Bearcats welcome Huskies to Nippert Stadium

Published online on Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

The fourth-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats kick off a crucial three-game homestand this weekend, as they host the Connecticut Huskies in Big East play at Nippert Stadium.

The Bearcats are one of the top teams in the nation, obviously, but their name never seems to be mentioned when discussing the national title picture despite their No.4 ranking. Cincinnati continued its terrific run last weekend, as it posted a 28-7 victory over Syracuse, marking its seventh win by double figures.

"I thought we came in and it was business-like in a sense," said head coach Brian Kelly. "We got our job done and we want to get the heck out of here."

It was the 14th straight regular-season win and the eighth in a row on the road, as Cincinnati is now just one victory away from matching the 1951 team for the best start in school history. The Bearcats, who jumped three spots in the most recent BCS standings to No.5, are still very much in the mix for the national title, although West Virginia and nationally-ranked Pittsburgh still remain on their schedule.

As for UConn, it is coming off yet another painful loss, dropping a heart- breaker, 28-24, to Rutgers on a late 81-yard touchdown pass. The Huskies took the lead with just 38 seconds left, but the Scarlet Knights countered on their first play from scrimmage after the kickoff.

"It seems like the same thing," said head coach Randy Edsall. "In all of our four losses, we just couldn't finish the game out today. It's tough to take but it is what it is. We had the opportunity and we didn't make the play when we needed to."

Dropping close games is something the Huskies are getting accustomed to, as all four of their losses have come by four points or less. Losers of two straight, UConn is now just 1-3 in the Big East and in desperate need of a win to remain in contention for the postseason.

UConn and Cincinnati are meeting for just the sixth time, with the Bearcats holding a 4-1 edge in the all-time series. The Huskies, however, were the lone Big East team to defeat Cincinnati last season, posting a convincing 40-16 win in East Hartford. That marked Cincinnati's last regular-season setback.

Offensively, the Huskies have come on over the past several weeks and are now averaging a solid 402.2 total ypg. The success on offense, however, has come at the expense of some loose play, as UConn has struggled with turnovers, committing 19 on the campaign. Last weekend, the Huskies totaled 481 yards against Rutgers, but turned the ball over four times, preventing them from scoring more points.

Quarterback Zach Frazer accounted for three turnovers on interceptions, although he did finish with a career-best 333 yards and one score. Frazer stepped in after starter Cody Endres left early in the game with a shoulder injury and he had mixed results, but did lead UConn on a 15-play, 87-yard drive to set up the go-ahead touchdown with just 38 seconds left. Endres is expected to miss the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery, so the starting gig once again belongs to Frazer, who lost his job early this year while recovering from an injury of his own. Frazer, though, has completed just 48.3 percent of his throws with seven picks and just three scores and he will obviously need to be more efficient if UConn is to have success.

Taking some of the pressure off Frazer will be a solid ground attack that is paced by the duo of Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman, who have combined for 1,367 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last weekend, the tandem totaled 117 yards on the ground, with Todman punching in the go-head score on a two-yard run on a fourth-and-goal situation with 38 seconds left.