter before being sidelined by injury.

Also, more than 30,000 tickets are already out for the next two home games against Louisville on Friday and against Rutgers on Nov. 30.

Taylor Mack looking iffy for Central Florida game

While linebacker Graham Stewart is expected to be back after missing the last four games with a high-ankle sprain, it is not sounding good for cornerback Taylor Mack to get onto the field for UConn on Saturday.

"He tried to go a little bit and really couldn’t do much so he is going to be a game-time decision for us," UConn interim coach T.J. Weist said on a conference call earlier today. "He has not had much contact this week so we are not sure if he is going to go."

Freshman Jhavon Williams is set to make his fourth straight start at cornerback in Mack's absence.

Although Stewart and Ryan Donohue, who were starting linebackers before getting injured, are both expected back against UCF Jefferson Ashiru and Marquise Vann figure to be the starting outside linebackers.

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.

OT Kevin Friend close to returning for UConn

It has not been the easiest of senior seasons for starting right offensive tackle Kevin Friend.

Friend missed the season opener as he recovered from a concussion suffered in practice. He returned the next week against Maryland but injured his ankle after he was pushed to the ground during the first quarter. He attempted to come back in and play but simply couldn't put enough weight on the ankle to play. He missed the last two games as well. However, on a conference call earlier today interim UConn coach T.J. Weist said Friend has been able to practice all week long.

"Kevin has practiced, basically all week and he looks better in terms of being able to go," Weist said. "We are taking it day by day but he has practiced well."

That would be a major boost for the UConn offense as Friend's replacements (Xavier Hemingway and Dalton Gifford) are still a bit raw and have struggled.

When he met with the media on Tuesday Weist discussed the impact that Friend could have on a struggling offense if he were able to return.

"If your starting tackles are out on either end you’ve got problems. We haven’t had the depth, the quality of depth that we need to step up and take their place. Obviously we need that and we can’t go on the waiver wire to get more guys so yes he is very important for us, any offensive line that has movement, that has guys moving around."

Of the players considered to be questionable, WR Kamal Abrams seems to be the most likely to play against South Florida followed by Friend, CB Taylor Mack and WR Shakim Phillips. Don't expect to see either LB Graham Stewart or DB Andrew Adams out there on Saturday.

Weist said that Phillips practiced yesterday and today will be a key day to see how his tender hamstring feels.

"We’ll see how he feels," Weist said. "Taylor Mack practiced and he is still questionable. He looks a little bit better and we will find out at practice today.  Andrew Adams had a little bit of contact yesterday, he is truly questionable coming off of surgery so he is just starting back into contact from that standpoint. Kamal has practiced and he is almost full go for us and he is ready to go. Stewart is not probable, he hasn’t practiced for us."

T.J. Weist optimistic OT Kevin Friend could play this week

It's looking like cornerback Taylor Mack will be back when UConn hosts South Florida on Saturday. On the weekly American Athletic Conference call interim head coach T.J. Weist said starting right offensive tackle Kevin Friend was able to practice on a limited basis on Sunday and he hopes to get him back as well.

"Friend looks good, he practiced a little the other day," Wesit said. "He is still questionable and once we do get him back, hopefully we get him back for this game, it will solidify that offensive line which is what we need. If you are weak at one spot, it really weakens the whole thing. We’ll see if I can get him out to practice tomorrow, he will still be questionable for us but if I can get him back that would really help our offensive line."

Neither WR Shakim Phillips nor LB Graham Stewart has returned to practice yet and it doesn't sound like Stewart is coming back soon.

"(Shakim) Phillips hasn’t practiced yet, he is still questionable," Weist said. "That hamstring is going on a little longer than we thought. We will take it day by day with him and it would be a bonus if we can get him back.

"He hasn’t been back, he has still been walking around in a boot, we will see if we get him back but I don’t think it is going to be any time soon."

The biggest surprise on the two-deep chart which was released yesterday was seeing Andrew Adams listed as a second-stringer safety. Adams saw plenty of time last season in nickel packages and he was in line to be a starting safety before he injured his shoulder in a blocking drill late in preseason camp. The thought was he would miss about eight games if he was able to come back at all. However. he was out there doing some non-contact drills on Sunday.

