Aug. 18, 2010
Vanderbilt at Connecticut
Date: October 2, 2010 (Kickoff TBA)
Location: Rentschler Field (40,000) East Hartford, Conn.
About Connecticut
Coach: Randy Edsall (12th year, 66-65)
Conference: Big East
Colors: Blue and White
2009 record: 8-5, 3-4 Big East
Postseason: PapaJohns.com Bowl (Defeated South Carolina, 20-7)
Highest ranking/Final ranking: Unranked/Unranked
Returning starters: 16 (8 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams)
Most impressive win of 2009: In a trying year for the program that included the tragic death of cornerback Jasper Howard, it was vindicating for the Huskies to conclude the season with a decisive win over South Carolina in the PapaJohns.com Bowl, the second straight bowl victory for Edsall’s team.
Worst loss: All of Connecticut’s five losses in 2009 were by four or less points, but none was more gut-wrenching than a 28-24 defeat at the hands of Rutgers on Oct. 31. Holding a 24-21 lead with 33 seconds left in the game, the Huskies allowed an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown to drop their second straight game.
Last time Connecticut played Vanderbilt: It was Bobby Johnson’s first season with the Commodores. The Commodores defeated the Huskies on Oct. 26, 2002 by a 28-24 score to snap a five-game losing streak. Freshman quarterback Jay Cutler scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:17 left in regulation.
Vanderbilt-Connecticut series: Vanderbilt leads 1-0. The 2002 game was the only other time the Commodores and Huskies have met on the football field.
Notes: This game will come off Vanderbilt’s first bye week since 2008; Vanderbilt played 12 straight games last season. The Commodores are 2-1 after their last three open dates … Vanderbilt last faced a Big East opponent in 2004, a 37-34 loss to Rutgers … Overall the Commodores are 10-7-1 (.588) against Big East teams, their best winning percentage against any other power conference… ESPN’s Big East blogger Brian Bennett rates Connecticut’s offensive line as the best in the conference in 2010 … Randy Edsall was a defensive coordinator with Georgia Tech in 1998 before becoming a head coach.
PREVIOUS GAME PREVIEWS
Game 1: Northwestern
Game 2: LSU
Game 3: Ole Miss
