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Can UConn football build on its success from 2022?

By Dante Pryor

LOGAN, UT- AUGUST 27: Head coach Jim Mora of the Connecticut Huskies watches a replay during the first half of their game against the Utah State Aggies onAugust 27, 2022 at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
LOGAN, UT- AUGUST 27: Head coach Jim Mora of the Connecticut Huskies watches a replay during the first half of their game against the Utah State Aggies onAugust 27, 2022 at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – SEPTEMBER 17: Brandon Mann, #5 of the Michigan Wolverines, runs a play during the second half of a college football game against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 17, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 59-0 over the Connecticut Huskies. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – SEPTEMBER 17: Brandon Mann, #5 of the Michigan Wolverines, runs a play during the second half of a college football game against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 17, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 59-0 over the Connecticut Huskies. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /

Can the UConn football defense take another step forward?

The Huskies’ defense took significant strides forward in 2022. The defense improved in scoring defense by 12 points and allowed 73 fewer yards per game. Syracuse, North Carolina State, and Michigan were the only times the defense was not competitive.

When the Huskies needed it, the defense came up big to help get them to the postseason. There is still much work to do on the defense. The Huskies were middle of the pack in sacks, finishing 81st. UConn finished 30th in interceptions, however. Overall UConn did a good job of generating turnovers.

However, the Huskies need to improve their run defense. UConn finished 93rd in rushing defense. Teams out-muscled the Huskies’ front seven at times. They surrendered over 200 rushing yards five times. They were 1-4 in those games.

The Huskies don’t have a lot of size up front, and that includes linebackers. Kansas transfer linebacker Eriq Gilyard is 5-foot-9, and his teammates are barely six feet tall. That is why so many teams ran on UConn in the second half of the season.

The secondary should still be solid. Last year’s interception leader, Tre Wortham, is gone, but substantial pieces are still returning. That said, the Huskies have to fix their run defense.

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