UConn Coach Paul Pasqualoni Post Western Michigan

UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni just wrapped up his Sunday call with local writers…

S Ty-Meer Brown (shoulder) and C Alex Mateas (ankle), will be watched closely after getting dinged in the game. Brown actually had his shoulder looked at in the game, went back in and played, Mateas, too, after coming out but Tyler Bullock got run at center, too.

- Pasqualoni said after looking at the film he was right with respect to what happened to quarterback Chandler Whitmer on the strip-sack, fumble recovery.

“Chandler was just focused and the guys running the routes were focused on making a play and they blitzed two  linebackers,” Pasqualoni said. “The ball had to come out a little bit sooner than it did and we just didn’t execute the play as well as we needed to execute it and I think it was just a product of trying to win the game.”

On Angelo Pruitt now the defensive end opposite Trevardo Williams:

“He’s a little bit bigger, a little bit more physical in the run game and we felt like we would use him a little bit more in the run and then go back with E.J. [Norris] and Timmy [Willman] and put them in there and let them play some but use them maybe a little bit more in passing situations and use Angelo a little bit more in the run. For the first time Angelo played a lot of plays. I would have preferred he didn’t have to play that many plays but he  played quite a few. I thought we made some progress and got started.”

Pasqualoni said he thinks that rotation can be effective along with Kenton Adeyemi.

- UConn is tied for 111th – of 120 schools – along with Pasqualoni’s old college team, Syracuse and Troy, in turnover margin at -1.50. Here’s an indication of where that is.

Arkansas is worst in the country at -2.50. Mississippi State is the best 3.25. Alabama is third at 2.50.

The Huskies had two big turnovers Saturday.

“If you’re losing the turnover battle, which we clearly did yesterday, you’re going to have to be awfully, awfully good to win games against a good opponent and Western Michigan is a quality team.

“Every game is its own entity, obviously, the first one down near the end zone was really costly because it cost us at least three and probably seven and it was just a miscue with the receiver and the quarterback. We just did not execute the play with the detail that needed to be executed so that one got us and then we talked about the other turnover, the strip-sack fumble. There might not be a more devastating play, that and the blocked punt are two pretty big plays to overcome and don’t forget, we missed a field goal and we dropped a pass on fourth down that really would have put us really good position, on a 4th-and 10. Not only did we have an interception we missed a field goal where we gave the ball up without changing the field position or scoring points and on the 4th-and-10 we did the same so those things factor in to me.”

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