STORRS — While UConn football has only played Florida Atlantic once, in 2002, current Owls quarterback Cam Fancher is no stranger.
Jim Mora and several of the same UConn staff members spent almost a month preparing for Fancher ahead of their matchup with his Marshall team in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. Then a redshirt freshman, Fancher didn’t have to do much to take down the Huskies, who turned the ball over four times in the game. He threw for under 100 yards, fumbled and was intercepted, but his two touchdown passes were enough to hold off a late comeback effort as the Huskies lost 28-14.
Plenty has changed since then.
Fancher, of course, is in a new uniform and surrounded by an entirely different group under coach Tom Herman. Now a redshirt junior, he has shown more willingness to move out of the pocket and take off running through three games with the Owls – something the Huskies have struggled with in the past.
“Their quarterback is active, he’s a heck of a runner. And he’s fearless, he’s tough and he’s competitive as heck,” Mora said Tuesday. “The main thing for us is to go out and execute to the best of our ability. Try to get out to a faster start than we got off to (against Duke) and then certainly in the last quarter and a half, learn how to close on people when we get the lead.”
With essentially the same defensive line from that bowl game, minus current New York Jet Eric Watts, and the same safeties, UConn’s defensive unit under new coordinator Matt Brock hopes to continue its week-to-week improvement as the Huskies begin a stretch of six consecutive home games.
Dom Amore: For UConn football, here comes the make-or-break portion of the season
After giving up a quick 17-0 lead to Duke last week, UConn (1-2) was solid defensively until it took the lead, then allowed nine consecutive points…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-football-begins-six-game-193500604.html
Author : Hartford Courant
Publish date : 2024-09-20 19:35:00
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