Tag: UConn Huskies

UConn Huskies Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

UConn College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

UConn Huskies Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UConn season with what you need to know and keys to the season.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

UConn Huskies Preview
Head Coach: Jim Mora Jr., 1st year at UConn
7th year overall, 46-30. 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 1-11
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UConn Top 10 Players | UConn Schedule

UConn Huskies Preview 2022

UConn wasn’t always totally miserable at college football.

Yes, kids, there really was a time when the Huskies were good enough to get into the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma and bowl games were a regular thing. The program is coming off of ten straight losing seasons as things have gotten worse and worse.

There’s been a little bit of talent here and there – there were more than enough vulture schools out there happy to go pick away at UConn players over the last year – but nothing has worked.

It took a huge effort to get by Yale for the only victory of last year, and a 2020 win over an equally hapless UMass was the lone win over an FBS program since taking down Tulsa in the middle of the 2017 season.

But that’s in the past.

New head coach Jim Mora Jr. is a good head coach who knows what he’s going, but it’s going to take an all-timer of an effort just to get this season off the ground much less be competitive in most of the games.

This is more than just a rebuild, teardown, reboot, or any other way you want to describe what Mora and his staff have to do.

This is starting from scratch, and only positive things can come from it.

UConn Huskies Preview 2022: Offense

UConn had the least efficient passing game in college football, it was the second-worst offense in the nation in total yards, and it was the second-worst scoring attack.

It keeps going.

It came up with the second-least amount of first downs, it was the worst team in America on third downs, it was the second-worst O in yards per pass, and …

Again, the program is starting over. It’s going to get better because 1), it can’t get any worse, 2) the former coaching staff went WAY young and threw a slew of freshmen into the mix, and 3) …

The quarterback play should be okay. Penn State transfer Ta’Quan Roberson struggled when he had his chances, but he’s got the tools, he was a good recruit, and he’ll make the job his from the start with former starter Steven Krajewski off to Georgia State and the other options transferring, too.

Leading receiver Keelan Marion is back – he only caught 28 passes but he got five of the team’s 11 touchdown grabs – and Kevens Clercius and Aaron Turner help round out what might be the team’s biggest early strength. And then there’s Cameron Ross – the 60-catch leading target from 2019 who played just two games in the last two years.

The offensive line is going to be the biggest work in progress. The transfer portal is bringing in the options around veteran guard Noel Ofori-Nyadu and the versatile Christopher Fortin who’ll work somewhere around the inside.

RB Kevin Mensah was a good back who wasn’t used enough. he’s gone, but leading rusher Nate Carter is back after running for 578 yards and two scores.

UConn Huskies Preview 2022: Defense

The offenses was worse, but the defense was plenty bad on its own. The run D has been a problem for years, the secondary got ripped up late last season, and now the team has to go on without star DT Travis Jones – he’s now a Baltimore Raven – and with Lawl Uguak off to TCU.

However, like the offensive side, last year’s coaching staff went young, and how there’s enough experience back across the board to not be starting from scratch. It begins with …

The linebacking corps might not be all that bad. At the very least, there’s experience and quickness starting with leading returning tackler Jackson Mitchell – he made 120 stops last season – helped by the return of second-leading tackler Ian Swenson as a hybrid type of defender, and with Kentucky transfer Marquez Bembry adding some size and thump on the inside.

However …

The defensive front might take a while. There’s no replacing Jones and Uguwak was going to be a bigger factor, and now it’s a smallish, thin line that has to find more options and pass rushers.

The secondary gets all four starters back. Like other areas, this was a young group that took its lumps. Sophomore safety Durante Jones will once again be one of the team’s better tacklers, but overall this group has to come up with more big stops.

Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UConn Top 10 Players | UConn Schedule

UConn Huskies: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Former Penn State QB injured in season opener with new team

This is not how former Penn State QB Ta’Quan Roberson wanted to see his fresh start play out.

Well, so much for the potential redemption story for former Penn State quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson. At least for the season opener. Hours after getting the chance to be the starting quarterback for the UConn Huskies and guiding the underdogs to an early lead against Utah State, Roberson was knocked out of the game with a knee injury.

Roberson scored the game’s first touchdown of the day, scoring on a QB sneak up the middle from the Utah State one-yard line. But Roberson’s time on the following UConn possession. On a keeper on second down, Roberson picked up five yards but left the game with an apparent knee injury. Reports indicated he hurt his right knee on the play.

It was later reported Roberson would not return to the game.

