Time to produce as Huskies open season Thursday against Towson

STORRS – It may be one of the most anticipated football seasons at the University of Connecticut in quite a while. 

There are some intriguing opponents coming Rentschler Field this fall with Michigan on Sept. 21 and the return of former head coach Randy Edsall with Maryland a week earlier on Sept. 14. 

It’s also a season that brings the pressure to succeed. The meltdown of the Big East a year ago left Connecticut on the sidelines in terms of the big, traditional power conferences. 

The Atlantic Coast Conference took Syracuse and Pittsburgh in 2011 and Notre Dame decided to leave last September. In November, Louisville became the seventh Big East school to accept an invitation to join the ACC and will join that league in 2014. West Virginia left in 2011 for the Big 12. The Big 10 said last November that Rutgers would be joining their league in 2014. 

As in most of these deals, football was the driving force and Connecticut football needs to be better than it has been the past few years. The Huskies have gone 5-7 the last two years under coach Paul Pasqualoni. They had three straight 8-5 seasons under Edsall, including 2010 when they went to the Fiesta Bowl and were manhandled by No. 25 Oklahoma.

Is conference realignment over? Who knows? But if Connecticut wants to improve its attractiveness as a potential candidate, the football team needs to improve by winning football games. It starts on Thursday night when the Huskies host Towson State at 7:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field (online on ESPN3, radio on WTIC-1080). 

Coached by former UConn assistant coach Rob Ambrose, the visiting Tigers have finished the past two seasons with a share of the Colonial Athletic Conference title. With 16 wins in 23 games over the past two seasons, Towson is ranked No. 12 in the preseason FCS coaches poll. 

“I think our guys practice pretty intensely through preseason but you see that excitement about the light at the end of the tunnel and being able to play someone else,” Pasqualoni said. “They’re looking forward to lining up after all these days of practice and getting in the stadium and playing a game. I certainly see that body language out there for sure.” 

Junior running back Lyle McCombs has led UConn in rushing for the past two seasons. He had 1,151 yards as a freshman in 2011 and ran for 860 yards a year ago. He has nine 100-yard rushing games in his career. 

At quarterback, junior Chandler Whitmer returns for his second year as the starter. Whitmer completed 208 of 361 passes for 2,664 yards and nine TDs. But he threw 16 interceptions. He’ll have two experienced receivers to throw to – Geremy Davis and Shakim Phillips. 

“I think those guys are very capable. I think Chandler Whitmer is very capable of getting them the ball,” Pasqualoni said. “Both receivers (Davis and Phillips) can run by people, they’re every powerful, fast and explosive kind of guys. Zero to sixty guys, they get going. Shakim is very explosive and Geremy is very physical and very strong.” 

Defensively, the Huskies hope to continue their strong performances. A year ago, the Huskies were ninth in the nation in total defense, allowing 309 yards a game. UConn forced 26 turnovers, including intercepting 16 passes. 

Junior linebacker Yawin Smallwood has been named to multiple preseason awards lists for defenders including the Chuck Bednarik award which is given to the top defensive player in the nation and the Butkus Award that honors the nation’s best linebacker. 

“What I like most is that Yawin doesn’t say much but his actions speak louder than words,” Pasqualoni said. “Yawin leads by example and by production, by practicing well and being smart in the meeting room and doing it exactly the way you want him to. He’s led exactly the way you want him to.” 

Pasqualoni said the Tigers’ running game with tailback Terrance West is impressive. Pasqualoni sees Towson’s play action threat and their defensive pressure standing in UConn’s way of an opening night victory. 

“I hope to see great execution, great assignments, and guys playing well together,” Pasqualoni said. “I don’t really care if we score running or throwing, as long as we get points on the board. 

“I think every year is a new year, every team has its own identity,” he said. “I don’t think you really establish your identity until you start playing in the season, until you’ve played some really tough opponents, played some guys who can play. Towson has guys who can play with anybody.” 

NOTES: The game will not be broadcast on local or cable television. It will be available online through ESPN3. The game will be on the radio with flagship station WTIC-AM (1080) having the coverage. … UConn will have three captains this season. Steven Greene will be a captain on offense while Smallwood and Shamar Stephen will be captains on defense.