UConn Coach Paul Pasqualoni Talks UMass

What’s goin on?

News, notes and updates from the coach Paul Paqualoni press conference and player interviews in Storrs today leading into season opener against UMass Thursday night.

The teams are linking up for the first time since the Minutemen pasted the Huskies 62-20 in Amherst in 1999, Randy Edsall’s first year as the UConn skipper. UMass is now an FBS school and this, as fortune would have it between the once-long-time rivals, will be the Minutemen’s opener on that level and the rekindling of a rivalry.

“I think we’re very excited about [a rivalry with UMass] it and the potential of what Connecticut-UMass could be,” Pasqualoni said. “Was great during the Yankee Conference days, it certainly was a tremendous rivalry. With conference affiliations now we’re obviously in the Big East but playing UMass would give us a chance to have an Eastern game regardless of the location, exciting for fans, east to get to and have a chance to be a great game. We would be excited about it.”

As far as what to expect from UMass: “The head coach [Charley Molnar] is the offensive coordinator obviously,” Pasqualoni said. “Charley was the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and they did one great job; high-octane offense, spread you out all over the field, do an excellent job with their schemes, run the ball very well and throw the ball off he same looks, formations and play-actions on first and second down. So we know we’ve got our plate full, certainly on first and second down and they’re excellent concept team on third down regardless of what the down and distance is. We know they’re going to high-tempo. We know they’re fitting their players, their talent into their roles and I know they’re going to do an excellent job of that. We will not be surprised by how well and efficient and organized they are because they will be very, very well-prepared offensively on the defemsive side of the ball I know Phil Elmassian well. He worked for me [at Syracuse].

“I would say this, Phil Elmassian is one of the top defensive coordinators in the country. Phil has been there…hes going bring how well-coached they’re going to be fundamentally and how are they’re going to play. We know something.”

Pasqualoni confirmed DT Shamar Stephen (knee sprain) would not be a go for UMass and confirmed as the depth chart states that 5 foot 11, 281 pound redshirt freshman Julian Campenni, celebrating his 19th birthday today, will get the start in Stephen’s place next to senior Ryan Wirth.

Also the coach clarified the depth chart at tight end where it shows senior John Delahunt starting over All Big East tight end Ryan Griffin and what the deal was with no backup behind starter Jimmy Bennett at left tackle.

“You got Delly and you got Ryan Griffin,” Pasqualoni said. “They’re both starters the way I look it. I don’t know how it’s written. I probably slashed it or put them next to each other or something like that, so they’re both up. To tell you the truth I don’t know who will start the game. That’s not important. What’s important is that they’re both going to play and play a lot. They usually do.They’re interchangeable.”

On the a missing No.2 behind Bennett: “What will happen now because we have some youth there what will happen is we will rotate, if something happened to Jimmy we would start to rotate the interior lineman is what would happen. Right now, the next player that would go into the game would  probably be a guard and one of the guards goes and plays tackle so right now, each of our offensive linemen are learning to play a minimum – a minimum – of two positions and we have at least one lineman that’s been in every position so that’s the way we’ll handle it from a game standpoint in effort to make sure that we have the next best player in the game. The problem with offensive linemen is, you have to put the next best player in the game so you have to dual train players.”

And on the emergence of young Campenni:

“He’s going to start the game for Shamar Stephen…he is a young player, inexperienced player but he’s been working very., very hard. He’ll go int the game and we’ll have, with this no-huddle, tempo offense that they run we’re going to have to be able to play at least four inside guys and at least four outside guys and we’ll probably have five inside guys ready to go and probably have five outside guys ready to go depending on what kind of day it is, how hot the night is, how fast the game is playing. We’re going to need a lot of depth Campennis going to start but we’re going to have a lot of players rotating in and out.

“He’s been here now a year, had a good year last year on the scout team. He’s been consistent. He’s durable. He doesn’t miss things. He’s a dependable guy all the time so right now based on the number of reps he’s taken and the dependability he gets the nod to start. Now, Angelo Pruitt is right there. You’ll see Angelo in the game very, very early…and then of course you’ve B.J. McBryde who is working there and young Mykal Myers who is working hard. We’re going to be ready to roll with four, five guys.”

Pasqualoni said he feels good about quarterback Chandler Whitmer (see Jeff Jacobs column on him tomorrow). What about his decision-making (14 picks last year at JC level)?

“I think he’s making progress in that regard. I think Chandler, like a lot of young quarterbacks, at times, tries to do too much, and he’s getting better at that. Sometimes. It’s not the worst thing to just pull the ball down and run and get down on the ground before you get killed, before you get whacked. Sometimes, you have to keep in mind it’s not the worst thing if you have to punt the ball when you’ve got a punter like we have and hopefully you have a defense that can play fast the way ours can. He’s just got to understand he has a team around him and we’re not expecting him to go out and win every game for us. He’s got a good supporting cast around him, special teams, offense, defense, just don’t try to do too much.”

On the new kickoff rule (ball will now be moved from the 30 to the 35 yard-line to keep players a little safer; a touchback on a kickoff drops the ball at the 25 rather than the 20 and players on the kicking team will only be allowed a five-yard running start.): “I think that it’s going to reduce the number of returns, that’s what they’re trying to do, to reduce the number of collisions. When we get a chance to return it we want to be prepared to return it, hopefully Nick [Williams] will have some opportunities.”

On redshirt freshman Xavier Hemingway (6-4, 262) landing in the two-deep:

“He’s elevating his play. He’s practicing at a more dependable level. We want to work with two full, offensive lines so X is getting a chance to get some reps with the second group. He’s in development. We’re just anxious to see him continue to gain strength and bulk in the weight room and experience because he’s a very good athlete and he’s learning.”

On junior RB Martin Hyppolite coming in No.2 behind Lyle McCombs

“Martin has been around here,” Pasqualoni said. “He’s injury-free right now, hopefully he can stay injury free, he’s a bigger back. Lyle is a smaller guy. He’s the bigger guy, can be a load to bring down because he’s so big (6 foot, 214), runs hard, doesn’t necessarily go down with the first tackler in. He and Max DeLorenzo are similar it that regard, they’re explosive at the point of attack. We’re hoping Martin can give us a change of pace, a bigger back.”

Players interviews up next….

DC