The Donald is Cashing In

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Posted by DCS

No, we're not talking about Donald Trump, although he's probably cashing in as well. We're talking about UCONN tailback Donald Brown who is fresh off a 261 yard performance in an International Bowl win over the Buffalo Bulls. Brown now concedes that he will be forgoing his senior season in Storrs to pursue opportunities in the NFL.

Brown is a junior and has one more year of eligibility to play college football. When asked prior to the bowl game if he was planning on leaving he said that he would stay, but as time went on reports surfaced that he and head coach Randy Edsall would discuss the matter further at a later time.

At the press conference after the International Bowl, Brown said the following:

"I'm not coming back, I'm going to the NFL. I know I told you guys earlier
that I was coming back but that was too [sic] eliminate the distractions on our
team. We had enough internal distractions going on and they didn't need that one
as a burden as well so I apologize for "lying" for what I did to protect my
team. They mean the world to me, so I'm willing to put my neck on the line for
them."

"To be honest with you, going into the season, I worked my tail off and I
made it a point to myself in the position to have the option to stay or leave.
As time grew closer and I just kept sleeping on it for nights and nights and I
just felt in my heart that was best for me. It was one of the toughest decisions
I ever had to make in my life."With the guy next to me [coach Randy Edsall]
giving me advice along the way and my parents and my high school coach made it a
lot easier for me."

This should not be unexpected at all and the UCONN backfield is left in the talented hands of Jordan Todman (who had a solid performance in the International Bowl as well) and Andre Dixon. The Huskies will also have a new quarterback handing the ball off to the new backfield; a possibility at QB is Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazier.

Brown is the second junior Big East football player who today declared that they would not return to college next year. Earlier today, Rutgers wide receiver Kenny Britt also declared his intention to make a jump to the pros. Currently, nfldraftdog.com has Brown tabbed as a 2nd round value and Britt as a 4th round value for this year's draft. It's disappointing to see these fine talents leave the Big East, but it does show potential Big East recruits that the league is producing top notch talent that can make a smooth foray into the NFL.

Yes UCONN!

Posted by DCS

Well Big East fans, it all came down to today and the UCONN Huskies to conclude the conference's bowl season in the International Bowl against Buffalo. This was today's only bowl being broadcast and another opportunity for the Big East to showcase its wares against the MAC Conference champion led by hot coaching commodity, Turner Gill. UCONN did not disappoint as they overpowered the Bulls 38-20 in a game that demonstrated why Donald Brown was certainly overlooked as a Doak Walker finalist (and winner).

As mentioned, Donald Brown was worth the price of admission, carrying the ball 29 times for 261 yards (nine yards per carry) and a touchdown. With over 200 yards in the first half alone, Brown and soon-to-be departed offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose made it clear to Buffalo that they were going to be partying like it's 1909 by running play after play after play. Husky quarterback Tyler Lorenzen only made six pass attempts, completing four of them for 49 yards and a touchdown.

UCONN sealed the game with a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Buffalo quarterback Drew "free" Willy was picked off in the endzone by Husky linebacker Dahna Deleston, who in turn, rushed the ball back 100 yards for another score. UCONN ends their season 8-5.

All three International Bowls ever played have now been won by Big East teams (Cincinnati in 2007 and Rutgers in 2008), while UCONN gets their first bowl win since a victory over Toledo in 2004's Motor City Bowl. The Big East Conference concludes the bowl season 4-2, and are now 12-4 in bowls since 2006 (certainly something boast about when negotiating new bowl tie-ins).

More on Donald Brown:

It is still unclear whether Donald Brown plans on returning for his senior season. He smiled while evading a post-game interview question, instead noting that he would be celebrating the victory with his teammates. There is no question, that with the early departure of top flight running backs Shonn Greene (Iowa), Knowshon Mareno (Georgia), and Javon Ringer (Mich. State), Brown would be considered a leading candidate for the the Doak Walker award in 2009. The Heisman may prove at least somewhat elusive for DB because it is unlikely that UCONN will perform well enough (a BCS bowl appearance is helpful when pushing a Heisman candidate) in the 2009 season. That being said, there is a lot excitement in Storrs over the potential of Notre Dame transfer QB Zach Frazier to lead the team to more promising results. For right now, I encourage all UCONN and Big East fans to revel in the success of the conference's regular and bowl seasons.

First standings, then links:

Pac 10 5-0
SEC 5-2
Big East 4-2
CUSA 3-2
Big 12 3-2
MWC 3-2
Sun Belt 1-1
ACC 4-6
WAC 1-4
Big 10 1-5
Indies 0-2
MAC 0-4

• He gone. Kenny Britt is going to the NFL...
• ...is that going to be a problem for Rutgers?
• Frank Ahrens at the Bleacher Report looks back and ahead for the West Virginia Mountaineers
• Eduardo Encina of the USF Sports Bulletin updates us on the Robert Marve situation -- his father is sick in Tampa; could he come to USF?

