The UConn football team is preparing for its biggest game in school history. But coach Randy Edsall and the Huskies are trying to keep it business as usual.
“The guys have put themselves in position to accomplish the goals they want to accomplish,” Edsall said. “We’ve been playing one-game seasons; if we lost one we were done. This game is no different than all those other games that we just played. If you win you move on, if you don’t win you don’t get as big a prize.”
After starting 0-2 in conference play, UConn has won its last four games to give itself a chance to clinch the Big East conference title and a first-ever BCS berth at South Florida on Saturday night.
“We’ve won and stayed in the hunt,” Edsall said. “Now if we win, we win a championship. And with that championship comes the reward of going to a BCS game.”
Edsall’s future
Edsall’s name has swirled around in recent years for coaching vacancies across the nation. This season, Edsall’s name has been mentioned to fill voids at Miami or Minnesota. But the all-time winningest coach in UConn history is not saying a word about anything other than leading the Huskies to the BCS.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Edsall said. “I have not talked to anybody, nobody’s talked to me. There is no need to address it. The kids know me. They know what my focus and my approach is. I’m just getting ready for South Florida and that’s the bottom line.”
Big East honors
Although the Huskies are vying for the ultimate Big East team award, Jordan Todman and Kendall Reyes received individual conference accolades this week. Todman was named Big East offensive player of the week after scoring three touchdowns while gaining 175 yards on the ground in the Huskies’ 38-17 over Cincinnati on Saturday. Edsall hopes Todman will have enough left in the tank for another monster performance to lead them to the BCS.
“I hope he’s got one more left in him,” Edsall said. “We’re smart with him during the week, we don’t let him get beat up, he gets as many reps as he needs to get to be prepared for the game.”
Reyes had three tackles and an interception he returned 79 yards for a touchdown. And although Lawrence Wilson took the touchdown away after a block in the back, Reyes was all over the field against the Bearcats.
“Kendall’s really stepped it up and is playing very well,” Edsall said. “He’s being a tremendous leader. He’s creating havoc in there, in the middle. He’s going to need to continue to do that because he has some tough match ups this weekend.”
TCU moves to the Big East
Edsall said he congratulated TCU coach Gary Patterson on the Horned Frogs move from the Mountain West to the Big East, effective in 2012.
“I’m excited about it,” Edsall said. “I think it strengthens us from a football end and from an all-sports situation. I’ve been on that campus before; they have great facilities, a solid athletic department down there. Your getting a tremendous football program coming into the conference.”
Some people have said the move does not make sense geographically, but Edsall shuns that talk.
“It’s ridiculous, that’s ludicrous,” Edsall said. “The Big East went out and just made a move that makes the conference stronger. You really get sick sometimes about all the negativity. To me it’s a really positive step.”