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August 5, 2008
A new QB
A few notes from Tuesday’s UConn football practice:
-- Zach Frazer earned a surprise promotion and was with the first team offense.
"I'm very excited. I can't wait," Frazer said of perhaps seeing some playing this season. "I sat out last year, redshirted at Notre Dame, so it's been a while."
Coach Randy Edsall said he wasn’t sure how long Tyler Lorenzen would be working with the second team.
"It's practice. I want so see what certain people can do," Edsall said. "If there are people that aren't producing out here on the practice field or if they're not executing and doing some of the things they're being taught in the meetings…if things are happening not fast enough or not being executed that way, I'm going to switch anybody's position."
Frazer looked good but not great. Lorenzen was vocal and up beat all day, but he wasn’t awesome on Tuesday either.
-- Wide receiver Brad Kanuch pulled his left hamstring and departed the practice field early. He was limping a bit with an ice pack on his leg following the workout.
-- Mike Hicks was back with the first team at right tackle. Dan Ryan probably has plenty of chances to take the spot back, however.
-- Cornerback Josh Massey, a walk-on from Notre Dame-West Haven, is not practicing with the team currently. The redshirt freshman is slated to rejoin the squad when UConn's fall semester begins and the NCAA's limit on a team's total number of players is lifted.
Massy was arrested for sixth-degree larceny after an incident at the UConn Co-op in April. He was accused of taking two items valued at $31.34.
The Hamden native was a standout football and track performer in high school.
-- Guard Zach Hurd briefly left Tuesday’s practice with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
While he was being treated by the UConn medical staff Edsall bellowed “You have to hit somebody to get hurt!”
Edsall was especially displeased with Hurd and fellow guard Alex LaMagdelaine, each of whom committed an ill-timed false start penalty.
"Those are the things that will kill you," Edsall said. "And those are the things that we avoided last year."
-- Cornerback/wide receiver Darius Butler took some playful jabs from his defensive teammates after dropping what appeared to be an easy interception.
"I thought you had hands But!" safety Robert Vaughn yelled.
"Don't you play receiver?" linebacker Scott Lutrus said.
Butler quickly redeemed himself. On the very next play Frazer lofted a high pass into the end zone, trying to find D.J. Hernandez.
Hernandez got his hands on the ball but Butler ripped it away and came down with an interception.
-- Aaron Bryant blocked a field goal late in Tuesday’s practice and leveled Frazer (who was serving as holder) with a block that sprung Terry Baltimore for a touchdown return.
Frazer insisted he was fine, joking that Bryant might be a little woozy.
"AB? He'll be all right,” Frazer said.
Frazer says he doesn’t mind a little contact.
"I want to run someone over but it hasn't come to that," Frazer deadpanned.
-- Freshman Jordan Todman had the disorderly conduct charges he was facing dropped. The Dartmouth, Mass., native was charged before his high school prom June 5.
"We talked to him back when it took place and we were appraised of the situation," Edsall said. "We felt that what ended up happening in the legal system is exactly what was going to happen when this all occurred.
"You just hope that if they do make a mistake or something happens, they'll learn from it," Edsall said. "I know Jordan learned from it as soon as it happened."
-- Donald Brown is UConn’s starting running back. It may not last until Aug. 28, though.
"There are a lot of guys who have been told that they're starters, but things can change," Edsall said.
-- Edsall is being careful about praising his players too much early in the season.
"We gave somebody some sugar the other day and it was bad," Edsall said. "There's no sense giving anybody sugar after five days. You give them sugar and they might get fat and happy. Then they don't do what they're supposed to."
- Neill
Posted by Neill on August 5, 2008 8:57 PM
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