They say if you write his name in the mirror backwards and say it 3 times, you fumble what's in your hands.
I hate to say it, but I told you so.
Less than 24 hours after Tyler Lorenzen, he of the arm made of angle hair, caught a for-real, no-kidding NFL touchdown, the world has begun to take its vengeance. Not in the fire-and-brimstone way that was predicted in the scriptures (i.e. Lou Holtz's playbook), but still pretty bad.
At the beginning of practice, Randy Edsall rallied the media representatives and delivered the 10 plagues of Storrs (all culled from UConnReport.com ($), The Courant and Runway Ramblings):
- Tight end Yanni Apostolakos received probably the most grim prognosis ever: Hip injury, out forever.
- Loss of the first-born left tackle: Jimmy Bennett, one of the most talented recruits the program has snagged, will have season-ending knee surgery this weekend.
- Safety Harris Agbor is out 3-4 weeks with a torn LCL suffered two weeks ago. They're making up CLs to get back at us.
- Because of all the losses at safety, Kijuan Dabney is being moved back to SS after being moved to linebacker last season. Ever since losing out on the starting SS job last summer, Dabney has had "career backup" written all over him.
- Linebacker Matt Ashmead has graduated and is no longer on the team.
- Bristol's own Marcus Aiken is also moving from WR to safety, at least for now. Not good for his development at either.
- Cody Endres continues to "throw a better ball" than Zach Frazer, according to UConnReport.com, and "it's not even close." Descomnd Conner also notes that true freshman Mike Box does, too.
- Walk-on safety John Yurek is also out for the season with a knee injury. What? I need to fill 10 spots here.
- Perennially injured safety Aaron Bagsby and (10) DT Beau Brunelli were suspended indefinitely for violating "athletic department policies." The vaguer the term, the worse it usually is.
The good news is the starting lineup was mercifully left untouched (and thank Dan O. for that).
But the team's depth continues to take hits. A few weeks ago, Edsall noted that he was concerned about the depth at linebacker, and shifted a few people around to help. But with all the injuries and suspensions, there looks to be an even greater concern at safety, where the team has struggled to find a competent running mate with Robert Vaughn for two straight summers.
But the biggest development was the loss of Bennett, who was just edged out by Dan Ryan for the starting left tackle job. Bennett, who was rated the No. 46 tackle coming out of West Potomac (Va.) in 2008, has immense talent, as evidenced by his quick ascent up the depth chart in just his second season after redshirting last year. And to lose a quality player like that is going to hurt. Maybe not right now, but eventually. Ryan hasn't made much noise in his first four seasons, and that he just won the job over a second-year player seems to signal that he's more of the "Well, he paid his dues" type.
Again, nothing earth-shaking. But I'd watch my livestock if I were you.