By Michael Letendre
EAST HARTFORD – The UConn football team, after years of expectations that just didn’t come to pass, is on the verge of something very special.
And on Saturday, the Huskies pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
The Huskies, along with freshman running back and former Bristol Central standout Victor Rosa, defeated No. 19 ranked Liberty 36-33 from Pratt and Whitney Stadium in East Hartford – the squad’s first win against a nationally ranked opponent since 2015.
With the triumph, UConn moved to 6-5 overall for the program’s third victory in a row.
Due to that amazing win, the UConn program is now eligible for a bowl bid – a tremendous feat as the team was picked by the experts to finish towards the bottom, if not the bottom, of the national standings.
From August to November, the Huskies have absolutely flipped the script on the gridiron.
Rosa and the Huskies ended the home portion of its campaign with a stellar 5-1 ledger.
The former Bristol Central speedster ended up collecting two touchdowns against nationally ranked Liberty over a 62-yard rushing attack.
Rosa ran in an early 16-yard touchdown with 10:28 left to play in the first quarter – making it a 7-0 game.
And then eight seconds into the fourth and final frame, Rosa cashed in on the final carry of an eight play, 75-yard jaunt with a big 27-yard touchdown splurge as the Huskies made it a 28-27 contest in UConn’s favor.
Rosa made a mad dash on the scoring play, sprinting towards the UConn sideline but continued his forward push.
Needing six yards for a first down, he just beat out every defender in his path – absorbing numerous contact – to nab that touchdown, giving the Huskies a one-point edge to open fourth period play.
After losing the lead one last time, Connecticut quarterback Zion Turner found Kevens Clerics for a 30-yard touchdown connection late as UConn went ahead again, this time at 36-33.
And then off a huge stop with just seconds remaining in the fray, the Huskies counted down the final ticks on the clock as the final horn sounded and UConn coach Jim Mora got a Gatorade bath with the program from Storrs etching up a huge 36-33 win.
The Huskies finish up the regular season at Army next Saturday from West Point.
Rosa once again showed his mettle and toughness over 10 carries for those 62 yards against Liberty.
His 27-yard TD score was the longest of the afternoon by the freshman warrior.
On special teams, Rosa made two kickoff returns for a total of 42 yards, including a 25-yard jaunt as the Huskies could be playing a little postseason ball if given the opportunity.
And a win at Army would help those bowl bid chances grow.
On Saturday, Army led 9-0 at the half but managed to lose to Troy 10-9 on the road.
The Black Knights fell to 3-6 overall and is going to have its collective hands full against the Huskies next week.
