Connecticut News, Raphielle Johnson, Uncategorized

UCONN – BAYLOR FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Bears offer challenges on both sides of the football

By Raphielle Johnson

No matter how much last weekend’s loss to North Carolina hurt the feeling can’t linger for the Connecticut Huskies; they’ve got more games to play. This week brings the challenge of stopping the dynamic quarterback Robert Griffin III of the Baylor Bears, and it may work to the Huskies’ advantage that they saw him in 2008. But the sophomore has improved, and that’s a scary thought considering the fact that he’d already had world-class speed, a strong and accurate arm, and he didn’t kill his team with costly mistakes.

Focusing solely on Griffin can get Connecticut in trouble due to the presence of players such as WR Kendall Wright. Defensively the Bears are led by one of the best defenders in the country in MLB Joe Pawelek. In regards to a few key injuries for the Huskies, QB Cody Endres and DE Lindsey Witten (stomach illness) will be ready to go on Saturday afternoon, while LB Scott Lutrus (stinger) is a game-time decision after missing last week’s game. If he can’t go look for Kijuan Dabney to once again fill in at the “Husky” linebacker position.

Below is the Baylor two-deep heading into Saturday’s game.

Offense

QB 10 Robert Griffin III (So.)
6 Blake Szymanski (Sr.)

TB 32 Jay Finley (Jr.)
21 Jarred Salubi (RFr.)

HB 24 Terrance Ganaway (So.)

BS 19 Sam Sledge (Sr.)
45 Andrew Judy (Sr.)

Griffin is the headliner of this group, accounting for 177 yards and a passing touchdown in the Bears’ 24-21 win at Wake Forest on September 5th. Finley is the closest thing to a feature back in Coach Briles’ system, but this is more about players getting things done as a whole instead of multiple superstars. Finley ran for over eight hundred yards last season, and he’s quick enough to slash through the Connecticut defense if not accounted for. Ganaway didn’t get much work against Wake Forest (4 carries, 11 yards), and he’s the likely candidate for short yardage situations.

WR 18 Lanear Sampson (RFr.)
17 Willie Jefferson (Fr.)

IR 1 Kendall Wright (So.)
15 Krys Buerck (Jr.)

IR 3 Ernest Smith (Sr.)
9 Brad Taylor (Jr.)

WR 4 David Gettis (Sr.)
2 Terrance Williams (RFr.)

TE 14 Justin Akers (Sr.)
9 Brad Taylor (Jr.)

This is a good group, complete with players who possess good hands and in some cases excellent speed. Wright is as much a threat through the air as he is on the ground, and last year’s leading receiver had fifty-one yards and a touchdown on four carries at Wake Forest. He and Ernest Smith put the Bears in advantageous positions from the slot; very few safeties (much less linebackers) can keep up with interior receivers of this quality. Smith didn’t catch a pass against Wake Forest but he did throw one and it was completed for a touchdown. Baylor goes with size on the outside with the dependable Gettis was second on the team last year with twenty-nine receptions but had no touchdown receptions. Akers can work the middle of the field when needed, and overall this is a group that’s best when it uses its versatility.

LT 59 Danny Watkins (Jr.)
78 Chris Griesenbeck (Jr.)

LG 63 John Jones (So.)
71 Cameron Kaufhold (RFr.)

C 55 J.D. Walton (Sr.)
70 Jake Jackson (RFr.)

RG 61 James Barnard (Sr.)
71 Cameron Kaufhold (RFr.)

RT 74 Philip Blake (So.)
67 Joe Korbel (So.)

This is a solid group that has experience at just about every position on the line. The spot to watch: left tackle, where junior college transfer Danny Watkins took over for Top 10 NFL Draft pick Jason Smith. He performed well against Wake Forest but will be in for a stiffer challenge in Lindsey Witten. Baylor runs a scheme based more on zone blocking, which is normally a staple of spread offenses, and if not attacked properly can send Griffin and company to the end zone repeatedly.

