The Open Thread: Stony Brook at UConn

FIRST HALF RECAP:

UConn got off to a roaring start with a 3-0 lead after an 18-yard completion to Geremy Davis but then after being pinned down on their own one-yard line Josh Marriner fumbled and it was recovered by Stony Brook in the endzone. 7-3 Seawolves.

Oh and on then Marriner got hurt.

Shit.

It couldn't get worse, right?

Wrong.

The defense forced a three-and-out but on the next drive Chandler Whitmer fumbled to give the Seawolves the ball back on the UConn 20. Luckily we held them to a field goal so it was only 10-3 Stony Brook. Thank goodness for the Husky defense.

UConn stormed back with a 55-yard field goal drive to make it 10-6. Arkeel Newsome had a 22-yard run on the drive. But the problem here is that our offensive line just can't cut it.

UConn kept the Stony Brook offense from scoring and was able to take the lead towards the end of the half 12-10, which is where we stand right now.

Even if we pull away and win this one, this does not bode well for the rest of the season. We had our concerns going into the season, and so far they have been the largest weakness on this team by far.

******

I shouldn't be as nervous or uneasy for Stony Brook as I am right now. I don't believe they are very much of a threat, but the harsh reality is that this UConn team has holes. And without their best quarterback playing, they have areas of concern. Can the Huskies take care of the ball? Can they avoid other costly mistakes such as penalties and blown assignments? Will the offensive line dominate against a less-talented opponent?

Structurally Stony Brook, in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, actually somewhat resembles UConn. They are strong defensively and have good running backs but question marks on the O-line. Here are a few match-ups to watch for in today's game:

1) Stony Brook running backs vs. UConn front seven

The Seawolves actually have a pretty talented set of running backs in Stacey Bedell and Markus Coker, both are FBS transfers with gamebreaking potential. UConn's front seven is generally stout, and looks like it will be again this year. You may recall that last year Towson beat us by being able to run the ball at will. These guys need to be stymied early for us to win this game.

2) The battle in the trenches

Offensively and defensively, UConn needs to own the line of scrimmage and assert some actual dominance. Losing this battle against an FCS team would be completely unacceptable. This will be a good test for UConn's inexperienced offensive line.

Defensively, UConn needs to be able to generate a pass rush and rattle Seawolves QB John Kinder, a Syracuse transfer, who just joined the team this past summer. He doesn't have much experience with this team, and if the pocket around him is shaky, he won't be able to do much.

3) Non-Geremy Davis wide receivers vs. Stony Brook secondary

Diaco wants double-digit touches for star wideout Geremy Davis today. The 6-foot-3 man beast should be the main focus of the Seawolves' secondary, which will leave opportunities for other UConn pass catchers in space. Look for Kamal Abrams, Dhameer Bradley, Sean McQuillan and others to get into the act today. It would be great to see a big day from one of these guys.

#Huskies have hit the field. @UConnFootball pic.twitter.com/v5PSTM4la2

— Erika Wachter (@ErikaWachter) September 6, 2014

This is the open thread, ladies and gentlemen. I actually won't be able to watch this go down as I live in Washington DC and don't get SNY. Please help me out so I know what's going on.

GO HUSKIES!!!