UConn hands IU tough loss

East Hartford, Conn. -- Four years vs. 104.\nThat's how long the University of Connecticut has been playing Division I-A football compared to IU's tenure in the Big Ten. But on Saturday, it seemed the opposite as UConn manhandled the Hoosiers offensively and defensively to claim a 34-10 rout in the opening of Rentschler Field.\nThe much anticipated debut of junior quarterback Matt LoVecchio never got off the ground as two UConn offensive stars -- junior Dan Orlovsky and sophomore Terry Caulley -- stole the show. Orlovsky completed 26 of 42 passes for 307 yards while Caulley gained 170 yards on 22 carries.\nCoach Gerry DiNardo said he didn't expect the offense's inefficiency and IU's three fumbles that resulted in turnovers.\n"I knew it was going to be a tough game, but I thought we'd play better offensively," DiNardo said. "We turned it over three times. You know we fumbled eight times last year the entire season with only one being by a running back."\nIU didn't waste any time in coughing up the ball. On only the second offensive play of the season and IU trailing 3-0, senior Brian Lewis fumbled and UConn senior Ryan Bushey recovered to put UConn in business at the Hoosier 26.\nAfter a penalty, Orlovsky quickly put the Huskies into the end zone four plays later on a 16-yard scoring strike to junior O'Neil Wilson.\nWhile UConn moved quickly, IU labored methodically on its only scoring drive of the opening half. The Hoosiers moved 34 yards in nine plays with sophomore Chris Taylor being the workhorse carrying six times for 18 yards on the drive. The drive stalled, and junior Bryan Robertson split the uprights to put the Hoosiers on the board 10-3.\nIU played surprisingly conservative in the first half as the Hoosiers ran the ball 26 times compared to seven LoVecchio passes. DiNardo said the conservative play calling was his decision.\n"I didn't think that if we were wide open early in the game offensively that it would be beneficial to our defense," DiNardo said.\nIn the second quarter Orlovsky threw his second touchdown pass, this time to senior Shaun Feldeisen to take a 17-3 lead into the locker room.\nIn the first stanza, the Hoosiers had contained Caulley. But in the second half the sophomore sensation ran wild. UConn utilized a 38-yard Caulley rumble to set up another quick strike as Orlovsky found Wilson again for nine yards and a 24-3 lead on only a two-play drive.\n"(IU's defense) wore down a little bit," DiNardo said. "(Caulley) certainly got the best of us in the second half. The missed tackles there at the end. It really got sloppy."\nThe Huskies put three more points on the board their next possession, but IU countered with a 7-play, 76-yard drive capped by a fourth down 30-yard touchdown reception by senior Glenn Johnson, in which he made a great effort to cross the goal line in diving over and through defenders.\nThe Hoosiers appeared to have a chance to get back in the game after Orlovsky made his only mistake of the day on the ensuing possession. Junior Josh Moore intercepted Orlovsky and returned it 12 yards to the UConn 21. But Taylor fumbled two plays later and Caulley put the exclamation point on the victory with a 43-yard run to ice it 34-10.\nLoVecchio's debut was hampered by a pesky UConn defense that kept constant pressure on the Notre Dame transfer. The Huskies sacked LoVecchio five times and had numerous throw altering pressures.\nJohnson said the pressure was the big key as IU expected to capitalize on an inexperienced UConn secondary.\n"Up front they were pretty aggressive," Johnson said. "The secondary was average. We were expecting to go out and catch a lot of balls. It didn't work out that way because up front they had a lot of pressure. It affected the whole game plan. We were there, we were open."\nWhile the Hoosier offensive line is partly to blame, the entire offense didn't perform well. A myriad of dropped balls plagued IU, and the turnovers didn't help either.\n"At times it's my fault," LoVecchio said. "I have to get rid of the ball, avoid taking sacks and just be efficient with this offense. We just have to continue to improve."\n-- Contact staff writer John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.