TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield - ESPN 97.9  Affiliates - WAVZ 1300 AM (New Haven), WGCH 1490 AM (Greenwich), WILI 1400 AM/95.3FM, (Willimantic); WICH 1310 AM/94.5 FM (Norwich) Online: The Varsity Network App

Game Notes:  UConn  Duke

HUSKIES & HEROES

UConn Athletics is hosting their annual Huskies & Heroes military appreciation game on at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. We will be welcoming 650 members of UConn Veteran Affairs to the game and presenting the colors during the national anthem with the on-field "Super Flag" (Pending weather on game day). 

When UConn runs out of the tunnel to take the field, three Huskies will carry American flags and present them to family members who have served. 

#73 Brady Fodor will present to his Grandfather, David Fodor

Served in the Army in Vietnam from 1965-1967

Was an Army Specialist 4 who drove a tank in battle

#28 Bryan Domino will present to his Parents, Brian & Carol

The Domino family has over 54 years of military service.

Brian Domino 

US Navy Command Master Chief (CMDCM)

30 years 24 July 1989 – 31 July 2019

Duty Stations:  Great Lakes, Il, Camp Lejeune, NC, 29 Palms, CA, Kingsville, Tx, Naples, Italy, Camp Pendleton, CA, Kaneohe, HI, Gutanomo Bay, Cuba, Lemoore, CA, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Somali, Africa, Ft Sherman, Panama, San Antonio, Tx.

Carol Domino

US Navy Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (HMCS)

24 years 9 January 1989 – 31 January 1989

Duty Stations: Orlando, FL, Bethesda, MD, Gutanomo Bay, Cuba, Naples, Italy, Washington, DC, Kaneohe, HI, San Diego, CA, Kuwait, San Antonio, TX.

#94 Matt Hoffman will present to his Father, Thomas Edward Hoffman

Air Force - Active, Reserves, and Air National Guard totaling 23 years

Stationed: Andrews Air Force Base, McGuire Air Force Base, Harrisburg Air National Guard 193rd Special Operations Wing

Highlight: worked Counter-Terrorism with Air Force Office of Special Investigations after 9/11

Game Day threads for our Huskies & Heroes game ???? #CTFootball pic.twitter.com/nLpwfp5W3X

— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) September 21, 2023

Two "Hometown Heroes" will be honored during a first quarter media timeout. 

John Albanese, vice president of Corporate Security and Investigations at Voya, is a UConn graduate, a Marine veteran and retired Connecticut State Trooper. His twenty-four years of public service and family's tradition of military service play an important role in John's dedication to support veterans with disabilities. In collaboration with America's VetDogs, John is raising yellow Labrador Retriever Cooper to be a guide for a veteran or first responder with a disability.

Justin Tomlin, GardaWorld Security Services, is a five-year army veteran, who toured in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a former EMT in Connecticut. Post-military, Justin served in law enforcement in both Connecticut and Texas. His commitment to aiding veterans with disabilities is evident as he celebrates one year with service dog, Odin, in collaboration with America's VetDogs.

National Guard (Army & Air) will host a swear-in for six military members during the end of the first quarter break and military vehicles on display at stadium entrances 

QUICK HITS

UConn is back home for the second-straight week on Saturday as they welcome No. 18 nationally ranked Duke to Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.  Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm with coverage on CBS Sports Network.

This will be the third meeting between the Huskies and the Blue Devils on the football field and first since the 2007 season.  UConn is 2-0 against Duke and beat the Blue Devils at Rentschler Field in the first ever meeting, 22-20, in 2004.  The Huskies will face their fist nationally ranked opponent of the season in the No. 18 Blue Devils.  The last time a ranked team came to East Hartford, the Huskies ended a 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents that dated back to the 2015 season by beating No. 19 Liberty last season, 36-33.  UConn is 3-10 at home in Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field against nationally ranked teams during their 20 seasons at their East Hartford home.

