Gridiron Report Card

Passsing Game: B+

The Good: Sophomore quarterback Joe Licata had three touchdown passes, a career-high, and spread the ball around with four receivers having at least two receptions.

The Bad: Licata threw a forced ball downfield in the third quarter that resulted in an interception, the Bulls' only turnover of the game.

Run Game: A-

The Good: Senior running back Branden Oliver finally looked like the player we remember from two seasons ago, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Junior running back James Potts looked strong as well, rushing for 38 yards.

The Bad: Oliver averaged only 3.9 yards per carry and the run game didn't get going until the second quarter. Despite finally breaking off some big runs, there were too many rushes that didn't go anywhere.

Receiving: B+

The Good: Senior receiver Alex Neutz had a 54-yard reception and a touchdown catch. Senior receiver Fred Lee also caught his first touchdown pass of the season.

The Bad: Neutz had a drop at UConn's goal line. The receivers had trouble getting separation against the UConn secondary, resulting in only 10 receptions and no short gains.

Offensive line: A

The Good: The running game finally broke out against an FBS opponent and Licata didn't get sacked.

The Bad: This has nothing to do with their play, but junior Dillon Guy didn't play because of an injury suffered in practice earlier in the week. Although sophomore Robert Blodgett filled in nicely today, this could really hurt the Bulls down the stretch.

Run Defense: A

The Good: The Huskies had a net of 27 yards on 39 rushes. UConn's offense was frustrated into forcing balls through the air.

The Bad: A few times in the first half, UConn broke off consecutive five- and six-yard gains, allowing them to move down the field with ease. The Bulls also allowed a rushing touchdown.

Pass Rush: A

The Good: The Bulls had five sacks and seven quarterback hits, plus nine TFLs.

The Bad: A few times, the pass rush wasn't able to get to the quarterback, which allowed for a couple long completions.

Pass Defense: B+

The Good: The Bulls had three interceptions from three separate players and held quarterback Chandler Whitmer to fewer than 200 yards passing and no touchdowns.

The Bad: UConn was able to throw downfield against the Bulls on multiple occasions, most notably 34- and 49-yard receptions.

Special Teams: A

The Good: Sophomore punter Tyler Grassman looked superb in his first game on kickoff duty, forcing six touchbacks. Junior kicker Patrick Clarke had two field goals from 49 and 50 yards. The 50-yarder was a career best. Also, sophomore running back Devin Campbell had a 51-yard kickoff return and averaged over 30 yards per return.

The Bad: Clarke missed two field goals and Grassman kicked the ball out of bounds on kickoffs twice. Neutz also muffed a punt return but recovered the ball.

Coaching: A-

The Good: The Bulls outplayed the Huskies in every phase of the game and it seemed like every player on both sides of the ball contributed.

The Bad: There was poor clock management at the end of the first half, when the Bulls could've had a good opportunity to put up some last-second points. The offense got too conservative too quickly, and an opponent with a better offense could have taken advantage of it. The offense needs to get off to a faster start against Eastern Michigan.

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