UConn (1-2) hosts the (1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Rentschler Field in hopes of returning to the win column.
The two programs last clashed in 2022, where the Huskies fell to the Cardinals 25-21. Connecticut looked dominant in the first half, leading 21-10, but problems arose coming out of halftime. With the help of Ball State’s running back, Carson Steele, the team racked up 15 unanswered points.
In their comeback victory, Steele rushed 179 yards for three touchdowns. Defensively, UConn held quarterback John Paddock to 147 passing yards and one interception. Paddock struggled throwing into the endzone, as he finished the day with zero passing touchdowns.
Since then, neither team looks the same. For Ball State, its most notable departure was Steele. In the 2022 season, the 22-year-old totaled 1,556 rushing yards and crossed the goal line 14 times. Following his career-high campaign, Steele transferred to UCLA.
As quarterback, Kiael Kelly replaced Paddock and faced challenges connecting with wide receivers. For the first time against the New Hampshire Wildcats, Kelly accumulated just over 100 yards, completing nine of 15 (60%) passes and throwing an interception. In the wide receiver room, not much happened, as no wideouts except Donovan Hamilton produced over 20 yards.
One player to watch out for is running back Qua Ashley. Versus the Wildcats, the junior not only ran for 154 yards, but also topped the Cardinals in receiving yards (33). Ashley ended the day contributing to two of the program’s three end zone appearances.
In recent weeks, containing the run game has been one of UConn’s biggest issues. In two weeks, Connecticut conceded 292 yards and last week let up a 70-yard rushing touchdown against Delaware.
The Huskies’ second conflict is converting in game-winning situations. In the last two overtime finales, the matchups stemmed from unsuccessful third and fourth-down conversions. In the second half versus the Syracuse Orange, Connecticut punted six consecutive times.
In the final minutes against Delaware on fourth-and-two, Fagnano found tight end Louis Hansen but fell a yard short. Between the two clashes, the team converted 10 of 30 (33.3%) third-down attempts.
Currently, quarterback Joe Fagnano has thrown 865 yards, ranking No. 17 in the NCAA’s passing yards. In the backfield, running backs Cam Edwards and Mel Brown combine for 465 rushing yards.
UConn fans can tune into the match on Fubo, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.