Mora inspired by his team's work ethic as UConn football begins preseason practice
Jul. 31—STORRS — When Jim Mora looked out of his Burton Family Football Complex office window that overlooks the indoor practice field during the offseason, he often saw his Huskies working out on their own.
It's that sort of thing that warms a coach's heart.
"It's very rare that there aren't kids out there working," said Mora, who's in his second season as UConn coach. "We had guys out there the last few days on their own with their shoulder pads and helmets on going through drills on their own.
"When you're a coach, those are the types of things that inspire you, when you see your team so anxious to get better."
The hard work that the players put in during the offseason is helping the Huskies get off to a fast start in summer camp.
They went right to work during Monday's first preseason practice.
There was great energy and a positive vibe during the productive workout that took place on the outdoor practice field.
"It feels amazing," red-shirt senior Christian Haynes said. "I had a great summer with my teammates and it felt great going into today."
Mora came away pleased with his team's first day.
"You could tell that they worked hard through the offseason with (strength and conditioning) coach (Matt) King and on their own to get themselves physically ready to go and mentally ready to go," Mora said. "What's unique about this team, unlike a lot of teams that I've been around, is their willingness to do things on their own away from the staff and away from the organization that we provide them and it shows up on days like this where you come out on the first day and they jump right into it.
"Not a lot of mistakes. Certainly a ton of work to do. But I just commend our players just for the way they handled themselves this offseason and their focus and commitment, and it showed up today. Off to a decent start. A ton of work to do. Excited to see where we go."
UConn is riding some serious momentum from last season during which it earned a bowl bid and recorded its most wins since 2015. The Huskies finished at 6-7 overall.
"There's a lot more confidence going into this season," veteran linebacker Jackson Mitchell said. "We know we can win games now. So now we're coming out and we're just trying to do what we know we can do. We're a lot more confident, so we can come out here and play a little more freely."
With Mora and his staff having a season under their belts, the Huskies are already ahead of last year at this point.
The Huskies know Mora's system, coaching style and expectations.
"Things run more smoothly," Mora said. "Everyone knows where to go. And the young guys, if they just fall in line and just follow the lead of the guys that have been here before then it certainly helps practice move along the right way."
There's good reason for the UConn fan base to be excited about the upcoming season.
The roster has received an injection of talent. Depth has improved.
The Huskies look bigger and more physical, according to Mora.
But there's still a lot of work to be done before the season opener on Aug. 31 against North Carolina State in East Hartford.
The quarterback competition is wide open with returning starter Zion Turner, Maine transfer Joseph Fagnano and Ta'Quan Roberson, who started last year's season opener before suffering a season ending injury in the first quarter, fighting for the job. Roberson is fully recovered.
"It's anything but clear cut," Mora said. "It's a competition. It's a very healthy competition."
Offensively, the Huskies are healthier than last season, especially at running back. Former Bristol Central standout Victor Rosa, who led the team with rushing yards (636) as a true freshman, is third on the depth chart behind Brian Brewton and Devontae Houston.
Once again, the offensive line will be a team strength. And the defensive front seven looks strong.
But there are some question marks as well, starting with an unproven wide receiver group.
Some of those answers will come over the next few weeks of preseason camp.
Just don't talk to the Huskies about last season.
They prefer to look ahead, not backward.
Mora has higher standards than a 6-7 record.
He believes the Huskies can be better than that.
"You have to approach every day with a championship mentality," Mora said. "Nothing is ever good enough. We can't ever be satisfied. We have to keep pushing the standard. And when we attain a goal, we have to reset it. And when we reach a standard, we have to reset the standard. I think our guys understand that. It's something that you constantly talk about."
