November 24, 2012 • at Louisville Gratz Returns For A Touchdown UConn redshirt senior cornerback Dwayne Gratz (Piscataway, N.J.) returned an interception for 37-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against UMass. UConn returned just one interception for a touchdown last year. The “pick-six” was the second of Gratz’s career as he had a 46-yarder against Oklahoma in the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Gratz, who also had an interception on Maryland’s first play from scrimmage on Sept. 15 and one vs. USF, now has eight career interceptions. Stephen Returns To Lineup UConn redshirt junior Shamar Stephen (Brookville, N.Y.) returned to the Husky lineup on Sept. 15 vs. Maryland and has now started the last seven games after missing the first two games of ’12 with a knee injury suffered in preseason camp. Stephen had begun camp as a projected starter on the defensive line as he played in 24 of 25 games over the past two seasons. He had three tackles vs. WMU, one against Maryland and Buffalo and five with half a tackle for a loss vs. Rutgers. He had three tackles vs. Temple, two vs. Syracuse and three vs. USF. Against Rutgers, Stephen made a season-high five tackles and blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt. The blocked kick was the first blocked field goal by Connecticut since James Hargrave against Murray State (Sep. 4, 2004). Short Breaks for the Offense The Connecticut defense is tied for seventh in the country in three-and-outs forced this season at 5.00 per game. The Huskies have stopped opponents on third down 66% of the time this season and have forced three-play drives 37.6% (50-for-122) of the time. Florida State leads the country with 6.72 three-and-outs forced per game, followed by TCU (6.00), Wisconsin (5.45), Alabama (5.36) and Georgia (5.36) rounding out the top five.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES Solid Start, But Tough Day, For Christen Redshirt junior kicker Chad Christen (Etters, Pa.) had connected on seven of his first ten collegiate field goal attempts and all 14 of his extra point attempts in his first year as the team’s placekicker entering the game vs. Temple. Christen had handled kickoff duties only for the past two years and is replacing UConn’s all-time leading kicker Dave Teggart this year. While Christen made both his PAT attempts vs. the Owls, he missed four field goals in the game – tries of 36, 42, 44 (blocked) and 28 (OT) yards. Christen was the first player to appear in the interview after the game, which promoted Jeff Jacobs of The Hartford Courant to write: “And then you remember this is a 22-year-old college kid, and he was hurting inside. No, Christen didn’t do his job as a kicker on this day. He did do his job as a stand-up young man. He was the first player in the interview room. He answered the questions with a forthrightness that should be the envy of some professional athletes 10 years his senior. And when he was finished, he shook hands with reporters.” Christen connected on field goals of 36, 47 and 19 yards vs. UMass and hit on two extra points. He connected on his one PAT attempt vs. N.C. State. He missed a 49-yard field goal against Maryland, but came back to make a 34-yarder. He also had three PAT vs. the Terps. He missed a 51-yarder against WMU, but
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later made a 32-yarder and hit on all three of his PATs. He had a 29-yarder vs. Buffalo and hit on all three of his PAT attempts and against Rutgers he made a 19-yarder and missed a 51-yarder. He came back against Syracuse and connected on a 23-yard FG in the first quarter and scored UConn’s only points vs. USF with field goals of a career-long 50 yards and also a 37-yarder. He was sharp again in the win vs. Pittsburgh with a 29-yard field goal and three extra points. Wagner Already In The Books UConn redshirt junior Cole Wagner (York, Pa.) has already established himself as a top performer in the UConn record books. Wagner has been the Husky punter for the past two seasons and was a Second Team All-Conference pick last year. This season, 24 of his 62 punts have been downed inside the 20 yard line, including three of five punts on Oct. 6 vs. Rutgers. He is now second in UConn career history in punting average (min. 80 punts) with a 40.9 average, while the leader is Desi Cullen (2006-09) with 41.1 Wagner is third in career number of punts (221) and second in career yardage (9,046). Nick Williams Joins Elite Company UConn senior Nick Williams (East Windsor, N.J.) returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 15 for the opening score of the Maryland game and then had a 80-yard punt return for a TD against Pittsburgh. The return vs. Pittsburgh was just the fifth in school history that went for 80 yards or more for a TD. Against Pittsburgh, he became UConn’s career leader in return yardage (punts, kickoffs and interceptions) with 2,389 – topping the mark of Larry Taylor (2004-07), who had 2,277. He is just the seventh player in UConn history to have two or more punt returns for a TD in a career. Williams becomes just the fifth UConn player in history, and only second in the “FBS Era”, to have both a kick¬off and punt return for a TD during a career. He joins Larry Taylor (2004-07), Jordan Younger (1996-99), Nick Giaquinto (1975-76) and Rich Hedgepeth (1974-76). Williams was named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week following his game vs. Maryland and Pittsburgh. He was the ECAC Special Teams Player of the Week following the Pittsburgh game. Williams has two KO returns for a touchdown – both coming in the 2010 season when he led the country in kickoff return average at 35.29 yards per return. He is second in school history in number of kickoff returns with 71 while Tory Taylor had 89 from 1995-98. He is first in net yards with 1,916. He is tied for first in KOR for touchdowns with two and is the career leader in kickoff return average at 27.0. Williams is fifth in UConn history in punt return average at 9.5.
STADIUM/ATTENDANCE NOTES Rentschler Field The Huskies moved into brand new Rentschler Field in East Hartford for the 2003 season. Located within miles of Interstates 91, 84 and 384, the home of the Huskies lies on 75 acres of land donated to the State of Connecticut from the historic Pratt & Whitney Airfield. The stadium, like the former airfield, is named for that company’s founder, Frederick Rentschler. The stadium boasts a capacity of 40,000 with 38 luxury suites.
2012 University of Connecticut Football Game Notes