The Huskies are looking for win No. 8 as they visit their former Big East rivals.
KICKOFF: 12:00 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
ANNOUNCERS: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (color analyst), Coley Harvey (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 204 (Syracuse)
ANNOUNCERS: Bob Joyce (play-by-play), Ben Darnell (color analyst), Adam Giardino (sideline)
RECORDS: UConn (7-3), Syracuse (7-3, 4-3 ACC)
LAST WEEK: UConn was off last week; Syracuse went out west and beat Cal, 33-25
POINT SPREAD: Syracuse -10.5 (odds via FanDuel)
O/U: 54
SERIES HISTORY: This will mark the 13th time that the Huskies and Orange have faced off on the gridiron. The series is tied at 6-6 although the Orange have won the last four matchups.
PREGAME PRESS CONFERENCE(S): UConn head coach Jim Mora; Syracuse head coach Fran Brown
WEATHER FORECAST: Syracuse, NY
Fun With Numbers
8: The last time UConn won eight games in a season was 2010 when they won the Big East Conference and went to a BCS bowl game.
25: Syracuse will honor its 25 seniors before the game.
3: This is the third time the Huskies have played an ACC opponent this season (Duke, Wake Forest).
7: The last time these two teams played in 2022, the Orange scored on their first seven possessions on their way to a 48-14 win.
17: In their comeback win over UAB two weeks ago, UConn came back from a 17-point deficit. It tied for their biggest deficit overcome since a 2003 win over Western Michigan.
350.7: The Orange have the third-best passing attack in the nation behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord averaging 350.7 yards per game.
200.9: The extremely improved UConn defense under Matt Brock is allowing 200.9 yards per game.
.297: The Huskies have allowed just 29.7 of opponents’ third downs to be converted.
31.7: UConn is averaging 31.7 points per game which is 37th nationally. The Orange are averaging 31.8 points per game.
What to Watch For
Better Competition
The tenor of the Syracuse vs. UConn matchups since the two stopped being conference rivals has been all about the talent advantage that the Orange have had. The games were never very close—Syracuse has defeated UConn comfortably in all three meetings since moving to the ACC in 2013.
UConn ended up in the American and is now independent, with slightly improved talent levels thanks to NIL and the portal. But the talent still lags behind regional Power Four competition. We saw this when the Huskies took a big loss at Maryland, not a particularly great team, to open the season.
Still, close games against the likes of Duke and Wake Forest offer hope that this will be the most competitive Syracuse-UConn football game since the Big East years. Just like in the games against Boston College, it would be ideal for Jim Mora’s squad to prove that this is a different program than the one that lost 48-14 and 51-21 in the last two meetings with Syracuse.
This is a primary regional rival and someone UConn needs to acquit itself against in order to prove the mettle of this 7-3 squad. It’s not a “must win” by any means but they have to be competitive. Though Syracuse is having a strong season as well, the Huskies can’t let this become a blowout. The Orange are ranked 59th in FEI overall efficiency (20th offense, 92nd defense) while UConn is 92nd (114th, 50th).
QB Situation
Joseph Fagnano came into the game to key the comeback win over UAB two weeks ago. Since then, UConn has had a bye week and Fagnano’s previous solid performances ring loudly as the Huskies look to finish the week strong.
Who will the Huskies start under center? Your guess is as good as mine!
Strength on Strength
Despite the talent situation and Syracuse’s higher standing in overall efficiency, UConn is better than its hosts in some key metrics, including yards per play, EPA/play, and net success rate, according to Game on Paper.
When UConn has the ball, the two team’s weaker sides are up against each other and UConn’s defense, which has been the strength of the team, goes up against a Syracuse offense that boasts one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country. The Huskies will have to step up on both sides of the ball with standout performances if they are to win this game.