2002 Connecticut Huskies football team

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2002 Connecticut Huskies football
ConnecticutHuskiesBlockC.png
ConferenceIndependent
2002 record6–6
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorNorries Wilson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorHank Hughes (1st season)
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium (16,200)
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
South Florida       9 2  
No. 17 Notre Dame       10 3  
Connecticut       6 6  
Utah State       4 7  
Troy State       4 8  
Navy       2 10  
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2002 Connecticut Huskies football team the University of Connecticut in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season as an independent. It was the program's first season as a full-time member at the NCAA Division I-A level. It was also the team's last season at its on-campus football stadium, Memorial Stadium. Head coach Randy Edsall was in his fourth year leading the team.

Despite winning only two of their first eight games, the Huskies finished with a record of 6–6, the first time in its short FBS history that it did not compile a sub-.500 record. Although not selected for a bowl game, Connecticut was Bowl eligible for the first time. The turning point in the season came after a hard-fought loss at Vanderbilt. Led by Caulley and sophomore quarterback Dan Orlovsky, the Huskies tore through the remainder of the schedule by defeating the opponents by a combined 199–55. The winning streak began with the final two games played at Memorial Stadium. They closed the stadium with their two highest point totals in the stadium's history (61 against Florida Atlantic, and 63 against Kent State.) They finished the season with their first ever victory over a bowl-bound opponent by defeating Iowa State, 37–20, in Ames, Iowa.

The Huskies offense was led by consensus Freshman All-American, Terry Caulley, who led all freshman in rushing with 1,247 yards.[1] Despite sitting out two games with injuries, Caulley's rushing total was only 15 yards short of the team's single season record.

Schedule[]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3112:00 pmat Boston CollegeESPN+L 16–2440,066
September 712:00 pmGeorgia TechFSNL 14–3116,751
September 147:30 pmat BuffaloW 24–317,012
September 2112:00 pmOhio
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
W 37–1915,901
September 281:00 pmBall State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
L 21–24 OT16,849
October 57:00 pmat No. 1 Miami (FL)L 14–4852,131
October 1912:00 pmTemple
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
L 24–3815,723
October 262:00 pmat VanderbiltL 24–2821,210
November 212:00 pmFlorida Atlantic
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
W 61–1414,287
November 912:00 pmKent State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
W 63–2115,332
November 1612:00 pmat NavyW 38–025,664
November 232:00 pmat Iowa StateW 37–2034,582
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

References[]

  1. ^ "Terry Caulley bio". ticats.ca. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
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