ShareThisBy JOHN LINDSAY
Friday, November 03, 2006
Capsule preview of Sunday night's Connecticut-Rutgers game. All times Eastern and all rankings Coaches' Poll.
CONNECTICUT (3-4) at No. 17 RUTGERS (7-0), 8 p.m., ESPN.
FAVORITE: Matthews/Scripps Howard power ratings say Rutgers by 17.
COACHES: Randy Edsall (40-47 in 8th year at UConn) and Greg Schiano (29-45 in sixth year at Rutgers).
LAST WEEK: UConn lost at home to West Virginia, 37-11. Rutgers won at Pittsburgh, 20-10.
SERIES HISTORY: Rutgers leads, 17-8.
LAST MEETING: Rutgers won, 26-24, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Fast-starting Scarlet Knights have outscored foes by combined 102-10 in first and third quarters this season..
GAME FACTS: Huskies have been thorn in Rutgers' side with three wins under Edsall before falling in tight game last year. But UConn's confidence is low right now considering defense has given up 123 points in current 1-3 slide while both QBs Matt Bonislawski, D.J. Hernandez played last week and combined for dismal 15-of-34, 115-yard, 2-int. effort. Riding 7-game winning streak (longest since 1978) and highest ranking since 1976 team finished 15th, Knights are on best roll in recent memory. Combination of sensational sophomore RB Ray Rice (second in nation with 1,124 yards rushing, leads Big East with 12 TDs)-wicked defense (second in nation in total defense, 223.4 ypg, third in scoring, 8.6 ppg) has worked well so far. And Rice's backfield mate _ senior Brian Leonard (42 career TDs, second in nation; caught pass in Big East record 41 consecutive games) _ is no slouch either.
