September 21, 2013 • vs. Michigan WHITMER BACK AT QB UConn junior quarterback Chandler Whitmer (Newnan, Ga.) returns for his second year as the Husky starter. His 2,503 yards of total offense last year with eighth in school single-season history while his 208 completions was seventh. Whitmer’s 2,664 passing yards was fifth. He was 16 of 28 in the air for 206 yards, two TDs and one interception vs. Towson in the opener. Whitmer was 29 of 46 in the air for 349 yards, two INT and a TD vs. Maryland. The 349 yards was a career-high topping the previous mark of 333 he had against Western Michigan last season. Whitmer enrolled at Connecticut for the spring 2012 semester and participated in spring practice. Whitmer originally enrolled at Illinois in the fall of 2010 and was a redshirt. He spent the 2011 fall semester at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas and was 180 for 316 in the air for 3,022 yards with 25 TDs and 14 interceptions. He was named All-Kansas Junior College Conference first team honors and earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honorable mention. Butler was the second-ranked junior college team nationally in 2011. SHAK SETS RECEIVING YARDAGE MILESTONES UConn edshirt junior Shakim Phillips (Paterson, N.J.) leads UConn with 15 receptions for 225 yards and three TDs this season. His is 20th in the country, and fourth in the American, in receptions per game and is seventh in the country, and first in the American, in receiving yards per game. Philips had ten receptions for 178 yards and one TD vs. Maryland on Saturday, which was a career-high in each category. The 178 yards of receiving was the most for a Husky in UConn’s FBS era (since 2002). It marked the first time a Husky receiver had more than 150 yards in one game since Marcus Easley had 157 against West Virginia on Oct. 24, 2009. It was the most receiving yards in a single-game for a Husky since Dak Newton had 222 vs. Villanova on Oct. 5, 1996. Redshirt junior Geremy Davis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) is the second-leading receiver on the team with 10 receptions for 154 – having five receptions in each of the first two games.
DEFENSE NOTES GAWDY DEFENSIVE NUMBERS IN 2012 The UConn defense established itself as one of the top units in college football last season in 2012. UConn was ninth in total defense (309.92 yards per game), seventh in rushing defense (97.92 yards per game), 15th in tackles for loss (7.33 per game), 18th in sacks (2.75 per game), 36th in pass defense (212.00 yards per game) and 19th in scoring defense (19.83 points per game). UConn leads the BIG EAST in total defense, rushing defense, pass defense and sacks. UConn gave up just 36 points in the first quarter of games last year (field goal by WMU, TD vs. Buffalo, two FG by Rutgers, two FG by Syracuse. TD by USF, TD by Cincinnati) and gave up only 33 first quarter first downs. The Huskies have now given up just 43 points in the past 13 games in the first quarter, including the Towson and Maryland games this year. SMALLWOOD NAMED TO WATCH LISTS UConn junior linebacker Yawin Smallwood (Worcester, Mass.) was named to virtually every defensive award preseason Watch List for the 2013 season. He was named to the lists for the: Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award -- both are given to the top defensive player in the country – and also named to the lists for the Butkus Award that honors the nation’s best linebacker. Smallwood was a first team All-BIG EAST selection in 2012 and led the Huskies in tackles with 120 and was second in tackles for a loss with 15. He had four sacks and two forced fumbles. Smallwood was tied for 20th in the country in tackles per game (10.0) and was third in the BIG EAST. Smallwood has played in all 24 UConn games over the past two seasons and has 214 career tackles with 5.5 sacks and 17.5 TFLs.
Media Services CONTACT: Mike Enright 2095 Hillside Road U-1173 Storrs, CT 06269-1173 Phone: (860) 486-3531 Cell: (860) 208-4756 FAX: (860) 486-5085 Email: mike.enright@uconn.edu Online: UConnHuskies.com SECONDARY CONTACT: Bobby Mullen 2095 Hillside Road U-1173 Storrs, CT 06269-1173 Phone: (860) 486-1496 Cell: (609) 923-4463 Email: robert.mullen@uconn.edu IMAGES For high resolution logos and head shots, visit the The American Athletic Conference and UConn section of CollegePressBox.com. For action shots, please contact Mike Enright. ALL INFORMATION BELOW IS BASED ON A SATURDAY GAMEWEEK. WEEKLY PAUL PASQUALONI TELECONFERENCES Sunday: Teleconference 1:00 p.m. ET. Go to: http:// sportssystems.spiderphone.com/02819699 Monday: Via The American Teleconference at 11:40 a.m. ET. The number to call is (913) 981-5533. Thursday: Brief update teleconference at 1:00. The weblink is the same as above. Contact Mike Enright for more information. PLAYER/ASST. COACHES INTERVIEWS Selected players and assistant coaches are available from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. MEDIA LUNCHEONS UConn will host its weekly media luncheon on Tuesday during game weeks. The schedule is as follows: 11:30 a.m.: Coach Pasqualoni speaks 12:15 p.m.: Lunch begins 12:30 p.m.: Opposing coach on phone if available 1:00 p.m.: Remaining UConn players/assistant coaches available. PLAYERS MUST BE REQUESTED 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE PRACTICE COVERAGE The first 30 minutes (approximate) of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday are open to photographers and videographers shooting B-Roll. All Friday walk-throughs are closed to the media. POST GAME INTERVIEWS UConn’s locker room is closed following games.
2013 University of Connecticut Football Game Notes
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