Paw Prints - Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) vs UConn Huskies (8-4) Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Preview

This week:

After winning the Big East’s BCS berth, the UConn Huskies will take on the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners on New Year’s Day 2011 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

Here are the rosters for the Huskies and the Sooners.

The Line/Prediction:

According to USA Today, the Sooners are favored by 16 points. The over/under is 55.

I’m going to go with my Huskies here as they win 27-24.

Getting To The Game:

Here is link for the weather report. If you’re heading to the game, here is everything you need to know about the University of Phoenix Stadium. The roof of the stadium will be closed due to the unseasonable temperatures in Glendale.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television:

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be televised nationally by ESPN. Sean McDonough is on play-by-play while Matt Millen is on color and Heather Cox is on the sidelines.

There will also be an ESPN 3D telecast with Joe Tessitore on play-by-play and Tim Brown on color while Ray Bentley is on the sidelines.

The game will also be available on ESPN3.com.

Radio:

For the 19th consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada.

Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Kevin Nathan on the sidelines and E.B. Davis on production.

On gameday, coverage will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern with Dunaway followed by the pregame show, the game broadcast and a postgame show. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com. Here’s a full list of stations on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.

There will also be national ESPN Radio coverage with Ron Franklin on play-by-play, Ed Cunningham on color and Jeannine Edwards on the sideline.

Oklahoma Radio:

The Sooner Sports Radio Network with Bob Barry Sr., Toby Rowland and Merv Johnson blankets the state of Oklahoma and also delivers Sooner football games to fans and alumni in neighboring states. The flagship stations for the network are 50,000-watt KOKC, AM 1520 and KRXO, 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma broadcast will also be available on Sirius Channel 121 and XM Channel 140.

Last Game:

The Huskies beat the South Florida Bulls 19-16 to clinch the BCS berth from the Big East while the Sooners beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship Game.

History:

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl is the first meeting between UConn and Oklahoma in the sport of football. UConn has a 3-0 record against the current members of the Big 12 with a 30-22 win at Baylor on Sept. 19, 2009, a home 31-28 win vs. Baylor on Sept. 19, 2008 and a season-ending 37-20 win at Iowa State on Nov. 23, 2002. That game marked UConn’s first ever win over a bowl-bound team.

Connections:

UConn and Oklahoma have one common opponent from this year as both teams beat Cincinnati. Oklahoma beat the Bearcats on the road on Sept. 25 by a 31-29 score while the Huskies won at home vs. UC by a 38-17 score on Nov. 27.

UConn does not have any players from the state of Oklahoma on it nor does Oklahoma even have a player from New England on its roster.

Oklahoma assistant coach James Patton coached at nearby Rhode Island from 1995-97 and faced the Huskies three times, with UConn winning two of those games.

Other UConn News:

Here are quotes from head coach Randy Edsall’s Fiesta Bowl press conference. Here are quotes from UConn’s offensive press conference and defensive press conference. Here are quotes from UConn’s Fiesta Bowl Media Day.

Here is video from the UConn seniors’ final practice.

Randy Edsall was named the Big East Co-Coach of the Year.

When the Huskies face Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, UConn will be playing in an active (at the time of the game) NFL stadium for the 14th time in its history. UConn owns a 5-8 record in such games – including a loss to Temple this year at Lincoln Financial Field and a win over USF at Raymond James Stadium. In 2009, UConn fell to Pittsburgh at Heinz Field – home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2008, UConn defeated Temple at Lincoln Financial Field and lost to South Florida at Raymond James Stadium.

Although this is the first game for the UConn football team at University of Phoenix Stadium, it is not the first Husky team to play here. The UConn men’s basketball team won the NCAA West Regional at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2009 with wins over Purdue and Missouri. The Huskies then lost to Michigan State in the national semifinals at Detroit’s Ford Field – where the football team played its first bowl game.

UConn’s trip to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl marks the fifth time that the Huskies are going bowling and the fourth consecutive.

With UConn’s play in the BCS this season, it becomes…

The first school from New England to play in a BCS game.
The first school from New England and the “Tri-State” area, which also includes New York and NewJ ersey since Syracuse played in the 1999 Orange Bowl in the first year of the BCS.
The quickest school to leave the FCS (then Division I-AA) to a BCS game. UConn made the trip in nine years as a FBS school while Boise State is second at 11.

Jordan Todman has been named to ESPN.com’s 2010 All-America Team, a First-Team All-America by the Sporting News and a First Team All-America by SI.com. Todman has also been named a Second-Team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and a Second-Team All-America by the AP

In addition, he was named the 2010 Big East Offensive Player of the Year and was also named UConn’s MVP for the 2010 season.

Connecticut enters the bowl season ranked No. 25 in the country by the Associated Press. The ranking in the top 25 is the first for the Huskies this season. UConn was also the top “Also Receiving Votes” team in the USA Today and Harris polls. In its FBS history, UConn has now appeared in the AP poll in seven different weeks.

Here are the categories where UConn was in the top 40 in the 2010 NCAA statistics

Rushing Offense………………..31st at 179.92 (Second in BIG EAST)
Pass Eff. Def……………………..16th at 111.42 (Third in BIG EAST)
Scoring Defense…………………t23rd at 19.83 (Sixth in BIG EAST)
Kickoff Returns…………………6th at 26.46 (First in BIG EAST)
Interceptions……………………..t5th at 19 (First in BIG EAST)
Turnovers Gained……………..t12th at 29 (First in BIG EAST)
Turnovers Lost………………….t24th at 17 (Third in BIG EAST)
Tackles For Loss………………..t20th at 6.83 (First in BIG EAST)
Sacks………………………………..t34th at 2.33 (Tied Fourth in BIG EAST)
Sacks Allowed……………………t14th at 1.00 (First in BIG EAST)
Turnover Margin………………t12th at +1.00 (First in BIG EAST)

Here are UConn’s ranked individual leaders

Jordan Todman – Second in rushing at 143.09 and First in BIG EAST 14th in all-purpose rushing at 156.36 and First in BIG EAST
Dave Teggart – t23rd in scoring at 8.58 and First in BIG EAST, Tied for fourth in field goals at 1.92 and First in BIG EAST
Lawrence Wilson – t26th in tackles at 9.58 and First in BIG EAST
Jesse Joseph – 20th in sacks at 0.77 and Third in BIG EAST, Second in BIG EAST in TFL at 1.15

Here’s a statisical comparison between UConn and Oklahoma.

Notes from this week’s opponent Oklahoma:

Here are quotes from head coach Bob Stoops Fiesta Bowl press conference. Here are quotes from Oklahoma’s offensive press conference and defensive press conference. Here are quotes from Oklahoma’s Fiesta Bowl Media Day.

This is the 12th straight bowl appearance for the Sooners which is how many years head coach Bob Stoops has been there.

WR Ryan Broyles was named a first-team All-American (Walter Camp, Rivals). Quinton Carter was also named a first-team All-American (AFCA).

This Oklahoma team broke or tied 19 school records including a 36-game winning streak.

Saturday UConn Football Links:

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Butch Jones breaks down UConn, Sooners [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

My Tostitos Fiesta Bowl pick [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

(Finally) Ready for the Fiesta [Chip Malafronte – New Haven Register]

Feeling right at home in Scottsdale [Chuck Banning – The Day]