Article about U of M's first football opponent in 2010 Uconn.

STORRS, Conn.
This team, as expected, has a lot of depth and maybe more overall talent than it's ever had under Randy Edsall. On Saturday, the Huskies scrimmaged nearly the entire two hours, used three teams on each side and hardly had much dropoff from starters to subs. One obvious example of the depth is at quarterback. Zach Frazer is clearly the starter, but UConn has four guys behind him -- Cody Endres, Michael Box, Johnny McEntee and Leon Kinnard -- who can all play and who are all getting reps. No other Big East team can match the Huskies' depth at QB.
Kinnard, by the way, is fun to watch. He may be no taller than 5-foot-9, but he's got a good arm and can really fly when he scrambles. Edsall might have to find ways to incorporate him into the offense because he's such a playmaker. If nothing else, Kinnard will be a great asset on the scout team when UConn needs to get ready for players like B.J. Daniels.
Interestingly, Edsall has made his quarterbacks live during spring practice. Part of that is the depth, and part of it is he felt like the team wasn't getting the right intensity when the QBs couldn't get hit. He has the luxury of being able to turn to another guy if Frazer gets hurt. But an even bigger luxury is that tremendous offensive line. Frazer didn't get sacked and barely got hit the entire scrimmage behind the No. 1 line, and that's against a pretty good defensive front seven. Adam Masters and Kevin Friend are making a big move at tackle.
There's so much depth and good competition that Edsall can use it to motivate and/or punish his guys. Endres was down to third string on Saturday because of a transgression. Guard Erik Kuraczea overslept and was late, so Edsall told him to go back home and go to sleep. Star tailback Jordan Todman didn't practice Tuesday or Thursday because of an academic issue. Twyon Martin, who started most of the last two years at defensive tackle, has been knocked down to third string. When asked what Martin needed to do to get back in good graces, Edsall said, "Stop being so lazy."
The receiving corps is really coming on. Kashif Moore has emerged as probably the top guy after a strong end to 2009. He made several nice catches during practice and gets a lot of YAC. On Saturday, he caught a 60-plus yard TD from Frazer and later had another touchdown grab on a ball deflected by Jerome Junior. Michael Smith and Isiah Moore are also playing well. UConn's wideouts are small, but Malik Generett -- at 6-foot-4 -- is one to keep an eye on.
The concern going into the spring was the secondary, so it wasn't surprising to see that group struggle during my first practice viewing. The defensive backs got chewed up that day. During the scrimmage, the group played a little better. There are a lot of young players with ability back there, but they need to figure things out. The secondary should improve when corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson returns from his shoulder surgery this fall. But the Huskies still need to find a safety and add more depth. That remains the biggest problem spot on this team, one that the front seven may have to cover up at times, especially early in the season.
This was my first experience watching an Edsall practice, and it wasn't surprising to see the team focus heavily on fundamentals. Sure, a lot of teams do that in the spring, but the UConn staff really worked with the players on things like hand placement and footwork. Edsall's teams are always well coached, and he develops players as well as anybody in the country. That's not by accident.
I've always heard great things about UConn's facilities, and I had my first chance to tour the Shenkman Center and Burton Family Football Complex. The reviews I'd heard and photos I'd seen don't do the place justice. It's magnificent, and if UConn doesn't have the best football complex in the Big East, it's no worse than tied for first.