A lot of holes to fill

Ten years ago UConn football was a Division I-AA team, fighting for position in the now defunct A10 against the likes of Rhode Island, UMass and New Hampshire. The team that will take the field Sept. 12 for the Huskies home opener against North Carolina is virtually indistinguishable from their predecessors a decade ago.

In 2000 the Huskies began a transition period to Division I-A and in 2002 they became a full member. In 2003 they moved into the newly built Rentschler Field in East Hartford. In 2004 they joined the Big East and won their first ever bowl game. By 2007 UConn climbed to No. 16 in the AP Poll and clinched a share of the Big East title. Finally, this past April the Huskies passed another milestone when Donald Brown was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as UConn's first ever first-round NFL Draft selection.

Despite all this, the Huskies' 2009 season may be one of the most memorable ever. The departure of senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen and junior tailback Donald Brown left the two primary offensive positions up for grabs during UConn's spring practice in April. While head coach Randy Edsall released a depth chart in late April with Zach Frazer and Jordan Todman pegged as starters, he made it clear that there would still be room for players to move up or down at their respective positions during summer practices.

"This is where we are after spring ball and headed into summer workouts and preseason camp," Edsall said. "Some positions need to be solidified and there can be changes made to this before we have a game day depth chart for our opener against Ohio University on Sept. 5."

The biggest absence on offense will be the playmaking abilities of Brown, who led the nation with 2,083 rushing yards before leaving early for the NFL Draft. Of UConn's remaining tailbacks, Andre Dixon, Jordan Todman, Kelmetrus Wylie and Robbie Frey, only Dixon has starting experience. Dixon, who tallied a respectable 828 yards in 2007, faced on and off the field troubles last season. He finished with just nine carries for 37 yards.

While Todman won the starting job, the biggest surprise out of the backfield in the spring came from Wylie, who has been named second on the depth chart alongside Dixon. The redshirt sophomore appeared in only one game for the Huskies last season, carrying the ball six times for 23 yards in the opener against Hofstra, but showcased an outstanding combination of speed and strength during spring practice.

"He looks to be a lot stronger and he's not hesitating," Edsall said. "He's a guy that has strength and power and speed, so he's a guy that can help us in a lot of different areas; he just has to continue doing what he's been doing."

With the absence of Brown, UConn can no longer run the ball the majority of the time as they did a season ago. To create what Edsall calls "a 50-50 type scheme," the Huskies brought in Akron coach Joe Moorhead as offensive coordinator to groom Frazer and Cody Endres for the signal caller position come September.

The Huskies ranked 109th out of 119 Division I-A teams in passing offense last season, with over three times as many interceptions (17) as passing touchdowns (5). Frazer, the preseason favorite to win the starting job, showed impressive arm strength in two starts in place of an injured Lorenzen but also displayed questionable decision making. He threw three interceptions in UConn's 38-12 loss at North Carolina. However, Frazer looked poised and confident throughout the spring, quickly adapting to UConn's new offensive scheme.

"Zach Frazer is our number one quarterback coming out of spring practice and he has earned that spot. However, as we continue over the summer and into fall camp, there is still competition at that position, like there is at each spot on the team," Edsall said.