Carolinablue Week 1 Confirmed Plays

carolinablue

carolinablue

College Football Guru
LSU = WIN +1.0
SEMO = LOSS -1.01088

Thursday Net = -0.01088 units

Note about 5dimes 1-AA Plays and Units...
(5dimes early limits have screwed my accounting from the start haha)

Just to clarify, all my 5dimes 1-AA games were at -115, but I wasn't able to do full units on them at the lines I got even though I hit them twice, due to limits. The first hit was for the 50 limit and then the second hit was at a much higher amount, but not to the point where I could cleanly lay to win 1 unit on each. By the time that was available, the lines weren't, so as a result these week 1 plays will be kinda weird as they are basically risk 1.01088 to win .86103, instead of risking 1.15 to win 1, which is what they would have been if the limits weren't an issue (all were at -115).

I know this isn't a huge deal to any guys on this site since you guys don't waste time trying to pick unnecessary high school battles, but I always believe in keeping upfront records of everything in order to answer any questions around units, records, etc. Needless to say, I keep very detailed records, hence the reason everyone at kids world got owned whenever they tried to challenge my recordkeeping haha.


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All of the following are locked and loaded at the Greek for week 1. All plays are always to win 1 unit and all of these plays are at -110 juice (I have no problem letting you guys know when I buy as it doesn't help anyone if I don't tell you that I had to pay for a line obviously).

All lines were available as of 9pm 8/1/07, which is when all of these were locked in. I am sure some lines may move against me, but I am betting on the fact that most will move in my favor, so figured it was worth taking a chance on locking these plays in early.

The rest of my plays will probably come from the I-A vs I-AA matchups at 5dimes once those get released later this month, as I am pretty much satisfied with my card as it currently stands.

UCONN -5 1/2
IOWA -11
TEXAS -37
S CAROLINA -28
MSU -19
FSU - 1 1/2
LSU -16

Just for the record, yes I know I am playing all favs. Remember that I played 36 favs in a row in cbb and went a documented 28-8 so I will leave the dog plays to the experts in the forum while I stick with my chalk haha.

I will update this thread once 5dimes releases its card as there are about 3-4 big time under the radar games that I am looking to jump on over there as soon as the lines are released.

If anyone has any questions about rationale behind a particular play above, just let me know, but I think most of my reasons can probably be found in one of my other threads as these plays are all pretty consistent with my leans from earlier this summer, give or take 1 or 2.

Best of luck this season fellas!
 
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Other thoughts..

I like USC to cover as I think they win by 50, but thought that Texas -37 and SC -28 were much better plays so decided to take 2 out of the 3 big favs I was considering.

If the ISU line gets to 3, may cause me to bite. I know they are young and have a new scheme, but the line is basically a pk when you consider HFA. Kent is improved this year, but man, 3 would be tempting.

I will take Louisville at 5dimes if the line hits 52.

I don't like MSU -19 as much as I would have liked to have gotten 17, but can only play where I have an account, so not much I can do about watching the line rise as I waited for the Greek to open. Still think MSU wins by at least 24, but would have loved to only lay 16.5 or 17.

I liked Memphis at 4 but don't like em as much at 3 115 which is where the line currently sits. Will be a pass for me unless the line gets back to 4 110.

Also liked Miami Ohio at 7 but don't like em at 5.5 although I still think they have a shot to win SU. Just don't like that number as much as getting 7.
 
Whats up CB? Gamecocks baby! I am going to play the 1st half when that line comes out, hopefully -16 or -17 with big game in wk #2. The excitement in Columbia is pretty out of control, they will be real hyped and they will blow a 1 dimensional ULL team out early. I am going to jump on that Texas game as well, seems awfully low for one of the Sun Belt's worst teams, especially considering how Texas has no problem running the score up when given the chance. FSU is the other game you have I like and will be on. Don't have much opinion on UConn, Iowa, MSU, and think the LSU number is low but I am not interested in the specific game. Chalk rules buddy!
 
Here are the I-A vs I-AA matchups I am considering, once the lines hit at 5dimes...

