Difficult senior season for UConn's Kevin Friend

This is not how Kevin Friend envisioned his final year at UConn was going to play out.

The veteran offensive tackle has been a mainstay on the line during his sophomore and junior seasons but even before his senior campaign got underway he found himself in the unfamiliar role of reluctant spectator.

Friend suffered a concussion late in preseason camp which forced him to miss the season opener against Towson. Cleared to play against Maryland, Friend made his first start of the season but fell awkwardly to the ground when he was pushed by a Maryland defender. Friend suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter of that game. He came back in for a couple of plays but then missed the rest of that contest as well as the Michigan and Buffalo games.

Finally, Friend was able to start and play the entire game against South Florida. However, he won't be remembered for the crushing blocks which helped to spring Lyle McCombs for a career-high 164 yards or his rock-solid effort in pass protection but his inability to corral the ball on the first quarter strip sack which turned into South Florida's only touchdown of the game.

Still,though all of his trials and tribulations, Friend has maintained a positive attitude.

"It definitely felt good to get back on that field," Friend said. "I haven’t played, I had a couple of snaps against Maryland but that was it. It has been kind of frustrating this season, I haven’t been about to be out on the field with my teammates and contribute in the game. I thought I played pretty well, there are obviously things watching film where I could have done (better) but just getting back into football will help me but overall I think I played a physical game and did a pretty good job."

And what about that fateful play when he failed to jump on the fumble by Tim Boyle

"We don’t really work on hand drills and I wasn’t really expecting it," Friend said. "My gloves, they are not like receivers’ gloves so I went to grab the ball and as soon as I got it in my right hand, somebody pushed me to that side and and I lost it, it popped right out. That was the biggest play of the game. I guess I have to work on (falling) on the ball better

"That play is not something I want to experience ever again, having the ball to where we could at least punt the ball, at least we would have had the ball to punt it if I had gotten it, it did a whole 180 and for them to put points on the board it was kind of heartbreaking."

Friend's consistent presence on the right side has been sorely missed. Xavier Hemingway and Dalton Gifford both had chances to fill in for him but they are both still very raw.

"I thought it was great he was able to get the full game under his belt, it was kind of like a preseason game for him in a sense," UConn offensive line coach Mike Foley said. "He got a concussion during camp, came back during camp finally for the Maryland game. He played eight plays and he is out again with the high-ankle (sprain). He came back, I thought he played a real solid game. There are some things that he is going to continue to work on but he is physical, he is starting to move better. He is a tough kid, he is physically tough and mentally tough. He doesn’t say a heck of a lot, he is a quiet guy but he has really worked hard to make himself a better player.

"He is a guy I remember when he was a redshirt freshman, we had a tackle go down and he had to go in the game against Rutgers. On the road you don't have a lot of guys, he gets hurt and he sprains an ankle and basically the trainer said he is going to be out and he said ‘I am ready to go.’ He went back out there and that just shows you the toughness, he was back on the field when we won the (Big East) championship down at South Florida Mike Ryan was hurt and he couldn’t go, a redshirt freshman and they have some very good people on the defensive line and he didn’t flinch. I have great faith in Kevin and I am happy for him. Hopefully he has gotten over the injury thing and he can move forward because it is a big plus to our offensive line."

It felt just like old times for Friend and the veteran members of the offensive line as Foley was back coaching the line following the firing of offensive line coach George DeLeone. UConn, which came into the game ranking last in the country in rushing yards per game, ran for a season-high 207 yards which is 42 more net rushing yards than the team had in the first four games of the season.

"I think Coach Foley is really emphasizing just being physical," Friend said. "We have schemes where we have a person but if he is not there, just hit somebody, be physical and if you make a mistake do it 100 miles an hour. A lot of times plays are not going to be perfect and if you hit someone, maybe the other guy overran the ball where Lyle can cut it back and make a big play like he did. I really like how we can play physical even if it is the wrong person, you can still turn that play into a positive."

Foley was an incredibly successful offensive line coach under Randy Edsall as the Huskies annually had one of the best rushing offenses in the country every season. However, when Paul Pasqualoni was hired he brought in George DeLeone to run the offense and take over the offensive line coaching duties. Foley moved to work with the tight ends.

