UConn’s Nate Carter Runs for Career High in Season Opening Loss at Utah State

Wade Denniston

20

UConn
UCT

0-1 , 0-0

31

Utah St.
USU

1-0 , 0-0

20

31

Score By Quarters

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
UCT UConn	14	0	0	6	20
USU Utah St.	0	24	0	7	31

Game Recap: Football | 8/27/2022 9:49:00 PM

LOGAN, Utah – UConn sophomore running back Nathan Carter (Rochester, NY) ran for a career-high 190 yards on 20 carries as the Huskies came up short in the 2022 season opener, 31-20 to Utah State at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah.

The Huskies (0-1) jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a big first quarter before the Utah State offense rang off 24-unanswered points to close the first half.

The first quarter belonged to the Huskies as UConn built their two-touchdown lead while piling up 180 yards of offense, 152 coming on the ground.  After forcing the Aggies to punt on their first drive, UConn’s Carter help set up the first touchdown of the season with the longest run of his career, a 52-yard burst deep into USU territory. 

R-So. starting quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson (Orange, NJ) capped the opening nine-play, 79-yard drive by plunging in from a yard out for his first career touchdown and a 7-0 lead at 10:05.

The Huskies got a turnover on the Aggies’ second drive, with junior linebacker Jackson Mitchell (Ridgefield, Conn.) forcing and recovering a fumble, but Roberson would exit on the second play of the ensuing drive with an injury leading to true freshman Zion Turner’s (Fort Lauderdale, FL) collegiate debut. 

The frosh was picked-off on his second career pass attempt but he bounced back to lead a four play, 79-yard scoring drive that gave the Huskies a 14-0 lead at 1:38 in the first.  Carter again fueled the scoring drive, ripping off a 44-yard run while Turner ended it with his first career scoring strike, a 13-yard completion to Keelan Marion (Atlanta, Ga.) to make it 14-0.

The UConn defense forced two punts, a turnover and a turnover on downs on Utah State’s first four drives but the Aggie offense found its footing in the second quarter and ran off 24 unanswered points to close the first half.  USU quarterback Logan Bonner led four scoring drives with under 11 minutes to go in the first half, with three touchdowns and a field goal with one second left on the clock capping the first half scoring. 

A stingy defensive effort kept the Huskies in the game into the fourth quarter where a pair of sophomore Noe Ruelas (West Hartford, Conn.) field goals pulled UConn to withing 24-20 with 10:09 to go in the game.

The Aggies (1-0) answered as Bonner capped a 13 play, 75-yard drive with his third touchdown throw of the game, hitting Brian Cobbs in the back right corner of the endzone to push the lead to 31-20.  Utah State’s defense sealed the win away with their second interception of the day with 4:46 left, then using 10-plays to run out the clock for the win.

Bonner led the Aggies offense to 542 total yards, throwing for 281 yards on 20-of-29 passints.  Cobbs led all receivers with seven catches for 78 yards and a score.  On the ground, Tyler Calvin, Jr. finished with 161 yards on 33 carries while Robert Briggs ran for 85 on 10 touches with a touchdown.

For UConn, Turner finished his first career game going 12 for 31 for 109 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.  The Huskies finished with 364 total yards, 245 coming on the ground. 

Defensively, Mitchell finished with 16 total tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.  Senior Ian Swenson (Wilmette, Ill.) posted 12 tackles while r-sophomore Malik Dixon (Orlando, Fla.) made 11 stops.

UP NEXT…

The Huskies return to Connecticut to play their 2022 home opener at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field next Saturday, September 3.  The Huskies will take on the Central Connecticut Blue Devils in a Nutmeg State match-up live on the CW20 and on the Fox61+ app.