UConn defense puts best foot forward in loss to South Florida

The UConn Huskies have looked like dead men walking for the past six weeks, but a bye week to recoup and a player to rally around may just be what sparks this team going forward.

After not playing in a game last week, the Huskies went down to South Florida and nearly beat an undefeated, seeded team. They lost 38-30, but the result isn’t what ultimately mattered. The Huskies were playing for teammate Eli Thomas, who suffered a stroke earlier in the week. He is in stable condition, but the aftershock of the news carried over into UConn’s play.

This concerted effort to play every snap the correct way stemmed from Thomas’ ailment and an overall lack of respect UConn felt, but it was exasperated by a South Florida team that clearly didn’t prepare nor cared about this week’s matchup.

The offense was crisp and the defense was ferocious, giving up less than 40 points for the first time all season. David Pindell was the star of the game, rushing for 197 yards.

The defense came in a close second, as they made South Florida work for every yard and gave up their first points with only a few ticks to go in the first half. Santana Sterling in particular stood out, as he forced two turnovers, all while wearing Thomas’ #22.

It wasn’t the result the Huskies were looking for but it was most certainly the effort they needed. After being blown out by the two other ranked teams they faced, this is most certainly a step in the right direction for Randy Edsall’s squad.