University of Connecticut Athletics
Mora, Huskies Begin Countdown To Season Opener
7/29/2022 10:42:00 PM | Football
UConn Athletic Communications / July 29, 2022
STORRS – Jim Mora knows exactly how long it's been since he coached his last football game.
"I had not coached on a football field since Nov. 18, 2017," the UConn football coach recalled instantly. "We (UCLA) played USC in the Coliseum and the next morning, I got fired."
And he knows exactly how long it will be until he coaches his next one – that will be on Aug. 27, 2022, at 4 p.m., when UConn opens the 2022 season at Utah State.
"I know exactly how long it's been since I got to come out and get ready for a game, and it's awesome," Mora said. "I feel it's what I was built to do – be a father, be a brother, be a son, be a husband, be a friend and be a coach. That's it for me."
So Friday, on the first day of UConn's fall camp, Mora was close to being the first person on the practice field.
"I did come up here early because I did want some time," he said. "It is special for me. It is emotional for me to have the chance to do this again – especially here."
But as he oversaw a three-hour practice on Friday, Mora had no more time for nostalgia and emotion. Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done over the next four weeks to get the Huskies ready.
"It was good to get started. It's been a long road to get to the day," Mora said after practice concluded. "I think it went OK. Obviously, we have a ton of work to do, but the encouraging thing is that it's a group of young men who want to get better. I think they are really driven, I think they're unselfish, I think they love hard work. I think we'll get better every day.
"I know outside of these gates, people don't think much of us and that's OK with me. I think a lot of us and I'm excited to see where we go."
Mora was careful about jumping to conclusions after one day of practice, but some things about the Huskies are already clear to him – like the leadership he can expect from star linebacker Jackson Mitchell.
"Jackson, you talk about a non-vocal leader, a guy who does it by example and he's the ultimate," Mora said. "He's not a loud guy, but when he does say something, it has impact. It has impact because of the way he conducts himself on the field, off the field, in the locker room, in the weight room, in the media room, in the meal room. He's a man. He's the guy. And above all that, he's a great football player – I will use that term and I've been fortunate enough to coach a lot of great linebackers. Jackson has the qualities of those great ones."
McFadden Lost For Season
One down note on the first day of practice was the news that sophomore kicker and backup punter Joe McFadden has been lost for the season after undergoing surgery Friday for a torn ACL.
"In our last off-season workout out here, Joe got his foot stuck in the grass and he tore his ACL in his kicking leg," Mora explained. "He will be out for the season. Obviously that's a big blow. He's an outstanding kicker. He's also a guy that could be a backup punter for us. He's a team leader and someone out players really respect.
"I know he will continue to have an influence on this team, even though he can't do it on the field. He'll be in meetings, he'll be in the locker room, he'll be in these guys' ears. We wish Joe the best."
McFadden hit 12 of 17 field goals for the Huskies last season, including a season-long one of 47 yards, and he was 19-of-19 on extra point attempts. He also punted 61 times for 2,326 yards, dropping 14 of them inside the 20-yard line.    Â