"(Adams) is questionable more than anything," Weist said. "He practiced the other day but it was no contact, he was really just getting out there and getting loose. He has come back pretty fast, he has come back pretty strong but he hasn’t really taken that first hit yet. We are not going to depend on him, it would be a bonus if we get him but he did practice some on the non-contact period so we will kind of see and kind of go from there."

So what would Adams' return mean to the secondary which has been pressing freshmen into duty because of injuries.

"It is unbelievable because he is such a good leader and the players respect him," Weist said. "When you’ve got a guy like that who has played a lot of football, the guys back there respect him and he gives you that solid force that you need in the secondary. We have some young guys around him who can so ‘OK, here’s a guy who is going to recognize formations and those things.’ He adds that maturity and experience."

Weist talked about the week in general and it was a week ago today when Paul Pasqualoni was let go as head coach and offensive line George DeLeone was also fired.

"It’s been a tough week for us last week obviously going through some transition, starting out 0-4 and not reaching our expectations," Weist said. "It is always tough to go through change and decide who is going to take over and how they are going to do it. Our players have responded well and they have done a good job from that standpoint. This offseason we had three good practices, we gave our players a little bit of time off. We are looking forward this week to getting back and playing football going up against a good South Florida team that did a good job against Cincinnati. Our guys are excited, it has been tough but our guys are excited to get back to football and really get a fresh start with a different perspective for me as a head coach, our coaching staff and making some changes."

It was also announced that the Oct. 19 game against Cincinnati will start at noon

UConn to be shorthanded in secondary today

UConn senior cornerback Taylor Mack tweeted that he did not make the trip for the Buffalo game

Taylor Mack @TMVeinti9

this injury kept me from traveling with my team this week, but i know that we'll go up to buffalo and handle business #bleedblue #UCfootball

So redshirt freshman Jhavon Williams, who was one of the most impressive players for UConn in the Michigan loss, figures to get the start. Tyree Clark would be the likely choice to play the nickel cornerback position although I wouldn't be surprised to see Wilbert Lee be in the mix as well. It was Lee who deflected the pass (after it went off Jeremy Gallon's hands) which led to an easy interception by Williams against the Wolverines and I was impressed with Lee's play at the practices I attended during preseason camp.

Mack left the Michigan game in the first half with a shoulder injury. His absence means the Huskies will play without three players who were expected to be among their top five defensive backs coming into the season as Andrew Adams was injured during the preseason and David Stevenson has been suspended indefinitely. It does help UConn that safeties Ty-Meer Brown and Obi Melifonwu are capable of locking up with receivers but the Huskies are getting pretty thin in the secondary. We'll have to see if true freshman Javon Hadley gets pressed into duty today.

UConn players look back to 2010 game at Michigan

With UConn ready to host Michigan on Saturday night in what could be the most high-profile home game in program history, it seems like a perfect time to look back on UConn's 2010 game to Michigan.

Although he did not start in the game, senior defensive tackle and captain Shamar Stephen made one of his two tackles on UConn’s first defensive series.

“That was the first time I ever played in a game so it was definitely a great experience for me,” Stephen said. “I remember it was a pretty fast tempo, getting into it was a little different and as the game wore on, I adjusted and started making the plays.

“It was definitely nerve wracking at first but once you make that first hit, it all goes away and you are into the game. I was more focused on my assignments. I just didn’t want to mess up in my first game but it was pretty crazy.”

Stephen was one of six current Huskies to play in the 30-10 loss to Michigan in the 2010 season opener. Jesse Joseph started at defensive end and made four tackles, Cole Wagner had a 66-yard punt, Chad Christen averaged 65.3 yards on three kickoffs while Martin Hyppolite and Taylor Mack also played in the game.

Many of the current seniors were on the travel squad for UConn’s lone trip to Michigan Stadium.

“It was a fantastic experience,” UConn senior offensive tackle Kevin Friend said. “I was a redshirt freshman and I have never seen a stadium like that before and just to see it, looking up at it and seeing that it was full it was awesome. Just feeling what the team felt in the locker room and how everyone came together before the game and psyched everybody up. It was an awesome experience.”

Fellow senior offensive lineman Steve Greene also has mostly positive memories of the trip to Michigan.