In his first game back working with the offensive line Foley said there wasn't too much that he changed. He said there was only a couple of new plays which was brought out because he thought they would be successful against USF.

"There is one new play that we ran that we didn’t run before, a second play in our book that we didn’t run much," Foley said. "It is really an emphasis on what we did because those plays would be good against South Florida and you try to match up the run game.

"I liked the way they responded. I think they all have great respect for Coach DeLeone, it was a tough situation and it probably did help, particularly the older guys I have worked with them before so they had a feel for what I was like as a position coach so it is just the way it is, unfortunately it happened but I think they responded well."

Of course the strip sack is the one play most casual observers will recall from that game. At first glance it looked simply like left tackle was beaten off the edge and was responsible for giving up a defensive touchdown for the second week in a row. Foley said that is not the case.

"We gave up three sacks, I thought we had pretty good protection," Foley said. "The big run, Lyle’s run the receivers did a real good job, the offensive line did a good job and got him to the second level and the receivers did a great job blocking down the field. Protection is the same thing, it takes all 11 guys, the quarterback has to get the ball out of his hands, receivers have to get open, you can’t cut guys free out front, the back if he has a pickup has to make it. To me we gave up three sacks but two real sacks, the one that people wouldn’t think that was a big play and a couple of people had their hands in that one. Jimmy got his depth, turned his shoulders a little bit early, then you look at it and you have a young quarterback he is supposed to be at nine yards and he is at 12 and Jimmy pushes the guy by, that happens but you can’t let that one play take you down. We responded on the next series and Lyle has a big run. It is unfortunate but we have to recover that fumble, we have to chase that guy down and make them line up again."

Finally, Foley did answer a question I had about the offensive line and that is where Paul Nwokeji was when Friend was unable to play. I remember during preseason camp Nwokeji getting some first team reps at right tackle but DeLeone went to Hemingway and Gifford when Friend was unable to play.

"He hurt his elbow and some of that (time with the first and second-team offense) had to do with our depth, he was in the rotation, he is developing as a player right now some of those guys are back," Foley said.

Smallwood a preseason All-American

UConn rising junior linebacker Yawin Smallwood was named a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele.

Smallwood led UConn with 120 tackles during the 2012 season. He had six double-digit tackle games as a sophomore including back to back 14-tackle efforts against North Carolina State and Maryland. Smallwood also had four sacks, forced two fumbles, 15 tackles for loss and recovered a fumble.

Smallwood, running back Lyle McCombs and cornerback Byron Jones were all named to the American Athletic Conference preseason first team, offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett and kick Chad Christen were third-pick pick while offensive guard Steve Greene, linebacker Graham Stewart and punter Cole Wagner were fourth-team selections.

Offensive line looks to rebound after forgettable 2012 season

The 2012 season was not the best of times for UConn's offensive line.

UConn was 100th nationally in sacks allowed and 117th in rushing offense a combination that resulted in a disappointing 5-7 final record despite ranking ninth in total defense.

Six offensive linemen who started games last season are back so obviously optimism is high among the returnees as they look to reestablish the line as a dominant unit.


"I think we are going to go up," said senior guard Steve Greene. "I know I am not going to stand for it and all the other guys are with me, we are not going to be the weak point of this team. We are going to be the driving force behind this team that helps us win the game.

It was awful. There is no other word that says it. When you can’t run the ball it makes you so one dimensional and teams can virtually just tee off on you and it makes everything else a lot harder. When you can run the ball you can control the game and that is what we need to be back to. That is what we’ve been preaching and what we’ve been working. We are going to run the football and be successful at it."

Running the ball has been a trademark of recent UConn squads which made what happened last season tough to swallow for players and fans alike.

"It was a collaboration of everything, it wasn’t everybody all the time it was one person having a breakdown," Greene said. "On offense you need 11 guys functioning together or it is not going to work. Right now I feel like we are on that page, we are working real well and you are going to see some results.

"The standard has been set. We know what needs to get done. Really there is nothing left to do but to do it. I know it is a corny saying but that is what it comes down to."

