Injuries making an outsized impact in Year 1 of the Mora era

Jim Mora faces an uphill battle turning UConn into a winner. His rebuilding effort has been hampered, however, by the numerous injuries the team has incurred through just four games.

Four games into the 2022 season, it’s hard not to feel like the program is snakebit.

UConn’s starting quarterback, a highly-anticipated transfer, went down in the first quarter of the first game. The QB who would have been the primary backup, who showed promise as a true freshman last year, is still healing from a serious leg injury. Two standout receivers are out for all or most of the season. And in the Michigan game, star running back Nate Carter suffered a shoulder injury that looks to be sidelining him for at least a few weeks. Another offensive playmaker in Brian Brewton is out for the season, and Devontae Houston is also injured.

For an offense that was going to have its struggles anyway, this has added another degree of difficulty.

In the first two games, UConn showed that it may be better than expected this year. As the level of competition rose in games against Syracuse and Michigan, and injuries affected the offense, those signs were less apparent. The injuries have reached a point where it’s clear the rest of this season is going to be tougher than expected.

For this to be a successful season, UConn needs to beat FIU and UMass, and basically avoid embarrassment in the other games. That would be a lot easier to do with Ta’Quan Roberson, Cam Ross, Keelan Marion, and a fully healthy running back corps, but oh well.

This was always going to be a developmental year for the Huskies. Winning four or more games was going to be a tall ask, but it was on the table. Today that possibility is a bit lower due to injuries, which is a real shame because this is a program desperate for good news.

Ultimately, the Mora era appears to be going well thus far. It’s still very, very early, but at the very least he’s shown that the program has a pulse and that it can field a passable FBS team. This is not a very high bar, but one that UConn needs to meet on its way up from the lows it hit as Randy Edsall’s second tenure came to an end.