The Huskies' latest loss, a 13-6 defeat at the hands of USF, wasn't without its silver lining: when defensive end Trevardo Williams sacked quarterback B.J. Daniels in the second quarter, it broke UConn's career sack mark. It was Williams' 8.5 sack on the season and 27.5 for his career breaking the previous mark of 27 set by Mark Michaels from 1982-1985.
"He's a very explosive player. What I like about Trevardo is he's eager to learn and very eager to become the best player he can become," coach Paul Pasqualoni said Wednesday via the Connecticut Post "He doesn't go out like he knows everything. He goes out and absorbs everything you're trying to tell him. His big strength is that great burst of acceleration when the ball is snapped. I'm excited for him."
Senior linebacker and team captain Jory Johnson added: "He's just a great athlete. He's one of the most explosive guys that I've ever seen and he continues to work on it, day after day.
"He's just hard to block one on one because he's so much more athletic than the offensive tackles and guards and if they leave him one on one he's going to get to the quarterback. That's the best thing about him. He's so explosive, so strong. Linemen can't block him one on one. He's special in that regard."
Before the season, Williams was considered one of UConn's top-five NFL prospects, though at 6-2, 233 pounds he's undersized for defensive end at the next level. Still, there's no denying his talent (he ranked sixth in ESPN's preseason poll of Big East players), or his confidence in his abilities.
Back in July, Williams was matter-of-fact in his desire to get 16 sacks this season.
He'll have a lot of work to do over the final three games to meet his preseason expectations but whatever happens, this much is certain: Williams has been a great college player and he'll almost certainly be playing on Sundays next year.
