Media Coverage

Television: CBS Sports Network (pxp) Jordan Kent (analyst) Adam Breneman (sideline) Keiana Martin

Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield (pxp) Mike Crispino (color) Wayne Norman (sideline) Adam Giardino

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UConn Game Notes  Temple Game Notes

Quick Hits…

UConn's six-game homestand continues on Saturday afternoon as the Huskies welcome the Temple Owls to Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Kick-off is slated for 3:30 pm on CBS Sports Network.

Saturday's game marks the 21st all-time meeting between UConn and Temple.  This is the first match-up since the 2019 season, a 49-17 win for the Owls at home in what was UConn's final game as a member of the American Athletic Conference.  The series is tied 3-3 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field but the Owls have won in their last three trips to Connecticut.

UConn is off to a 3-2 start to the season thanks to last week's 47-3 win over Buffalo.  UConn's offense continued to shine at home this season, running for 257 yards sand passing for 280 in a lopsided win.  Defensively, UConn allowed both a season-low three points and 198 total yards in the win. The Huskies have lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 95 points over the last two games, the most in program history in back-to-back games against FBS opponents. The Huskies are 3-2 to start a season for the first time since 2012 and with a win Saturday can start 4-2 for the first time since 2009. 

The Huskies are 3-0 at home for the first time since the 2010 season.  The Huskies have outscored opponents 158-34 and are averaging 52.7 points per game on their home turf. UConn's 158 points at home is most in a three-game stretch on the program's 21 seasons playing at The Rent.

Last Meeting vs. Temple

Nov. 30, 2019 -- Temple 49 - UConn 17 -- Lincoln Financial Field

UConn closed out the 2019 season with a 49-17 loss to Temple at Lincoln Financial Field. The game also marked the Huskies final game as a member of the American Athletic Conference with UConn moving to independent status in 2020. The Huskies got off to a great start, scoring on each of their first two drives. Jack Zergiotis capped a four-play, 75 yard opening drive with a 51-yard touchdown pass to senior wide out Ardell Brown. After a stop on defense, UConn took a 14-0 lead on a Steve Krajewski two-yard touchdown run. The Huskies entered halftime with a 17-14 lead after a 40-yard field goal from Clayton Harris. From there it was all Temple as the Owls put 28-points on the board in the third quarter to blow the game open. Quarterback Anthony Russo threw two scores and ran for another to lead the Owls.  He finished 14-of-23 for 247 yards.  Running back Re'Mahn Davis went for 105 yards on 17 carries and a score.  Wideout Branden Mack caught five passes for 171 yards and two scores. UConn's Kevin Mensah made history in the finale with an 11-yard run in the first quarter that pushed him over 1000 rushing yards for the season. The junior became the second UConn player in the history of the program to record back-to-back 1000 yard seasons (Jordan Todman).

Scouting the Owls... The Temple Owls come to town off a 42-14 loss to Army at home last week.  The Owls  lone win on the season came over Utah State, 45-29, at home two weeks ago. Temple has struggled in the early going both running the ball and stopping the run.  The Owls are averaging just 81.6 yards rushing this season, 123rd nationally, while allowing 260.2 yards on the ground, ranked 132nd among FBS teams.  On the flip side, the Temple defense has defended the pass very well, allowing just 147.6 yards per game, ranked 12th in the nation. The Owls are among the least penalized teams in the country, ranked ninth averaging 34.4 penalty yards per game. Quarterback Evan Simon is completing 64.6 percent of his passes (53-82), throwing for 680 yards and nine touchdowns.  In the win over Utah State, Simon threw for 271 yards, five touchdowns while running for another. Wideout Dante Wright has been Simon's favorite target, hauling in 34 passes for 450 yards and four scores. On defense, linebacker D.J. Woodbury has made 48 tackles, 30 solo, with a sack.

UConn vs. The American... UConn is 2-3 against teams from the American Athletic Conference since becoming an independent starting in the 2021 season.  The Huskies won their first of four match-ups against the league this season, beating Florida Atlantic at home, 48-14.  After today's meeting with Temple, the Huskies will host Rice and then travel to UAB.  UConn was 1-1 against their former conference last season, winning at Rice but falling at home to USF.  In 2021, UConn was 0-2, falling at UCF 49-17, and falling at home to nationally ranked Houston, 45-17 when the two schools were still members of the conference. The Huskies were a member of the AAC from 2013 through 2019.

Offensive Notes from Buffalo... The UConn offense had a balanced attack in the win over the Bulls, running for 257 yards and passing for 280...WR Skyler Bell set a new career-high with 153 yards and three touchdowns. For Bell, he now has three 100-yard receiving games this season. The three touchdown grabs sets a UConn FBS record and marks the first time a Husky caught three scores since 1996 when Dak Newton caught three against Villanova...Running back Cam Edwards nearly had his second 100-yard game of the season, finishing with 97 yards on 10 carries including a 43-yard touchdown run, the longest run of his career...UConn's other two back had efficient days as Durell Robinson had eight rushes for 73 yards and Mel Brown had 10 carries for 53 yards and a fourth quarter touchdown, his second on the season...Back-up quarterback Joe Fagnano was called into action on Saturday in the second quarter for an injured Nick Evers. Fagnano finished 11-of-19 for 217 yards and three touchdowns in relief, all three to Bell.