“I remember it was a big place and we were in the game and we had a chance to win it too,” Greene said.
“It is one of the most famous arenas in college football so obviously it is a great experience.”

Looking back at bizarre play on missed field goal

Late in the third quarter UConn was still within striking range when a pair of plays changed the fortunes of both teams.

The first one was just a bizarre one as Taylor Mack fielded a missed 50-yard field goal in the end zone and after hesitating a bit, he took it out onto the field of play and was stopped at the 10. Just for clarification, I called a supervisor of officials who works at local high school and college games to make sure I understood the rule properly and he informed me that if the field goal was missed and not caught in the end zone then UConn would have gotten the ball at the 33. If Mack had taken a knee, the ball would have been placed at the 20 but instead the drive began at the 10.

UConn actually moved to ball out to the 38 before a hurried Whitmer was intercepted by Dexter McDougle who returned the pick 49 yards for a score.

Let's start with the initial play. Mack was merely following directions when he went down to catch the ball so it is hard to fault him for doing just that.

Here's how Mack described the play following the game.

"Coach told me to go back and catch the ball. I looked up and it was me trying to make a play and help the team. I guess if I would have taken a knee it would have been at the 20 and the offense could have gone somewhere else. I was just trying to make plays.

"If it happens and it goes positive you see it as a good highlight if it doesn’t come out then you are answering these types of questions. It just depends on what happens but everybody wants to make plays so you can’t get by trying to play it safe."

Obviously the play calls are much different for a drive starting at the 10 as opposed to one beginning at the 33 so who knows what would have transpired had the Huskies not tried to run the ball out of the end zone.

Paul Pasqualoni said the blame for the interception should be spread between quarterback Chandler Whitmer, the offensive line and receiver Geremy Davis.

"The film told us that we wanted him to sit in there and he sat in there and the protection broke down," Pasqualoni said on a call with the media earlier today. "It was a combination of three things, a combination of the protection, a combination of Chandler trying to get the ball out of his hands before he got blasted and a combination of the route. I think you can divide that one up."

Dexter McDougle, who returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury later in the game according to multiple reports coming out of Maryland.

Huge test for UConn's corners

When Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson played their final game there were plenty of questions going around concerning how UConn will fill the void at cornerback.

For better or for worse, many answers will be provided tonight as Taylor Mack and Byron Jones will be asked to slow down Maryland's dynamic receiving tandem of Stefon Diggs and Deon Long,

"It will be a good challenge," Mack said. "No. 1 (Diggs) and No. 6 (Long) are both good receivers and they like to look for them in the pass game deep shots and unders and stuff like that. I think we have a pretty good game plan right now. In the back end minus those two plays, I feel like Byron and I had not an overly bad game (against Towson) and we are going to make major improvements and it is going to be a big challenge but we are looking forward to it."

UConn only gave up 13 catches against Towson but there were enough big plays surrendered for it to be a concern heading into tonight's game.

"We just need to stick to our technique," Jones said,. "The deep ball when the guy caught the ball on me, I didn’t get my head around.

"It is always a learning thing. It is my first year of being a starting corner and using what I am learning and take it to the next game

"I can’t wait. It is going to be a good challenge for both Taylor Mack and I think we are going to do well."

A bigger concern might be the play of the nickel cornerback after David Stevenson was suspended indefinitely. Redshirt freshman Jhavon Williams figures to slide into that spot while Tyree Clark could also see time when the Huskies use additional defensive backs.

"We're very confident that Jhavon and Tyree," Mack said "I know Jhavon will come in and not miss a beat, he has confidence and I know he will play and keep the ball rolling. It is going to be sad missing (Stevenson) but I know Jhavon can make plays. He has been making plays since he has been here. I think he does, you guys have seen him practice out there making picks. I know he is exciting to come out and make a lot of plays. He is a good player."

Taylor Mack reflects on 2012 Maryland game

The record will show that Taylor Mack had three solo tackles, one assisted stop, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups in last year's win at Maryland.

It is that last number that still irks Mack to this day or more accurately, the fact that there are no entries in the category to the immediate left on the score sheet.

Twice Mack had his hands on passes that he felt he could have come down with. Heading into the rematch with Maryland and former UConn coach Randy Edsall, Mack is hoping that if he has a chance to make an interception or two on Saturday that he will close the deal.

