Everything you need to be ready for Saturday’s game!
KICKOFF: 12 p.m.
TV: CBS Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Jordan Kent (play-by-play), Logan Ryan (color analyst), Keiana Martin (sideline)
RADIO: UConn IMG Radio Network; Varsity Network App; 97.9 Fox Sports, WGCH 1490 AM, WAVZ 1300 AM, WILI 1400 AM and 95.3 FM, WICH 1310 AM and 94.5 FM; Sirius/XM online streaming, XM 382 (UConn)
ANNOUNCERS: Mike Crispino (play-by-play), Wayne Norman (color analyst), Adam Giardino (sideline)
RECORDS: UConn (2-2), Buffalo Bulls (3-1)
LAST WEEK: UConn ran over FAU, 48-14; The Bulls upset then #23 Northern Illinois, 23-20, in overtime
POINT SPREAD: UConn -6 (odds via DraftKings)
O/U: 44.5
SERIES HISTORY: This is the 12th time that UConn and Buffalo have met in the FBS era of both schools. The Huskies hold a 9-2 advantage over the Bulls which includes a win in the 2009 International Bowl.
PREGAME PRESS CONFERENCE(S): UConn head coach Jim Mora; Buffalo coach Pete Lembo
WEATHER FORECAST: East Hartford, CT
Fun With Numbers
5: Including Saturday night’s game, UConn will play its next five games at the friendly confines of Rentschler Field.
0: The Bulls have never won a game in their four previous trips to East Hartford.
421: The Huskies rushed for an FBS school record 421 yards in the win over FAU.
1,746: It has been 1,746 days since the Bulls have played a game on natural grass. The last time they did was in the 2019 Bahamas Bowl which they won 31-9 over Charlotte.
156: Both Mel Brown and Durell Robinson rushed for 156 yards in the win over FAU.
19: Bulls linebacker Shaun Dolec had 19 tackles in the win over NIU. He also leads the country in total tackles with 62 and tackles for a loss with 9.5.
166: Nick Evers had 166 total yards in the game. He rushed for 78 yards with two touchdowns and threw for 88 yards with one touchdown.
32: This will be UConn’s 32nd game against a team from the MAC. The Huskies are 20-11 in the previous 31 games.
34.8: The Huskies are averaging 34.8 points per game this season
12: The Huskies look to get over .500 for the first time since November 12, 2022, when they beat Liberty to become bowl-eligible.
What to Watch For
Evers’ Progression
After rushing for over 400 yards last week, UConn’s offense can expect a stiffer challenge up front with this tough Buffalo team. Nick Evers and the passing game will have to step up to help get the Huskies over the top.
Pete Lembo’s Bulls have already matched their win total from last season and largely they have their defense to thank for it. They allowed 13 points to Lafayette in a Week 1 win and held UMass to three points two weeks ago. The unit is ranked 51st in defensive efficiency by FEI and 87th in the country in defensive success rate.
Last week, against then-No. 23 NIU, they forced two turnovers but allowed 359 yards, so they’re not impenetrable. The MAC Huskies had nearly 200 yards through the air. If UConn can manage something similar, it will be in good shape.
Can the defense dominate again?
Don’t let the 48 points from last week distract from the fact that the Husky defense turned in a remarkable performance on Saturday. They forced punts on the first five FAU drives and caught an interception on the sixth. By then the game was well out of reach as the Owls didn’t put up any points until garbage time and had just 90 yards and two first downs at halftime.
The defense will need to do more of the same against a modest Buffalo offense. The Bulls’ offense is ranked 130th in FEI and 128th in offensive success rate, which is lower than FAU is, even after getting rocked by UConn last week.
Who carries the rock?
This is a good problem to have and a fun one to discuss, aside from the fact that Victor Rosa is out after having minor surgery recently.
UConn has three running backs who have already rushed for over 100 yards in a game. Cam Edwards did it against Duke while Durell Robinson and Mel Brown each ran for over 150 yards against FAU. Edwards and Robinson are more straight-ahead, downfield runners while Brown is more of a scatback. Robinson showed off a truly tantalizing skill set with an ability to break tackles and big runs, averaging 9.8 yards per carry against the Owls on 16 carries with two touchdowns.
Expect healthy doses of Edwards and Robinson, with Brown used as a change of pace, with Evers factoring in as well. We’re going to see a lot of read-option and RPO from this Husky team, running behind that rock-solid O-line.