Boise over Weber if the line is halfway reasonable (ie 28 range)
USF over Elon (same)
Fresno over Sac State (same)
App State +pts vs Mich (hopefully will get 30+)
Indiana over Indiana State (hopefully in the 14 range)
 
App. State qb really does a nice job of running the option. He really causes problems for the opposition. I went to the 1A Finals last year between UMass and App. State. Really was an enjoyable game to watch. GL on the season CB.
 
CB--Just sent my money to Greek and Bookmaker and waiting to hit LSU and Texas. Like both of those lines, although I will probably like Texas 1H too (or even better).
 
Timh said:
App. State qb really does a nice job of running the option. He really causes problems for the opposition. I went to the 1A Finals last year between UMass and App. State. Really was an enjoyable game to watch. GL on the season CB.
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Thanks Tim. Yeah, I am hoping to get some solid value on that one as I don't play many dogs, but I actually think App State could put up a few points on Michigan in the 2H once the starters hit the bench. Would love to get something like 35 here as a result of the Michigan name recognition, but I think it will be closer to 28 or so. Hopefully 5dimes will get their lines up sooner rather than later. Thanks again buddy.
 
TroyStacks said:
my card is actualy the same you can see form the email i sent you
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We are usually money when we agree on a play, so that is good to know. When we disagree it seems that you win about half the time and I win the other half, as I remember we had a few occassions last year where we had some fun being on the opposite sides of games, but those were few and far between.
 
UCONN -5 1/2 - would take this side if I were playing it
IOWA -11 - already did take this side
TEXAS -37 - not likely, but that is who I would go with
S CAROLINA -28 - may end up taking this one
MSU -19 - may end up taking this one too
FSU - 1 1/2 - I hate games like this, but do lean to the chalk
LSU -16 - something feels weird about this one, but I won't be on MSU

GL
 
Can't argue w/any of them bro. Hey, is Marvin Austin going to start this year?
 
Mags said:
Can't argue w/any of them bro. Hey, is Marvin Austin going to start this year?
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All indications are that he is going to get his opportunity very early on. Can't blame Davis because Austin is a stud and could be the signature player that will give an identity to the Heels defense for years to come.
 
i thought you'd like duke as a home doggie blue. i think they may have the o to hang at home, and maybe win.
 
Do you get the feeling BYU just rolls Arizona? I know the Wildcats are supposed to be improved, but I love this Cougar defense and I think they avenge a tough loss in Tucson last year. Am I crazy to be interested in that one? I haven't seen anyone interested in that so far.
 
lindetrain said:
Do you get the feeling BYU just rolls Arizona? I know the Wildcats are supposed to be improved, but I love this Cougar defense and I think they avenge a tough loss in Tucson last year. Am I crazy to be interested in that one? I haven't seen anyone interested in that so far.
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I have a problem with this play. I think it is logical to say that Max Hall does not put up John Beck like numbers this yr and if he does, it doesn't happen in wk1 of the yr. BYU also lost their leading rusher who went for over 1k last yr. Aside from that they lost their four leading receivers. I don't see a whole lot to get excited about with BYU's offense. They have 4 guys back on the OL and that is huge but they will be inexperienced at every skill position which is pretty important if they intend to cover the spread. Last yr against Zona they ran for 24yards on 24carries and Beck went 28-37 for 289yds. Arizona doesn't have the best of offenses but I think BYU is going to have a lot of trouble scoring vs. their defense.
 
lindetrain said:
Do you get the feeling BYU just rolls Arizona? I know the Wildcats are supposed to be improved, but I love this Cougar defense and I think they avenge a tough loss in Tucson last year. Am I crazy to be interested in that one? I haven't seen anyone interested in that so far.
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i actually like byu a lot but no one is talking abot them so i am laying off for now
 
Heel - Yeah, Miami, along with everyone else, was after Autin hard (as I'm sure you know). Being that Butch has a reputation for playing the best players regardless of class I figured he'd get some PT.
 
dmart420 said:
i thought you'd like duke as a home doggie blue. i think they may have the o to hang at home, and maybe win.
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C'mon now, you should know by now that I would cut off my pinky toe before I would ever lay cash with those clowns. Tarheels don't lay plays on Blue Devils period. I love cash, but not that much haha. Best of luck this year!
 
carolinablue said:
All indications are that he is going to get his opportunity very early on. Can't blame Davis because Austin is a stud and could be the signature player that will give an identity to the Heels defense for years to come.
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Here is Carolina's Stud yesterday at opening practice...#9

454420.jpg
 
From Scout.com...