Buck Up Big East Fans, It Aint All That Bad

Friday, January 2, 2009

Posted by DCS

Losses by Big East teams in bowls -- Pitt in the Brut Sun Bowl and last evening's defeat of Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl -- understandably have fans of the conference hanging their heads low. I can't stress enough that this should not be the case. Yes, it's disappointing to see Dave Wannstedt's Pitt team not muster a single point against an Oregon State team that had given up 65 points to Oregon two weeks prior. Yes, it's gut wrenching for the Big East Champ Cincinnati Bearcats to lose a mistake-filled game to a former conference member and hated ACC rival in the most important bowl for the conference this season. If we want to be considered a serious BCS conference, than it is completely necessary to feel utterly discouraged by these developments and expect that things should turn out differently.

The bottom line is that the Big East Conference still has a winning bowl record this season (3-2). Even with Virginia Tech's victory last evening, the ACC is a pitiful 4-6 in bowls despite placing 10 teams in the the post-season (not to mention, they are 1-2 against the Big East). Look at the Big 10 Conference. This "big time" grouping of teams is mustering a measly 1-5 bowl record this season. With UCONN yet to play, there is one more opportunity for a Big East bowl win, and it's a game that can decide whether we conclude the bowl season with a winning record or not.

Something else to consider is that the two teams that have lost in bowls for the Big East thus far, have done so after improving on their previous situations. This is the first season in Dave Wannstedt's four years as head coach, that Pittsburgh has gone to a bowl. Sure, they didn't pull out a victory, but it's something to build on going into next season. More importantly, Brian Kelly's Cincinnati squad has never seen the type of success that they encountered this season. Going to a BCS bowl game is a huge deal for a team that had been looked upon as a peon in the world of college football a few short years ago. Building blocks are now in place for these two programs to continue their winning ways and win bowl games in the future.

I'm also well aware that critics will try to point out that the Big East Conference's bowl victories came in lower tier bowls against teams of suspect talent. People can criticize all they want, but these are still valuable wins in my mind. Pat White going out the way he did against a solid UNC team coached by someone as well recognized as Butch Davis is something to crow about. Rutgers downing an equally hot team as NC State in the Papajohns.com Bowl is another accomplishment not to be diminished. Sure, the USF victory in the Magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl may not seem like much, but the drubbing they delivered should speak volumes about their ability to score at will and win in convincing fashion.

I hope this little pep talk has Big East followers feeling at least a little better about this season. I leave you with updated bowl conference standings, and links that will both bring closure to last night's defeat and ones that will have you looking more optimistically to the future of Big East play. We now need everyone rallying around the UCONN Huskies in their Saturday match-up with Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls.

Pac 10 5-0
CUSA 3-1
SEC 3-1
Big 12 3-1
Big East 3-2
MWC 2-2
Sun Belt 1-1
ACC 4-6
WAC 1-4
Big 10 1-5
Indies 0-2
MAC 0-3

Closure:

• Brian Bennett of ESPN's Big East Blog chalks up Cincy's loss to mistakes and a stout Hokie defense....
• ....but B-Squared notes that fans should not look down on the Bearcats' season
• Orange Bowl analysis from Matt Zemek of scout.com
• Orange Bowl pics, courtesy of scout.com

UCONN will cheer you up:

• A year in review for UCONN on the UCONN Blog -- many positive things to note about the Husky football team
• Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant updates us ahead of the International Bowl

I Smell Brut Sun Bowl Links and More

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Posted by DCS

Get your fill of Brian Bennett's antics on ESPN's Big East Blog:

• A Sun Bowl preview
• The Panthers feel they have something to prove
• B-Squared gets UCONN defensive end Rob Lunn to do his job for him

A trio from Scout.com:

• The International Bowl will be a homecoming of sorts for UCONN's Moe Petrus, eh?
• "Mr. PAC 10" is liking Pitt over OSU today
• It's game day!

What else?:

• The Newark Star-Ledger's Tom Liucci discusses the future of Rutgers football
• P. Diddy, Party, Same hotel as the Cincy Bearcats...you do the math
• Zach Berman of the Washington Post with a fine bit of journalism covering the ascent of Brian Kelly and the Cincinnati Bearcats

Take These Links...I'll Get Back to Ya

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Posted by DCS

Hi folks, I'll be in transit most of today, so don't expect too many updates until later today. Till then, Happy Holidays and enjoy these:

• The underdog Mountaineers are going to have to avoid turnovers to win the "Muffler Bowl"
• This sucks, but not entirely unexpected given the location of the Papajohns.com Bowl
• Give UCONN's Randy Edsall credit for having staying power
• UCONN fans better buy more tix for the International Bowl, or else Des Connor will find you and hurt you
• B-Squared confronts all your Big East expansion-related queries
• More on "Barnas-gate" at Syracuse

That's all for right now, but you can bet there will be lots more to come.