UConn Unafraid To Use QB2 In Week 2: 'Our Players Trust Him And Respect Him'
The UConn Huskies might be without their starting quarterback in Week 2 versus Merrimack, but head coach Jim Mora is confident in his QB2.
So, too, are UConn’s players. Senior backup Joe Fagnano carries himself like the starting QB he was last season, and it’s Fagnano’s cool demeanor that Mora praised most of all during a press conference on Tuesday.
“He’s calm, cool; it’s hard to frazzle him,” Mora said about Fagnano. “He understands what we’re trying to do on offense. He throws with touch, he can throw deep. He’s got good leadership ability.”
“The main thing is just his demeanor on the field. I think our players trust him and respect him, and he’ll make good decisions and protect the ball, and those are (the most important qualities) … taking care of the football and making good decisions. He’ll do that if he has to play.”
Fagnano will be under center for the Huskies in the event that starting QB Nick Evers is ruled out by team doctors before Saturday’s game.
Fagnano entered UConn’s season opener after Evers took a shot to the head and was removed by Mora for precautionary reasons.
Fagnano performed reasonably well against Maryland, completing eight of 16 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown to wideout TJ Sheffield, UConn’s only score of the game. He was UConn’s starting QB at the beginning of last season but succumbed to a shoulder injury after Week 2 that kept him out for the rest of the year.
Fagnano’s college career has been quite the come-up. He started off as a walk-on at Maine in 2019 before ultimately earning the starting job (as well as a full scholarship). He transferred to UConn before last season to play at a higher level.
There’s no reason Mora and the Huskies should feel like their odds of winning on Saturday are diminished if Fagnano is the team’s starter.
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Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org