Austin is an elite player because he has God-given talent and he works as hard as anyone you will find. He has that rare combination of speed, power, agility, toughness and desire that sets all the great ones apart from the rest. He could have a Warren Sapp-type of impact at the college level."


I could care less what he looks like in a team photo..This is football not eharmony. We'll see how things shake out this year, but my money is on him being a big time impact player for the Heels in his first year regardless of how he looks without the pads...
 
This is football not eharmony.

Yeah, like you didn't check out the Thong Thread in the GD forum Carolina!

:cheers:
 
Those lingering baby fat pounds will be gone by the end of this month.

At which time he will have firm, yet softly supple breasts.

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Man, you guys are turning my thread into something straight out of the Yag pride fest discussion forum. Let's get back on topic before this thread gets archived for all the wrong reasons haha.
 
Not gonna touch that one, as I thought the line was dead on with what I expected.

Miami Ohio is now back to +6 at 5dimes. If it happens to get back to +7, that will be my first dog play. I think it is more likely that this one will get back to 7 than my other dog lean Memphis getting back to 4. Just don't like the +6 and +3 lines as much as +7 and +4, so hoping I get a break on the line moves on those.
 
I read Ball State just lost their leading tackler and best defensive player at LB in Wendell Brown...even more reason to back the Redhawks.
 
Oregon can't be the right side of that line. They may cover it but I just can't find value on that side. By all accounts I have the ducks undervalued compared to everyone else but when i look at this game i have to look at oregons best case scenarios....

if everything goes right for the ducks then i can see them leading half way through the 4th quarter 38 - 17 maybe ..... which still wouldn't make them much of a favorite to cover the spread given cougars offense as a backdoor threat. also look at the other games lined between 14.5 and 20 in week 1

lsu -16.5 at miss st
mich st -18.5 uab
nebraska -19.5 nevada
ucla -17 at stanford
minny -17 b green
az st -16 sjsu

if you look at the talent difference in most of those games it is huge. It isn't huge in the houston game. i tried and tried and tried to talk myself off of houston as a bet in week 1 but eventually did take some action on them at the nugget at plus 17. played less than a unit because i am worried that i am only one around several of these capping sites that doesnt love the ducks. but no one seems to be able to tell me how they could be a value ... not much bigger , not much faster , both coaches are top notch , and they have to win by more than two td and a field goal ?? someone will probably give me a reason to bet oregon now that i have already bet the other side but so far no one has given a good reason to bet them. so that is my opinion of that game. in previous posts i go into detail about both of these teams so if you search that out you will see some of where i am coming from.
 
Great insight above VK, thanks.

One quick question for everyone on UNLV....

I was actually pretty surprised when I saw that line open at 8 or 9 as I thought it would open at closer to somewhere between 0-3, given UNLV's road woes, and the question marks both teams have at numerous positions this season. Just need to understand from those who pounced at open, what was the deciding factor that caused you to jump so quickly to lay 8 or 9 on a team as bad on the road as the Rebs are? I have to admit that if this line gets to 10, I actually could see some value taking Utah State (probably won't do it though), so just want to get some insight from you guys who obviously know more about these teams than I do, as I obviously narrow down my focus area very early each week.

Thanks!
 
CB- this question about laying the points with unlv came up in a Dmoney416 thread sometime back. As a local I have some pretty good info on this team. I have cut and pasted what I wrote in his thread on unlv/utah state ..................

