Lindsey Witten News

This appears in the Sunday, Dec. 20, edition of The Birmingham News special bowls preview section.

As the Huskies prepare for their Jan. 2 Papajohns.com Bowl date with South Carolina in Birmingham, Ala., UConn beat writer Desmond Conner looks back and offers some superlatives for the 2009 season.

UConn's Zach Hurd, a redshirt junior guard from Waterford, was named to the All-Big East Conference football first team today, one of three Huskies to earn first-team honors.

UConn guard Zach Hurd was named to the all-Big East first team Wednesday along with teammates Lindsey Witten and Lawrence Wilson .

UConn placed seven players on Big East All-Star teams Wednesday and the conference found a special spot for Jasper Howard .

The University of Connecticut's football team brings their 4-5 recordA west to take on Notre Dame on Saturday.A The Irish opened as a six-point favorite but the Huskies are confident and capable of dealing the Irish their fifth defeat of the season.

Jordan Todman runs the ball against Rutgers on Oct. 31. While UConn's defense allowed just 10 fourth-quarter points on Saturday, they continued to get beaten on big plays.

A day after allowing 711 yards, 21 shy of the school-record Delaware compiled in 1998, UConn coach Randy Edsall wasn't ready to single out his defense as the crux of the Huskies' problems.

Not too long on the conference call with UConn Coach Randy Edsall today. The injury report: Robbie Vaughn , Andre Dixon , Mo Petrus, , Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams .

Lindsey Witten has been waiting for his chance to shine. For the past three years, the senior defensive end has sat behind the powerful combination of Cody Brown and Julius Williams on the Connecticut D-line, hoping that he would eventually get his turn.

The fourth-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats kick off a crucial three-game homestand this weekend, as they host the Connecticut Huskies in Big East play at Nippert Stadium.

Last meeting: Rutgers 12-10 The line: Connecticut by 7 Player to watch: Connecticut DE Lindsey Witten is ranked second nationally in sacks with 10 1/2. LT Anthony Davis will be matched against Witten most of the time, but since the Huskies like to move around the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder, right RT Kevin Haslam, the fifth-year senior from Mahwah, also ...

Site: Rentschler Field, East Hartford. Time: Noon Line: UConn by 7 TV: Ch.59 Radio: WTIC-AM 1080 Weather: Fox 61's Garett Argianas says it will be windy and warm, with temperatures closing in on 70.

UConn linebacker Scott Lutrus is a go - again. The junior captain who has been slowed by a left shoulder stinger is expected to play Saturday when UConn hosts Rutgers at Rentschler Field.

Connecticut's Lindsey Witten sacks West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown during their game last weekend.

UConn coach Randy Edsall isn't sure what to expect when his team enters New Birth Baptist Church in Miami today.

He's now 7 of 12, after an uncharacteristic 1-for-3 effort in the Huskies' 28-24 loss to No.22 West Virginia.

The UConn Huskies travel to Morgantown, West Virginia Saturday with heavy hearts brought upon by the death of cornerback Jasper Howard last weekend on the Storrs campus.

With heavy hearts, the Connecticut Huskies will take the field this weekend against the 22nd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown.

One teammate performed first aid while another comforted a University of Connecticut football player who was fatally stabbed during a fight outside a school-sanctioned dance over the weekend, their coach said today.