STORRS, Conn. -- Connecticut coach Randy Edsall is good at many things -- such as refining football skills, leading a group of young men and supporting them through the tragedy of Jasper Howard's murder.He has had little time to make sure his pop culture references were up to date.
"I am Sergeant Schultz, I know nothing," Edsall said earlier this week, when pressed about details surrounding the murder investigation. Just minutes later, in a separate media conference, the arrests of three men were announced.
Ironically, Edsall, especially in recent days, is very little like Schultz, whose character on "Hogan's Heroes" -- a TV show that ran from 1965-71 -- was a bumbling, borderline incompetent mess (Trust me, I looked it up).
Edsall recited Schultz's famous slogan, but that's where the similarities end.
Competence, in fact, is what Edsall demands -- even in the face of the abnormal circumstances provided by Howard's tragic slaying on Oct. 18, when he was stabbed outside a school-sanctioned dance on campus.
"You never grade on a curve," Edsall said in reference to giving his team any slack on the field during the grieving process. "In our business, you either do it right or you do it wrong. To me, it is either if they do what they are asked to do, they get a plus; if not, it's a minus. People used to have plus, minus and zero.
"Either you did it the right way or you did it the wrong way. If you say, 'Well, it was OK but ... ' they never get better. You never grade on a circumstance or a curve because you are going out there to play to the best of your ability and get a win."
That's exactly what the Huskies will try to do Saturday, when they play Rutgers in their first home game since the murder. Those circumstances, however, are not lost on Edsall or the UConn program.
The school plans to honor Howard, who was a star cornerback and punt returner.
All fans who attend the game will receive a "6" card in memory of Howard's jersey number. The first 15,000 fans who enter the gates will receive "Jazz Live 365" wristbands, while UConn students in attendance will be handed the same "eye-black" that the team will wear -- one with a "6" and the other with a "JH."
Students will also receive a "6" button and are encouraged to arrive at their seats early in anticipation of a performance by the UConn marching band, which will display the formation of a "6" during its pregame program.
A moment of silence will also take place at Rentschler Field, where a no-sign policy will be relaxed.
"This is one more way that our fans can make a personal tribute to Jasper Howard," UConn Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway said.
While it promises to be a fitting tribute, Edsall no doubt is worried about closure for his players, who traveled to Miami earlier this week for Howard's funeral.
In respect to the arrests, which saw John Lomax of Bloomfield, Conn. accused of murder and two others hit with lesser chargers, the coach was pleased with the progress made but was most concerned with returning to normalcy.
"I think it is important for everyone to see justice be brought to the case but at the same time it doesn't bring Jasper back," he said. "It has been a long week but I think everyone is ready to get back on the field and play like we know we can.
"We need to get some more wins especially in the Big East, and we are going to get back out there and do that."
UConn (4-3, 1-2 Big East) will have to focus quickly. After this game against the Scarlet Knights, the Huskies will face eighth-ranked Cincinnati before traveling to take on No. 23 Notre Dame.
All three of the Huskies' losses have come in excruciating fashion, including a late safety against North Carolina, a fourth-quarter implosion at Pittsburgh and a four-point loss at West Virginia.
Linebacker Greg Lloyd admitted that, inspired by the loss of a teammate, UConn will be pushing even harder for a win this week.
"The outlook for this week is to refuse to lose," he said. "In the last couple of games, it has been close and come down to the fourth quarter so coming into this week the main focus is to keep the team going, keep moving forward, keep making progress. we are that close but you have to finish, you have to be able to finish."
According to Edsall, each player has dealt with the tragedy on his own terms. It would be unfair to think that the grief will dissipate so quickly, though it may be beneficial for the players to immerse themselves in the game.
The coach, speaking with obvious compassion and strength, said that there is a support system for those that need someone to talk to about the loss of their teammate.
Jordan Todman, a running back for the Huskies, will always carry the memory of Howard with him.
"I definitely feel like we have grown closer and I live my days a lot more different now," he said. "You never know what can happen or when it can happen. I keep my friends a lot closer, I make sure my family and friends know that I love them because you never know when it is your time or their time."
Coincidentally, if you drive through UConn's rural campus, a message from Howard unknowingly echoes Todman's sentiments.
An impromptu memorial for Howard, spray-painted on a rock, reads, "Play every play like it's the last play you'll ever play." - JH
