Mora at Midseason
The Story: The football team is 3-5 as it exits its bye week, and now that we have a chance to breathe, how is Jim Mora doing?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Mora was one of the more shocking hires of last season’s coaching carousel because he seemingly came out of nowhere to take the job. It was also surprising such an established coach wanted it. Mora’s 3-5 record is certainly noteworthy since UConn went 4-32 the previous four seasons (including 2020, when it didn’t play).
• Our old friends at ESPN gave Mora a B. We can argue about it being too high or too low depending on your expectations. Let’s tell you what we liked and didn’t like in the first eight games.
WHAT WE LIKE SO FAR: Mora’s attitude. It’s refreshing, even as UConn was left for dead by the college football powers that be after almost two decades of realignment. The players and fan base accepted that way too easily the last decade. Mora doesn’t believe it.
• Mora thinks he can win at UConn. What does that look like? We don’t know, but the stay-in-your-lane crowd isn’t something Mora acquiesces to. Mora is on a quest to make the UConn football program something the state and university can get behind.
• He also isn’t making excuses. UConn is down to its backup quarterback, fourth-string running back and fourth-string wide receivers. That hasn’t stopped the team from winning three games.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: We are still smarting from the second-half collapse against Ball State. Let’s ignore the fact the Huskies are 3-5 when there was little expectation other than to not lose an FCS game.
• UConn led 14-0 at Utah State and had a second-half 21-10 lead at Ball State but lost both. We could make a case that UConn should be 5-3.
• The offense has been maddeningly inconsistent. We get that quarterback Zion Turner is a freshman, but that’s where the coaching staff comes in. Turner can run, the Huskies have a very good offensive line and every running back they plug in produces. Why are they not running the ball more, especially against Ball State?
HOME COOKING: UConn plays Boston College on Saturday at Pratt & Whitney Stadium for the first time since 2003, the stadium’s first season. The Huskies also have UMass and Liberty on the docket at home before ending the season at Army.
• The Huskies are going to be the underdog in three of the four games, but they still remain one of the great bets in the college football season as they are 6-2 against the spread.
BOTTOM LINE: Don Quixote is one of our favorite literary characters. Perhaps that’s why we like Mora. Where we see windmills, Don Quixote — er, Mora — sees a path to college football relevance. Every week, no matter how many giants beat Mora and UConn up, they remain ready and able to come back the next week.
• Is Mora crazy? Maybe, but it’s going to take someone with irrational and unwavering belief to rebuild this program.
Morning Reads
• No. 9-ranked Boston University handed the No. 14-ranked men’s hockey team its first loss on Saturday, a 5-2 stumble on the road. UConn is 6-1-1, however, after winning 4-3 on Friday and is still on its upward trajectory. (The UConn Blog)
• The men’s soccer team beat DePaul 1-0 for its second straight win behind a goal from sophomore Okem Chime. (UConnHuskies.com)
Top photo: Jim Mora is wrapping up his first bye week as UConn’s football coach. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
