Huskies Face Big Challenge Vs. Syracuse

UConn Athletic Communications / Sept. 9, 2022

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield - ESPN 97.9

Live Stats: UConn.StatBroadcast.com

STORRS – There very well might be bigger games in the future for the UConn football team than Saturday night's match-up against Syracuse at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network), but it's hard to believe the Huskies will face a bigger opponent.

Literally.

Across the offensive line, the Orange (1-0) average over 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. The tight ends are 6-5 and 6-7, the wide outs on one side are 6-6 and 6-4 and quarterback Garrett Shrader is 6-4, 228.

And, oh yeah, running back Sean Tucker has already rushed for more than 2,200 career yards and ranks 14^th on the all-time Syracuse list, which includes storied names like Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Ernie Davis and Larry Csonka.

"It's a huge challenge for us, but also a great opportunity, playing a very, very good Syracuse team," UConn head coach Jim Mora said. "That's a mammoth offensive line – big, physical, experienced. They do a really good job in their run scheme and a really good job of protection."

The Orange skill position players also made a big impression as the UConn coach watched on film as Syracuse dominated Louisville, 31-7, in last week's season opener.

"I know that Sean Tucker is getting some Heisman hype and if you watch him running the football, if you watch him coming out of the backfield as a pass-catcher, he's certainly worthy of that," Mora said. "He's a physical back. He runs with power, he runs with speed, he's elusive and he can catch the ball. He poses a huge challenge for us.

"The quarterback, Garrett Shrader, is just a big guy who is very athletic. He's a very good runner. He throws the ball well to their big receivers. He's not a guy that goes down easily – he doesn't slide much, he doesn't run out of bounds much. He's a physical player."

The Syracuse defense, meanwhile, shut out Louisville for the final three quarters after giving up a first-quarter touchdown.

UConn (1-1), however, is coming off a 28-3 victory over Central Connecticut and came out of the game without any major injuries.

"We have to be explosive off the ball, we have to play with good pad level, we have to use leverage, we have to not get hung up on blocks," Mora said. "But they are going to move you. We're at the point in our development where the best thing for us to do is just continue to do what we do and try to do it better and better and better."

That means getting the ball in the hands of sophomore running back Nate Carter, who has gained 313 yards in two games for the Huskies and relying on the decision-making of freshman quarterback Zion Turner, who has completed 26 of 53 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

"This is a good look at where we are as a program," said UConn Offensive Coordinator Nick Charlton. "Syracuse was ranked in the top 25 defensively last year and they bring back a majority of their starters. It's a very good team. They are coming in here confident after a big conference win last week. It will be a heck of a test for us."

The game will be the 12^th meeting between the teams, dating back to the old Big East Conference football league, and UConn holds a 6-5 edge, including a 4-1 record at home against the Orange. Syracuse has won the last three meetings, however, including a 51-21 victory in 2018 at the Carrier Dome in the last meeting. UConn's last win over Syracuse was a 28-21 decision at Rentschler Field in 2011.

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Players Mentioned

Zion Turner

University of Connecticut Athletics