The Huskies will head to New England’s beloved Fenway Park for the 2024 Wasabi Fenway Bowl against UNC Saturday afternoon.
UConn (8-4) finished off its first winning season and best regular season record since 2010 and broke several records along the way. From their historic 29-20 comeback campaign over Temple and a memorable 63-17 win over Merrimack, the Huskies have had their fair share of success this season.
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, had a respectable season (6-6), but they struggled in the ACC, finishing 3-5 and falling to tough competitors Georgia Tech (41-34) and Duke (21-20).
Fenway’s match will mark the first meeting between Connecticut and North Carolina since 2009. The opponents matched up in 1990, 2008 and 2009, with UNC going 3-0 in the series. This year, the Tar Heels are 2.5-point favorites.
As for the Huskies, they met several ACC competitors throughout the season, including Syracuse, Wake Forest and Duke, all of which Connecticut fell to. Despite this, UConn had numerous successes throughout the season and was led by dominant performances on the ground by running back trio Cam Edwards, Durell Robinson and Mel Brown. The three amassed a combined total of 2,114 rushing yards during the regular season.
Connecticut is also led by wide receiver duo Skyler Bell, with 783 receiving yards on the season, and TJ Sheffield, with 474 receiving yards. Bell, a transfer from Wisconsin, dominated the season with four touchdowns and averaged 65.25 yards per game. Bell was frequently a target for quarterbacks Nick Evers and Joe Fagnano and will be key to watch in Saturday’s contest.
As for the Southerners, North Carolina is championed by running back Omarion Hampton. The Tar Heel rounded out his junior season with 2,911 rushing yards and ranked No. 9 in career rushing yards at UNC. Hampton also ranks No. 6 in the program for career rushing yards with 30 and ranks No. 6 in the country for rushing yards per game. For UConn, Hampton will be essential to contain.
UNC is also led by wide receiver J.J. Jones who leads the team with 570 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Jones has been a key target throughout the season and will be another key Tar Heek to keep an eye on.
While UNC is the favorite, UConn has generated much success this year and closed out the regular season as a top 10 redzone offense in the NCAA.
Kickoff at Fenway is scheduled for 11 a.m. and is available for streaming on ESPN.