Watch South College Football : Carolina vs Connecticut, 2:00 PM ET, January 2, 2010 Live!

Following a regular season marred by tragedy, Connecticut will get one more opportunity to win in honor of a slain teammate.

With the memory of Jasper Howard still prevalent, the Huskies meet South Carolina for the first time Saturday at the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

The Huskies’ season changed Oct. 18 when Howard, a starting cornerback and expectant father, was stabbed to death during a fight outside a school-sponsored dance.

Hours earlier, Howard starred in a 38-25 victory over Louisville. He had a career-high 11 tackles and forced a fumble just as the Cardinals threatened to score with the Huskies leading 21-13 in the third quarter.

Eight people have been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

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