It's back to work for Edsall's Huskies

Storrs — Andre Dixon was his usual talkative self Tuesday, except when the subject of last Saturday's historic victory over Notre Dame came up.

"We're about to put that one out of our minds today at practice," the UConn tailback said Tuesday. "We're going to make sure we move on and get ready for this next game because truthfully, right now, I'm trying not to care about the Notre Dame game. It means nothing now. It's gone."

UConn's "next game" is Saturday at noon, a Big East Conference test against improving Syracuse at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The Orange (4-7, 1-5) are also coming off their best win of the season, a 31-13 rout of Rutgers, but the Huskies (5-5, 1-4) hope to parlay their 33-30 double-overtime victory over the Irish with a second straight win, thus becoming bowl eligible for the third straight season.

"To get a bowl game we need one of these two wins, so why not start with this game, take care of business coming out of the gates, and let people know we're a good team," Dixon said. "I really feel like we still have things to show."

Syracuse will bring the Big East's best rushing defense (92.6 yards per game) to face a UConn team which, despite the loss of the nation's leading rusher (Donald Brown), continues to run the ball with efficiency.

A year after Brown led the nation in rushing (2,083 yards, 18 touchdowns, 5.7 yards per carry), the Huskies have two backs - Dixon and Jordan Todman - on track to surpass 1,000 yards this season. With two games left in the regular season, the two have combined for 1,800 yards, 21 touchdowns and average 4.9 yards per carry.

Asked if thought UConn's running game was better this season, UConn coach Randy Edsall replied, "If I said yes, that would be an indictment on Donald Brown and I would never say that. You guys know how I feel about Donald. … but because we've been more productive throwing the football we've been able to have as much productivity in the running game. We're getting more snaps this year, too, because of the pace we're playing at on offense.

"It just goes to show, you couldn't replace Donald Brown with one back."

Todman, a sophomore, leads the Huskies with 956 yards and 13 touchdowns. Dixon, a senior, is enjoying a bounce-back season with 844 yards and eight TDs. Each has gone over 100 yards four times this season, including three times in the same game: Ohio, Baylor and Notre Dame.

"We knew we had guys across the board to fill in the positions," Dixon said. "We are doing a great job as a backfield and picking up the slack that was left after Don went on to the NFL. We've shown that UConn consistently has good backs every year."

Dixon is quick to give credit to UConn's offensive line.

"The offensive line … they did their thing," said Dixon of the Notre Dame game. "They were definitely blowing people off the line. They were relentless, and when you see two guys doing great things that says a lot about the line. I think you could have threw Edsall back there and given him the ball and he would have had a couple of seams to run through."

Dixon and Edsall are also both impressed with the improved play of Todman, who has rushed for 292 yards and five touchdowns the last two games and while adding his first career kickoff return for a touchdown, a 96-yarder against Notre Dame.

"As he's getting older he's getting smarter and he's becoming a guy that wants the ball," Dixon said. "He wants to be that guy, and as the years go on for Jordan he's going to get more and more special for the UConn program."

Added Edsall: "I think he's matured as a running back as the year's gone on. I think he understands blocking schemes better, I think he understands patience to the line, and speed through the hole. … And watching Andre work at practice and having had the opportunity to watch Donald from a year ago- plus seeing himself more on film - I think he understands now that being a running back is more than just taking the ball and running, which is what they do in high school."