UConn prepares for Buffalo after easy win over FAU

Storrs — A year ago, UConn’s two top rushers, two leading receivers and starting quarterback weren’t on the roster.

Coach Jim Mora dipped into the transfer portal to inject some talent and firepower into a struggling attack that averaged just 19.1 points and 326.9 yards per game last season.

The result: The Huskies (2-2) are a vastly improved offensive team through four games, averaging 34.8 points per game and 447.5 yards.

“It’s been an amazing tool to utilize…,” Mora said of the transfer portal. “It’s a chance to bring in veteran players that have played a lot of games, that have a physical maturity to them as well as an emotional maturity and get better quickly. “

Another number that jumps out is UConn’s 241.5 rushing yards per game (13th nationally), a significant improvement from last season’s 136.6.

Give some credit transfers Durell Robinson and Mel Brown, who previously played at Charlotte and Gardner Webb, respectively.

In Saturday’s 48-14 rout of Florida Atlantic, Robinson piled up 156 yards on 16 carries and Brown ran for 156 yards on 21 carries to help he Huskies set a school FBS record 421 rushing yards, the second most in program history.

The 207-pound Robinson relies on power while 5-foot-8, 176-pound Brown is more of a speed and agility guy.

“He brings all the energy,” Brown said of Robinson. “He’s literally the power source and the energy source of this offense. Like on and off the field, he brings that. Honestly, I feel like he’s the bigger back and I’m the smaller back. Thunder and lightning.”

The backfield duo added quality depth to a running back room that also includes junior Victor Rosa and redshirt sophomore Cam Edwards, who has a 100-yard rushing game this season under his belt.

A banged up Edwards was limited to seven carries on 30 yards last weekend. Rosa (broken finger) may return to action this Saturday at noon against Buffalo at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

And throw in mobile quarterback Nick Evers, a Wisconsin transfer, and UConn can put a lot of pressure on an opposing defense. He ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns vs. FAU.

“We’ve got to have weapons,” Mora said. “And that room is full of guys that are all a little bit different. They all have a little bit of a different style, which I think is good. We saw last week the vast difference between Mel and Durell and what they can do. And they’re both very effective in doing it.

“We’ve seen what Cam can do. Cam is a hammer. People don’t want to tackle Cam. And then Victor, he’s got tremendous versatility. So it’s a good room.

“Then in this day and age in college football having a quarterback that can do things with his legs in the run game is a great advantage to you because it forces a defense to maybe play some different coverages or be a little bit slow on the back side, which helps your run game on the front side.”

The Huskies will face a far stiffer challenge on Saturday against Buffalo (3-1), which upset No. 23 Northern Illinois last week in overtime (23-20). Defense is a strength of the Bulls, who are allowing 18.5 points and 133.8 rushing yards per game.

Mora sees room for improvement on offense, especially on the offensive line.

“We left a lot out there,” Mora said, referring to his team’s play vs. FAU. “We had some things even in the run game where we had a lot of success that just weren’t clean. If we can clean that stuff up, which we have to because we’re playing a really good defense this week, then we’ve got a chance to improve. So we’re working hard on that.

Once again this Saturday, Mora will face a good problem in deciding what running backs will receive the bulk of the carries.

It may come down to a matter of feeding the hot hand.

“We all play our role,” Brown said. “The coaches are going to put us in position to do what we do best. And we’ve just got to trust that they’re going to do that.”

UConn center Wes Hoeh, a Syracuse transfer, has faith in all the running backs.

Hoeh was thrilled to contribute to UConn’s school-record setting rushing day.

“It means everything,” Hoeh said. “Rush yards is what we’re proud of. If we can get our running backs, the guys that have got the talent, into open space, they do the rest. It’s a special thing.”

And if the running game stalls, UConn can turn to its passing game and Evers who’s 30 for 60 for 296 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His primary receivers are Wisconsin transfer Skyler Bell (a team-beat 15 catches, 347 yards, one TD) and TJ Sheffield (11 catches, 83 yards, one TD), who previously played at Purdue.

The Huskies dominated the time of possession against FAU, holding the ball for nearly 42 minutes. The ball control attack kept the defense rested and ready to go.

“We definitely stayed fresh,” defensive back Malik Dixon-Williams said. “We had to stay loose on the sidelines. For the most part, we felt good. That made us play a lot faster and more physical because we knew our legs were a little bit more fresh.”

News and notes

Conference realignment talk continues to generate headlines and rumors. One report mentioned UConn as a possible football only candidate for the Pac-12. Mora, who coached in the Pac-12 at UCLA, was asked about conference realignment on Tuesday. “I don’t pay any attention to what’s going on out there. I see some headlines every once in a while. I grew up a Pac-12 guy, obviously. I’ve got enough to take care of right here that I don’t spend a lot of time on that.” … St. Thomas More graduate Ben Murawski, the starting left guard who sat out last week’s game with a concussion, may be back for Saturday’s game.

g.keefe@theday.com