The UConn Huskies seek their third straight win this weekend, heading out west to Colorado to face the Air Force Falcons.
This is the second meeting in a home-and-home series between the two, where UConn defeated the Falcons 26-16 in East Hartford.
The Air Force sits at 5-2 on the season, fueled by the run game and keeping the ball in its own hands.
“When they’re on schedule and doing what they need to do that way, this is a really tough operation to stop. They do a good job squeezing the air out of the ball on offense and limiting the other team’s possessions,” said UConn Head Coach Jason Candle.
The Huskies hope to execute special teams again following a successful mission in their previous game after a blocked punt and touchdown by Shamar Porter. As for the offense, making sure they take care of the football and capitalize on every possession is crucial against this Falcons side.
UConn’s running game has taken off in their previous few games, fueled by the legs of junior Cyncir Bowers. The offensive line is a large part of Bowers’ success.
“It all started with the [offensive line]; I feel like the last four or five weeks they’ve stepped up to the challenge, and they’ve been playing great,” said Bowers after UConn’s 35-16 win over UMass.
Bowers rushed for 131 yards in the contest for his second 100-plus rushing game this season. The Huskies look to him, along with quarterback Kalieb Osborne, for their legs and yards on the offensive side.
The Air Force leads the nation in time of possession, averaging over 36.5 minutes per game, and ranks No. 2 nationally in rushing yards per game. The key to its success has been controlling the clock and simply keeping the ball out of its opponents’ hands.
The main key for UConn is to capitalize on every offensive drive, because it won’t have as many as it normally does. The Falcons will likely stick to their strong run game after quarterback Liam Szarka remains out of the season following a lower-leg and knee injury during Air Force’s 14-9 win over Navy in Week 5.
The Falcons have since shifted to quarterback Evan Medders to lead the offense. In his five games played this season, he has only attempted 14 passes, with only eight completed. These, combined with his 92 total passing yards on the season, favor Air Force’s run game.
Medders, however, was a key contributor to the run game in the Falcons’ loss against Wyoming last weekend, with 115 on the ground. They also rely on running backs Owen Allen and Rocco Conti, who both possess over 350 rushing yards this season.
The defensive line for UConn is going to be tested this weekend against one of the strongest running teams in the nation. Seizing every opportunity it has will result in a win or loss; the margin for error is slim to none in this matchup.
As for the Air Force, it sticks to its strong running game and drains the clock, squeezing out wins by tiring down its opponents. Next weekend, the Falcons face the best rushing team in the nation, Army. But first, the Huskies stand in their way.
The two sides continue their battle for bowl-eligibility as the season reaches the final stretch.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on Oct. 31 and can be streamed on MW+.