By Andy Close
NEFJ Correspondent
STORRS — After a tough, physical camp, it’s finally game week for UConn.
The Huskies welcome FCS foe Central Connecticut State to Rentschler Field on Saturday (2 p.m.) in a season filled with heightened expectations. UConn is coming off a 9-4 season, its best mark since 2007, when they also went 9-4. It was also the first winning season for the program since 2010.
“Our guys are excited to kick it off on Saturday,” UConn coach Jim Mora said during his weekly media availability on Tuesday. “It’s been a really productive offseason; it’s been a long offseason. They’ve worked incredibly hard. As everybody knows, we’ve made a lot of changes with transfers, with freshmen coming in, with losing guys, but I just love the way that everybody in this building and everybody in this athletic department responded. The support has been amazing. The focus of our players has been fantastic. Our staff has come together well, and now it’s time to prove it.”
Mora noted the tough nature of the Huskies’ camp, but said, apart from some bumps and bruises, they are in good shape heading into their season opener. He mentioned redshirt senior defensive lineman Trent Jones as the only player on the two-deep that won’t be available on Saturday.
“We are in really darn good shape, considering the physicality of our camp,” Mora said. “We had a long, hard, physical three weeks before we scaled back the length of our practices. We are in pretty darn good health coming out of that. It looks like Trent (Jones) is the only one who’s in the depth (chart) that won’t be available. If you would have asked me that two weeks ago, I’d have been really worried, because we had a lot of guys missing, but everyone has made their way back.”
Saturday will mark the fifth time that UConn has squared off with CCSU, with the most recent game being a 23-8 UConn win on Sept. 3, 2022, the first win of Mora’s tenure with the Huskies. UConn leads the all-time series, 4-0.
CCSU is coming off a season in which they went 7-6, winning the Northeast Conference title before falling to Rhode Island, 21-17 in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
The Blue Devils, who are the preseason favorite to win the NEC, return a solid core of players, led by running back Elijah Howard, the 2024 NEC Player of the Year and Walter Payton Award finalist.
“He’s a really good running back, he rushed for over 1,000 yards last year,” Mora said. “They’ve got a three-headed deal going on at running back, three really good running backs. I’ve been very impressed with their defense. I think they were fifth in the nation in takeaways last year. They play hard, they play physical, they play through the echo of the whistle. They’re an opportunistic defense.
“In a game like this, where you haven’t seen a team for a while and it’s the first game of the season, you know you’re going to get some unscouted looks, some things you haven’t prepared for. The most important thing you can do is execute and do what you’re supposed to do, follow your rules through looks you have not seen before, and really play with aggression and execute. We’re preparing for CCSU, but the important thing is we play to our standard.”
Like with most teams that have gone through preseason camp, there’s an excitement to get on the field and play an actual game. Mora senses that enthusiasm with his team, while also noting that everyone is ready to start a new chapter.
“I know from their energy the last two days, they’re excited,” Mora said. “But there’s also a sense of resolve and focus. Everybody is looking forward. Nobody’s talking about the past, and I think that’s a very good characteristic to have.”