High hopes at home
Mora carries high expectations into UConn’s Rent opener
STORRS — The Jim Mora era began with a loss last week, but the mentality is clear as the UConn football team prepares for its home opener Saturday at Rentschler Field.
Winning is the only option. UConn will host Central Connecticut State in almost the complete reverse situation from a week ago. From 23-point underdogs last week to 16-point favorites this week, this is a must-win game for the rebuilding Huskies as they play their first game of the year in East Hartford.
“If we start accepting internally that coming close and losing is okay, then we will never get anywhere,” Mora said. “Never. It just doesn’t happen that way. That is not competitive athletics, so we are not going to accept that in here.”
It will be the first time UConn fans see Mora coaching at Rentschler Field. Hired in November 2021, Mora has ignited interest in a program that has not had a winning season since 2010.
There were nearly 21,000 tickets distributed as of Wednesday.
“We want people to be fired up about the direction we are headed, that is critical to us,” Mora said. “We are playing for each other, playing for the school and for the people who support us. We want people to come to the Rent and walk out saying, ‘Man, I like the way my team is playing.’ ”
Throughout fall camp Mora emphasized the importance of handling adversity, but perhaps underprepared his team for moments of success.
That may explain why UConn saw a first-quarter lead vanish last week.
“We talk a lot about handling adversity, and I thought we handled it okay,” Mora said. “I thought we came back in the third quarter and played well. My concern was not how we handled adversity on Saturday, but how we handled success when we jumped up 14-0.”
Facing a FCS-level program in Central, UConn hopes to find itself with an early lead again this week. This time however, the expectation will be to put the game away.
That’s what Mora expects.
“We talk about handling success, but we hadn’t gone into detail about it,” Mora said. “You focus on doing your job, you trust your training, you trust your teammates, and you live in those six seconds between the snap and the tackle… We needed to talk more about that, and we have.”
The blown early lead against Utah State paired with significant injuries to starting quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson and receiver Keelan Marion have loomed heavy throughout practice this week.
All eyes will be on true freshman quarterback Zion Turner as he takes the field in his first collegiate start. Turner entered the Utah State game in the first quarter after Roberson was forced out with a knee injury.
With Roberson out for the season with an ACL tear, Turner has been given the keys to the offense.
Turner’s second pass against Utah State was intercepted, but his next attempt on the following drive was good for a touchdown. Turner finished his first game completing 12 of 31 pass attempts for 109 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“I definitely was upset after that first game that things didn’t go our way, and I definitely could have played way better,” Turner said. “I know what I am capable of, and I know all the mistakes that I made. The situation, it doesn’t really matter to me. If I get on the field as a quarterback, I do my job. My job is to win football games, and unfortunately we didn’t do
that.”
Turner will bring a level of confidence when he steps onto his home turf on Saturday.
The Florida high school phenom who won three state titles with powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale is used to the bright lights, and Mora believes Turner will shine in the spotlight.
“There is a lot of pressure on him, fortunately this is a kid who has been under pressure for a long time,” Mora said. “Playing as a three-year starter at one of the best high school programs in the country, he is a winner. He is one of those guys that seems unfazed by circumstance. He just stays in his lane, does his job, and has great poise and great focus. I think he feels that pressure, but I am not sure it affects him.”
Running back Nate Carter will likely pace the offense again, allowing UConn to put less emphasis on the passing game. Carter is coming off a career-week
against Utah State, rushing for 190 yards on 20 carries.
The offensive line, which did not allow a sack for the first time in 16 games, will also look to build on its impressive showing from last week.
Carter and the offensive line will look to relieve pressure on the 18-year-old quarterback.
“I think with a young quarterback it is so important to establish the run,” Mora said. “If you establish the run, you can open some things up with the pass game. We were able to establish the run (against Utah State) and now our pass game will come along.”
The UConn passing game faces challenges. Marion, who caught Turner’s lone touchdown pass at Utah State, was injured on the play and required surgery this week for a broken left collarbone. The receiving group has been thinned out in recent weeks. Top receiver Cam Ross is also
out with a broken foot sustained during the back end of fall camp.
One potential bright spot could be the debut of graduate student and Old Dominion transfer Nigel Fitzgerald.
“He is coming along, he is getting better and is much closer,” Mora said. “He has been struggling with some hamstring issues and back of the knee, but he practiced last week and this week and has looked better. There is an excellent chance that he will be available for us on Saturday.”
Fitzgerald caught 14 passes for 219 yards in 12 games for Old Dominion in 2019 and appeared in one game as a senior last year.
Former Southington High All-State selection and walk-on Jacob Flynn was also added to the depth chart this week, replacing the injured Marion.
Flynn was surprised with a scholarship at the end of fall camp in front of his teammates and will look to build on his lone 10-yard reception from last week.
Defensively, UConn held quarterback Logan Bonner and the Aggies scoreless in the first and third quarters. UConn allowed a total of 542 offensive yards, 281 in the air and 261 on the ground.
Central, coming off a 4-7 season, averaged 315 yards of total offense with 21.1 points per game in 2021.
Quarterback Romelo Williams threw for 1,452 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, whle running back Nasir Smith rushed for 507 yards on 125 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
The UConn defense centers around linebacker Jackson Mitchell of Ridgefield, who matched a career high in tackles with 16 against Utah State. He also recorded a sack and recovered a fumble.
Linebacker Ian Swenson matched his career-high with 12 tackles, while defensive back Malik Dixon equaled his single-game best with 11.
The Huskies fired up the fan base despite an opening loss, vastly outperforming any expectations For Mora and his squad however, winning is the line defining the success of the program, and anything less is unacceptable.
If Mora believes bein within four points of a former Top 25 team and losing by 11 is unacceptable, the expectation against Central Connecticut is as clear as can be.