The only returning starter gone is right guard Adam Masters who missed the last three games of the season with an ankle injury. 

"We lose Masters who is a special dude, he is tough to replace but he (got injured) early," Greene said. "Gus (Cruz) came out and got a lot of time so you can say we return the five guys we finished the season with which is going to be huge for us."

A bonus is the return of starting left tackle Jimmy Bennett for a sixth season of eligibility.


"Jimmy is one of my best friends, a great kid and the sky is the limit for him," Greene said. "It is good to see him finally play a full year of football last year and it is going to be good to see what he can do in his second year back. I am excited, we are all excited. We have been working well in the spring without Jimmy and when we gets inserted back into the lineup, I feel like it can only go up."

Bennett has shoulder surgery in December forcing him to miss the entire spring camp. In his place Xavier Hemingway and Dalton Gifford have had an opportunity to take first-team reps at left tackle.

"Jimmy is my right arm, I guess my left arm since he plays on my left side," Greene said. "Me and Jimmy have such a good chemistry out there, we don’t even have to make calls to know what each other is doing. It is huge for them to step in and get this time. I honestly felt they have been doing a great job. Honestly I was a little skeptical coming into the spring having X (Hemingway) on my left, a guy who hasn’t had much experience but he has done a great job. He got hurt, he is down right now and Gifford has stepped up and he has done a great job too."

Not only will Bennett be out of the lineup and Hemingway is iffy as well, but Alex Mateas (who started the first four games at center during the 2012 season) at has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. At the last open practice Tyler Bullock was at center with Cruz and Greene at guard,  Kevin Friend and Gifford at tackle on the first team. The second team featured Kyle Bockeloh at center, Zach Rugg and Tyler Samra at guard with Paul Nwokeji and Richard Levy at tackle.

Parking lots will open at Rentschler Field tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. with gates set to open at 10:30 a.m. for the spring game which will start at noon. In the wake of the events in Boston security could be tighter than normal. UConn put out a reminder that  that personal bags are not allowed to be brought into events at Rentschler other than bags containing personal medical supplies.

Jimmy Bennett says he plans on returning for UConn

Jimmy Bennett left no doubt what his plans are after he was granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA.

“That was the idea when I applied for it,” Bennett said. “I had shoulder surgery (on Dec. 17). I want to come here in the summer, work as hard as possible, start playing and see how it goes for the future.

“I just found out today. I had heard through the grapevine and I found out from compliance (Thursday). I was freaking excited. I was kind of surprised. I have lost so much time due to injury that it kind of felt like I needed that extra year.”

Bennett was a non-medical redshirt during the 2008 season before missing the entire 2009 season due to a knee injury and was limited to just seven games during the next two seasons as a result of knee and thumb injuries.

He was able to play all 12 games for the first time in his career but Bennett was slowed by a shoulder issue which limited how much lifting he was able to do. He finally had surgery to fix the problem. He is expected to make a full recovery and be able to return to a normal weightlifting routine.

“I couldn’t lift so I had to get it fixed,” Bennett said. “I couldn’t bench or do the overhead presses since early in the season. Coming off ACL surgery and not being able to lift, it may have affected me some (during the season).”

With Bennett returning, UConn has six offensive linemen returning who started games for the Huskies during the 2012 season. Bennett believes that continuity should result in better play from the offensive line.

“With all the guys we have coming back on offense, we have most of our coaches back and that is a huge part of what goes on when we are on the field,” Bennett said. “We have the team chemistry.”

Bennett is encouraged by what he has heard from new offensive coordinator T.J. Weist.

“He is taking us in a really good direction,” Bennett said. “We still have a lot of our coaches with us and it is going to help with. I think it is really going to work out well for us this year.”

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni confirmed on Feb. 6 that Bennett was granted the additional year of eligibility but he would be up to Bennett to decide if he wanted to play the extra year.

"Jimmy’s been through so much, so many injuries that it is a great thing for him to have this opportunity," Pasqualoni said after the press conference on national signing day. "Now Jimmy’s got to weigh all the factors because the risk of injury when you play football is still there. It is great he got the sixth year but he is going to have to really, really want to do this, go through another year that you have to go through so we are very happy for Jimmy that the NCAA has given him this opportunity.