Roberson’s brief UConn debut ended with just one completion on two pass attempts for 10 yards and eight rushing yards on three carries with the one rushing touchdown.

The severity of the injury has yet to be revealed, and whether or not that information will be made available remains to be seen. But unfortunately, this was not how anyone wanted to see the former Nittany Lions quarterback’s fresh start get underway.

[listicle id=22480]

[lawrence-related id=22504,22501,22476]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Former Penn State QB wins starting job at new program

Best of luck to former Penn State quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson, who will be the starting QB for UConn.

There will be two former Penn State quarterbacks starting the season as QB1 with another program this fall. [autotag]Will Levis[/autotag] took the SEC and Kentucky by storm last season after being anointed the starting quarterback for the Wildcats last season, and he is now a trendy pick to be among the first quarterbacks chosen in the 2023 NFL draft. It may be premature to suggest the fortunes will smile upon [autotag]Ta’Quan Roberson[/autotag] the same way at UConn, but a fresh start may have paid off for the former Penn State backup.

Roberson, as expected, has been tabbed as the starting quarterback for the UConn Huskies, who begin their 2022 season on Saturday at Utah State. Pete Thamel of ESPN reported the quarterback news on Saturday morning, hours before UConn was set to kickoff against the defending Mountain West Conference champions. Roberson will be the first starting quarterback for new UConn head coach Jim Mora, and there is still some good potential to be utilized for the Huskies program.

Roberson was used in limited action during his short stay at Penn State. He appeared in four games for the Nittany Lions last season, most notably in place of an injured Sean Clifford in a road loss at Iowa. Roberson was in a tough spot against the Hawkeyes and did not perform well enough to help Penn State hold off Iowa in the first loss of the 2021 season.

When Clifford was forced out of a game later in the season against Rutgers, it was Christian Veilleux who took the field in place of Roberson. The writing appeared to be on the wall at that point, and Roberson entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season.

[listicle id=22238]

[lawrence-related id=22476,22472,22440,22328,22326]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

UConn star Paige Bueckers will miss the 2022-23 season after tearing her left ACL

This is devastating news.

While the summer winds down and the kids are getting ready to head back to school, the excitement of college sports is growing. But in our anticipation of what’s to come, we sometimes forget how unforgiving the grind of high-level sports can be for the athlete.

On Wednesday, we were reminded.

Out of nowhere, an afternoon announcement from the official UConn Women’s Basketball Twitter informed the basketball world standout junior guard Paige Bueckers would miss the upcoming 2022-23 season after tearing her ACL in her left knee on Monday. The injury came during a pickup game, according to the team.

This is obviously a huge blow for the Huskies’ basketball program, which impacts their season and the lay of the college basketball landscape. However, this news is just so much more difficult to stomach for Bueckers.

Of course, Bueckers missed more than half of UConn’s games during her sophomore season (2021-22) after undergoing surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear and tibial plateau fracture in her left knee. She returned in time for the end-of-season tournaments, which included a run to the NCAA championship game.

Another major injury to that left knee has to be incredibly draining for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award winner.

Bueckers will be eligible for the 2023 WNBA Draft, and there’s plenty of time between now and then to speculate whether or not she’ll forgo her remaining college eligibility or return to school. But such a topic isn’t really all that important at the moment. Not when there’s genuine concern for Bueckers’ immediate career.

Let’s all hope that Paige undergoes successful surgery on Friday and makes a full recovery.

[mm-video type=video id=01g9jhxmcxbr4040301q playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g9jhxmcxbr4040301q/01g9jhxmcxbr4040301q-c2da5ac00dfb302373c4b9e0ad909204.jpg]

[listicle id=1945505]

UConn Huskies Top 10 Players: College Football Preview 2022

Who are the top 10 UConn players going into the 2022 college football season?

UConn Huskies Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

UConn Huskies Preview 
UConn Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen | UConn Schedule 

UConn senior Tyrese Martin earns NBA G League Elite Camp invite

Martin averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29 games with the Huskies.

UConn senior Tyrese Martin on Wednesday told Shreyas Laddha of the Hartford Courant that he has received an invitation to compete in the NBA G League Elite Camp.

Martin, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29 games with the Huskies. He was named to the Big East Championship All-Tournament team after posting 18 points, 7.5 rebounds, two assists and two steals in two games.

He finished eighth in the Big East in rebounding.

The elite camp gives prospects the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives from May 16-17 in Chicago. The top performers will be invited to perform in the draft combine.

