The Huskies will head into one of the final weekends of the season as they face Syracuse University at noon on Saturday in New York.
As UConn football’s most successful season in over a decade begins to wrap up, there is much to be proud of, including having their first winning season in 14 years, breaking the FBS program record in rushing yards and tying the program record for biggest comeback. Nearly every weekend has been a success story for Connecticut, and if the streak continues, the Huskies will dominate.
One of the Huskies’ most memorable wins occurred just two weeks ago as UConn completed a historic comeback bid over UAB and tied the program record for the largest comeback win. Down 20-3 at the half, the Huskies managed 28 points in the second half and held UAB to just one field goal. The star of the running game was Cam Edwards, as he secured 82 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown. The Huskies’ defense also had an impressive showing with a season-high of four turnovers.
This weekend, however, Connecticut will face a tough northern opponent in Syracuse. The Orange enters the contest 7-3 – the same as the Huskies – and 4-1 at home. Syracuse had been a strong competitor in the ACC, ranking fourth and beating out Wake Forest, who the Huskies fell 23-20 to just over a month ago.
Last weekend, the Orange defeated ACC competitor, the California Golden Bears, 33-25 for their seventh win of the season. In classic fashion, Syracuse dominated in the air as quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 323 yards and one touchdown.
Due to the Orange’s success in both the passing and rushing game, the contest may be one of the biggest challenges of the season for the Huskies. The last time the two faced each other was in September 2022, when UConn fell in a devastating 48-14 loss. Connecticut was held to just 187 yards of offense, whereas former Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader wasted no time dismantling the Huskies’ defense, throwing for 287 yards and amassing five touchdowns.
Since then, however, the chemistry and makeup of both teams have drastically changed, as UConn is now led by Wisconsin transfer Nick Evers. At the quarterback position, Evers has led the Huskies with 918 passing yards and five touchdowns. UConn’s dynamic offense is also led by fellow Wisconsin transfer Skyler Bell, who has amassed 646 receiving yards this season and four touchdowns. The Wisconsin duo has been one of the strongest connections on the field this season, and Bell will likely be a target in the air this weekend.
As for the Orange, their success has been spearheaded by running back LeQuint Allen, who’s garnered 761 total rushing yards on the season. In the air, McCord has thrown for over 300 yards in nine games this season, with the only exception being his Virginia Tech performance where he threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns. McCord could pose a serious threat in the pocket for the Huskies as he’s consistently given his opponents a masterclass in the passing game.
Despite Syracuse’s offensive dominance, it’s nothing the Huskies can’t handle. Linebacker duo Jayden McDonald and Tui Faumuina-Brown have been essential to Connecticut’s defense, with Faumuina-Brown earning 10 tackles for loss and McDonald leading the team with 87 total tackles this season.
Nevertheless, both programs’ performances this season have proven their skill in the air, on the ground and everywhere in between.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon in Syracuse, N.Y., as both teams will fight to advance to an 8-3 season record.