UConn Football Spring Game Live Updates

Spring football will conclude on Friday night at Rentschler Field for UConn’s annual Spring Game, to be held on this cold and drizzly April evening.

The first team offense will be playing against the second team defense and vice versa, as has been the case in past years.

As for what to keep on the lookout for, we covered that this morning in-depth, but it will be good to see how the scheme changes will look on the field, even if an inter-squad scrimmage isn’t the best way to glean how a team will fare in the coming year.

Defensive coordinator Billy Crocker’s 3-3-5 defense will be a departure from Bob Diaco’s 3-4 and it seems as though offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has been implementing an offense that is centuries ahead of what we were seeing from the Huskies in the past.

The game will not be televised, but WTIC 1080 AM will have the radio call of the game.

LIVE UPDATES

Drive No. 1- Touchdown! The first-team offense cut through the first-team defense with some great passes from Bryant Shirreffs and culminated in a Tyraiq Beals touchdown. 7-0 UConn over Huskies.

Drive No. 2- Brandon Bisack led off the drive with a deep pass up the seam and Nate Hopkins punched it in for a touchdown from the two-yard line. 7-7 tie after less than five minutes.

Drive No. 3- UConn did not do as well second time around. A second-down sack stalled UConn with net-negative yardage. The punt will but the Huskies on their own 46-yard line.

Drive No. 4- The Huskies turn the ball over on downs at UConn’s 32-yard line after a good mix of run and pass, with Bisack even getting a positive designed run in.

Drive No. 5- UConn gets a first down, but a long pass from Shirreffs was too far and Wain’s punt pins the Huskies inside their own 10. 7-7 tie.

Drive No. 6- On the first play, Nate Hopkins fumbled and Tahj Herring-Wilson recovered it in the end zone. Rishell’s kick was good and it’s a 14-7 advantage for UConn.

Drive No. 7- Well UConn got the ball back and got into enemy territory with another Shirreffs pass up the seam to Aaron McLean. Their drive stalled from there as a fourth-down pass was just beyond Hergy Mayala’s reach. Huskies get the ball with 12 seconds left in the first quarter at the 40 trailing 14-7.

Drive No. 8- A seven-yard touchdown run by Nate Hopkins capped off a Huskies’ drive that mixed run and pass well. It is now tied 14-14 and Bisack will now play with the first-team offense.

Drive No. 9- UConn got all the way to the goal line, but Arkeel Newsome couldn’t quite sneak into the end zone. Huskies, quarterbacked by Shirreffs, will take over in the shadow of their own goalposts with about four minutes to take a lead into halftime.

Drive No. 10- the drive started off well, with a run by Ja’Kevious Vickers and a nice pass to Keyion Dixon, but UConn will get the ball at their own five-yard line with just inside a minute to go in the half.

Drive No. 11- shortened by the end of the half, with Bisack only getting a few plays in with the first-team offense. The first half ends with a 14-14 tie.

Drive No. 12- Huskies (Second-team offense) start off the second half on the 20-yard line with the ball. Tyraiq Beals was used exclusively with two receptions, including 53-yard touchdown catch from Brandon Bisack. Beals made some shifty moves on both receptions.

Drive No. 13- Hergy Mayala and Bryant Shirreffs respond with a deep ball of their own. He used some exceptional speed to get some separation. Will Rishell misses his fist extra point of the day, so UConn trails 21-20.

Drive No. 14- Shirreffs took a drive with the second-team offense (Huskies) and they ran a decent amount of clock, but the drive stalled at the 26-yard line, where Will Rishell converted on a 44-yard field goal. 24-20 lead for Huskies.

Drive No. 15- Bisack’s drive for UConn went nowhere and the punt was downed at the Huskies’ 30-yard line, where Bisack will get another shot at it.

Drive No. 16- Will Rishell was given another opportunity from deep range, this one from 47 yards out. He had the leg, but it went wide left. Huskies lead 24-20 and with about six minutes left of running clock, UConn will have the ball, with Shirreffs at quarterback.

Drive No. 17- UConn takes a late lead, 27-24, on a short run from Nate Hopkins, his third touchdown of the day. With about 2:30 left, Huskies will get the ball.

Drive No. 18- with about 2:30 of running clock, not much happened. The ball only moved 11 yards on three plays.

Final: UConn 27, Huskies 24.