"(Mack recalls) getting thrown at a lot and basically dropping two interceptions that I should have come up with," Mack said. "I am hoping to get my hands on some balls this year and come down with them. I know they are going to throw at me lot and I know it is coming but I just have to play. It motivates me a lot because basically it is leaving money out on the field, those are two balls that could maybe give our offense 14 points we could have scored. I have to come up with those and just working on the tennis ball machine making sure I focus on the ball and come down with it."

Mack knows this is going to be a huge test for the UConn secondary which had an uneven performance in a season-opening loss to Towson.

"Hopefully we come up with some turnovers, we only had one big one earlier with Obi with the great play he made," Mack said. "We have to be ball hawks, get some turnovers and give the offense a chance. It is a short-term memory. If you get beat on a play her or there, as long as you can recover and tighten up, you can bend but not break and that is what we know we are going to do. You can let something happen but you just have to turn the page, keep the concentration.

"It is a big game. It is big for us to get back and do what we know we can do and how we come out and prepare is what the people will get. We have a lot of energy and we are playing with a chip on our shoulder, we didn’t play our best last game and we are going to come out with a lot of intensity and a lot of focus and have a better result."

The biggest issue could be at nickel corner as David Stevenson has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. Redshirt freshman Jhavon Williams and sophomore Tyree Clark figure to see expanded roles in Stevenson's absence.

"I'm very confident that Jhavon and Tyree," Mack said. "I know Jhavon will come in and not miss a beat, he has confidence and I know he will play and keep the ball rolling. It is going to be sad missing DC but I know Jhavon can make plays. He has been making plays since he has been here. I think he does, you guys have seen him practice out there making picks. I know he is exciting to come out and make a lot of plays. He is a good player."

A healthy McQuillan ready to make an impact

His UConn teammates look on as an injured Sean McQuillan is placed into
an ambulance after taking a huge hit during an Aug. 17 football practice

One of the enduing images of the practices I was allowed to attend during preseason, it was hard to top the scary sight of seeing starting tight end Sean McQuillan being taken from the field in an ambulance after he took a bit hit from cornerback Taylor Mack.

UConn, already thin at the tight end position due to graduation and unexpected departures, were facing the possibility of losing the projected starter.

Thankfully for McQuillan, it was little more than a scary moment. He did miss about 1 1/2 weeks of camp but was cleared a couple days before the Towson game. McQuillan did not record a catch in the game but he was able to play without restriction.

Today was the first time I was able to speak to McQuillan since the day he was injured and he relived the incident.

"It was hard for me and my family," McQuillan said. "My mom was at the practice which I find of wish she wasn’t. It was a scary time and I have never been through anything like that. I’ve had one previous concussion to this point but never been through something like that. Waking up in the ambulance. I was able to wiggle my fingers and toes so it kind of reassured me that things are going to be all right. As the day started progressing, I had a massive headache and I had some whiplash on the hit but as the day started progressing I started to be a little more comfortable just knowing it was probably just a head and neck injury and it wasn’t anything more serious.

"Stuff like that is scary, it is part of the game but you never want something like that to happen to anybody. It is part of the game and I walk out to practice every day knowing that anything can happen, you have to play hard and you can’t really think about it. You know in the back of your mind that injury comes along with the game."

McQuillan believes that he will be more involved in the passing game as the season progresses beginning with Saturday's game against Maryland.

"I think this week and from weeks on I think we will get more involved," McQuillan said. "There are going to be weeks when you don’t get the ball and that is when you have to block and help the team in other areas. I am not really too concerned about it. I am sure we will get more involved and like I told you a few months ago, tight ends will be very involved in the offense this year so I am not really too worried about it."

More than anything else, McQuillan is eager for Saturday's game as it will give him and the rest of the Huskies the chance to show they are a much better team than they looked like in the loss to Towson.

"I can’t wait," McQuillan said. "That is not UConn football, that is not what we are all about. We worked entirely too hard for that be what kind of a team we are. I think we are going to come out this week and show that we can play with anybody. People didn’t realize it is new systems on both sides of the ball and I think we had to work out the kinks. I think that those are gone, the nerves are out and we are going to get to playing UConn football for sure."

