The UConn football team is going bowling for the first time since 2015, and former Bristol Central star Victor Rosa will be right there with them.
The true freshman running back has certainly earned his trip to the Myrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 19 against Marshall University). All Rosa did was lead the Huskies in rushing attempts (124), yards (561) and touchdowns (9), as a true freshman. Yes, UConn had a whole bunch of injuries at the running back position during the regular season, but the mentality is next man up. Rosa was the next man up, and he took advantage of his situation.
Rosa also returned kickoffs and punts for UConn. He returned 14 kickoffs for 259 yards (18.5 average) and nine punts for 53 yards (5.9 average). Rosa led the Huskies in both of those categories.
Marshall is a familiar bowl game opponent for UConn. The Thundering Herd defeated the Huskies, 16-10, in the second-to-last edition of the St. Petersburg Bowl in front of a paltry crowd of 14,652 at Tropicana Field. The game is now known as the Gasparilla Bowl and is played at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Marshall went 8-4 in the regular season, including an upset win over Notre Dame on Sept. 10. The Huskies (6-6) and Thundering Herd kick off on Monday, Dec. 19, at 2:30 p.m. at Coastal Carolina University’s Brooks Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN.