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Before i say anything else, i have already put some money down on a few of the games that you have listed above and have made NO bets against any of the games you have posted above. So we are either both on the game or you are on it and i am laying off. so basic agreement, i think. I know a lot about unlv (local) so i will give you some insight into why people (self included ) feel they will be improved this year and should handle utah state on the road. I will not be betting the game, though i had planned to originally the line got away from me a little and unlv defense does make me leery of a backdoor cover. but here is why i think most folks around here like unlv, mostly short takes cause i dont want to do a whole write up.

QB-- rocky hinds was as big a recruit as we have had at unlv at the qb position since randall cunningham. the main problem with him has been injuries and he will be ready to play in this game. has never proven himself but atleast he will be in the game.

wr-- he will be throwing to maybe the best receiving corps in the mwc. they are very solid all the way to the 4th wideout spot, which would make it very difficult for utah state and lack of depth to cover 4 decent receivers. improved and solid.

rb-- they got juco frank summers coming in this year ( formerly played for Cal bears). This doesnt seem like much but as a regular follower of the program the rebels ability the last few years to convert on third and fourth and short has been horrendous and htis guy is a load. they have speed at the position in peeples . clasic thunder and lightning type thing. look for summers to get more carries as the season moves along due to ol factors pointed out below. imrpoved.

ol - unlv is strongest up the middle of the line so expect that to be where they run the most (summers). they have a kid Hawley who moved tot he center position this year and has makings of a real stud. Sanford loves his versatility but it won't matter because he will play center and only center no matter who gets hurt. They also have a player who the coaching staff has said is making incredible improvement in asiata at rt. this guy is huge, may even be pushing 340 and has improved a lot because he had basically no football experience prior to coming to unlv. on the left tackle they have a csu transfer in plunkett. so the line is improved for sure.

st - have speed at return spots. Kicker aguayo is considered very good but had tough time last year battling injuries and the punter this year challenged for the starting job last year before the eventual starter took 1st team mwc. so improved here

DL- best lineman played hurt all last year in geathers who shouldbe 1st or 2nd team mwc this year. thor pili comes in from oregon ducks ( great spring). middle of dl is suspect.

lb -beau bell will be drafted in nfl draft next spring and had to fight injuries last year. in spring jimmy miller was the better linebacker of the two ( miss state transfer). They have a lot of depth at this spot and it is pretty solid.

db - rebels lost some guys here... eric wright to nfl and another multi year starter in guice. they do get milvon james (ucla transfer) and tony cade (oklahoma sooner transfer).

so what i think people are looking at is that the returning talent of geathers, hinds, bell , and aguayo are healthier now and should be more productive. and look at this list of transfer talent:

qb rocky hinds (usc transfer , texas )
rb frank summers ( CAL fb )
wr - starters are solid. ( depth with transfers from arizona and wash st)
dl - thor pili (oregon)
lb- jimmy miller (mississippi state)
db- milvon james (ucla) and tony cade (oklahoma)

that is a lot of bcs recruits on the field coupled with geathers (likely first team mwc), beau bell likely drafted in spring, aguayo solid kicker, and arguably the best wr unit in the conference. now add in the fact that a lot of the talent was hurt last year ....the team is much better this year and i wouldnt be shocked if they won 5 games !!!!!!!!!!!!! i can see where most people dont think utah state can match up with bcs recruited talent. like i said, i won't be betting the game because the line crept into the area where it lost some of its value and i like other spots more but i can see why others like it.
 
Appreciate you taking the time to repost this for me VK. I can definitely see why many guys jumped on this one now that I see the big picture. I agree with you in that I don't see as much value at this point but at least now I understand why guys were all over this one at open. Will be a no play for me, thanks again!
 
Forgot to mention the other day that since the Texas line was still sitting at 37 at The Greek (37 1/2 at 5 dimes)...I decided to hit it again as there isn't anything else on the board at the Greek that I will be playing outside of the games I already listed previously. For the purposes of recordkeeping, since all my plays are always to win 1 unit, that one will either count as 2 individual wins for +2.0 or 2 individual losses for -2.2. Just wanted to clear that up well in advance although I know you guys wouldn't have an issue with it.

