NCAA Football Preview - Connecticut Huskies

Aug 22, 2012 - 5:54 PM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -

2011 SEASON IN REVIEW: After four straight seasons in the postseason, the Connecticut Huskies missed the postseason in 2011 by a thin margin. Finishing at 5-7 was fitting for a team that never picked up momentum much of the season, constantly alternating wins and losses.

The year started off well enough, with a 35-3 trumping over FCS opponent Fordham, but that was followed by back-to-back non-conference defeats to Vanderbilt and Iowa State in close affairs. A win against Buffalo (17-3) was followed by another pair of losses against Western Michigan (38-31) and West Virginia (43-16). The Huskies then traded wins and losses the rest of the season with four of those six games at home.

There was still hope for a bowl bid going into the season finale, but a 35-27 loss to Cincinnati that was not as close as the score indicates kept the Huskies at home for the postseason.

2012 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: The Huskies won't take anyone by surprise this season with the bulk of the load clearly going to running back Lyle McCombs. The sophomore is coming off of a breakout freshman season when he rushed for 1,151 yards and 7 touchdowns while earning a spot on the Freshman All-American team.

Less certain is who will be handing the ball off to McCombs. Early indications are that junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer will get the nod to upgrade a team that ranked 84th in the nation in pass offense last season.

Whitmer was impressive in the spring game, completing 18-of-27 passes for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns but no decision has been made about who will start.

"Chandler had a productive day. He made some good decisions. He threw fairly accurately to hit the open receiver," head coach Paul Pasqualoni said after the spring game while adding, "Once we get into the preseason camp and it's clear, then we'll make a decision."

Whoever is under center for the Huskies will be throwing to a slew of new receivers, with Nick Williams the leading returning receiver with 11 catches and 236 yards in 2011. Sophomore Shakim Phillips, who transferred from Boston College, could be a threat in the passing game. All-Big East tight end Ryan Griffin (33 receptions, 499 yards) will most likely take on an even bigger role as the Huskies try to develop a stronger passing game.

On the line Connecticut returns three starters in guards Steve Green and Adam Masters along with tackle Kevin Friend, although sophomore Alex Mateas will be getting broken in at center.

DEFENSE: The Connecticut defense could not have been more polarizing last season. The run defense was dominant, ranking fourth in yards allowed per game (85.7) while the pass defense was porous allowing 281.0 yards per game which ranked 113th nationally.

This season the Huskies will have 9 starters back from that squad and all including the entire back seven, who will hope that a year of experience will lead to improvements.

Leading the defense will be the linebacking corps which is extremely deep. Jory Johnson and Sio Moore are both going into their senior seasons and Yavin Smallwood will be the third starter after a stellar freshman campaign. The trio each had at least 86 tackles last year led by Johnson (97) with all three ranked in the top 10 in the conference in the category.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson will return after playing only five games last season to shore up the secondary which has three seniors in a unit that despite giving up far too many yards, made plays on the ball with 15 interceptions, leading to a +8 turnover differential.

Even with all the experience returning there will still be some gaps, especially up front. Although seniors Trevardo Williams and Jesse Joseph will return as starting defensive ends, the loss of Kendall Reyes and Twyon Martin cannot be overlooked. Ryan Wirth and Shamar Stephen will have the responsibility of getting pressure from the interior.

"I think inside, we've got to replace Reyes and Martin, who were good players for us," Pasqualoni said, while adding his impression of Wirth, "I thought Wirth on the defensive line collapsed the pocket. He played pretty solid against the run and pass."

SPECIAL TEAMS: Connecticut's all-time leading scorer Dave Teggart is gone, leaving the duties for either junior Chad Christen or freshman Bobby Puyol. Punter Cole Wagner is back for his second season, while Williams, a solid return man, will take care of punts and kickoff returns.

2012 OUTLOOK: After just missing a fifth straight bowl appearance last season the Huskies will be out for redemption in 2012. It all comes down to what they can get out of the quarterback position, as the running game and defense should both be strong.

The non-conference schedule is not all that daunting with the toughest opponent on the calendar outside of the Big East is NC State, which has to come to Rentschler Field. Connecticut may have trouble once conference play begins with games against early favorites Louisville and Rutgers both coming on the road. The Louisville game is sandwiched between a pair of home games at the end of the season and could be of vital importance depending on how successful the Huskies are the rest of the season.

In a conference with no clear favorite, having the ability to run the football effectively and keep other teams from putting up tons of points is crucial. Connecticut will be strong in both of those categories, meaning the Huskies should again be consistent week to week.

With some breaks along the way, UConn may contend not just for a bowl bid, but the Big East title.