Huskies could rain on Cavs’ parade

Didn’t take long for Al Groh to sum up the challenge in traveling to Connecticut for this Saturday’s game against the Huskies. All the Virginia coach had to do was remember back to last year’s 17-16 win over UConn in Scott Stadium.

That’s when Huskies center Keith Gray snapped the ball over quarterback Tyler Lorenzen’s head for a huge 21-yard loss, thwarting UConn’s drive for a potential game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter, giving the Cavaliers their sixth win in a row.

“Last year it took everything that we had to win by one point at home,” Groh said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “Less than 50 percent of our starting lineup from that game returns, including our starting quarterback. Almost all of UConn’s starting lineup returns, including their starting quarterback.”

Groh was right. Nineteen of the Huskies’ starters return from a team that won a share of the Big East title last season.

But that’s only the beginning of what the Cavaliers, rated a 10- to 12-point underdog for their first road game of the season, will be facing.

Home cooking

UConn has an eight-game winning streak at Rentschler Field. The Huskies, 2-0, have not given up a touchdown this season. It seems the Huskies are mudders, too. They survived a 12-9 overtime win over Temple in Philadelphia last Saturday, having played the game in a steady soaking from Tropical Storm Hanna.

That’s nothing new. Coach Randy Edsall’s team won three big home games last season (Louisville, South Florida and Rutgers) in the rain. Saturday’s forecast is for showers.

Virginia fans that saw last year’s narrow escape over UConn will remember Lorenzen. He threw for 176 yards and rushed 13 times for 33 yards. However, he has been a bit turnover-prone and has already thrown four interceptions this season.

The Lorenzen threat

“Before we even put the tape on, we had pretty vivid remembrance of the impact he had on the game, running the ball last year,” Groh said of Lorenzen, who had 75 yards rushing against Temple. “The players remember it. It’s not just something the coaches are talking about.

“He’s unusual in these running quarterbacks because he’s got a good element of elusiveness,” Groh added. “But he’s a big presence in the pocket also. Some of his runs come about when there is pressure in the pocket and when people have their hands on him and he just shakes them off and is able to take off.”

Still, the Cavaliers will take what has been one of the nation’s worst offenses for the past three seasons up to East Hartford for Saturday’s nonconference clash. UVa is ranked 115 out of 119 FBS schools in total offense, No. 111 in scoring offense and No. 114 in rushing offense.

By contrast, UConn is No. 7 in scoring defense (surrendering but six points per game), No. 20 in total defense, No. 31 in passing defense and No. 32 in rushing defense.

Both teams’ numbers are a bit skewed for different reasons. No. 1 Southern California had its way with the Cavaliers a couple weeks back in a 52-7 thrashing and shut down UVa’s offense all day.

Connecticut’s game in the storm last weekend — Groh said you could see it raining sideways in the game tape — prevented the Huskies from opening up their offense.

Because of that fact, Groh said his coaches haven’t been able to get a true handle on what UConn can do with the passing game. Lorenzen was 10 of 22 passing in that game for 86 yards, and his longest three completions went for 18, 14, and 14 yards.

With the Huskies operating out of the shotgun, handling a slippery pigskin wasn’t that easy. In fact, Temple (coached by former UVa defensive coordinator Al Golden) held a 6-0 lead with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. The Owls had a receiver wide open for a potential game-clinching score, but the pass was underthrown. UConn’s kicker, Tony Ciaravino, who had missed three field goals earlier in the game, won it in overtime.

While critics have described Edsall’s offense as too conservative, perhaps we haven’t really seen the true UConn attack at this point. With an easy opener over Hofstra and the torrential downpour in Philly, maybe Edsall has been forced to keep his passing game under cover.

There’s nothing wrong with the Huskies’ running game, however, as tailback Donald Brown rushed for a career-high 214 yards against Temple. UConn ran the ball 55 times against Golden’s defense.

Virginia’s defense will have to brace for a Huskies offense that has averaged 415 yards of total offense in two games even through a tropical storm. Still, Lorenzen has faced criticism that he lacks a strong arm and that he isn’t the most accurate passer around. His pass protection has come under scrutiny as well, having been sacked four times by Temple.

From this vantage point, it would seem that the Cavaliers would best be served in trying to limit UConn’s ground game and contain Lorenzen, and perhaps force him to put the ball in the air.

The game should be a major step in the maturation of sophomore quarterback Pete Lalich, whose passing appears to progress each week. If the Cavaliers can upgrade their offensive effort, perhaps they can escape Connecticut with another close win.

All along, it appeared that if UVa could win at least two of its three games against Richmond, at UConn, and at Duke on Sept. 27, then the Cavs would be in good shape for a three-game homestand against Maryland, surprising East Carolina and North Carolina.

In that sense, Saturday’s road game is a huge one for the Wahoos.