In 1999, the UConn men’s basketball team stunned the heavily favored Duke Blue Devils 77-74 in the national championship game in St. Petersburg, Florida. The UConn football team still played on campus back then, but a quarter of a century later and over 20 miles westward at Pratt and Whitney Stadium, the Reload takes on a goliath in 18th-ranked Duke on Saturday.
“This will be one heck of a challenge,” head coach Jim Mora said ahead of the Huskies’ first duel against a ranked opponent since shocking the then-No. 19 Liberty Flames last November. “The team we are facing is arguably the best team we have played since I have been here right on par with Michigan last year.”
The Blue Devils hold the edge in men’s basketball 6-4, but Connecticut possesses both all-time victories on the gridiron, most recently winning 45-14 in Durham in 2007. Now 16 years later, the two programs stand on opposite ends of the spectrum with 3-0 Duke at 22 in Paul Myerberg’s NCAA re-rank and 0-3 UConn at 102.
Unlike last season, the Blue Devils’ undefeated start did not come against weak competition. Despite getting outgained in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener, Duke upset the then-No. 9 Clemson Tigers 28-7 at home on September 4. Through three contests, the Blue Devils’ stifling defense ranks tied for fifth in the nation at 9.33 points allowed with the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners.
Duke’s second-year head coach Mike Elko discussed how his defense relies on linebacker and secondary play during his weekly press conference. Chandler Rivers and Dorian Mausi are the two biggest examples at 21 total tackles apiece, with the former stopping 16 plays by himself and the latter aiding on 17 of them. Only Texas A&M transfer Myles Jones has more interceptions, snagging one in each of his last two games. The graduate safety keeps his eyes on the ball in the secondary because the speedy Jaylen Stinson (19 total tackles) and Tre Freeman (18) stop big plays.
Speed kills on an offense with 12 rushing touchdowns and averages 6.3 yards per carry, especially from future first-round quarterback Riley Leonard. The 2022 Military Bowl MVP has 208 rushing yards and three scores, an additional weapon alongside his 68% completion rate and 530 passing yards. Thriving in a conference full of dual-threat quarterbacks, Leonard has only been sacked twice because of an offensive line featuring preseason All-American Graham Barton.
Four graduate students made Jordan Waters’ five touchdowns possible, including four in the last two contests. That does not account for his 36-yard house call icing Duke’s first win over a top-10 program since 1989, which came seven minutes after Jaquez Moore’s score. While he did not find paydirt last week, his 176 yards give the Blue Devils a lethal run game alongside their aerial attack.
Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore create a deadly 1-2 punch with 340 combined yards. While the two upperclassmen have both of Duke’s scores through the air, Sahmir Higgins (68 yards) and Nicky Dalmolin (80 yards) can leave opponents with dreadful headaches. Under normal circumstances through their first 2.5 games, the Huskies would be in that same boat, but a second-half rally against the Florida International Panthers showed how they can still turn the season around.
“We have got to be that gritty little team again,” Mora stated. “We cannot expect anything. We have got to fight for everything.”
It starts with fixing a defense surrendering over 27 points and has one player with 30 total tackles in Jackson Mitchell. Dominating the trenches with Eric Watts (0.5 tackles for a loss) currently experiencing a down year, Pryce Yates brings the pressure with a sack and six tackles for negative yards.
Only Jelani Stafford has at least half as many stops for a loss as the redshirt sophomore at five, additionally garnering 0.5 sacks in a breakout junior season. Fellow junior Durante Jones has built off of his sophomore campaign with 22 total tackles, and although he has more fumble recoveries than pass breakups, Mumu Bin-Wahad and Stan Cross roam the secondary with two deflected throws apiece.
Completing his first game since high school, Ta’Quan Roberson bounced back from an abysmal 33-yard first half for a 170-yard performance. UConn has its guy under center after 62 passing attempts for 386 yards, and the goal now becomes improving the offense around him.
Mora wants the ball in Justin Joly’s hands more often, even if he is second on the team with 11 catches and 125 receiving yards. The more receptions the sophomore tight end gets, the more likely the rest of the receiving corps, including Brett Buckman (16 catches, 174 yards) and Cameron Ross (10 catches, 96 yards) also get better.
Brian Brewton no longer being on the roster negatively affects those plans, but his absence opens the door for more opportunities from sophomore Cam Edwards and Louisville transfer Jalen Mitchell. In Mora’s eyes, getting those two running backs involved has long-term benefits for both Devontae Houston (159 yards) and Victor Rosa (150).
Through three weeks, the Huskies have nearly half as many losses as they did in 2022 when they went bowling for the first time since 2015. While the current 0-3 start draws ire from fans who predicted a second-straight bowl game, Mora acknowledges that ascending a program from the gutter lasts more than one year; Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun had the same adversities early in his Connecticut career.
“When you are rebuilding something that we all know has not been great for a long time, I do not think it is ever just a straight upward trajectory,” Mora explained. “You are going to make some gains, and then you are going to level off and you might take a dip, and then you build.”
Kickoff in the second leg of a three-game homestand begins at 3:30 p.m. on CBSSN.