McQuillan's injury puts damper on Saturday's practice

UConn players gather around in support of injured teammate Sean McQuillan
at Saturday's practice. McQuillan was injured after being hit by Taylor Mack
and was taken to Windham Hospital for observation.

The most enduring image from Saturday morning's UConn practice was not the back to back 20-yard hookups from Chandler Whitmer to Geremy Davis, freshman fullback Matt Walsh's four touchdowns in short-yardage 11 on 11 drills or Obi Melifonwu's interception which was returned for a score.

Instead, it was Sean McQuillan's teammates gathering near the ambulance that the sophomore tight end needed to be loaded into after a collision with Taylor Mack late in practice.

Whitmer swung out a pass to McQuillan and the ball arrived just before Mack did. Mack delivered a big hit which sent McQuillan sprawling backyards. After crashing to the ground, McQuillan rolled over and was in obvious distress. After being examined for about 15 minutes, a backboard was brought out to stabilize McQuillan and he was taken to Windham Hospital for observation.

"It puts a damper on the day," UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said following practice. "Fortunately he was wiggling everything so we are optimistic that he will be OK."

Pasqualoni said McQuillan, who is projected to be the starting tight end for the Huskies, was communicating when he was being tended to.

"He is in great care, they know exactly what they are doing," Pasqualoni said. "You just don’t like to see stuff like that."

McQuillan was taken to Windham Hospital for observation but was treated and released. CT scan on his head and neck were normal. He is back on campus and being treated for a concussion.

Shortly after the collision Pasqualoni came over to the sideline and told Mack that the hit was "unnecessary." Following practice Pasqualoni was not about to place blame on Mack for causing the injury to McQuillan.

"The corner made a break on the thrown ball and they collided," Pasqualoni said. "It just happens in football and it is part of the game unfortunately. The way it happened, it was a bang-bang play. When you are playing that type of coverage and that player has that zone of the field so he is playing the ball more than the guy so often times you don’t see the guy, you are going for the ball and it has always been part of it."

Mack was clearly shaken emotionally after seeing McQuillan taken from the field in the ambulance.

"I started praying, that is about the only thing I can say," Mack said. "God blesses you every day to come out and play the sport you love and you never take it for granted. I am praying for Sean, we are all praying for him. I am going into the locker room and say a prayer for him after I step off this field.

"It is just a football play. You can’t take it for granted, walk out on the field, smell the grass and thank God that you can play the game."

Starting safety Andrew Adams was also injured during practice. Adams was tangled up with Davis in a receiver/defensive back blocking drill. Davis was able to keep Adams from breaking through Davis' block but the two were still engaged after the drill ended before Adams fell hard to the ground. He immediately was tended to by the medical staff and did not return to practice.

Pasqualoni reflects on spring practice

I had an opportunity to catch up with Paul Pasqualoni after the football team was honored alongside the Huskies' men's and women's basketball programs at the annual "Husky Day" at the State Capitol.

Even though the offense failed to score a touchdown in the regular portion of the spring game, Pasqualoni said he is encouraged with what he saw from his team during the spring.


"We had quite a few guys make significant progress during the spring," Pasqualoni said. "The spring game is more about fundamentals and technique than its about anything else. I am pleased with the progress the offensive line has made, they are a cohesive unit, they are kind of intact 90 percent (back) from last year. I am pleased with the progress our two older wide receivers (Geremy Davis and Shakim Phillips) made watching the film. I think Deshon Foxx is making some progress as a wide receiver, pleased with the progress with the guys up front on defense. Young guys inside Julian Campenni, Mykal Myers, I think Andreas Knappe is making some excellent progress, Tim Willman made progress, the corners on the outside Jhavon Williams, Taylor Mack so I am happy with the effort and fundamentals, the level of focus which are all great signs going into August."

So is he concerned after UConn needed to rely on a pair of Bobby Puyol field goals during the normal portion of the spring game?

"That is just a matter of a little thing here and a little thing there but I thought the offense came up with some good plays and moved the ball down the field," Pasqualoni said. "I thought Chandler (Whitmer) did a good job of hitting the open receiver, took them down and all of that is a positive.

