5 Things You Need to Know Before UConn's Game Against UCF

By Shane Davies on October 21, 2016

The University of Connecticut football team (3-4) will host the University of Central Florida (3-3) this Saturday at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. The Huskies are coming off a 27-42 loss to South Florida, while Central Florida lost a 26-25 heartbreaker to Temple in the final five seconds of the game last Saturday.

Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s game:

1. Homecoming for UConn:

Ah, the annual reminder for alumni tail-gaters about how washed up they are. But for students, it’s arguably the rowdiest football weekend of the year. Fraternities and sororities will be some of the first to arrive through the gate at 8 A.M., while others will start to pour in hours before kickoff at noon. At UConn, it’s the only weekend where being at the football game is a social requirement. Expect a bigger crowd than usual at the Rent on Saturday.

2. Football team will look to right the ship

So far, this season has not gone as planned. The team entered the season with expectations higher than they’ve been in years, but have let several games slip through their fingers. Navy and Syracuse were both very winnable games, but the offense’s inability to execute, particularly in the red-zone, has been the team’s Achilles Heel.

But the good news is that the schedule will become much easier down the stretch. Cincinnati, Houston and South Florida were all considered to be the team’s toughest games, but now face five teams with a combined record of 15 wins and 16 losses. Three of those games will be played at home. The team needs three more wins to reach a bowl game.

3. Central Florida is incredibly average offensively

Central Florida’s head coach, Scott Frost, was the former offensive coordinator at Oregon when they went to the National Championship game two years ago, which means that the Knights feature an up-tempo spread attack that loves to run the ball.

But Central Florida doesn’t have the players to produce their spread attack at a high level just yet. Their offense ranks 90th nationally in total yards gained, but rank 33rd in rushing yards per game. Unfortunately for UCF, UConn ranks 29th nationally in rushing defense, allowing only 129 yards per game. UCF’s ability, or inability, to run the ball will likely have a major impact on the outcome of the game on Saturday.

4. UConn’s offense needs an identity

UConn’s offense played much better against South Florida last week, but sputtered in the second half when South Florida continued to rack up points. On the bright side, running back Arkeel Newsome had his best game of the season, with 162 yards from scrimmage. Newsome provided a much-needed secondary outlet for the Huskies offense, which typically relies on throwing to wide receiver Noel Thomas every single play. The fact of the matter is, Newsome needs to be featured more.

In order for this team to win, Thomas can’t be the only productive playmaker on offense. Newsome has shown that he is dangerous in the open-field, and the coaching staff will likely draw up more plays to get Newsome in space moving forward. Central Florida ranks 33rd nationally in total defense.

5. UConn is a three-point underdog

This isn’t exactly a surprise, but it’s worth noting. For those who are unfamiliar with line-making, Las Vegas sportsbooks are essentially saying that Central Florida is a 7/7.5 point favorite on a neutral field, but because UConn is playing at home, the line only favors Central Florida by three. The total has been set at 48 points.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format