Watching the UConn football team, play their first game in 637 days after opting out of the 2020 season, left me with one immediate impression afterwards.
Time – they look like a team that needs more time.
Well, Denzel Washington’s John Creasy, from Man on Fire, isn’t available to help them. The regular season is here now, and its game time.
The Huskies, however, could’ve used the services of Creasy in their season opener.
Creasy wouldn’t have been able to help the on-field temps surpassing 120 degrees at kickoff. Combined with a cross-country trip, this proved to be a daunting challenge — even with a decent opening quarter.
But a 24-point second quarter took Fresno State from a 7-0 advantage over UConn to a 31-0 blowout at halftime. The second half didn’t get any better; the Bulldogs rolled to a 45-0 victory, Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.
After the game, UConn head coach Randy Edsall said he came into this game with “some concerns”. While he added there were no excuses to be made, I couldn’t help but look at the game stats.
Could some of those concerns include UConn’s futility in the passing game? Starting quarterback Jack Zergiotis completed 12 of his 24 pass attempts. He only, however, threw for 61 yards.
Fresno State ran on the Huskies’ defense to the tune of 32 carries for 156 yards.
And, oh yeah, that reminds me – the poor tackling which contributed to an 86-yard touchdown pass and run from Jake Haener to Jalen Cropper.
Yes, all those issues, and many more, were “concerns” for UConn 637 days ago. It’s only one game, but not even putting up 3 points – after all this time – justifies the Alka-Seltzer fans were optimistic about avoiding so early in the season.
What’s next for UConn?
What’s next is getting ready for Holy Cross. They’re not Fresno State, but the defending two-time Patriot League champions are no pushover either.
For UConn, this is still very much a rebuild of their football program. Massive results are obtained through consistent incremental improvements.
The Huskies not only failed to score points against Fresno State, but they also struggled to just move the football. Their inability to tackle contributed to allowing 45 points.
If Edsall and the Huskies are to start anywhere this week in preparations for Holy Cross, it should be re-familiarizing themselves with the fundamentals.
Image: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