Will probably have to wait a few weeks for 5dimes to put up more I-A vs AA games so my card is pretty much set for the time being. 8 plays total at the Greek, with maybe 3-4 to come at 5 dimes depending on how big the favs are in the matchups I waiting on.
 
everythingthatsgreen said:
Whats up CB? Gamecocks baby! I am going to play the 1st half when that line comes out, hopefully -16 or -17 with big game in wk #2. The excitement in Columbia is pretty out of control, they will be real hyped and they will blow a 1 dimensional ULL team out early. I am going to jump on that Texas game as well, seems awfully low for one of the Sun Belt's worst teams, especially considering how Texas has no problem running the score up when given the chance. FSU is the other game you have I like and will be on. Don't have much opinion on UConn, Iowa, MSU, and think the LSU number is low but I am not interested in the specific game. Chalk rules buddy!
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not sure if you answered this already CB, I am specifically interested in the UCONN and Iowa games and your thoughts there.
 
CB-

I'm thinking about taking James Madison in the UNC opener, whenever the line comes out...good or bad bet?

FYI, JMU would've been -6 at North Carolina (no that's not a typo) at the end of last year according to the Sagarin ratings.
 
lindetrain said:
CB-

I'm thinking about taking James Madison in the UNC opener, whenever the line comes out...good or bad bet?

FYI, JMU would've been -6 at North Carolina (no that's not a typo) at the end of last year according to the Sagarin ratings.
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Actually, I haven't looked deep enough into that one yet as I typically lay off UNC openers because they are so unpredictable coming out of the gate. I probably won't play a side, but am curious to see where the total opens at as I am leaning on the over at this point. I think UNC pulls this one out by a FG or 2 by the way, so depending on how many points you get, it may be a decent play. I doubt the Heels will be laying DD though due to their inexperience. If the line comes out light (say -3 range) I would probably take the Heels.
 
As I noted in Horn's thread, I am surprised no one else is leaning towards Texas Tech in week 1 as they are now laying less than DD vs SMU. I have heard more than a few guys say they love SMU, so would love to hear thoughts from anyone on that game, as I have that one marked as a play if the line drops to 8, although to me there is already a lot of value getting it under 10, since it opened at 11 and has dropped 2 points since open. Let me know what I am missing on this one as I am just waiting to see if the line drops a little more before I decide if I want to play it or not. Gotta believe that by the end of the first weekend, money will roll in from the masses on Tech as they try to chase with em since that is only 1 of 2 games on 9/3. Therefore, I see this line being back up in DD by kickoff. What do you guys think?
 
i like TT too but no one other than horn brought it up everyone else likes SMU but i think they suck ass lets chat about this game
 
Does Bennett really want to win this ??? Will tech do its normal run it up ??? remember this ?? .....................

The end of this football game was shaping up disturbingly like last year's game against S.M.U., which had been, by Leachean standards, a low-scoring affair. With 15 seconds left, Texas Tech was ahead, 27-13. The clock was running, but the Red Raiders had the ball on the S.M.U. 4-yard line. It was then that Wylie realized that Leach and his offensive machine lacked an off switch. With 15 seconds left, Leach leaned into the field and called a timeout.
On the last play of that game, Leach sent in a pass play, and the quarterback, Sonny Cumbie, stepped into the shotgun position. "I could hear Bennett screaming," Cumbie says, referring to the S.M.U. head coach, Phil Bennett. "He's furious. He's yelling: HIT HIM! HIT HIM! HIT HIM! HIT THE QUARTERBACK!" Cumbie threw the ball into the end zone to a wide-open receiver, who dropped it. (None of the S.M.U. defenders hit him.) "I see their coach slam his earphones, throw down his clipboard and come running across the field," Wylie says. "I'm thinking: This is gonna be bad. He's mad at Mike for trying to score. And Mike really has no idea that he's mad. Mike is sitting there upset that we didn't score." Leach was, in fact, jotting notes on his wadded-up sheet of paper with the plays on it. His head was down; he didn't see Bennett. But before the S.M.U. coach reached Leach, Wylie jumped in. "The guy starts poking me in the chest - Bam! Bam! Bam! - and screaming," Wylie says. "If I hadn't been there, I think he might have taken a swing at Mike."
 