[mm-video type=video id=01g1rsh8q8reqq37csbs playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1rsh8q8reqq37csbs/01g1rsh8q8reqq37csbs-f8420f45d958f2bff8eba88d87a5f7ed.jpg]

Martin is not currently projected to be drafted but has the opportunity to improve his positioning in the elite camp. He also emerged as one of the standouts at the Portsmouth Invitational, an annual tournament comprised of the top 64 seniors in the country.

The NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=75469,75444,75477]

[listicle id=75318]

2022 NFL draft: Travis Jones scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about UConn defensive lineman Travis Jones

A fast-rising prospect since the Senior Bowl, UConn nose tackle Travis Jones will look to capitalize on his performance in Mobile as he enters the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is everything you need to know about the Huskies’ massive interior defender:

South Carolina-UConn got a primetime spot and delivered primetime ratings

Women’s National Championship Game delivers huge ratings.

Women’s sports are continuing to thrive on the national stage and are rapidly debunking each and every one of the sad narratives that still exist.

Sunday’s NCAA National Championship Game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies is the latest example.

The matchup was broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, which is a primetime slot that is usually reserved for the MLB’s Sunday Night Baseball. However, with the start of the 2022 professional baseball season pushed back due to the recent lockout, the women were able to take the stage.

And they delivered, as they always do.

It is easy to imagine last season’s championship Game would have done similar numbers if given the opportunity, but it had to settle for the 6 p.m. ET tip as the Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox game took the primetime slot at the conclusion of the women’s championship game.

This is just another reminder that the more coverage women’s sports get, the more people watch and the more these leagues succeed.

Just ask the WNBA.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzxjwvtpjq69g26ts5 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzxjwvtpjq69g26ts5/01fzxjwvtpjq69g26ts5-be2482a679e98d9e5f35afc99b84a795.jpg]

[listicle id=1870599]

Destanni Henderson was the X factor in South Carolina’s national championship win

It was Destanni.

It was Aliyah Boston’s South Carolina against Paige Bueckers’ UConn. That’s how the women’s national title game was billed – and for good reason.

Boston is the 2022 Naismith player of the year who led South Carolina to a wire-to-wire season as the country’s top-ranked team. Bueckers is the 2021 player of the year whose return from injury is likely the reason UConn reached the title game. 

But when the game tipped off, the team that prevailed did so because it was more than its biggest star. Boston and Bueckers played well, but South Carolina prevailed because of the others. And none of the others were better than senior guard Destanni Henderson.

Henderson finished the game with a career-high 26 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep, with four assists and three steals. She did it all for SC, from pushing the ball in transition, hitting shots from the outside, getting to the free throw line and everything in between.

Henderson’s outbreak performance is far from outside of her abilities — she was an All-SEC first teamer along with Boston. But she saved her best performance for the biggest stage in college hoops, and that was the X factor in this game.

Bueckers scored 14 for UConn, but no other player for the Huskies cracked double-digit points. As a team, they shot just 41 percent from the field and 25 percent from three. They were out-rebounded 49-24.

South Carolina played impeccable team defense, holding UConn to 49 points, including a season-low quarter total of eight points in the first quarter. But while Boston was doing her usual work on the boards with 16 rebounds to go with 11 points, someone needed to pick up the scoring slack and Henderson did that. 

She was the difference in the game.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg-b891c3da1509d6ee03bd31a6c80f54a0.jpg]

[listicle id=1867206]

The legend of Dawn Staley continues to grow as South Carolina wins second NCAA title since 2017

Dawn Staley adds to an impressive eight-month run as South Carolina wins the national championship.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are national champions for the second time in five years and it just adds to the wildly successful last eight months of Dawn Staley’s coaching career.

Let’s rewind.

Look no further to just a few days ago (Wednesday), when Staley was named the 2022 Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year for coaching the Gamecocks to a Final Four appearance after remaining the nation’s No. 1 ranked team throughout the entirety of the season. Staley won the same award back in 2020 when South Carolina’s 32-1 season and pursuit of a national championship was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take it back a few months earlier to October when Staley earned a historic seven-year $22.4 million contract extension from the university.

And of course, Staley coached the USA Women’s Basketball National Team, which included Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, to a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Although, Bird and Taurasi probably had mixed emotions watching Staley win the natty for the Gamecocks while their beloved Huskies came up short.

Nevertheless, Dawn Staley keeps on winning and doing things that most coaches could only dream of. What an epic run this has been.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg-b891c3da1509d6ee03bd31a6c80f54a0.jpg]

[listicle id=1869472]