Butler injured, out for 4-6 weeks

EAST HARTFORD - Darius Butler has done it all for UConn.

The senior captain has been entrenched as a starting cornerback since his freshman season and has contributed as a wide receiver, kick returner, punt returner and even an emergency quarterback in his tenure with the Huskies.

Despite the heavy workload, Butler has endured. He has only missed one game due to injury in his four-year career (a Nov. 18, 2006, match-up with Syracuse in which he sat out with a sore hamstring).

Saturday, Butler was carted into the locker room and out of the lineup for the next 4-to-6 weeks with a knee injury.

With 3:40 remaining in the third quarter, Butler was blocking for kick returner Robbie Frey when a West Virginia player fell onto his legs and caused his left knee to buckle backward awkwardly.

UConn coach Randy Edsall jogged to the opposite sideline to check on Butler, who was helped off the field without putting much pressure on his left leg.

"It's tough for a kid like Darius, an athlete like Darius who plays all phases of the game," said UConn linebacker Scott Lutrus. "He's got a bright future ahead of him still playing football, but an injury like that, it hurts the team, it hurts him if he can't finish out his senior season here."

Fellow senior Dahna Deleston, who has been at UConn with Butler for the past five years (they both redshirted), tried to remain upbeat.

"Whoever is his backup will step on in and take on the role Darius is playing," Deleston said. "I have enough confidence in the backup, whoever that may be. We all work hard in practice and we're all ready to play."

Brown Sees Limited

Action in Second Half

For the first time this season, Donald Brown was held under 100 yards rushing, which came as a bit of a shock considering the junior tailback had 54 yards on five carries in UConn's first two possessions.

Brown finished the game with 82 yards on 19 carries and gained just seven yeards in the entire second half.

As the Huskies fell behind, the coaching staff quickly abandoned the running game and favored a shotgun formation with four or five wide receivers.

Speedy freshman Jordan Todman took Brown's place in the lineup and split out as a wide receiver for most of the second half. He carried the ball five times for 22 yards and was targeted on several passes, but did not record a catch.

"That wasn't part of the gameplan, it wasn't like 'we're going to try to get Todman the ball more,'" Todman said. "Coach just put me in there, I played a few more plays here and there, so that was it. We didn't plan anything like that."

Brown, visibly frustrated after the game, didn't have much to say about his diminished role in the second half.

"I have no control over that," he said.

Brown still is the nation's leader in rushing yards per game, with 156.2.

Getting Defensive

Defensively, UConn played most of the game with five defensive backs in its nickel package. Deleston played outside linebacker and Lutrus moved from the outside to middle linebacker, a move that the coaching staff experimented with during spring practice.

Redshirt freshman Aaron Bagsby moved into the lineup and replaced sophomore middle linebacker Greg Lloyd. In addition, defensive end Julius Williams lined up at defensive tackle for most of the game and Lindsey Witten saw plenty of reps at Williams' end position.

The moves were an attempt to combat the speed that makes West Virginia's spread offense go. Other than his two long touchdown runs totaling 60 yards, White managed just 49 yards on 19 carries (2.6 per carry).