Big East Football: Connecticut Suffers Through Disappointing Season One Year After Winning Conference
For the Connecticut Huskies, the 2011 football season can be summed up in one word, disappointing.
The team who won the conference a year ago finished sixth this season and was never able to get on track from the beginning.
The Huskies went all season without a winning streak and struggled offensively all year, averaging only 24 points a game.
Still, at the end of the season, they were one win away from qualifying for a bowl game, but a road loss last weekend against Cincinnati to finish up the year spelled the end of a down year for the Huskies.
It was certainly a transition year for a team that lost their head coach Randy Edsall to Maryland after a trip to the Orange Bowl last year.
First year head coach Paul Pasqualoni definitely had his hands full after all of the talent Connecticut lost from the previous season.
The biggest bright spot on the season for the Huskies was freshman running back Lyle McCombs.
McCombs finished the season with 1,151 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Certainly big time numbers for a freshman.
Quarterback Johnny McEntee struggled all season and finished with 2,110 yards and 12 touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions.
His main targets were both named Moore. Kashif Moore finished the year with 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns. Fellow receiver Isiah Moore was unable to get in the end zone, but did have 43 receptions for 566 yards.
However, both seniors will be departing and Connecticut will rely heavily on junior tight end Ryan Griffin next season
. Griffin caught 33 passes this season for 499 yards and three touchdowns.
The Huskies were middle of the pack on the defensive side of the ball and will likely improve next season under Pasqualoni.
A 5-7 finish and 3-4 in conference is not something to be proud of, but in their first season under a new head coach, the Huskies have a lot to build on for the future.
