Huskies Get Help as Marion Returns
The Story: Keelan Marion, the Huskies’ leading receiver last season, will make his return on Saturday in the game against Boston College at Pratt & Whitney Stadium — and there could be more good news coming.
A WELCOME SIGHT: Marion, a sophomore, broke a collarbone while making a touchdown reception in the season opener at Utah State and has missed the rest of the Huskies’ seven games.
• Marion caught 28 passes for team highs of 474 yards and five touchdowns last season as a freshman. He figured to be the most reliable option for quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson entering the season, but we all saw how that went.
WHAT DID MORA SAY? “You’ve got a guy that has proven he can do some things downfield. He can win the 50-50 ball. He can stretch the field a little bit. Him being able to do that, I think, certainly puts a little stress on the defense, but it also helps in that it opens some things up for some other people. We’re going to play him. We’re going to hope that he holds up. I’m sure he’ll be a little bit rusty, but we know this: He’s worked very, very hard to get to this point. We all know how Keelan is. He’s a passionate competitor, and just having his energy on the sidelines, on the field, in a jersey, with shoulder pads and a helmet on, ready to go out and play, will help this team.”
GETTING HEALTHY: The Huskies have been without four top wide receivers for much of the season. Redshirt sophomore Cam Ross broke a foot in training camp, fifth-year senior Nigel Fitzgerald injured a knee in practice a month ago and redshirt sophomore Matt Drayton after he was arrested and charged with assault, then indefinitely suspended.
• Mora was pleasantly surprised to see an extra player at practice yesterday morning. That was Ross. “That doesn’t mean he’s ready to play, or at least even close to ready to play, but at least he’s out there doing that and I think that always gives your team a boost when guys like that come back,” Mora said.
• Ross has played in two games since he led UConn with 60 catches for 723 yards as a true freshman in 2019. He has already redshirted and will get an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, but should he not play this season, he might be able to apply for an injury waiver that would allow him to play a seventh season in 2025. Just sayin’.
OTHER UPDATES: Sophomore running back Devontae Houston, who left the game against FIU with a high ankle sprain, hasn’t yet returned to practice, Mora said. It sounds unlikely he’ll play against BC. Senior linebacker Ian Swenson, meanwhile, is still recovering after he was concussed in the game against Ball State.
Morning Reads
• The men’s soccer team (6-6-2, 3-3-2 Big East) will look to improve its unbeaten run to five games tonight at home against Stonehill, which we had no idea is now a Division I school. (UConnHuskies.com)
Top photo: The Huskies take the field against Fresno State, which was their last home game before Saturday’s tilt with BC. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
