The UConn Huskies had a Top 20 defense before meeting the East Carolina offense and if Bob Diaco hopes to win another game this season, he will need this side of the ball to get back to its old self.
Whether the unit can rebound from the ECU game and help the Huskies to a win or two over their final five games remains to be seen. The UConn D gets its first chance to bounce back Saturday when it hosts Central Florida, one of the hottest teams ion the AAC.
UConn is coming off a closer-than-expected 31-21 loss at ECU. The game was tied 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter before the Pirates pulled away. Husky coach Bob Diaco said he and his staff are focused on the team getting better and it did show improvement against ECU, but he’s also not looking to just keep games against good teams close.
“We don’t deal in moral victories or anything like that,” Diaco said, according to the Hartford Courant. “We just deal in plays and correction of plays and complementary plays. So that’s what we did. We got back together and we showed all three phases of plays that need to get corrected moving forward, and the exemplary plays that were done on all three phases that we need to continue to build on. And that’s what we’re doing right now, we’re just working to get better and move our program forward.”
UConn dropped to 45th in total defense (361.4 yards allowed per game) after allowing a season-high 580 yards to East Carolina. Pirates quarterback Shane Carden threw for 445 yards and two touchdowns against the Huskies, but needed 64 attempts (38 completions) to do it.
UCF has won five straight since dropping its first two games of the season and is coming off a 34-14 victory over Temple. The Knights are 3-0 in AAC play.
“They have a quarterback [Justin Holman] that gets better every week. Big, physical, runs like a ball-carrier when he’s got the ball. He’s going to chew up yards, make you miss, try and run you over. He’s on the move a bunch keeping drives alive and making plays,” Diaco said. “They have three really big, talented wide receivers. Proficient route-runners, excellent hands. They have two big backs, specifically William Stanback, tackle-breakers, downhill North-South runner who runs behinds his pads. So they have some high level talent on the offense and they play smart football.”
The Huskies will try to bounce back with a better defensive performance against the Knights but they will have to do it without cornerback Byron Jones who is going to undergo left shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season. The senior captain was injured in the first half of the ECU game and will likely be replaced in the lineup by true freshman Jamar Summers or John Green, a converted wide receiver.
Jones had 24 tackles and two interceptions this season. He returned an interception 70-yards for a touchdown against South Florida.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
