Running back Joe Williams is one of three members
of 2013 team not returning to team in 2014

Time for a roster update and at this time of the year it is rarely good news.

Three players who could have played significant roles in the upcoming season are no longer enrolled at UConn.

Offensive tackle Xavier Hemingway, who got a start at right tackle in place of an injured Kevin Friend in the season-opening loss to Towson, running back Joe Williams and defensive end turned tight end E.J. Norris are no longer with the program.

Williams was arrested last year on larceny charges, suspended from the team and never reinstated. Hemingway was also arrested on larceny charges after being accused of stealing $19 worth of merchandise on Nov. 29.

With Friend and fellow starting offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett graduating, Hemingway and Dalton Gifford, who started six games during the 2013 season, figured to be the frontrunners to earn the starting offensive tackle slots. Williams offered an intriguing combination of size and speed and perhaps he could have earned some playing time last season had he not been suspended after being charged with larceny, theft of a credit card and illegal use of a credit card.

According to the police report, Hemingway turned himself into the UConn police department on an outstanding warrant for his arrest on Thursday. He was charged with sixth-degree larceny and posted a $1,000 bond.

Norris showed flashes of his potential as a pass rusher as a true freshman in 2012 but with UConn thin at the tight end position and the emergence of Reuben Frank as a defensive end, he was shifted from defense to offense during the 2013 season.

Their departures do open up three additional scholarships which can be utilized in head coach Bob Diaco's first recruiting class.

A year ago UConn linebacker Ryan Donohue could barely sleep heading into the game at Maryland. As a former Terrapin Donohue wanted nothing more than to leave Byrd Stadium with a victory over his former team.

This year Donohue admits he is much more emotionally composed heading into the game against Maryland.

"I think playing them helped me get the  butterflies out," Donohue said. "It definitely helps that we are playing here this year rather than playing there."

Donohue's main focus this week is to help the UConn defense put forth a better showing than they did in the season-opening loss to Towson,

"I think the team has responded real well," Donohue said. "I lot of teams might not have liked that (having a bye week) but we got a lot of corrections done and I think we are going to ready for this one."

So what was the most troubling aspect of the defense's effort against Towson?

"Probably the fact that we gave up so many rushing yards," Donohue said. "Our defense (prides) itself in being able to stop the run game and a lot of big plays that could have been corrected from one or two corrections and that is why the bye week really helped us because we are going to fix those."

On Thursday's conference call with the media, UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni gave his thoughts on the play of Donohue and fellow outside linebacker Graham Stewart.

"I would say that I love their effort;" Pasqualoni said. "I love their motors; I love their toughness and those two guys are football players there is no question but baptism under fire first game, a lot of adjustments need to be made. Our linebackers including Yawin will all improve from an adjustment standpoint when we play more football. I really like their approach, I love their intensity. They have to get used to being with each other, communicating with each other and making the appropriate adjustments because they are kind of tied on a string, when one moved the others have to move so that is something that takes a little bit of playing together."

The biggest news to emerge from the conference call was that sophomore defensive end E.J. Norris has been moved to tight end.

Although he only had two tackles (both against Buffalo), Norris showed real promise as a speed pass rusher as a true freshman. He was expected to be one of the players to help fill the void left by Trevardo Williams' graduation. However, Julian Campenni's continued development allowed UConn to keep Tim Willman outside at defensive end rather than needing him at defensive tackle. With Willman, Jesse Joseph and Angelo Pruitt (another player who has the ability to play inside but is seeing time exclusively at defensive end) and Reuben Frank's quick adjustment from fullback to defensive end combined with the lack of experienced candidates behind Sean McQuillan and Spencer Parker led to Norris' position move.

Norris caught 20 passes and averaged 22 yards per reception as a senior at Archbishop Carroll in 2011.

Also, looking at the roster I see the addition of a couple more Cheshire products. Jonathan Hryniewicz, a senior receiver who transferred in from Central Connecticut, and sophomore running back William Weyrauch, who originally enrolled at Stonehill.

On Paul Pasqualoni's conference call on Thursday he was asked if he felt the Huskies were snake bitten in the injury department after senior offensive guard Adam Masters and freshman defensive end E.J. Norris were lost for the season with ankle and shoulder injuries respectively.


"It is part of the game," Pasqualoni said. "Losing Adam Masters and the versatility he gave us, that was unfortunate. We’ve been in this and we’ve lost good players. It’s not at the point where I feel snake bitten."

If Pasqualoni wants to see what it's like to be a bit snake bitten injury wise, he needs to merely take a glance across the field tonight as the number of injuries suffered by South Florida is staggering.

Leading rusher Lindsey Lamar is the latest key player for USF to go down as he fractured his collarbone in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to Syracuse. USF coach Skip Holtz is not ready to declare Lamar lost for the season  but said he definitely is out for tonight's game. He is far from the only one.

The Bulls could be without both starting offensive guards Danous Estenor and Mark Popek, tight end  Evan Landi, receivers Derrick Hopkins,  Andre Davis and D'Vario Montgomery and defensive end Ryan Giddens for the game tonight. If all of those players are held out of the game, the injured players will have more receptions (84), receiving yards (1,053) and TD catches (10) than the ones who are suiting up. For those scoring at home, USF could be without 56 percent of its catches and receiving yards and 71 percent of its TD receptions.