QB Turner ‘has no doubts’ as he heads into his 1st start
STORRS — When Uconn starting quarterback Ta’quan Roberson took off to run on the Huskies’ second drive of Saturday’s season opener at Utah State, Zion Turner stood on the sideline watching.
Roberson tried to put a move on the Aggies defender and was tackled, helmet-to-knee area.
When Turner saw Roberson, whom he calls “big brother,” on the turf clutching at his knee, the first feeling he had was hurt. Turner dealt with a knee injury of his own in the past and knew right away that something was wrong — and that he’d likely be going into the game.
He took a deep breath to regroup and trotted on to the field. A few plays later Turner’s first career pass attempt, while evading rushers as he rolled left and threw across his body, was picked off by Utah State safety Hunter Reynolds. His second pass was caught by Keelan Marion in the end zone for a touchdown, though Marion broke his collarbone on the play.
Turner finished the game having completed 12 of his 31 pass attempts with a touchdown and two interceptions. The offense went stagnant after a second-quarter Nate Carter fumble, but Turner led the Huskies down the field twice for a pair of field goals in the fourth to bring Uconn within four.
The Huskies lost the game 31-20.
“I definitely was upset after the first game,” Turner said. “Certain things didn’t go our way and I definitely could have played way better. I know what I’m capable of and I know all of the mistakes that I made. The situation doesn’t really matter to me — if I get on the field as a quarterback I have to do my job.”
That job, he said, is to win football games.
The situation, though, was one foreign to him. Turner was a three-year starter at high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida and won three state championships. It’s been a while since he last came off the bench.
Roberson took the first-team reps during game week, with the game plan surrounding his strengths and style of play. This week is Turner’s.
“Now I get to rep a lot of the plays that we’re going to run in the game,” Turner said. “It’s just getting comfortable on my reads, knowing where my outlets are, knowing when things break down where can I go with the ball?
“Just knowing those things will help. Just being on the same page as my coach as far as game plan and how we want to attack the defense will help us a lot.”
Turner began his first college classes this week. And, like many college freshmen, he got lost looking for one of his classes, a 300-student sociology lecture.
A college starter for the first time at 19 years old, in a new environment 1,400 miles away from his last school, it’d be understandable if he was a bit overwhelmed. For Turner though, that has never been the case.
“I don’t really have doubts in my head,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of, and I know I can do anything I put my mind to. So just having that mindset and just being strong and confident, walking into everything with confidence, just knowing that the only person that can stop me is me [is important].”
Offensive coordinator Nick Charlton has been in this scenario before. Previously the head coach at Maine, Charlton has lost a quarterback in the middle
of a game — but never just 10 plays in.
“In-game, that’s a tough spot to be in,” he said. “Obviously, it was an up-and-down performance. But I thought that he handled the operation really well and kept us in the game.
“You know, we want to be way more efficient and explosive in the pass game. I think we all know that.”
For Saturday’s home opener against Central Connecticut, the game plan will fit what Turner knows and is comfortable doing.
Charlton has been consistent in saying he wants to be aggressive on offense, though play-calling also has to match the flow of the game. Turner has had two strong days of practice getting those first-team reps.
With the moving parts — most
urgently at the receiver position with Marion out — Turner studies and can react to those situations using the foundation he built in high school and what he’s learned so far from the
coaching staff at Uconn, specifically Charlton, who he says “is everything you look for in a coach.”
“It’s most definitely special,” Turner said. “Playing football all my life, college football always been a dream. It just being my first year to just see it all happen, and happen so fast, it’s just been a blessing.
“And I’m just really thankful for everything that’s been given to me and things that I’ve earned as well. Being on the field this young is one of those things that I’ve earned, you know. I worked real hard for it.”