A few thoughts following the postgame interviews.....

• UConn's long snapper Martin Bedard played on Thursday after learning his mother died suddenly the night before. Randy Edsall received the phone call late Wednesday night, and had to break the sad news to Bedard around 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning. "I asked him if he wanted to go home. He said 'coach, I'll go home after the game'. For a kid to have to go out and do what he had to do, in terms of snapping the ball, with that hanging over his head is a tremendous credit to the young man in a tough situation. We have him a game ball. He's a great young man playing under trying times."

• Terry Caulley said he's thrilled to have fullback and good friend Deon Anderson blocking for him once again. Caulley talked about sitting next to Anderson on the bus ride over to Rentschler earlier in the day, and how he watched Anderson get emotional before his return. "I've been in the same situation, and I know it can be anxious. He's back and has a second chance and he played as if it can all be taken away from him tomorrow," Caulley said.

• I listened with interest as Caulley spoke of his knee. He said he's got a lot more confidence in the surgically repaired knee than he did a year ago. "My mentality is to be reckless on it. I don't want to baby it like last year. I feel like I'm cutting like I used to." Don't underestimate how important that mentality is after a serious knee injury.

• Edsall said the Huskies will probably have an intrasquad scrimmage next Saturday to keep fresh since the team is off for over two weeks until the Sept. 16 Wake Forest game. He said his plan was to play the first team for three quarters no matter what Thursday because of the long layoff.