‘Much more confident’
Conn. native Victor Rosa ready for sophomore year with UConn
STORRS — Victor Rosa was about three months removed from graduation from Bristol Central High when he stepped on the field at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor last Sept. 17 with the UConn football team.
The Big House was filled with 109,639 almost all maize and blue fans. It was Rosa’s welcome to the big time.
“It was a big step in my journey,” Rosa said on Tuesday. “That was my first game I got good reps, and obviously it was Michigan. It opened my eyes and got me going.”
Rosa, who had run the ball only six times entering the contest, carried 14 times for 23 yards in the 59-0 loss to the Wolverines, who would go on to win the Big Ten Conference championship and advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
It might not have looked like much then, but Rosa took the positives from it and ran with them. By season’s end he was the Huskies’ leading rusher with 636 yards and scored a team-high 11 touchdowns.
“Where you improve is when you play in the game,” UConn secondyear coach Jim Mora said. “Your biggest improvements come in competition, in competitive situations. We saw that out of Victor. In the Michigan game, he was thrown into the fire. Not only did he have to be the No. 1 running back, he had to be the punt returner and the kickoff returner. It was a tough day for him but he grew out of that. Then we saw him every week of the season grow and grow and grow.”
Now Rosa heads into 2023 looking to make that sophomore leap as the Huskies look to build on the first season of Mora’s rebuilding program.
UConn opens the regular season on Aug. 31 when it hosts North Carolina
State at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
“One hundred percent,” Rosa said when asked if he was a better player now than the one who played against Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in December. “How? Because of the work I put in during the offseason, getting better every day whether it’s in the run game or pass game. I’m bigger, faster, and stronger. I gained seven or eight pounds and didn’t lose any speed. I can’t wait.
“I got my feet wet last year and got to go out there and do my thing. I have games under my belt now and I’m more prepared.” Rosa was among 53 players named last week to the watch list for the 2023 Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the most versatile player in major college football.
He was at his best down the stretch a season ago, rushing for 336 yards and seven touchdowns in the Huskies’ final four games. He had his first career 100yard game with 111 yards on 12 carries at Army to close the regular season and added 75 yards and a pair of scores against Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
He finished with a team-leading 987 total
yards and also had a teambest 15 kickoff returns for a total of 283 yards.
“I know the speed of the game now,” Rosa said. “Now I’m used to it. I feel very, very comfortable and I’m much more confident than I was last year. There’s no doubt in my mind when I go on the field.”
The Huskies ran the ball well a year ago and expect to again behind what should be a strong offensive line.
Rosa will be part of the running back by committee plan that will include returning juniors Devontae Houston and Brian Brewton and graduate student Jalen Mitchell.
“Devontae, Brew, Victor, and now with Jalen in the mix, we feel good about all those guys,” Mora said. “They’re all a little different and that poses a problem for our opponents. They don’t have the same style.
“And Victor is unique in that he’s an angular runner and he runs with high knees and his elbows are out and he’s tough to bring down. We love that about him. And he plays on special teams and catches the ball out of the backfield. I love where we’re at in the running back position.”
Rosa will be a key to that success. He was a winner in three sports at Bristol Central and helped the Huskies as a freshman be one of the most-improved teams nationally.
But like many of his teammates, he’s far from satisfied.
“I’m going to do whatever I can to help our team win,” Rosa said. “Well, 6-7 isn’t good enough and 6-6 isn’t good enough. We want to make a bigger bowl game and our goal is to go unbeaten.
“Whether my role is, I’m going to get the ball into the end zone and make big plays for this team.”