Game 5: Connecticut

Rutgers enters Saturday's game ranked for the first time since 2009, and they will look to exact some revenge on a Husky team that beat them in their last regular season game when they had a chance to win a share of the Big East title a year ago. Rutgers is a much more talented and better coached team than Connecticut, but as we've seen in the past (including last year in this match up), crazy things can happen in the Big East.

Get to Know UConn
Connecticut is 3-2, having alternated wins and losses against MAC and ACC teams. They beat UMass and Buffalo at home and Maryland on the road, and have lost at home to NC State and on the road to Western Michigan. On offense, they love to run the ball despite only mild success on the ground this year and lack a competnet QB and play makers in the passing game, in addition to a solid defense.

Paul Pasqualoni is in his second year coaching the Huskies, and he hasn't brought a lot of excitement to Storrs. After going 5-7 in his first season, he looks to bring UConn back to a bowl game this season. The defensive minded Coach P has put together some solid units on that side of the ball, but he hasn't posted a winning season as a head coach since 2001 (he served as an NFL assistant from 2005-20010), but his offenses haven't been great. His long time assistant George DeLeone remains behind the times in offensive philosophy, and he doesn't exactly have a lot of talent to work with.

Lyle McCombs ran for over 1000 yards a year ago and earned some Big East honors, but he's gotten off to a pedestrian start this year, averaging only 3.7 yards a carry. Some of it may because of an offensive line that lost 2 starters, including all conference center Moe Petrus, and some of it may have to do with wearing down after carrying such a large load last year (he's a smaller back), but what ever the reasoning behind his struggles, there have been calls for backup Martin Hyppolite to get more carries. The offensive line, normally a strength for them, has not given him a lot of room to work with, and they are also 103rd in the nation in sacks allowed.

Illinois transfer Chandler Whitmer won the starting QB spot in camp, and all though he has completed 61% of his passes while averaging a solid 7.8 yards per attempt, he has only thrown 4 touch down passes against 6 interceptions. UConn does not have a stand out receiver, and they struggle mightily on third down as a result.

Connecticut's defense has been one of the best in the country statistically so far, but they haven't exactly faced any offensive juggernauts. The unit is led by sophomore linebacker Yarwin Smallwood, who leads the Big Eat in tackles. They have a very good linebacking unit overall that can stop the run, despite a defensive line that lost some very important players, including Kendall Reyes, from a year ago.

Their secondary struggled last year, but they have a formidable pass rush, and have improved a bit through out the year. They have not been tested by a quarterback who can beat them deep, so we'll see today how improved they really are.

Rutgers on offense
With Gary Nova's recent emergence and Savon Huggins coming back from injury, Jawan Jamison won't have to carry the same work load he did against USF and Arkansas, though he should still get 20+ carries. Nova will look to test UConn's secondary deep, and his receivers Wright, Coleman, and Harrison will need to continue the good work they've done recently. With Huggins back, RU should improve in the red zone after they settled for too many field goals in his absence. The offensive line will need to keep Nova clean for the 5th game in a row, and clear the path for the running backs. Taj Alexander will get his second start of the year at right guard, after overtaking Andre Civil during the bye week.

Rutgers on defense
UConn's run game has struggled so far this season, relative to previous years, but they will still rely on the run game. With Ike Holmes out, one of Marquise Wright, Darius Hamilton, or Jamil Merrell will have to step up and stuff the run along with Scott Vallone. Steve Beauharnais hasn't made a ton of plays yet this year, but he will get his chance to make a ton plays up the middle against the Huskies. The Knights have had problems stopping the pass against 4 and 5 receiver sets, but UConn won't utilize those kinds of formations too much. Their defensive backs are way more talented than UConn's receivers, and they should shut them down and capitalize on the mistakes Whitmer makes in the form of interceptions.

Injuries
Ike Holmes is out for the season and his back up Al Page is still out with a mystery injury that has kept him out of the lineup in all 5 games.

Fullback Mike Burton is out for the year with a lower body injury.

Defensive lineman Michael Larrow and Kenneth Kirksey will play for the first time this year, returning from a suspension and injury respectively. Savon Huggins wil return from an injury as well.

Miles Shuler was hurt this week in practice and his status for the game is uncertain.

Prediction: Connecticut 10 Rutgers 27
Rutgers can not afford to have a let down like they did against Connecticut last year. They need to take care of the ball and not beat them selves with penalties. They may struggle running the ball a little bit, but they could over come that with yards through the air. The defense should totally shut down the Huskies' offense, but stranger things have happened.