OFFENSE

UConn lost Jordan Todman, the nation’s second-leading rusher, to the NFL when he announced in the moments after the Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma that he was forgoing his senior year. Given the season Todman had, his departure was expected. What wasn’t expected, though, was the news a month later that Robbie Frey, Todman’s backup, was also leaving UConn. Frey, who figured to be the man for the Huskies on the ground, went to Kutztown State to pursue a graduate degree, leaving D.J. Shoemate, a senior who transferred from USC before last season, and running back-turned-linebacker-turned-running back Martin Hyppolite as the only experienced players in the backfield. Shoemate, a former 4-star recruit, had only 28 carries for 115 yards last season.

Not even the quarterback race is settled, as four players with a combined five quarters of game experience will battle for the job. Michael Box, who started one game last season, is the front-runner, with Scott McCummings pushing him.

One salvation: The Huskies return the bulk of their offensive line and most of their receivers.
 

DEFENSE

For as many losses as the Huskies sustained on offense, the defense appears poised for another strong year. All four starters on the defensive line return, led by Kendall Reyes, who explored joining Todman in the NFL after his junior season but, unlike the running back, chose to stay for his final year. The Huskies have two of the most ferocious ends in the conference in Jesse Joseph and Trevardo Williams, who should thrive under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Don Brown.

The secondary has had its struggles over the past two years, but improvement is expected with four starters returning and the arrival of Brown. The unit will start three juniors — cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson and safety Jerome Junior — and a senior, safety Harris Agbor.

The only uncertainty comes at linebacker, where Sio Moore, who was second on the team with 110 tackles, is the only player returning to the unit with significant experience. He’ll continue as the starting weak-side linebacker.
 

SPECIALISTS

The Huskies have a potential Lou Groza Award candidate in Dave Teggart, now in his senior year, and a star-in-the-making in punter Cole Wagner, a walk-on who averaged 41.3 yards per punt in his first season. Questions remain in the return game, however, with new coach Paul Pasqualoni holding open auditions among his receivers and defensive backs to return kicks and punts during the spring. The positions may be filled through trial-and-error throughout the season.

FINAL ANALYSIS

After 12 long years in Storrs, Randy Edsall left UConn to take over at Maryland. In his place arrives Pasqualoni, a former head coach at Syracuse and a Connecticut native. Pasqualoni will be 62 by the time UConn’s season opens. He appears to be more a stopgap than a look to the future.

Pasqualoni inherits a team that doesn’t have as many pieces as the Huskies did a year ago, when they returned 90 percent of their starters. There are questions at running back and linebacker, and while the playbook won’t be entirely different, there will be an adjustment period as the players adapt to a new coaching staff.

The Big East, as usual, is wide open, but it seems unlikely that the Huskies will be able to get back to a BCS bowl this season.