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Tom Savage is being hit less, the freshman quarterback's getting more time to throw, and Rutgers' linemen are smiling more.

The run blocking, well, it's getting better, too. Just not a lot better.

"Run blocking and pass blocking are completely different things," senior right tackle Kevin Haslam said, mixing a chuckle and a snort when asked why Rutgers' line is showing even a tangible discrepancy. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said several weeks ago that a great pass play is "just basketball," requiring two players, whereas a great run play requires a whole team, and if everything in football starts up front ...

"It does," Haslam said, cutting off any thought that would follow because, in his mind, that first clause is all that matters. "It is on us and we just have to play better. We're not doing anything new, we're not doing anything different. it's all the same run stuff we've been doing in past years."

The Scarlet Knights (5-2, 0-2 Big East) are coming off a decent running effort at Army, where Joe Martinek rang up a strong 139 yards. But the Knights managed just 38 rushing yards the week before against Pittsburgh, and just 50 in their first Big East game against Cincinnati. As they ready for Saturday's emotionally-charged visit to Connecticut (4-3, 1-2), they seek more consistency in the run game -- starting with their blocking.

"It's the little things," Haslam said.

Assignments in pass blocking are indeed generally easier. At its most basic, the center and guards take a step back and see who comes, while the tackles ride the defensive end downfield. That's what creates the pocket that Savage said this week he's really starting to see and trust -- and use.

Run blocking, though, is a lot more complex, with no one simple way to create the seams running backs need. There are traps, where an interior defensive lineman might be left unblocked by the man in front of him -- who goes deeper down to a linebacker -- and is then blindsided by another lineman coming down the line. There are pulls, where a lineman from the off-side of the play ends up lead blocking. There's zone blocking, where linemen swap blocking players for blocking an area, and there are gap blocks, which is simply parting the waters.

All of it requires far tighter execution and Haslam said if there's anywhere Rutgers is tripping, it's only there. Yes, he said, adjustments are more likely to be necessary at the line in run blocking, but he also said the Scarlet Knights have veterans in the middle and on the ends. He looked put out when asked if the different strength requirements could be at play -- in run blocking, linemen want to drive their man downfield; in pass blocking, linemen don't have to worry about moving forward -- and then said, "That's not it."

Haslam said communication along the line is essentially seamless and so ultimately, "it's just execution. We just need to execute better."

The Scarlet Knights will certainly need to against UConn. The Huskies defense has characteristically been strong against the run, with sophomores Twyon Martin and Kendall Reyes doing a good job controlling the inside, and star Lindsey Witten closing off one end.

West Virginia did tag UConn for 234 rush yards, although 178 of those were star Noel Devine's. UConn gave up a few long run plays, including Devine's 56-yard game-winner, but that may have been an aberration. Especially if Witten is thinking about facing ostensible first-round prospect Anthony Davis.

Witten is a long-armed athletic senior, who unlike Rutgers' left tackle, has taken until now to really raise his profile. He played as a true freshman and started a handful of games before this year, but this fall he's come into his own. He had seven sacks in the season's first two games, and an untimely stomach bug slowed him only some; his 10.5 sacks rank second nationally.

Witten projects as a possible linebacker in the NFL because of his speed and at 6-foot-5, 260-pounds, pass play or run play, he'll need to be accounted for. And the Scarlet Knights do want the chance to account for him -- he hurt his leg against West Virginia, but both Haslam and Davis have repeatedly said they relish the challenge of big names. Together, they held Pittsburgh's tough ends, Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard, to three combined tackles.

And so, come Saturday, if the Scarlet Knights' running backs do have to get tackled, Rutgers' line doesn't want it to be by its counterparts on UConn's defensive line. The Scarlet Knights have been a power running team under Schiano, and Haslam said they will continue to be -- as long as the Scarlet Knights get their run blocking down.

Honoring Howard: Saturday's kickoff at Rentschler Field will be the Huskies' first home game since the Oct. 18 murder of cornerback Jasper Howard. The Scarlet Knights will wear a no. 6 decal on their helmets to honor the fallen Miamian and Wednesday the UConn athletic department released its plans.

Everybody in attendance will receive a "6 card in honor of Howard's jersey number. The first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive "Jazz Live 365" wristbands. UConn students at the game will get the same eye-black that the Huskies will be wearing -- one with a "6" and the other with a "JH" and all UConn students will also get a "6" button. Before the game, the UConn Marching Band will play on the field, all wearing No. 6 jerseys, and after both teams come out on the field, there will be a moment of respect for Howard.

In a press release issued by the school, UConn coach Randy Edsall asked fans to leave their tailgates and get in -- and fill -- their seats by 11:30 a.m. "as a sign of respect for Jazz."