With UConn set to take on Pittsburgh in a rare Wednesday night showdown, it only seemed appropriate to track down Mike Grant former editor of the popular UConn sports site UCHuskies.com, and ask him for some insight on the 2011 Huskies.
In this edition of Five Burning Questions, Mike opines on first year coach Paul Pasqualoni, Wednesday night’s game and UConn’s football future, possibly outside the Big East.
1. We are now more than halfway through the first year of the Paul Pasqualoni era at UConn, and so far there have been mixed results. There were ugly losses to Vanderbilt and Iowa State early, and an inexcusable defeat to Western Michigan. But the Huskies are also coming off a victory over South Florida, and given what Pasqualoni inherited, things could be worse. How would you grade Pasqualoni on his effort so far?
Incomplete. I’ve seen the Huskies do some good things and some not so good things, but I think it’s pretty apparent that they’ve been improving as the year has gone on. Regardless of who the head coach is or was, this team came into the season with glaring weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. The guy is a proven winner and deserves time to get his kids on the field before we start passing judgement.
2. For better or worse, it appears as though the much maligned (and much celebrated in some circles) Johnny McEntee is now entrenched at the quarterback position. Did either back-up- Scott McCummings or Mike Nebrich- do enough to supplant him, or at least receive more snaps in your opinion?
Full disclosure, I thought Mike Nebrich should have won the job coming out of camp, so I might be biased, but I don’t think he ever got a fair crack this season. From an athletic standpoint, he’s head and shoulders better than McEntee. This team has really struggled to protect the QB, and Nebrich is at his best when he’s on the move and improvising. The staff could be rolling him away from the pressure and minimizing one of the team’s biggest weaknesses (pass pro), but that’s not the direction they went in. To their credit, McEntee has improved as the season has gone along, but still UConn’s offense produces very little points. As far as McCummings, I think the staff is using him correctly for the most part.
3. Much like UConn, Pittsburgh is struggling somewhat under a first year coach of their own, Todd Graham. What do you expect Wednesday night’s game? What are some keys for the Huskies to get a win?
I’m expecting another ugly, low scoring Big East game. Both Pitt and UConn can run the ball, but both struggle to pass. UConn’s defense comes into this one ranked 9th nationally against the run, allowing just 89 yards per game. If the Huskies can slow down Ray Graham, they have a good shot to pull the upset.
4. As things stand entering this week, the Big East incredibly has a six-way tie for second place in the conference standings, with Cincinnati alone at the top and South Florida out likely out of the mix at 0-3 on the bottom. How do you think this all shakes out, and although they’re certainly not one of the favorites, in a best case scenario, what can UConn do to keep themselves in the mix?
If the Huskies can win Wednesday night, they can get serious about making another title run. They spend the whole month of November at home with winnable games vs Syracuse, Louisville and Rutgers. It’s a big if, but if they can knock off Pitt, the schedule certainly turns in their favor.
5. Finally, we can’t let you go without talking about the state of the Big East, as conference realignment evolves by the day. Are you at all concerned at all of what might become of UConn?
My concerns are only in the short term. I think the ACC letting UConn twist in the wind a bit here could have a negative impact on recruiting, and the longer this goes on, the larger the negative impact. As far as the long term, no I’m really not that concerned. I think the Huskies will eventually end up in the ACC. UConn is the logical choice in the next round. Academics, geographic footprint, athletic department, tv markets…they all fit. UConn President Susan Herbst is a Duke graduate, and a former Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer in the University System of Georgia (Georgia Tech falls under this umbrella)… She’s got the contacts to get it done, and I believe she will.
For coverage of all kinds of late breaking news opinion and insight on UConn, follow Mike Grant on Twitter @MikeGrant22.
