Kickoff: The Huskies are in the Fenway Bowl for the second straight season. After beating North Carolina in last season’s game, UConn is back at baseball’s most beloved ballpark but this time they take on Army. Interim coach and offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will lead the Huskies today after coach Jim Mora Jr. departed for Colorado State earlier this month.

The Huskies will also be without several key players, most notably quarterback Joe Fagnano who opted out of the game. Running back Cam Edwards who entered the portal and wide receiver Skyler Bell who is playing his last game today are both expected to play.

Here are four keys to the game for the Huskies.

1st Down: Who starts at quarterback? The expectation is Nick Evers will start but we could also see Massachusetts native Tucker McDonald and freshmen Ksaan Farrar as well. Interim coach Gordie Sammis was tight lipped at Friday’s press conference about who will play so there is a good chance we see all three.

2nd Down: Get Bell 1 on 1: Skyler Bell is playing in his last game as a Husky. He is the best player on either roster. Army does not have anyone that can defend him one on one for four quarters. Sammis should be looking to get Bell the ball as much as possible, especially early on.

3rd Down: Stop the option: Army’s option offense is tough to defend. It forces the defense to play assignment football. The Huskies need to be fundamentally sound and be in position to make the play when they make the right read. They cannot get out leveraged and end up out of position.

4th Down: Depth must step up: UConn’s second and third players must step up as starters today. If the Huskies are going to win this game, they need some of their young guys to play a big role in getting the job done in this game.

Extra Points: UConn leads the all-time series against the Black Knights, 5-4. Army however has won three of the last four meetings, including a 34-17 win at Michie Stadium in November of 2022.

Final Drive: The Huskies have a chance to make history today. Winning 10 games for the first time since 1998 would be quite an accomplishment for a program that has struggled so much in recent years. If UConn executes on both sides of the ball and takes care of the ball, they should be fine against an Army team they are better than.