With top three running backs out, UConn football turns to Rosa, Burns at Ball State

Oct. 12—STORRS — The UConn football team's offense will line up opposite host Ball State University Saturday with only two healthy running backs who have recorded a carry this season.

One of those players, Victor Rosa, is a true freshman, and the other, Robert Burns, is a veteran who has played fullback for most of his career.

Without Devontae Houston, who joined Nate Carter and Brian Brewton on the inactive list after suffering an ankle sprain against Florida International University last Saturday — the Huskies' will be missing their top three running backs against the Cardinals.

"Our confidence is high, we are going to make holes for the running backs regardless," redshirt junior offensive lineman Christian Haynes said said. "We want to be the best, so anybody we put back there we are going to try and get them 100-plus yards."

The coaching staff has rotated players at other positions over to running back to add much-needed depth in what has been a run-heavy offense this season.

Cam Edwards, a defensive back from Norwalk who made the move to running back, is still learning the offense and hasn't played yet, though he's "close", UConn coach Jim Mora said.

The team would prefer to avoid using him, though.

"Right now I'm hopeful that we don't have to go that route," Mora said Tuesday, "because I want to see Victor and Robert Burns hold up. I want to see those guys play well and stay healthy."

The one-two punch of Rosa and Burns brings a unique combination of speed and strength. Both are listed at 5 feet 11 but Rosa is 198 pounds, while Burns is 228.

After Houston went down against FIU, Rosa, from Bristol, stepped in and rushed for 89 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Houston rushed for 135 yards on 12 carries before his injury.

No timeline has been provided for Houston's recovery.

"We all already know he's a tough dude," Mora said. "As quickly as he can get back, he'll get back. And he'll get right back in there."

Rosa saw his number of carries increase during the Michigan game, when Houston was out with a shoulder injury and Carter left the game after suffering a shoulder injury, but he struggled. He fumbled twice, losing one, and averaged 1.6 yards per carry.

But now he's a key part of UConn's offense.

"Now (Rosa) is a little bit more game ready than he has ever been just because of the reps that he has had," Mora said. "I don't feel the same way now that I did a couple of weeks ago, because he is a different player now. He has been in the fire and has done well, he's growing. Giving him the football more is just the natural progression, and it is necessary."

Burns, a bruising fullback who Mora calls a "Swiss army tool" due to his versatility, has had seven carries in each of the last two games, averaging more than four yards per carry.

The graduate transfer from Miami is a strong blocker who has lined up at tight end, running back and slot receiver this season.

"I think he's a guy that if he gets a little hole and he gets to the second level, there's not a lot of people that really want to step up and tackle him. I mean, he's solid, he's rocked up," Mora said. "We started really seeing that in the spring, that he was capable of doing a lot of different things for this offense and filling in in a lot of spaces. And the more opportunities he gets, the more he makes of them."

UConn has the 40th-best rushing offense of 131 FBS teams, averaging 185.9 yards per game. And the success has come no matter who is carrying the ball.

The line has also kept quarterback Zion Turner clean, only allowing nine sacks, good for No. 31 in the FBS.

"We are keeping our energy high, we are trying to be the best offensive line in the country," Haynes said. "We have young players in the backfield, so we are just trying to open up holes for Victor Rosa, Rob Burns, and keep Zion (Turner) clean as much as possible."

WR Marion in pads at practice

Keelan Marion is ramping up his activity in practice as he prepares to return to the field later in the season.

The 6-foot sophomore, who led the Huskies in receiving last season, was in pads and a red, no-contact jersey fielding kickoffs during the special teams portion of the team's practice Tuesday.

Marion suffered a broken collarbone in the season opener at Utah State. He had surgery, which put a plate on the bone, and has been sidelined for the last five games.

Marion worked out on a cardio bike and performed blocking and stand-still catching drills on the sideline during the team's practice on Oct. 4.

UConn striving for four

UConn recorded back-to-back victories for the first time since 2017 and snapped an 11-game road losing streak with its 33-12 win over Florida International.

The next item on the Huskies' agenda is to try to reach the four-win mark for the first time since 2015, the last time the team went to a bowl game.

A win over Ball State would also move UConn to .500, the first time the Huskies reached that mark this late in the season since 2015.

"It would be really great for us," Haynes said. "Just having that confidence going into Boston College (Oct. 29) 4-4 would be really great."

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