"My sense is that he is going to want to do it but I don’t want to jump the gun and be premature. It is going to be his decision. I have been through this before with players who has had numerous injuries, it has to be Jimmy and his family who ultimately make this decision."

UConn OT Bennett granted a sixth year of eligibility

The NCAA has granted UConn's starting left offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett's request for a sixth season of eligibility on Wednesday according to UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni.

Bennett has had an injury-plagued career with the Huskies as the 2012, his fifth at UConn, marked the first time he saw action in a Big East game.


"Jimmy’s been through so much, so many injuries that it is a great thing for him to have this opportunity," Pasqualoni said. "Now Jimmy’s got to weigh all the factors because the risk of injury when you play football is still there. It is great he got the sixth year but he is going to have to really, really want to do this, go through another year that you have to go through so we are very happy for Jimmy that the NCAA has given him this opportunity.

"My sense is that he is going to want to do it but I don’t want to jump the gun and be premature. It is going to be his decision. I have been through this before with players who has had numerous injuries, it has to be Jimmy and his family who ultimately make this decision."

Pasqualoni said the NCAA has not made a ruling on whether defensive end Teddy Jennings will be granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Seniors step up for Huskies

Just outside the Rentschler Field playing surface there was a tent set up for the men's health screening initiative called "Man Up."

Well, UConn's veteran leaders also made it clear that they intended to "Man Up" as UConn's seniors played starring roles in a 24-17 win over Pittsburgh.


Senior tight end Ryan Griffin caught six passes (all in the first half) to move into a tie with Tory Taylor for 10th on the Huskies’ career list. He also snared a 2-yard touchdown pass on UConn’s opening drive. Senior receiver Nick Williams had 160 all-purpose yards with 80 of them coming on an electrifying punt return. Senior linebacker Sio Moore recorded two sacks, three tackles for losses (to move into fifth place all time at UConn) and nearly came up with a pair of interceptions. Classmates Dwayne Gratz and Jory Johnson combined for 12 tackles while senior cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson had a key first-half pass breakup. Senior offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett helped to protect quarterback Chandler Whitmer as well as the offensive line has in any Big East game this season.

“You see the resolve of this senior class because we have been through it all, we know what it takes,” Moore said. “It was an opportunity for us to show that and do that.

“It’s a feeling that I have been waiting for a long time now, a win and feeling accomplished for the hard work and knowing I still have to go to work because I have two more games that are worth that.”

If UConn had lost to the Panthers, the Huskies would have been guaranteed to finish with a losing season for the second year in a row. There would also be no hopes at securing a bowl berth. While it won’t be easy with a game on the road against Big East leading Louisville on Nov. 24 followed by a return home for the regular-season finale on Dec. 1 against a rugged Cincinnati squad but at least there is still hope at salvaging something out of what has been a difficult season.

“It is good that the seniors played well but throughout the whole year those are the guys that we are depending on,” Williams said. “If Griff plays well, if Sio plays well, if I play well, if Blidi plays well typically we are going to win because we are covering a lot of positions with that. It is great to see us go out with a lot of pride at home, we only have one more game at home in our careers.”

Williams, who failed to net even one return yard in last week’s loss to South Florida, broke Larry Taylor’s program record of 2,277 combined kickoff and punt return yards. However, he was just happy to have an impact in a game that he and the other seniors simply needed to win.

“I know the articles and things like that,” said Williams, who now has 2,389 career return yards. “I’d like to take more chances. Going into a game I have an idea of what it going to happen and what isn’t going to happen. I make educated decisions; it is not just a guess out there. I definitely wanted to get a few more returns t and it worked out.”

After the game Moore was almost sheepish when he thinks about the two potential interceptions he was unable to secure during the game.

"When you blitz a little bit, you almost forget how to use your hands," Moore said with a laugh. "Clearly I need to go work on the jugs machine. I am embarrassed with myself, I have dropped a couple this year. I guess that is a part of my game I really need to work on."