2009 Connecticut Huskies Predictions
2008 Record: (8-5, 3-4)
Coach: Randy Esdall, 11th year (58-60)
Off. Coordinator: Joe Moorhead (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Toll Orlando (5th year)
Returning Starters: 14 (6 offense, 6 defense, punter, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

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Offense: The Huskies have their work cut out for them as they have to replace star RB Donald Brown and need to find a consistent quarterback to replace the erratic Tyler Lorenzen. New offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead will look towards senior RB Andre Dixon or sophomore Jordan Todman to carry the load. Todman rushed for 296 yards as a backup to Brown, while Dixon missed all of last season, after sharing carries with Brown in 2007 (ran for 828 yards). At quarterback, junior Zach Frazer (6-4, 231) or soph. Cody Endres (6-3, 227) will battle it out for the starting job. Frazer at least has some experience, having thrown for 536 yards last year. Both played last year, but neither stood out. At receiver, sophomore Kashif Moore is the leading returner with 27 catches for 273 yards. That’s not saying much, but the passing offense was almost non-existent last season. The offensive line took a hit with the graduation of LT William Beatty and center Keith Gray. The return three linemen, with sophomore Moe Petrus (6-2, 282) moving from guard to center.

Defense: The Huskies return six starters to a defense that allowed just 19.7ppg (22nd in the nation) and 278 yards per game (6th in the nation). The concern starts on the defensive line as they return just one starter. Senior DE Linsdey Witten (6-4, 248) does have experience and did record five sacks last year. The real strength is at linebacker, where junior Scott Lutrus (6-2, 235) leads the way after finishing third in the Big East in tackles with 106 last season. In the secondary, they have to replace corner Darius Butler, who became a second-round pick. Junior Jasper Howard returns at the other corner spot after starting all 13 games last season and picking off four passes. At safety, senior FS Robert Vaughn returns after finishing third on the team with 67 tackles.

Outlook: Randy Edsall will have less expectations this season and he really has taken the program to new heights. The question is whether he can take them to the next step. A schedule that features Ohio on the road, North Carolina at home, Baylor on the road, Notre Dame on the road, and Rhode Island at home is not impossible. They have tough games in conference against West Virginia and Pitt on the road.

This Big East conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com