Newsome and Husky Defense Excel as UConn Dominates East Carolina

Despite a short week of rest after a demoralizing loss to Cincinnati the week before, the UConn Huskies played their best game of the season Friday night, comfortably defeating the East Carolina Pirates, 31-13.

Running back Arkeel Newsome continues to shine, running for 179 yards and two touchdowns, adding 41 yards through the air on one reception. He broke an incredible 90-yard touchdown run where he waited for his blocking to develop, darted through a nice hole, and turned on the jets to beat every last would-be tackler. An ECU defender almost caught him at around the 15-yard line, making contact with his feet, but Newsome held strong and finished his run into the end zone.

"Straight green, all I see is green," Newsome said of what he saw on that play. "I was like 'I gotta go,' my eyes got so big when I saw that. Then I was thinking 'I cannot get caught again.'"

The sophomore has been emerging as a dependable and dynamic playmaker.

"He always catches me off guard," Byrant Shirreffs said after the game. "I'll think it's gonna be a five-yard gain and he'll just wiggle his way around to a first down. Especially from my perspective, I can see the holes, and I can see the defensive players closing and I'm just thinking 'how does he get out of it?'

"Then I saw a big hole courtesy of the offensive line and receivers and tight ends then he just bolted through it, used his speed to even break a tackle and score."

"Every day he gets better," Bob Diaco said of Newsome in his post-game press conference. "He's eliminating things that are a distraction and starting to get it all figured out- how to train, how to eat, how to sleep how to become a strong student and that all translates to production on the field."

Shirreffs threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, a 23-yard catch-and-run to tight end Alec Bloom. Shirreffs also added a rushing touchdown, looking like John Elway in Super Bowl XXXII as he was hit while diving into the end zone. His biggest improvement was doing a better job looking downfield to his receivers instead of running if the pocket collapsed. He enjoyed slightly better pass protection from the offensive line, which also did a better job of creating holes in the running game.

"They played great, definitely one of their best games," Newsome said of the offensive line's performance.

UConn's other dominant performance came from its defense, which kept the Pirates' offense off the board until a virtually meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown. The defensive line was able to force pressure up the middle, and it allowed UConn's linebackers and safeties to make plays all over the field. The Huskies grabbed four interceptions on the day to go with three sacks, five tackles for loss and two big fourth-down stops.

"If you look at the turnover margin…it makes our job, and our offensive coordinator's job, a lot easier when we're getting turnovers and the defense is stopping them on every drive. It takes a lot of pressure off of us," Shirreffs said of the defense.

The win advances UConn to 4-5 with a trip to Tulane next on the schedule. It will be a tough task to get the two wins necessary to achieve bowl eligibility, but this UConn team is battle-tested and motivated to get there.

"It's been on my mind since the summer," Graham Stewart said of the possibility of making a bowl game. "That's what you play the game for- to win championships and go to postseason places and win accolades and all those things."

Whether the Huskies can get to six wins or not, UConn's seniors have done a remarkable job helping to lead a turnaround of this team. It would have been easy to pack it up after two straight discouraging losses. Instead they fought through adversity, believed in themselves, and have already made a lasting impression on the trajectory of the program.

"I'm proud to be a part of something right now that's going to be the foundation and backbone of the program going forward," Stewart said after the win. "And they can look back to these days and smile and be happy."