UConn’s 51-10 victory over FIU was more than just another win for the program. It marked the 100th win as a head coach for Jim Mora. His career has spanned decades, including both college and the pros. Mora began his coaching career at the Falcons, led them to the NFL Championship game in 2004, and then had a brief run in Seattle. But his legacy is also marked by what he did at UCLA and UConn. Mora had 31 wins in the NFL, and before their FIU game, a 68-52 record in the pros. The 100th win was also about him and his career, but the head coach didn’t make it about him.

As per Colonel Calhoun, a UConn insider, Mora used his special day to honor a frashman running back on his roster, who lost his mother earlier this year to cancer.

In a recent X post, Colonel Calhoun wrote, “Jim Mora won his 100th football game as a head coach on Saturday. He could’ve made it about him. He chose to honor a freshman running back, buried on the depth chart, who lost his mom earlier this year to cancer.

The head coach could have easily allowed the time to run out with a 41-point lead in the last seconds. Instead, he delayed it to offer a freshman RB, Soren Rief, an experience he would never forget.

“When they told me to get on the bike and warm up, it was crazy, I was in shock,” Rief said. Coach Mora grabbed me aside just before I left and told me to ‘do this for your mom.’ That just meant the world to me and my family. With his family in the stands, the Killingly freshman, who lost his mother, Mary, to breast cancer in November of last year, carried the ball and her memory on UConn’s Crucial Catch Day. Mora remarked, “We just wanted to give Soren an opportunity to honor his mom.”

He made sure to get Soren Rief two carries at the end of the game to honor her. “Being a member of a team is about supporting the hell out of each other and giving each other special moments in your lives, and you guys did that tonight.” That gesture and the timeout in the final seconds said more about Mora than his records ever could.

Legends like Peyton Manning and Ronnie Lott flooded the screen with tributes as the stadium emptied, each telling Mora that he had “done it the right way.” Perhaps he has, since Mora decided to make the evening about people instead of stats on a night that might have been all about figures. And that victory will last longer than the 99 that came before it.

Mora waited patiently for postgame handshakes and cameras when the final whistle rang. He first gave Willie Simmons of FIU an explanation of the timeout before being mobbed by his students, who lifted him up on their shoulders to celebrate his 100th victory. “I didn’t think anyone knew,” Mora said afterwards. But his players did. At UConn, Mora has subtly created a culture where achievements are shared, where even a 14-second span may become something very memorable.

Jim Mora turns victory into tribute for players affected by cancer

When UConn changes up its helmet decals, it has a purpose. The Huskies recognize individuals impacted by cancer this weekend by wearing colored ribbons during their fourth annual Crucial Catch game. “I don’t know that there’s a player in our locker room or a person in our organization, or anyone on this campus, that has not been affected by cancer,” Mora said.

“Our guys take it very seriously, and they should; that’s why we do it.” The ribbons carry a special meaning for athletes like Cam Edwards, who lost his grandmother to lung cancer. He stated, “I look at every game like my grandmother’s watching over me, so I know she has my back, and I always have her back.”

Both staff and players support the plan. A transfer from Nebraska, Vincent Carroll-Jackson truly values the program’s focus since he has lost several family members to cancer. He said, “I really appreciate how impactful they’re stressing on it… It really matters to us.”

As his mother has survived breast cancer twice, Mora has a strong personal connection to the cause. He urged fans, “It just takes a strong community effort to defeat. I’ve had a lot of it in my family, so it’s really important to us to do this week, really important for us.”

Mora’s 100th career win looms subtly in the backdrop of all of this, serving as a reminder of a coach who has overcome every obstacle in the book. Mora has witnessed it all, from winning the NFC Championship with the Falcons to bringing UConn back from the brink.

“He’s legendary,” said Reymello Murphy, who grabbed three receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown. “He embraces the hard stuff. He loves adversity. He loves going against the grain. He’s somebody who doesn’t back down from any challenge.” Even in the years when he was not coaching, Mora was preparing for the challenge that awaited him at UConn by climbing up the mountains in Idaho.