Since Jim Mora took over with Nick Charlton as offensive coordinator at UConn, the game plan has been fit to the team’s strength: running the football.
Nate Carter and the rest of the running backs have carried the offense and helped the team to a 1-1 start before it meets Syracuse under the lights at Rentschler Field on Saturday. Dressed in Orange, however, is Heisman-hyped running back Sean Tucker.
Tucker, who leaves Syracuse fans anxiously waiting for his weekly post-game tweet that almost always indicates he is “pleased” with his performance, has become the face of the program. The hashtag “#PL34SED” incorporates his uniform number and signature phrase – the program even has a website, Cuse.com/PL34SED, dedicated to all things Tucker with links to his personal merchandise.
All of the attention is well-deserved. Tucker has rushed for at least 100 yards in 13 of his 21 career games at the college level, eclipsing the mark in seven straight games in 2021.
Looking at the numbers, the rushing trend is likely to continue for both teams in UConn’s third game of the season.
More than 62% of the plays UConn has called on offense through two games have been on the ground (93). The Huskies have averaged 259.5 rushing yards per game and 5.6 yards per attempt.
Considering the significance of the injuries UConn suffered in camp and in the season-opener – losing starting quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson and their top two wide receivers- Cam Ross and Keelan Marion – it makes sense for the team to utilize its strongest group, the offensive line, and its diverse running back corps. However, as true freshman Zion Turner and the receivers continue to build confidence and chemistry, the passing game will likely become more prevalent.
Depth
Carter, like Tucker, is the main option. He runs with a mix of power and speed, and has excelled in reading the correct gaps and hitting the often wide-open holes the line has cleared for him .
Carter sits at 313 total yards for the season after amassing 190 at Utah State and 123 against Central Connecticut. He is averaging 156.5 rushing yards per game, good for second in the FBS. Carter’s rushing load includes over 46% of the team’s carries – the rest, however is picked up by the speedy combination of Brian Brewton (15 att. for 80 yards) and Devontae Houston (6 att. for 44 yards).
UConn has also utilized power back Robert Burns and receivers Aaron Turner and Dajon Harrison in the run game. Freshman Victor Rosa, a Bristol Central High alum, saw game action against CCSU and put together an impressive run for his first career touchdown in garbage time. Backup quarterback Cale Millen, who is coming back from shoulder surgery, has seen in-game reps mostly come on run plays, though one pass play was called against CCSU where Millen had to throw it away.
“Everybody’s got their strengths and weaknesses,” Houston said Tuesday, “Nate might struggle in something that I succeed in. Maybe something Vic (Rosa) might have that I don’t have, and I lean on Vic. We all rely on each other for strengths and weaknesses.”
At Syracuse, the Robin to Tucker’s Batman is quarterback Garrett Shrader. The Orange ran almost 61% of their plays on the ground in the season-opener against Louisville, a 31-7 victory. Nearly 93% of those runs were from Tucker (21 att. for 100 yards) and Shrader (16 att. for 94 yards).
Tucker also caught six passes for 84 yards receiving.
“(Shrader) is a big guy, he’s at 6-4, they list him at 228 (pounds) and I’m sure he’s bigger than that. Very athletic. He’s a very good runner,” Mora said, acknowledging Tucker as one of the best backs in the country. “They’ve got size on the outside, and (Shrader) throws it there but he’s not a guy that that goes down easily. He doesn’t slide much, he doesn’t run out of bounds much. I mean, he’s a physical player, so we have to do a really good job there.”
As Turner becomes more comfortable in the offense, Charlton will have more flexibility to be aggressive and throw the ball down the field but for now, the run game has worked. Turner looked more confident in his running ability against CCSU, taking it himself nine times for 24 yards.
Success on the ground starts with the offensive line, and UConn is bolstered by veteran experience from center Jake Guidone and guards Noel Ofori-Nyadu and Christian Haynes. Similarly, Syracuse has eight linemen on its roster who have started a game on the O-line at the FBS level – four of whom are returners (sixth-most in the FBS).
Syracuse fullback Chris Elmore, who often served as Tucker’s lead blocker, went down in the Orange’s season-opener against Louisville and will be out for the season with a lower body injury.
Stopping the run
Since Tucker, a third-year sophomore, started college in 2020, it’s been rare for any opponent to slow him down. He’s a terrific runner of the football, but he also has the ability to catch it.
UConn’s defense, which is currently ranked No. 40 in the FBS, allowing 169.5 rushing yards per game, will have its hands full.
“We just got to start with good preparation,” said linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle, who blocked a field goal attempt and caught an interception in the win against CCSU. “I felt like we had a good practice today. We just gotta lock-in and trust the game plan that we’ve been given and try to execute it as best we can. No moment too big for us.”
Syracuse allowed Louisville 158 yards on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry in Week 1. The Orange, however, lost linebacker Stefon Thompson in that game to a lower body injury.
While Tucker is a Heisman candidate and an internet sensation, Carter’s production thus far this season is comparable . Carter, listed an inch shorter and nine pounds lighter, is eighth in the FBS in yards per carry (7.28) though, unlike Tucker, he has lacked opportunities in the pass game (2 receptions for 28 yards through two games).
While completely stopping the run is all but impossible, Saturday’s game will likely come down to who can slow it the most.
Bouyer-Randle said there is “not too much of a concern” about Syracuse’s size advantage, which was evident in the way it dominated ACC-foe Louisville.
“We know they’re going to be physical, we’re gonna come physical too,” he said. “I feel like it’s something that we’re ready for, something we’re preparing ourselves for. Not really worried about it too much. We all play football, so just gonna have to be the tougher guys that day.”
