The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Mensah adjusting to reduced role
Kevin Mensah had big plans for this season.
Games to win. A record to chase. A legacy to secure.
This year felt like it could be — like it should be — something special for the UConn running back. And then, reality struck.
The Huskies kept losing, and Mensah, a two-time 1,000-yard rushing, suddenly went from starter to afterthought. Mensah had only 20 carries over a five-game stretch, and though he resurfaced in last Saturday’s win over Yale, he seems poised to end his career without much celebration.
How is he handling being a forgotten man? Well, we’re not quite sure. Mensah understandably has kept a low profile of late, and a request to speak with him this week was unsuccessful.
Interim coach Lou Spanos, however, was complimentary of Mensah following his 12-carry, 58-yard performance against Yale, saying he’s largely been doing what’s asked of him.
“We’re team players,” said Spanos, whose Huskies will be back home Friday (6 p.m., CBS Sports Network) to host Middle Tennessee. “Everyone has a role, and everyone’s accepted it. Kevin’s a leader, he’s one of our leaders. He embraces it. He maximized the reps.”
Mensah’s 12 carries, nine of which came in the second half, were the most he’s had
since toting it 21 times for 66 yards in a loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 4. He’s rushed for just 219 yards on the season and will certainly get nowhere near the 1,181 he needs to become the program’s all-time leading rusher. Mensah is currently fourth on the list behind Donald Brown (3,800), Terry Caulley (3,187) and Jordan Todman (3,179).
The primary reason for Mensah’s reduced role? It’s the emergence of freshman
Nate Carter, whose quicker, more elusive style has been a better fit behind the Huskies’ leaky offensive line. The 5-foot-9, 194-pound Carter scored his first collegiate touchdown Sept. 25 against Wyoming, then had back-to-back 100-yard games versus Vanderbilt (123) and UMass (136).
It wasn’t until the second half last Saturday, with the Huskies looking to milk the clock and wear down the defense up 21-0, that Spanos turned back to a more powerful north-south runner in Mensah.
“He ran hard and pressed the line,” Spanos said. “Give him credit. He’s one of our leaders and made the best of the situation.”
The victory was their first in 721 days, snapping an 11-game losing streak. They haven’t won two straight games since Oct. 2017, but opportunity beckons.
Middle Tennessee (2-4) is easily the most winnable game left on UConn’s (1-7) schedule. The Blue Raiders have lost by double digits in three of their four road games this season — granted, they’ve faced a couple superior programs in Virginia Tech, UTSA and Liberty — and rank 105th nationally in total defense.
“We’re in a good situation because Nate and Kevin both do a good job of protecting,” Spanos said. “Kevin did a nice job of stepping up with protection. It’s good that you have two running backs who want to compete and help us win. It goes to show the work that they’re putting in.”