Holding Cincy to an O-fer on third down is as impressive a stat as one could quell from this game, but UConn's third down offense was as terrible as the defense was fantastic.
By holding Cincinnati to 1.9 yards per carry, effectively eliminating all hopes they had of running the ball, we forced the Bearcats to try and convert on a number of 3rd and 6 and 3rd and longs. Cody Brown didn't want that to happen, though, so he took it upon himself to play the wrecking-ball game. Pike, and later Chazz Anderson, could barely drop back without Brown or Lindsey Witten or Julius Williams breathing down his neck. Pressure like that is a vital necessity when you blitz as infrequently as we do (although, I can, off the top of my head, think of 5-ish blitzes we ran, an unusually high number for a UConn defense).
After Cincy's only TD drive, which was punctuated by one of the best damn bubble screens that I've ever seen, Pike went 5-14 with a pick and was replaced by Anderson after the half.
A big hat-tip goes to the fellow running the jumbotron for replaying Pike's interception during the middle of the third quarter. I'm sure that reliving that throw boosted Pike's spirits, he and his buddy's probably had a good, hearty, deprecating laugh at his expense.
-Cody Brown is about to make some serious, serious NFL cash. 7 sacks, a blocked punt, and countless hurries will get you noticed. If he continues at this rate, finishes with 10-12 sacks, we may see him join Darius Butler as a first day NFL draft pick.
As good as Brown and Butler have been, as many plays they've made for UConn over the years, their swan song may come in the NFL draft. Not only would a pair of first day picks provide some much needed national exposure, but it would validate our burgeoning identity as a "football school." While I doubt that we'll ever be a football school in the sense of a Penn State or Michigan, those schools whose names are intrinsically synonymous to college football, but we can realistically rise to the level of an Arizona State or Oklahoma State.
-42 passes. 42 passes. 42 passes? Randy, honey, come on. Honestly. I said after the UNC game that you don't want to pass when you have the nation's leading rusher and a quarterback making his first start. Cody flashed a ridiculously strong arm, but he seems to have two settings: "off" and "Death Star laser beam." He consistently overthrew his receivers by a solid foot or two; Edsall, during his postgame, chalked the overthrows up to Endress attempting to compensate for the win, but I'll wager nerves and inexperience were as much factors as the wind.
-The direct snap/attempted Wildcat to Donnie Brown was suh-weet! I've been waiting all season for something like that. Our offense, at the risk of oversimplifying things, is so "conventional" (albeit effective) and I just love seeing new-fangled wrinkles like the Wildcat being thrown in there. Dear UConn Coaching Staff- More Wildcat, puhweez. Love-Everyone.
-David Teggert is the man. I've said enough.
-At least WVU reverts to form right before coming to the Rent. Next week's game will not be 66-21, not with Coach Gomer roaming the sidelines
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