Capitol Watch

Men's beat reporter Dom Amore joins online producer Chris Brodeur to discuss how the Huskies have narrowly avoided RPI-killing losses in recent days, in contrast to this time last year (3:30); Jalen Adams’ strong shooting performance in helping them stave off Monmouth (5:00); Alterique Gilbert’s shoulder injury (8:45); Christian Vital’s emergence as a reliable No. 2 scoring option (13:30); UConn’s history of finding another gear in games like this (17:00); and the continued search for reliable rim protection in the post-Brimah era (21:00). The show wraps with Amore sharing some of his own memories of covering games at the world’s most famous arena (23:45).

In perhaps the gloomiest episode of the UConn Insider podcast to date, columnist Jeff Jacobs joined men’s beat reporter Dom Amore and online producer Chris Brodeur to break down the Huskies’ brutal outing against Arkansas in the PK80 Invitational. Amore and Jacobs discuss Shabazz Napier’s support of Kevin Ollie (1:00), the Huskies’ shooting woes (3:45), the quick turnaround between a signature win over Oregon to a sobering defeat at the hands of Michigan State (8:00), the notion that UConn’s prestige as a coaching destination could diminish greatly when Ollie departs (11:30), the soft landing of the upcoming schedule (24:00) and Napier’s emergence as a dependable NBA contributor thanks to a new training regimen (32:30). They wrap things up by examining the recent arrest of former Husky Ben Gordon (42:15), his fourth in this tumultuous year in which he was attempting an NBA comeback.

Beat reporter Paul Doyle calls in from Los Angeles to chat with columnist Jeff Jacobs and online producer Chris Brodeur about the UConn women's basketball team's early-season dominance. The guys discuss the atmosphere at Pauley Pavilion for the Huskies' win over No. 5 UCLA (2:00), Napheesa Collier's return to form (4:20), Katie Lou Samuelson's injury (8:00), Megan Walker's breakout (10:00), the havoc the Huskies continue to wreak on defense (21:00) and the apparent lack of secondary contenders across the NCAA (25:30). They wrap up by looking ahead at the schedule (31:30) and share some sports writer travel stories (33:15).

(Note: the podcast was recorded prior to UConn's win over Michigan State Saturday)

Columnist Jeff Jacobs and beat reporter Mike Anthony join online producer Chris Brodeur to discuss the Huskies' rough outing at Fenway Park, playing out the string when the stakes are low, postseason All-Star games involving UConn seniors and the program's ongoing quest for Power 5 relevance. The guys wrap up by looking ahead at Year 2 for #RE2 (Randy Edsall).

UConn men's beat reporter Dom Amore joins online producer Chris Brodeur to break down how the Huskies' solid start has them riding some momentum into the PK-80 tournament. The guys discuss the importance of avoiding RPI-killing losses in the low-reward, high-risk portion of the schedule (1:30); Jalen Adams' scooter troubles (3:40); Terry Larrier's breakout (5:30); the second-half spurt from Adams that brought the Huskies back from the brink against Stony Brook (7:15); the complete effort led by Christian Vital against Boston University (9:00); the need for more scoring in the post (13:20); Antwone Anderson's role as a veteran with wisdom to share and where he fits into the program's recent string of transfers who fit that bill (14:45); the competition at the PK-80; and Lukas Kisunas' development as a prep school player in waiting (24:00). The guys wrap up by highlighting some recent performances by UConn players in the NBA (25:45) and briefly recap a World Series that made household names of a couple of Connecticut's finest (30:00).

CBS Sports Network's Aaron Murray, the former Georgia quarterback who’s in his first year broadcasting games, will be on the call when UConn takes on Boston College at Fenway Park Saturday. Murray joins online producer Chris Brodeur to discuss that transition (1:30); his memories of visiting historic venues as a player (3:30); the quirky logistics of playing football at Fenway (5:15); the matchup of New England rivals (6:30); David Pindell’s return as UConn’s starting quarterback (7:20); and wraps up with some thoughts on the end of Bryant Shirreffs’ career and the progress the sport is making with regards to head injuries (8:45).

Columnist Jeff Jacobs joined beat reporter Paul Doyle and online producer Chris Brodeur to break down the UConn women’s basketball team’s opening-night domination of Stanford and look ahead to the Huskies’ upcoming West coast swing. Doyle and Jacobs break down Crystal Dangerfield’s breakout performance (2:20) and offer their early impressions of a UConn team that won easily with less than its best effort (5:40). The guys discuss the professionalism with which the Huskies conduct themselves when dealing with the media (15:30), the personality traits of a UConn recruit (20:40), the trademark chemistry that seems to permeate every iteration of the roster (29:00) and the tough stretch of games on the schedule beginning with Friday’s home opener against Cal (36:20).

UConn football beat reporter Mike Anthony joins online producer Chris Brodeur to break down the Huskies' loss to UCF, which featured several miscues that prevented them from keeping pace with the AAC frontrunners (1:15). Anthony discusses the development of David Pindell (4:00), the legacy and leadership of Bryant Shirreffs (10:30)and takes an early look at next year's potential quarterback competition (16:30). He then shares a story about one of his favorite former men's basketball players, Stanley Robinson (18:20) before discussing another, Doug Wiggins, whose rocky college experience —

while different than Shirreffs' — also prepared him for the next phase of his life (20:00). The guys wrap things up by reacting to coach Randy Edsall's recent remarks about college football's playoff system (27:30) and preview the Huskies' matchup with Boston College at Fenway Park (32:30).

Mark Lev, the managing director of Fenway Sports Management, joins online producer Chris Brodeur to discuss the upcoming UConn football game at Fenway Park.

It started as a sort of therapy session for jilted columnist Jeff Jacobs, who came up empty in his search for his beloved ConFLiCT trophy earlier this week. But, inevitably, the latest episode of the UConn Insider podcast shifted its focus to the man behind the manufactured rivalry that’s still haunting him more than 1,500 miles away: former UConn football coach and current Nebraska defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. Jacobs joined beat reporter Mike Anthony and online producer Chris Brodeur to discuss the strange odyssey of the rivalry that wasn’t between the Huskies and UCF (7:00), their favorite Diaco-isms (9:30), where the coach’s career appears to be headed (12:00) and the parallels between a Diaco press conference and one featuring Jim Calhoun (15:00). Then, the guys consider whether the battered Bryant Shirreffs should return as the Huskies’ starting quarterback this season (20:30). They discuss the idea, posited by coach Randy Edsall, that many of the younger players on this team are “hitting the wall” (27:00) and wrap things up with some attendance talk (38:00).