Kickoff: The Huskies are coming off of a bye week as they hit the Carrier Dome to take on Syracuse. The Orange are coming in off of a 33-25 win at Cal.
The Huskies earned their seventh win of the season with the victory at UAB two weeks ago, guaranteeing the program’s first winning season since the 2010 campaign.
Here are four keys to the game.
1st Down: Start Fast offensively: The Huskies have had two weeks to prepare for this game. They need to get off to a good start offensively and set the tone. Running the ball and setting a physical time up front will be important.
2nd Down: Secondary must step up: The Syracuse offense boasts the third-best passing attack in the nation led by quarterback Kyle McCord. The Orange average 350.7 yards while averaging 31.8 points per game. The Huskies secondary will be challenged and they must rise to the occasion. They cannot give up big plays.
3rd Down: Get pressure on McCord: The Huskies will need to get consistent pressure on McCord. They cannot allow him to consistently work through his progressions. They need to collapse the pocket and make him uncomfortable.
4th Down: Win the turnover battle: Sounds generic but if the Huskies can take care of the ball and generate turnovers, they can win this football game. Extra possessions will be key today. Offense is going to need them otherwise it could be tough for them to keep up on the scoreboard.
Extra Point: Saturday’s match-up is the 13th in the all-time series between the Orange and the Huskies. The series is tied at 6-6 with Syracuse winning the last four meetings. UConn won six of the first eight meetings including a stretch of five-straight. UConn is 2-4 at Syracuse with the last win coming in 2010 (23-6).
Final Drive: The Huskies have had two weeks to prepare for this game so the expectation is they come out of the gates fast and play a clean game. Getting pressure on McCord and holding up in the secondary will be key in this game. If the Huskies can do that, they will give themselves a chance to win this game.