Stepping back to look at the Big East, it's hard to imagine a crueler season than Connecticut has endured this fall, mainly with the tragic stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard, but also in the way the Huskies have had late leads in all four games they've lost this season.

The latest was Saturday against Rutgers, when Connecticut took a 24-21 lead with 38 seconds left in the game, only to see Rutgers freshman quarterback Tom Savage throw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown on the very next play, escaping with a 28-24 win. Again, for the Huskies to lose on a deep pass in their first home game since losing a star cornerback is beyond cruel.

It's happened before for the Huskies -- they led North Carolina 10-3 with three minutes to play, only to lose 12-10. They led West Virginia 24-21 (same score as today) with three minutes to play, only to see Noel Devine score on a 56-yard run for a 28-24 win. And the Huskies led Pittsburgh 21-6 with a minute left in the third quarter, only to see the Panthers rally to win 24-21.

Today's loss leaves UConn at 4-4, with their next two games at ranked teams in Cincinnati and Notre Dame. If they lose those, even a home win against Syracuse will mean the Huskies are playing for bowl eligibility when they host USF on Dec. 5 in the final game of the regular season.