carolinablue said:
As I noted in Horn's thread, I am surprised no one else is leaning towards Texas Tech in week 1 as they are now laying less than DD vs SMU. I have heard more than a few guys say they love SMU, so would love to hear thoughts from anyone on that game, as I have that one marked as a play if the line drops to 8, although to me there is already a lot of value getting it under 10, since it opened at 11 and has dropped 2 points since open. Let me know what I am missing on this one as I am just waiting to see if the line drops a little more before I decide if I want to play it or not. Gotta believe that by the end of the first weekend, money will roll in from the masses on Tech as they try to chase with em since that is only 1 of 2 games on 9/3. Therefore, I see this line being back up in DD by kickoff. What do you guys think?
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I don't trust Texas Tech on the road at all. I am not betting this game, but if I did it would be SMU.

Texas Tech on the road in the last three years:

2004: (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)

@SMU (-24.5) W 27-13
@New Mexico (-3.5) L 24-27
@Kansas (-6) W 31-30
@Oklahoma (+25) L 13-28
@Kansas St (+2.5) W 35-25
@Texas A&M (+2.5) L 25-32

2005: (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS)

@Nebraska (-4) W 34-31
@Texas (+17) L 17-52
@Baylor (-13) W 28-0
@Oklahoma St. (-23) L 17-24

2006: (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)

@UTEP (-8) W 38-35
@TCU (-1) L 3-12
@Texas A&M (+2.5) W 31-27
@Colorado (-6.5) L 6-30
@Iowa St. (-2) W 42-26
@Oklahoma (+9) L 24-34

Last 3 years, 8-8 SU (favored in 10 of the 16 games) and 5-11 ATS.

TT only return 5 on each end of the ball. I know they can plug in a lot of guys in that type of offense and make it work, but they still lost a good amount of players. 4 of the 5 on the OL are gone, and Filani and Johnson are gone at WR. They accounted for 24 of TT's 39 touchdown catches.

Only 5 guys return from a pretty shaky D to begin with. 3 of the 4 on the DL are gone, and only 2 of the front seven return. 9 of the top 15 tacklers are gone, as are their two top sack guys.

They also lose Alex Reyes at punter, who had an impressive 45.2 avg.

Ya, TT will put up points in this game, but so will SMU. SMU returns more men on both sides of the ball (14 total - 8 on offense, 6 on D). They also have 4 of the 5 OL coming back to protect Willis and his 26-6 TD to INT ratio.

TT's lines have been ravaged by graduation, and while they don't need an amazing OL because of their quick passing scheme, it still hurts. I see this as a shootout that TT will probably win, but I wouldn't lay more than a TD here.
 
I don't trust Texas Tech on the road at all. I am not betting this game, but if I did it would be SMU.

Texas Tech on the road in the last three years:

2004: (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)

@SMU (-24.5) W 27-13
@New Mexico (-3.5) L 24-27
@Kansas (-6) W 31-30
@Oklahoma (+25) L 13-28
@Kansas St (+2.5) W 35-25
@Texas A&M (+2.5) L 25-32

2005: (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS)

@Nebraska (-4) W 34-31
@Texas (+17) L 17-52
@Baylor (-13) W 28-0
@Oklahoma St. (-23) L 17-24

2006: (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)

@UTEP (-8) W 38-35
@TCU (-1) L 3-12
@Texas A&M (+2.5) W 31-27
@Colorado (-6.5) L 6-30
@Iowa St. (-2) W 42-26
@Oklahoma (+9) L 24-34

Last 3 years, 8-8 SU (favored in 10 of the 16 games) and 5-11 ATS.

TT only return 5 on each end of the ball. I know they can plug in a lot of guys in that type of offense and make it work, but they still lost a good amount of players. 4 of the 5 on the OL are gone, and Filani and Johnson are gone at WR. They accounted for 24 of TT's 39 touchdown catches.