UConn is in search of their first win of 2023 after a 24-17 loss at home to FIU last weekend.  The Huskies fell behind 24-3 at the half but defensively held FIU 3-1) scoreless in the second half to set up a late game comeback that fell short of tying the game with under a minute to play.  Junior running back Devontae Houston finished with 126 yards on 19 carries in the loss, his third career 100-yard rushing game and his first this season.  The junior running back also hauled in a catch-and-run 37-yard score out of the backfield in the fourth quarter.  R-Junior Ta'Quan Roberson (Orange, N.J.) made his first start of the season at quarterback and finished 15-of-32 for 170 yards and a score.

After seeing their running game struggle through the first two games of the season (105.0 ypg), the UConn rushing attack got going in last Saturday's loss to FIU.  The Huskies finished 173 yards on the ground on 40 carries.  Leading the way was junior Devontae Houston who ran it 19 times for 126 yards, a 6.6 yards per carry average.  It was Houston's third career 100-yard rushing game.  He hit the century mark last season in wins over Fresno State (23-105 TD) and at FIU (12-135).

R-Junior punter George Caratan is off to a strong start to his season.  Caratan has punted 20 times in 2023 and is averaging 46.5 yards per kick.  He has a career-long punt of 64 yards under his belt this year and has seven punts of 50+ yards.  He has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line seven times.  He ranked 20th nationally with a 45.6 average per punt.    

Last Meeting vs. Duke

Sep. 1, 2007 - UConn 45 - Duke 14  - Wallace Wade Stadium

UConn junior Tyler Lorenzen passed for 298 yards and rushed for another 56 as the Huskies posted a 45-14 win at Duke to open the season at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Huskies outgained the Blue Devils in total offense 487-169, running 20 more plays -- 77-57. Duke had 15 rushing yards on 28 attempts. The Huskies trailed 14-11 at halftime, but erupted for 34-second half points in the win., scoring on tow of its first two possessions. Sophomore wide receiver Terrence Jeffers was Lorenzen's favorite target on the day with eight receptions for 92 yards. Sophomore Donald Brown rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries with 78 of those yards in the second half. Duke was led in rushing by Justin Boyle with 31 yards while Jomar Wright had four receptions for 31 yards. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis had 148 yards passing for the Devils.

Scouting the Blue Devils...

The Duke Blue Devils are off to a 3-0 start to their season after a 38-14 win at home over Northwestern last weekend and have climbed to No. 18 in both the AP and AFCA Coaches national polls.  The Blue Devil offense is averaging 36.0 points per game and has the fifth best rushing offense in the country averaging 242.7 yards per game.  Jordan Waters leads the ground game with 240 yards and five touchdowns through three games and averages 7.5 yards per carry.  Quarterback Riley Leonard is a dual threat, rushing for 208 yards (8.3 ypc) and three scores while throwing for 530 yards and a score, completing 44-of-65 on the year.  On defense, Duke is allowing just 9.3 points per game, fifth in the nation, and has allowed just 153.0 yards passing per game, 11th nationally.  Linebacker Dorian Mausi and cornerback Chandler Rivers share the team lead in tackles with 21 apiece.  Rivers has 16 solo stops and Mausi has a pick on the season.

UConn vs. the ACC...

The Huskies are 7-23 all-time against the ACC.  UConn faces off with the league three times in 2023, falling to NC State in the opener 24-14, and match-ups with Duke and at Boston College on deck.  The Huskies went 1-2 against the league last season, earning a 13-3 win at home over Boston College but falling at home to Syracuse, 48-14, and on the road at No. 12 ranked NC State, 41-10. UConn is 2-0 against Duke, 2-2 against Virginia and 1-2 against Wake Forrest.  The Huskies are 1-3 against Boston College since the Eagles joined the league in 2005 and 0-3 vs. Syracuse since the Orange jumped to the ACC in 2013.  UConn has also faced Clemson (0-1), Georgia Tech (0-3), North Carolina (0-3) and NC State (0-4). The Huskies were 1-3 against Maryland when the Terrapins were a member of the conference through 2014.  The Huskies have also faced Louisville, Pitt and Virginia Tech in their history but prior to those teams joining the ACC.  The Huskies have never faced Florida State or Miami.