Dear Diary,

I don’t know if proud is the word I should use, but I’m proud of the UConn Huskies football team. There were a lot of positives that came out of this game. While the Huskies lost 31-20 to Utah State, the 2021 Mountain West champions, I enjoyed watching the fight and fire from Jim Moras squad.

The Offense Is Already Better Than Last Year

It truly is a bummer that Taquan Roberson tore his ACL. Really devastating. I was looking forward to watching Roberson step in as the UConn starter and take this team to the moon (5-7). With that being said, freshman Zion Turner played okay in his first college game. He passed for 109 yards going 12 for 31 with a touchdown and two interceptions. It appears that he’ll be taking the reins at QB and all I want is for him to play clean football. No interceptions would be nice, but one a game wouldn’t be awful for the young gun.

On the ground, UConn GOT AFTER IT. Sophomore running back Nathan Carter was the heartbeat of the Huskies offense. He had 20 carries for 190 rushing yards. Carter also added a catch for 10 yards. With the Huskies revamped offensive line, Carter could cripple defenses. Jake Guidone looked physical and comfortable at center along with Christian Haynes at guard. Lots of positives.

Linebackers Lead The Defense

Much like I predicted, the Huskies two linebackers led the way on defense. Ridgefield, CT native Jackson Mitchell tallied 16 tackles with one sack and Ian Swenson made 12 tackles. They really balled out and look to keep up the efficiency as the season progresses. Even Texas Tech transfer linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle got involved as he totaled 8 tackles.

In the defensive backfield, we saw a handful of players come out of their shell. Sophomore safety Durante Jones made eight tackles, safety Malik Dixon had 11 tackles, and backup cornerback Chris Shearin, who transferred from Missouri, made five tackles with a pass breakup.

The one big thing that the Huskies need to do if they want to win games is up the pass rush. UConn only had one sack against the Aggies, and if they want to have more of menacing defensive presence, then they need to get after the quarterback. Not having Lou Spanos calling the plays on defense hurts a lot. I’d like to see the Huskies test out more stunts against CCSU and Syracuse and get Sokoya McDuffie, Collin McCarthy, and Eric Watts more involved. If they get after the QB, they’ll have a lot of success.

Noe Ruelas Dominated The Uprights

Special teams is the third facet of the game and is equally as important as offense and defense. Noe Ruelas helped keep the Huskies in the game. To start, he knocked down two extra points as UConn started the game up 14-0. The West Hartford native Ruelas also buried two field goals in the second half with a long of 54 yards. I’ve been trying to tell y’all, Ruelas has a cannon of a leg.

The Line

WHAT DID I TELL YOU. I said slam UConn +26.5 and they delivered. I looked at that massive spread and said that there was no way that happens. UConn lost by only 11. In addition to telling you readers to bet UConn +26.5, I said to bet the under of 59.5…AND THAT HIT. Maybe I’m the UConn football gambling guru. I’m not saying that, but other people have said that.

See you Friday Diary!