SportbasketballNCAA Basketball
UConn football is receiving votes
The numbers tell a story of resurrection, and for UConn football, the statistics are shouting from the rooftops. After clinching their eighth victory of the season against Air Force, the Huskies have not only matched but fundamentally eclipsed the program's modern zenith, a benchmark last touched in 2010.This isn't a fleeting moment of luck; it's the culmination of a calculated rebuild under head coach Jim Mora, whose impact can be measured with stark clarity. Before his arrival in Storrs, the Huskies' highest two-season win total was a paltry nine, a figure cobbled together from the six-win 2015 campaign and the three-win 2016 season that sealed Bob Diaco's fate.Mora, in a display of systematic progress, won nine games in his first two years and has now orchestrated a staggering 17 wins in his subsequent two, with two contests still remaining on the schedule. This progression is visible beyond the win-loss column, manifesting in national media buzz following their upset of Duke, award recognition for stars like Biletnikoff Award finalist Skyler Bell, and a 1,000-yard rushing season from a local product, stitching the team's success directly into the community's fabric.The conversation has shifted so dramatically that fans of established ACC and Big 12 programs are now openly speculating about UConn's viability as a conference addition, a testament to how a competent football program can transform the entire athletic department's allure, leveraging the existing powerhouse basketball brands and broad-based athletic commitment into a formidable package. On the field, quarterback Joe Fagnano is authoring a season for the record books, relentlessly pursuing the ghost of Dan Orlovsky.Despite throwing his first interception in Week 11, Fagnano remains a statistical titan, tied for third nationally in touchdown passes, fifth in passing yards, and positioned within striking distance of Orlovsky's hallowed single-season yardage records. With 3,002 yards already banked, he needs 353 to surpass Orlovsky's second-best mark of 3,354 and an average of 242 yards over the final two games to claim the top spot outright, a feat that, while potentially coming in one more game than Orlovsky had, underscores the offensive firepower Mora has installed.However, success in college football is a double-edged sword, and the looming specter of the coaching carousel threatens this hard-earned stability. Jim Mora, a West Coast native with ties to Washington and UCLA, will inevitably surface as a candidate for programs wielding deeper financial arsenals, and even if he remains, his coordinators and position coaches become attractive targets.Yet, this is not the UConn of the Randy Edsall-to-Paul Pasqualoni collapse. The program's foundation is now demonstrably stronger, buttressed by robust NIL support that competes at a power-conference level, a SP+ ranking of 47th that suggests a mid-tier P5 caliber, and the strategic flexibility of independence, which has allowed for more sensible scheduling.The player acquisition model has evolved; the transfer portal is no longer just an exit but a potential entrance, with new additions like Bryun Parham and Reymello Murphy ready to make an immediate impact. Regardless of who patrols the sidelines in 2026, the mast is firmly pointed forward, a direction confirmed by a tantalizing 2025 home slate featuring Maryland, North Carolina, and Syracuse. For a fanbase that has endured a long dormant period, 'Receiving Votes' is more than a poll footnote; it's a declaration that the long, cold winter is over, and the ride back to relevance, complete with the timeless ritual of tailgating at The Rent, is finally underway.
#UConn football
#Jim Mora
#Biletnikoff Award
#Joe Fagnano
#season tickets
#featured