Only 5 guys return from a pretty shaky D to begin with. 3 of the 4 on the DL are gone, and only 2 of the front seven return. 9 of the top 15 tacklers are gone, as are their two top sack guys.

They also lose Alex Reyes at punter, who had an impressive 45.2 avg.

Ya, TT will put up points in this game, but so will SMU. SMU returns more men on both sides of the ball (14 total - 8 on offense, 6 on D). They also have 4 of the 5 OL coming back to protect Willis and his 26-6 TD to INT ratio.

TT's lines have been ravaged by graduation, and while they don't need an amazing OL because of their quick passing scheme, it still hurts. I see this as a shootout that TT will probably win, but I wouldn't lay more than a TD here.
 
http://www.nhregister.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1281&dept_id=7592&newsid=18670769

UCONN FOOTBALL NEWS from the New Haven Register...

STORRS — The weather didn't fully cooperate with the opening of preseason training camp for the University of Connecticut football team, forcing a mid-practice venue change on Monday morning.


But other than a quick run for cover from the rain, which forced the Huskies to move to the comfort of their indoor practice facility about 90 minutes into the two-and-a-half hour session, UConn football coach Randy Edsall had little to complain about.

His players have evidently been hitting the weight room at full steam, evidenced by noticeably buffer players like defensive ends Lindsey Witten and Cody Brown along with offensive linemen Will Beatty. There were also very few mistakes.

"You always look to see how much they retain from the spring," Edsall said. "The retention was pretty good. We got a little more in today in terms of formations and motions. We didn't have any hiccups either. There were no offsides; the ball wasn't on the ground in fumbles and things like that. The tempo still needs some getting used to. But you gradually work yourself into that."

The most watched position battle, quarterback, is one that will be decided in time and by the participants, Edsall said again.

Either redshirt sophomore Dennis Brown or junior Tyler Lorenzen, a junior college transfer, will start the season opener at Duke on Sept. 1. Brown looked better on Monday, throwing crisper passes that were more accurate than Lorenzen. But it's a competition that likely won't be decided for at least two weeks, maybe longer.

"Today's a day to get the rust and the cobwebs out," said Lorenzen, who enrolled at UConn in January and practiced in the spring, but missed the annual Blue-White scrimmage because of a sprained knee. "I have gotten to know my teammates better and have a better relationship with them. I know the offense better and it's not so foreign to me anymore. It's just easier to try and be a leader."

Brown, who started successive games against Rutgers and West Virginia when injuries to others pressed him into action as a true freshman in 2005, has filled out his 6-foot-3 frame through work in the weight room since. He's now a solid 195 pounds, though he was sidetracked about a month in April for surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

"It was minor surgery, and I'm fine now," Brown said. "I've grown a lot mentally as well as physically and I've gotten much better since my first game against Rutgers. I'm better in how I read the defenses and how I manage the game."

The two other quarterbacks on the roster weren't at the morning practice session. True freshman Cody Endres, a 6-4, 245-pounder from Washington, Pa. , and freshman Zach Frazer, a transfer from Notre Dame, were attending freshman football academic orientation. First-year players practiced during an afternoon session.

Endres isn't expected to compete for the job because of his youth and inexperience, though he certainly has the size to compete as a true freshman. Listed at 219 pounds in the UConn media guide, Endres weighed in 25 pounds heavier Sunday night.

"That shocked me," Edsall said. "I saw him earlier and asked him. I said ‘Do you really weigh 244.6 pounds' or whatever? He said yes. But he doesn't look it. I never would have guessed he weighed that much. But he passed his running test, he passed all that stuff. As long as he feels good and he can carry (the weight), then I'm all for it."

Frazer, who opted out of Notre Dame following spring practice when it became apparent he would not be Brady Quinn's successor this fall, is not eligible to play in games because of NCAA transfer rules. However, he will be able to practice this season.

"We're very glad he's here with us," Edsall said. "We believe he's a quality player. We recruited him out of high school and we're happy we got him on the rebound. He's going to work this year, learn the system and we'll worry about him next year in terms of competing for a job."
 
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