These are the times when team captains and leaders show what they are made of.

UConn had a forgettable performance in losing at Rutgers in the Huskies Big East opener and now comes the aftermath. The good news is that 10 seniors and five four-year juniors who started against the Scarlet Knights so they have the people in place to be able to move forward.



“We have to go back to drawing board,” UConn senior linebacker Sio Moore said. “We have to figure out what we need to do in order to get these W’s on a consistent basis and not a roller coaster effect. It is just not productive especially for the seniors; this will not be the way we go out. There will be change, there is no other choice.

“You figure out what you have to do and get the mistakes corrected, It is very frustrating for a team like ours because we are a good team. We sat there and busted our tail through the entire week preparing for this game and we can’t lose sight of that kind of faith to keep working in that manner and start putting wins on top of wins.”


UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said on a Sunday conference call that he considers the punishment for sophomore running back Lyle McCombs to be “a done deal.”McCombs was arrested for second degree breach of peace on Friday and Pasqualoni held McCombs out until the second quarter against Rutgers.

“My sense of it is that it is a done deal,” Pasqualoni said. “I tried to make certain that I had all the facts and I knew what direction it was going before I allowed him to play.”

Pasqualoni also said sophomore reserve fullback Mike Osiecki of Seymour suffered a concussion on Saturday and he is considered to be day to day. Osiecki spent most of the first two quarters sitting on the trainer’s table but after the initial evaluation indicated that Osiecki had a concussion, he did not return to the game.