The most wonderful time of the year: UConn will celebrate bowl season on Jan. 2

Storrs - In the 17 days since Randy Edsall hit the road to recruit following UConn's 27-24 victory over South Florida on Dec. 5, here is a list of the places Edsall was rumored to be visiting as a coaching prospect:

South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame).

Charlottesville, Virginia (University of Virginia).

Lawrenceville, Kansas (University of Kansas).

Yet Monday morning there was Edsall - still UConn's football coach - taking his familiar place at the podium for another media session ... and he couldn't have been happier.

With good reason.

"It's good to be talking to you at this time of year because you know that something good has happened with your team," Edsall said.

Indeed. After finishing the regular season with three straight wins, the Huskies (7-5) accepted a bid to play South Carolina on Jan. 2 in the Papajohns.com Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. (2 p.m., ESPN).

And now that the coaching staff has finished two weeks on the road recruiting and the players have completed final exams, it's all football, football, football until the Huskies board a plane for Birmingham on Dec. 29.

"We've had some time off and some time to rest," said linebacker Scott Lutrus, one of four team captains. "Finals are out of the way and now we're in full South Carolina mode."

The Gamecocks are also 7-5 and will arrive at Legion Field battle-tested after a grueling Southeastern Conference schedule that included tough road losses at No. 1 Alabama (20-6) and Georgia (41-37), and a 24-14 home loss to then-No. 1 Florida.

"We are going against a tough SEC opponent and a good coach in Steve Spurrier, so we have quite a challenge in front of us," wide receiver Marcus Easley said. "But we're also playing for a bowl championship. All the things are in the right place to make for a good matchup."

UConn will be appearing in its third straight bowl game, a program record, while Spurrier - now in his fifth season - is the first South Carolina coach to take the Gamecocks to four bowl games.

This is also the last go-around for 16 UConn seniors, including Norwich Free Academy's Dan Ryan and Waterford's Alex Molina.

"It's big," said sophomore tailback Jordan Todman, who has combined with senior Andre Dixon for 2,119 rushing yards this season. "You want to leave with that good taste in your mouth. Some of the guys have been here for five years, some guys for four.

"You are going to have memories like this forever from all your games, but to go out your last game with a win is enjoyable."

It's also bittersweet, especially for Waterford junior Zach Hurd, the starting right guard who was recently selected to the All-Big East first team. There are four offensive linemen - Ryan, right tackle Mike Hicks, left guard Mathieu Olivier and reserve guard Alex LaMagdelaine - playing their final game.

"It's good to that we have this time," Hurd said. "We just hang out with each other all the time and I'm glad because I've got Hicks and Dan Ryan and LaMagdelaine and Olivier. It's hard for me to see all of them leave, so it's nice to get a little extra time with them before they go."