The UConn Huskies are getting ready to start the third installment of the heated rivalry with Central Florida at Pratt and Whitney Stadium. Unlike last year, but not unlike the previous time here in Connecticut, UConn is the underdog.
In 2014’s matchup, a UCF team coming off a season in which it won the Fiesta Bowl over a top-5 Baylor team visited East Hartford on a cold, rainy day late in the fall. The Huskies forced turnovers and made a couple of big plays to defeat a Knights team which had lost its spirit by the end of the game.
Bob Diaco and the Huskies are hoping for more of the same today on a muggy day. The offense will be tested against a very solid UCF defense. With Tommy Hopkins out for the season, UConn will need, as it has all season, for the line to step up and create space in the running game otherwise the Huskies may struggle as the Knights’ defense is strongest in the passing game.
Where UConn will have an advantage is when the Knights have the ball. The Huskies should be able to make enough defensive stops and even force turnovers to provide short fields for the offense, similar to last year’s East Carolina game.
This is the Open Thread. Feel free to share you pre-game thoughts and predictions and stick around for a discussion of the game!