Defensive Notes from Buffalo... UConn allowed a season-low 198 total yards and 75 yards rushing...The Huskies recorded three sacks and grabbed an interception while holding Buffalo to just 12 first downs, 1-of-14 on third down while forcing eight three-and-outs.,,Linebacker Langston Hardy had a pair of sacks, a new career-high...Fellow linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown had the other sack, matching his career-high, as well as six tackles...Safety Rante Jones got his first interception of the season and the third of his career...Linebacker Donovan Branch recorded four tackles, matching his career-high...The Huskies had a season-best eight pass break-ups in the win...Defensive end Jack Barton batted down a pair of passes, matching his career-high...Defensive tackle Jelani Stafford had three QB hurries as the Huskies had nine hurries as a team.

Special Teams Notes from Buffalo... Place kicker Chris Freeman connected on field goals of 26, 39, 22 and 27 yards. His 4-for-4 effort marks the first time a UConn kicker had four makes since Dave Teggart did it at Cincinnati in 2011. After starting 0-of-3 on the season, Freeman has now made six-straight. Freeman also had seven touchbacks on his 10 kickoffs.  On the season he is averaging 64.2 yards on kickoffs with 21 touchbacks on 35 kickoffs...After not needing to punt in the win over FAU, Connor Stutz punted three times against the Bulls, hitting a long of 51 yards but also put two punts not only inside the 20 but on the one-yard line.  On the season, Stutz has put seven kicks inside opponents 20-yard line and has seven punts of 50+ yards...T.J. Sheffield had five punt returns in the win totaling 89 yards including a season-long return of 33 yards. 

UConn Jumps in ESPN FPI... After UConn's win over Buffalo last weekend, the Huskies jumped up 16 spots to 67th (0.2) in the ESPN's College Football Power Index (FPI). The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.

Another Record Setting Day... Three home games and three record setting efforts for the UConn offense at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. R-Junior wide receiver Skyler Bell set a new school FBS record with three touchdown catches in the win. Grad student Chris Freeman tied the school record and UConn FBS record with four field goal makes on Saturday.  The offense posted 95 points over the last two games, the most in program history in back-to-back games against FBS opponents

Bell Among NCAA Leading WRs... R-Junior wideout Skyler Bell is off to a blazing start to his UConn career through five games.  Bell has hauled in 21 passes for 500 yards and four touchdowns and has three 100-yard games to his credit. Bell is averaging 23.81 yards per catch and 100.0 yards per game. He currently ranks seventh in the NCAA in yards per catch, 11th in receiving yards, 13th in receiving yards per game and 21st in touchdowns. In the season opener, Bell hauled in five passes for 141 yards at Maryland, marking the first 100-yard game by a UConn receiver since the 2021 season when Keelan Marion had 102 yards at Vanderbilt. Against Merrimack, Bell caught two passes for 105 yards including his first UConn touchdown, and became the first UConn receiver to go over 100 yards in back-to-back games since Hergy Mayala did during the 2017 season.  For Bell, he now has four career 100-yard games, his first coming in 2022 at Wisconsin when he had four catches for 108 yards and two scores against New Mexico State

Husky Rankings... The UConn offense is ranked 26th in the nation in total offense, averaging 465.4 yards per game...The running game is churning out 244.6 yards per game, ranked 11th in the country...The Huskies passing attack is helped by the fact the offensive line has allowed just two sacks in five games, ranking ninth in the nation at 0.60 sacks allowed per game...The Huskies rank 19th in first downs (114), 15th in yards per completion (14.72) and 24th in scoring offense (37.2)...On defense, UConn is ranked ninth in third down conversion percentage, holding opponents to 26.0 percent...The Husky defense is 45th in the country in the red zone (.786)...On special teams, the UConn kick-off return ranks 21st averaging 24.29 yards per return...On punt returns, receiver TJ Sheffield ranks 33rd averaging 9.5 yards per return...Punter Connor Stutz is 44th in punting average (42.4)...Place kicker Chris Freeman ranks 28th in the country with 42 points.  He ranks 46th averaging 8.4 points per game.

Fagnano Great in Relief Once Again... Quarterback Joe Fagnano was called into action in the second quarter of the Buffalo game after starter Nick Evers was injured and he delivered with three touchdown passes.  Fagnano has played in all five games and started the Merrimack game.  He has thrown for 727 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.  His 10 touchdown throws ranks 24th in the nation.