UConn HC Addresses Overtime Loss vs. Syracuse
The UConn Huskies suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss against the Syracuse Orange in the second game of the season on Saturday. After a quiet first quarter, Jim Mora's team went back to the locker room at halftime with a 14-6 lead.
The Huskies extended the lead to 17-6 by the end of the third quarter. Syracuse scored two touchdowns to turn the tide in the last five minutes. Chris Freeman converted his field goal attempt from 41 yards with only one second on the clock to send the game into overtime.
However, it all went in vain as Justus Ross Simmons Caught Steven Angeli’s pass to score a touchdown and hand the Huskies their first defeat of the season.
UConn’s head coach talked to the media and shared his take on last week’s loss.
“We didn’t make plays when we needed to make plays,” Mora said, “and I’m talking about everybody, not just the players. When I say ‘make plays’ I’m talking about the staff, coaches.”
The Huskies made some costly mistakes in the second half of the game. QB Joe Fagnano threw nine straight incompletions to start the fourth quarter and completed only half of the remaining eight. The Orange also managed to score two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in a span of five minutes.
“It was a very difficult loss, and it lingered, and then they flushed it,” Mora said. “They didn’t flush it without, like I said, learning the lessons and then working to apply them, because that’s the only way that you get better.”
“We’ve got to make sure that in pressure moments, that we are consistent in doing our job. All of us, you know, I’m not just talking about the players, all of us, and that’s how you become a good football team. Consistency, you stack routine plays on top of each other.”
Defensive back Tyrece Mills said the team aims to capitalize on every opportunity in the next game. The squad realizes its mistakes, and it will try to stay focused and finish its chances against the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens on Saturday, September 13.
RB Mel Brown is on the same page as Mills and believes the team needs to be better on third down and in the red zone. Their game plan is to put points on the board.
At one point, the Huskies were dominating Syracuse, but one thing led to another, and they returned home with a disappointing loss. Mora and Co. will have to avoid the same mistakes if they want to secure their second win on Saturday.
Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.