Dear Diary,cc
The gauntlet continues. Last week, UConn was sent to war against Michigan. It felt like Jim Mora was Leonidas leading three hundred spartans to their death against the Persians. The only difference was the battlefield last Saturday wasn’t Thermopylae, it was Ann Arbor. UConn gave the number four team in the nation their best effort, but were trounced 59-0.
The (Few) Positives
When you lose a game in this fashion, it’s difficult to find any positives. Two that I was able to detect was that both Jackson Mitchell and Nate Carter are still top ten in their respective stat categories. Carter dropped from the number three rusher in the nation to number six, but still has 405 yards this season on 65 carries. When you look at the guys ahead of him as well, it’s a pretty loaded list. Raheim Sanders from Arkansas, Anthony Grant from Nebraska, and Mohamed Ibrahim from Minnesota are all above Carter, but they all have more carries than the sophomore back.
For Mitchell, he was leading the nation in tackles going into the Huskies matchup with the Wolverines. He stayed one of the bright spots of UConns defense after he tallied 10 tackles in the loss. Those 10 stops kept his name at the top of the national leaderboard as he’s up to 49 total tackles on the season.
Defensively, other guys stood out along with Mitchell. Sixth year linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle made 5 tackles, 2.5 for loss, and recorded a sack. Junior defensive tackle Eric Watts also tallied a sack to go with 5 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.
The Negatives
Going back to Nate Carter, there is a glaring negative that must be addressed. During the contest, he suffered a second-degree shoulder separation and is forced to miss at least one game. This one really hurts. Carter’s been the lifeblood of the Huskies offense this season with 444 all-purpose yards. That’s 281 yards more than the next closest player. Now, UConn needs to look into their backfield at a cavalcade of backs. Could Devontae Houston solidify himself as the true number two back and step up against NC State, or will Victor Rosa avenge his two fumbles against Michigan and make a difference against the Wolfpack?
In addition to the run game being suppressed due to Carters injury, the passing game was abysmal. Between Zion Turner and Cale Millen, the Huskies went 5 for 20 on passing attempts with 24 yards.
You read that right; 5 FOR 20 WITH 24 PASSING YARDS. I understand that Turner’s a freshman who was thrusted into a tough spot, but things need to change. Turner has thrown for 390 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions, and has a 16.9 QBR. I’d personally look back into the QB room and give sophomore Tyler Phommachanh an opportunity. He saw action in three games last season and passed for 321 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions, and had a QBR of 30.5. He did damage on the ground as well, rushing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a long shot, but something has to change.
The Injury Bug Caught Another Offensive Husky
Another negative that came from the game is the loss of wideout Nigel Fitzgerald. He was carted off the field Saturday with a knee injury and will be out the remainder of the season. The good news, there was no damage to the ACL. The bad news, he’s done for the year. While he didn’t show up too much on the stat sheet with two catches for 12 yards, you lose depth at an already thin position.
My biggest note I wrote about prior to the Michigan game was that UConns main goal should be to get out alive with no injuries. That didn’t happen. You saw your biggest offensive weapon go down for at least a week, possibly more, and then you lose a receiver for the rest of the season. Just a tough way to go.
Game Two Of The Gauntlet
I mentioned last week how UConn is in the midst of a gauntlet run, and game two isn’t going to be any easier. North Carolina State has a high powered offense that is averaging 384 yards per game behind an elite quarterback in Devin Leary. To compliment their offense, NC State has the 30th ranked defense in the country. They’ve allowed only 886 yards this season and with an average of 4.45 yards per play.
With UConn’s run game being depleted this could be another long game for the Huskies. BUT, we could see the emergence of Zion Turner. If he can play a more efficient and clean game against the No. 12 team in the nation, then some faith will be restored. The game kicks off at 7:30 EST in Raleigh, so make sure you tune into watch UConn (possibly) shock the world.