Defense

DE 88 Jason Lamb (Sr.)
9 Jameon Hardman (Sr.)

DT 11 Phil Taylor (Jr.)
49 Kaeron Johnson (RFr.)

NG 97 Trey Bryant (Sr.)
90 Nicolas Jean-Baptiste (So.)

DE 13 Tracy Roberson (So.)
96 Zac Scotton (So.)

The Bears have some definite beef in the middle of the line with Bryant weighing in at 315 pounds and Taylor tipping the scales at 355 pounds. This will be pose a challenge for the smaller Connecticut interior line, which will look to open things up for backs Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon. On the outside is a senior in Lamb and a sophomore in Roberson. Jason Lamb did pick up a sack in the win over Wake Forest but neither would be considered a pass rusher extraordinaire. Overall this is a solid group that is expected primarily to occupy blockers, freeing up one of the better linebacking units the Huskies will run into this season.

SLB 6 Antonio Jones (Sr.)
36 Chris Francis (Jr.)

MLB 41 Joe Pawelek (Sr.)
1 Earl Patin (Jr.)

FLB 7 Antonio Johnson (Jr.)
37 Elliot Coffey (So.)

The first team All-Big 12 selection Pawelek gets the majority of the attention and rightfully so. He racked up 128 stops and six interceptions in 2008, and he’s was the only player in the country to rank in the Top 10 nationally in both tackles and interceptions last season. This game won’t get the national headlines but if you like to pay attention to linebackers then this is your kind of matchup. Johnson and Jones ranked third and fourth respectively in tackles last season, and Jones finished the opener with seven tackles and a sack. Both Francis and Coffey saw action in the opener as well, so they’ll be ready should an injury occur. This is an outstanding, experienced group that will pose a serious challenge to the Connecticut offense.

CB 3 Antareis Bryan (Sr.)
20 Cliff Odom (Jr.)

FS 21 Jordan Lake (Sr.)
5 Mikail Baker (Sr.)

SS 4 Jeremy Williams (Sr.)
18 Byron Landor (Jr.)

CB 8 Tim Atchison (Sr.)
2 Ronnie Blaylock (So.)

The secondary may have even more experience that the linebackers, with the hard-hitting Jordan Lake leading the way. Lake was second on the team in tackles last season, and his play earned him first team All-Big 12 honors (unanimous selection). Jeremy Williams was active against Wake Forest, leading the team with eight tackles and a similar effort could be in store thanks to the emphasis placed on stopping the run when facing the Huskies. At corner are a pair of seniors who combined for just one interception in 2008. Normally that would be something to look into exploiting, but can the Huskies perform well enough in the passing game? In order to beat Atchison and Bryan Cody Endres will need to revert to his form in last season’s Cincinnati game and the wide receivers will need to be sure-handed.

Special Teams

K 40 Ben Parks (So.)
84 Dary Stone (Sr.)

P 38 Derek Epperson (Jr.)
40 Ben Parks (So.)

KR 5 Mikail Baker (Sr.)
20 Terrance Ganaway (So.)

PR 15 Krys Buerck (Jr.)

Parks didn’t have the best day in the season opener, going just 1-for-3 on field goals. He split two attempts from inside of thirty yards (made- 22 yards; missed- 28 yards) and had a forty-five yarder blocked. On five kickoffs against Wake Forest the sophomore had one touchback and kicked another out of bounds. Parks attempted just nine field goals in 2008, making six. Epperson averaged forty-four yards per punt last season and averaged forty-three yards per punt against the Demon Deacons.

Baylor also employed the quick kick in the season opener, and all that Robert Griffin III did in his one attempt was boot one fifty-nine yards (his versatility is borderline unfair). Baker did return a kickoff for a touchdown last season, but Wake Forest did a good job of containing him. Buerck is returning punts for the first time in his career this season, replacing the departed Joe Bennett. Besides Baker the Bears don’t have a dangerous threat in the return game, but that doesn’t mean that the Huskies can rest in this department.