University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Syracuse
Showdown With Syracuse on Saturday
9/20/2018 11:21:00 AM | Football
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn football team travels to the Carrier Dome on Saturday to take on old Big East rival, Syracuse, at 4 p.m. on ESPNews. The game will also be available on on 97-9 ESPN Hartford or on the TuneIn App.
TAILGATE INFO
Hit the Road with the Huskies when UConn travels to Syracuse Saturday, September 22 at the Carrier Dome. Join other UConn fans and alumi at a pre-game tailgate starting 2:30 p.m. before kickoff at 4 p.m. For more information on tailgate and game ticket packages, please Click Here:  Â
Oneil Robinson Feature
By Alyssa Cantisani
UConn Athletic Communications
UConn freshman defensive back Oneil Robinson had a Saturday filled with firsts during the New England clash against Rhode Island at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
Not only did he experience his first start as a college player, he recorded his first career interception.
"After I caught it, Coach (Curome) Cox told me the whole defense ran on the field," said Robinson. "We were all excited about it."
Getting a start in the team's third game of the season wasn't exactly the way Robinson saw this year playing out. It was his mission to stay sharp and focused leading up to the game.
"To be honest with you," Robinson said, "I wasn't expecting to play right away. I thought I was going to redshirt, but I couldn't be happier with the way things have gone."
As a star high school athlete at Capital Prep in Hartford, Robinson tended to find things simple, but his transition from high school to college football has been just the opposite.
"What I've learned is that it's not easy," Robinson said. "Coming into college, I thought it would be a breeze because I was a starter in high school, but it's harder to get in here. The biggest challenge is just trying to adjust to everything and actually learn the game of football, all of the Xs and Os. I can't just go out there and wing it like I would in high school. I really have to sit down and focus on the specifics."
Thankfully, the freshman defensive back has two sophomore teammates who have taken him under their wings.
"Omar Fortt and Tyler Coyle have been showing me the ropes," Robinson said. "They have been emphasizing that I need to stay focused."
The Hartford native has much more than just the support from his teammates. He is lucky enough to have had the opportunity to stay close to his family, giving him another support system right down the street.
"It meant a lot to actually start on Saturday because my whole family wanted to come," he said. "So when I caught the interception, it was surreal. It really is great to play at home. I was born and raised here, so most of my family is here and they are all able to come see me play. It means so much to my family to be able to call me a Husky."
This Saturday, however, the Huskies will be playing in an unfamiliar atmosphere, the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. Robinson, like a lot of his teammates, have yet to play in the Dome and are doing all they can this week in practice to prepare.
"It's been nerve-racking because you can never practice how the game is actually going to go so we're all just trying to be prepared," Robinson said. "We're coming together as one and in the end, that's the most important thing."
