Five Things to Know About the UConn Huskies

An in depth look at Syracuse football's next opponent.

Mike McAllister | Sep 9, 2022

Five Things to Know About the UConn Huskies /

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Syracuse football is facing its first road test of the season at Connecticut on Saturday. Here is what you need to know about the Huskies to prepare for the game.

1. Significant Injury

In a season opening loss at Utah State, UConn's starting quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson suffered an injury that will keep him out the remainder of the 2022 season. Roberson is a transfer from Penn State and a former four star recruit. He is an athletic dual threat quarterback and had the Huskies up 7-0 while driving to push to a two score lead before the injury. His replacement, freshman Zion Turner, went 12-31 with two interceptions in relief. The next week, Turner was better going 14-22 for 172 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. He is not nearly the runner that Roberson is and has accuracy issues at times while also being turnover prone.

2. Run, Run, Run

The strength of UConn's offense is its rushing attack led by Rochester (NY) native Nathan Carter. Through two games, Carter has racked up 313 yards and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry. The 5-9, 199 pounder has excellent vision and great footwork. Syracuse's defensive game plan should be focused on limiting his productivity. He has eclipsed 120 yards in each of the first two games, including rushing for 190 on just 20 carries against Utah State. As a team, UConn is averaging nearly 260 rushing yards per game.

3. Run Defense

The UConn run defense has been porous through two games. FCS Central Connecticut State ran for 78 yards averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Three sacks for 16 yards are included in those figures, meaning CCSU averaged nearly five yards per carry on running plays. This after Utah State ran for 261 yards in the opener. Syracuse should have success running the ball against the Huskies.

4. Special Teams

UConn has a solid special teams unit, led by kicker Noe Ruelas. Ruelas is 2-3 on field goals so far this season, with a long of 54. He has a big leg and has been accurate thus far. Punter George Caratan has been solid as well, averaging 43 yards per punt with four inside the 20. UConn's kick and punt coverage units have also been above average to date.

5. First Big Home Game

UConn went through a coaching change in the offseason. Jim Mora Jr. is the new leader of the football program and this is the first big home game under his direction. As it is also a night game and a historic rival (albeit in another sport), this could mean UConn fills or nearly fills its stadium. Syracuse is still the significantly better team, but this should mean the Huskies play with great energy and enthusiasm to start the game.

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Published Sep 9, 2022

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.