NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
STORRS – While he was still head coach at UCLA, Jim Mora recruited four-star quarterback Hank Bachmeier. While he was broadcasting for ESPN, Mora called one of Bachmeier’s games during his 2019 freshman season at Boise State and the two took a photo together.
On Saturday, a 25-year-old Bachmeier and his new Wake Forest team stand in the way of what could be one of the most significant wins in Mora’s tenure as head coach at UConn.
The Huskies enter the Week 8 matchup already carrying their best record through six games since 2009 at 4-2. A win would be the program’s second over a power conference opponent in the Mora era, and would put UConn’s record at 5-2 for the first time since 2008.
To pull it off, the Huskies will have to contain Bachmeier (playing his 45th career game) and the Wake Forest passing attack, which ranks 41st in the FBS averaging 257 yards per game.
“He’s a good decision-maker,” Mora said. “He threw two picks (in a 49-14 loss to Clemson) last week but he took ownership for them and he was playing against a pretty darn good defense and they were playing from behind. … He’s got good receivers to throw to, he’s got some really big, physical, talented receivers and a really good slot receiver (Taylor Morin) who is their leading receiver.
“Tight ends, they’re a tight end-centric team, they didn’t have two of their tight ends last week but they’ll have them back this week. And anytime you can run the ball the way they can run the ball, teams have to commit to that and that slow mesh game, guys tend to get open and Hank makes good, accurate throws.”
Bachmeier has completed 62.9% of his passes for 1,439 yards with nine touchdowns to four interceptions so far this season. The Wake rushing attack is led by junior Demond Claiborne, who has 99 carries for 524 yards and six…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-football-hosts-big-time-180500329.html
Author : Hartford Courant
Publish date : 2024-10-18 18:05:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
