NC State football opponent scouting report: Connecticut

The No. 11/12-ranked NC State football team faces its final non-conference test of the regular season Saturday when Connecticut arrives for a 7:30 kickoff on RSN. The Huskies are 1-3 after road losses at Utah State and No. 4 Michigan, and another at home to Syracuse. The latter two defeats came in lopsided fashion — 48-14 to the Orange and 59-0 to the Wolverines. Connecticut’s lone win was by a 28-3 score at home against Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member Central Connecticut.

Here is a full scouting report on Connecticut:

Five Connecticut Players To Watch

Redshirt junior guard Christian Haynes (No. 64)

Connecticut will boast an offensive line against NC State that has several highly-graded performers, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Haynes starts at right guard and has been graded out by PFF at 84.6 for the season on offense, third best among offensive guards nationally at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Level among those with at least 50 snaps this season.

Haynes is a third-year starter for the Huskies.

Junior linebacker Jackson Mitchell (No. 8)

In 2019, Mitchell led all true freshmen with an average of 6.5 tackles per game. Connecticut did not play football in 2020 due to the pandemic, but Mitchell led the Huskies with 120 tackles last fall.

He is a good bet to lead UConn in tackles Saturday against NC State and for the season once again if he stays healthy. Twice this season, Mitchell has matched his career-high of 16 tackles in a single game, and he has reached double digits in three of four contests. For the year, the Butkus Award watch list member has 49 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. He has also forced a fumble, recovered 1 and also registered 2 quarterback hurries.

Sophomore wide receiver Aaron Turner (No. 5)

Turner is likely to be the go-to receiver Saturday against NC State despite his 5-foot-7 height.

As a true freshman a season ago, Turner led Connecticut with 33 receptions, which went for 232 yards. That included a 5-catch performance at Clemson for 59 yards.

So far this season, Turner has 13 catches for 163 yards and a score, which came at Syracuse when Turner matched a career-high 6 receptions for 71 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown, the longest haul of his career.

Freshman quarterback Zion Turner (No. 11)

Pressed into duty after starter Ta’Quan Roberson was lost to an injury for the rest of the season during the opener at Utah State, Turner has a winning pedigree. He helped powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., win three consecutive state titles in high school, during which the team went 37-2.

Turner has been thrown into the fire and responded by completing 44 of 86 passes for 390 yards and 4 touchdowns with 3 picks. He has also rushed 22 times for 60 yards and will face another challenge Saturday against NC State.

Redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Valentin Senn (No. 71)

The 6-foot-7, 298-pound lineman from Austria is a transfer from Colorado who has impressed early in the season, grading out on offense at 85.7 per PFF. Among offensive tackles with at least 50 snaps at the FBS level this year, Senn’s score is fourth best.

He is likely to start at left tackle against NC State.

What To Watch For From Connecticut Against NC State Football

1. A team trying to find itself: Connecticut head coach Jim Mora, in his first season leading the Huskies, admitted Tuesday during his weekly press conference that his team is still trying to find their identity and some consistency.

The defense started out in a 3-down alignment but, against Michigan, debuted a true 4-3 front. Mora said that they will likely continue to try the new scheme Saturday at NC State.

2. A short-handed offense: In addition to replacing its starting quarterback, Connecticut must find a new go-to running back. Sophomore Nathan Carter rushed for 190 yards at Utah State and 123 yards a week later vs. Central Connecticut.

He had a solid performance against a good Syracuse defense, rushing 16 times for 71 yards. However, Carter hurt his shoulder at Michigan and will not play vs. NC State. His 405 rushing yards on the year is four times more than the next nearest rusher.

Carter’s loss is a blow because Connecticut prefers to run the football.

3. An overmatched team: The reality is that Connecticut has not won more than three football games in a season since 2016. The Huskies lost their last two games by a combined score of 117-14. In those contests, Connecticut mustered a collective total of 312 total yards. Its opponents have piled up 935 yards.

Three Keys To The Game For NC State Football

1. Win the line of scrimmage: Connecticut has four starters on the offensive line that have graded out at 77.7 or better on the young season. A score around 64.0 is considered average. The only way for the Huskies to stay competitive is for their offensive line to control the line against the NC State defense.

2. Find the rhythm in the passing game: NC State fifth-year redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary has struggled to find a rhythm in two games against FBS teams this year. The Pack star is 32-of-55 passing for 332 yards and a touchdown with 1 pick in total vs. East Carolina and Texas Tech. The former has since been lit up by opponents after NC State won in Greenville.

This should be a good game to try to develop more chemistry in the passing attack.

3. Don’t mess around and stay healthy: NC State should roll to a quick and easy win vs. Connecticut. The main focus is to jump out strong and get the reserves a lot of action while staying healthy for an important Week 5 showdown at Clemson.

Three Numbers Of Note For NC State Football Vs. Connecticut

11-53 Connecticut’s record since the 2016 season.

39 The point spread on the betting line in NC State’s favor.

10 Combined margin of victory for NC State in two prior games vs. UConn — a 31-24 win in 2003 at home and a 10-7 victory on the road in 2012.