"We cut down what we did, we had controlled scrimmage for most of the game so those things are going to happen in that situation. We had too many guys rehabbing or injured, we didn’t have enough offensive linemen, we didn’t have enough linebackers for two units. You need six linebackers and we had five healthy for the scrimmage and I don’t know how you do that. Everybody will be fine, when the kids get back on campus in June I expect all the kids to be full go."

The player with the longest recovery process figures to be running back Martin Hyppolite who continues to rehab after being a passenger in a car involved in a fatal accident.

Pasqualoni was optimistic that when the team holds its first fall practice on Aug. 1 that center Alex Mateas will be part of the squad. Mateas was suspended indefinitely for the final week of spring practice for what was called a violation of team rules.

"That’s a team policy issue and that will be addressed at the end of the semester," Pasqualoni said.

When I asked him if he believed Mateas will be there for the start of fall camp, he said that he did.

Pasqualoni addressed the crowd at the Husky Day event and here's some of what he had to say.

"Growing up as a young kid in the state I don’t think I ever envisioned the mighty Michigan Wolverines ever coming into East Hartford to play UConn, what a tremendous, tremendous (honor).

"I am a little bit tired, the players are a little bit tired of the results we’ve had for the past two years; we are tired of it and our guys will acknowledge it, we have talked about it. What I can tell you is this – this team is being built the right way, the way the fans and the people in the great state of Connecticut would want it done with hard-working, high-character guys with tremendous, tremendous integrity looking forward very much to August 1 when we came back and have our first day and we get ready for the season opening on Aug. 28 at the Rent against Towson. We are committed to doing this the right way and bringing you the type of team I know you want, an exciting team, a team that is going to play great on defense and be exciting on offense, win games and represent the state of Connecticut and I-A football the way we all want."

Offensive linemen Jimmy Bennett and Steve Greene, defensive linemen Tim Willman and Shamar Stephen and kicker Chad Christen were among the UConn players there for the Husky Day ceremony.

Cersosimo excited about new challenge

When spring practice kicks off a week from today there is probably not a position which will garner more attention than the cornerbacks.

So much of what the defensive coaching staff has been able to do in the last couple of seasons had a lot of do with the ability of cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson to lock up on the outside receivers. Their coverage skills and reliability enabled UConn to be more aggressive in sending linebackers on blitzes. However, with the departure of Gratz and Wreh-Wilson leaves two gaping holes to fill in UConn's defense. Add in the fact that Don Brown, who coached the cornerbacks as well as being the defensive coordinator, is also gone.

Now UConn was a relatively inexperienced group of corner prospects while former UConn receiving coach Matt Cersosimo moved over to defense to coach the corners.

Cersosimo, who spent the last seven seasons coaching receivers at UConn, is eager for spring ball to get started so he can see how the cornerbacks perform.

"I am very excited, it gives me the opportunity to go on the defensive side of the ball and become a little bit more well rounded as a coach," Cersosimo said. "I have only coached offense but I played defense in college (at Springfield College) so I get a chance to go back there and a lot of things I did are starting to come back in my mind that I have stored away since I have been on offense.

"It is a great group of kids that I am able to work with. i am looking forward to the opportunity in spring ball to be able to work with them, go through the whole process with them on a daily basis, the meetings, get the chance to review film and all the things that go along with that."

Rising senior Taylor Mack is the most experienced of the returning corners. Another top prospect at the position is David Stevenson, who was a star in the 2012 spring game.



"Stevenson on travel squad, it is not like he is new," Cersosimo said, "(Jhavon)Williams, Ellis Marder, Tyree Clark, we have a young group of guys they have been in some games before, they have been there, done that and it is just an opportunity to trying to get them acclimated to what we are doing defensively, have great technique and make sure they are holding true to their responsibilities."

UConn also brought in a pair of cornerback prospects in Javon Hadley and Tom Lucas but they aren't among the early enrollees so neither one will take part in spring drills.

Obviously UConn probably won't be able to put these group of corners out on islands as much as they did with Gratz and Wreh-Wilson.

"A lot of that will be answered in spring practice," Cersosimo said. "We will get a chance to put those guys in the situation and see how well they react in those situations and see if it is something they can excel at. If it is that is something we can potentially look at as a staff and say this could be a strength of ours and if  it isn't it is something we will work on until we get really good at it."