By PAT EATON-ROBB
Associated Press Writer

STORRS, Conn.(AP) -- Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer went from
top recruit at Notre Dame to Fighting Irish cast off to the
Huskies' starting quarterback to a backup who lost his job after
an injury.

"It's tough," Frazer said. "It's just always been my career as
an athlete. It's always up and down, up and down, it's like a
roller coaster."

The 6-foot-4, 228 pound junior transfer is back up this week. A
season-ending shoulder injury to quarterback Cody Endres means
Frazer will be under center as the Huskies (4-4, 1-3 Big East)
face No. 4 Cincinnati (8-0, 4-0) on Saturday night.

UConn fans are hoping to see the Frazer who engineered two
fourth-quarter touchdown drives last Saturday against Rutgers,
giving the Huskies a short-lived 24-21 lead before the Scarlet
Knights beat them in the game's final seconds.

They would prefer not to see the Frazer who has thrown seven
interceptions in fewer than three full games this season.

"He's going to have to be the guy and do the things that he
needs to do," coach Randy Edsall said. "The biggest thing he has
to do is stay within himself and take what the defense gives
him. When he doesn't do that, that's when he gets himself in
trouble."

Frazer was considered one of the top prospects in the nation
after throwing for 3,647 yards and 27 touchdowns in his junior
year of high school in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

He signed with Notre Dame in 2006 as the heir-apparent to Brady
Quinn. But after redshirting his freshman year, he fell to
fourth on the Irish depth chart behind Jimmy Clausen and others.

After talking to Edsall, who was also a quarterback from western
Pennsylvania, Frazer decided to transfer to Connecticut. He had
to sit out a year before seeing his first action last season,
filling in for an injured Tyler Lorenzen.

This summer, he won the battle for the starting job. But in the
Huskies second game, a 12-10 loss to North Carolina, down went
Frazer with a knee injury and in stepped Endres.

The sophomore threw for 1,354 yards, six touchdowns and four
interceptions, prompting Edsall to stick with him, even after
Frazer recovered.

"You work hard over the summer, hard during the offseason and
then you get hurt, it's just a real downer," Frazer said. "But
it made me appreciate everything I had when I was the starter."

When Endres went out in the first quarter against Rutgers,
Frazer said it was like being hit with cold water.

His teammates, he said, have been very supportive. Tackle Mike
Ryan said there is no drop-off in confidence when Frazer is in
the game.

"He was the starter," Ryan said. "Cody's hurt now and Frazer has
to come back in and get the job done. I don't care who is at QB
to be honest with you, as long as we start winning some games."

Despite the ups and downs, Frazer said he doesn't regret coming
to Connecticut, and is just trying to make the most of each game
as it comes.

"I try to live my life with no 'What ifs?' no looking back," he
said. "It's the next page in my life. I'm just excited to see
what the next page is going to be."

For the Huskies, the page after Cincinnati will be a trip to
South Bend, Ind. and a game with Frazer's former team, Notre
Dame.

Frazer knows that if the Huskies win those games, nobody will
care what happened in the past.

"All the tough losses and everything, it's bound to go our way
sometime," he said.