After a long offseason and yet another coaching change for UConn football, hope is once again at its highest point for Husky fans.
This moment before the first live snaps occur allows us to bask in the optimism and promise for improvement that comes with any new year, but especially one with a new coaching staff and quarterback taking the field.
This is college football — anything can happen! Unfortunately “anything” for UConn lately has meant pain, and continuously rediscovering the floor. We thought we hit rock bottom at the end of 2016. Then 2018 and 2019 saw an unbelievable decline and some of the worst defenses in college football history. 2021 saw a brutal loss to Holy Cross that led to Randy Edsall’s second sudden departure from the program. We lost to fucking UMass twice…
But still, there are plenty of good reasons to believe UConn is now moving in the right direction. ESPN reported this morning that Ta’Quan Roberson has been named the starting quarterback. The new QB brings an upgrade in pedigree and talent to the position. A new OC promises to bring some modernity to the offense. Transfers have also improved the roster at receiver, offensive line, and all three levels of the defense.
All of this has been discussed at length in our podcasts and season previews, which included a look at the different position groups and the opponents for this year.
The Matchup with Utah State
Though UConn may be a better team in 2022, Utah State is a very strong opponent to open the season with. Barring a massive upset, this game is not likely to change many people’s minds about the state of the program. Still, we have signs of progress to be looking out for.
Luke broke down the matchup on both sides of the ball. When Utah State is on offense, watch out for QB Logan Bonner, lead RB Calvin Tyler Jr., and 6-foot-6 WR Justin McGriff. It will be crucial for the Huskies to prevent big plays. When UConn has the ball, we are of course going to be watching Roberson and the playcalling closely, but the Huskies also need to show that they can run the ball. An O-line that returns three starters and added an experienced, athletic center from the transfer portal needs to create room in the running game for Nate Carter and… others. That’s the best hope for UConn to leverage its quality stable of receivers in the passing game.
We also previewed the depth chart and Utah State matchup in our most recent podcast. Game coverage starts today at 4 p.m. on FS1. We plan on having a rapid reaction podcast and morning-after review for you tomorrow.
Happy Week 0 folks, we hope you enjoy the start of college football season!