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KICKOFF: 12:00 p.m Eastern
ANNOUNCERS: Drew Fellios (play-by-play), Al Groh (color analyst)
RADIO: UConn IMG Radio Network; TuneIn; XM 388
ANNOUNCERS: Mike Crispino (play-by-play), Wayne Norman (color analyst), Adam Giardino (sideline)
RECORDS: SMU (4-5, 3-2 AAC); UConn (1-8, 0-5 AAC)
POINT SPREAD: SMU -19.5
OVER/UNDER: 66
SERIES HISTORY: The UConn Huskies and SMU Mustangs have met four times on the gridiron previously with SMU holding a 4-0 advantage.
LAST MEETING: UConn went to Dallas last year and was beat 49-28 by SMU.
UConn’s Depth Chart for SMU
Fun with Numbers:
934 - Rushing yards by UConn QB David Pindell which is tops in the AAC
103.8 - Rushing yards per game by Pindell, good for third best in FBS
159 - Rushing attempts by Pindell which leads all of FBS
26 - Passing touchdowns allowed by the UConn defense which is worst in FBS
18 - Passing touchdowns caught by SMU; second best in American.
32 - Rushing touchdowns allowed by UConn defense which is the worst in the American Athletic Conference
12 - Forced fumbles by SMU’s defense is the most amongst non-Power 5 schools
9 - Touchdowns caught by SMU receiver James Proche
17 - Number of times SMU QB Ben Hicks has been sacked
What to Watch For
A Familiar Face
After spending one season on the sidelines as the Huskies offensive coordinator, Rhett Lashlee left UConn this offseason to take the same role at SMU. Things have been bumpy for Lashlee in his first season, with the Mustangs’ offense ranking 101st in offensive S&P+, but they do rank 44th in the country with 257.9 passing yards per game. Will Lashlee’s offense look better than usual against a terrible UConn defense, or will Huskies defensive coordinator’s familiarity with Lashlee from last season be enough to stop SMU and give UConn a chance?
Washington Out
Last week, backup quarterback Marvin Washington didn’t make the trip to Tulsa for the Huskies’ 49-19 loss. This week, head coach Randy Edsall announced that Washington, who is still listed on the depth chart as the backup quarterback, will be the scout team quarterback for the remainder of the season to focus on his on his academics. While Steven Krajewski and Brandon Bisack didn’t see action against the Golden Hurricane, there’s a chance they could make their 2018 debut this weekend at the Rent.
Finish Strong
It’s been frustrating season for UConn fans and players, but the final quarter of the season begins Saturday, and all three games are winnable. With the Huskies still in search of their first win over an FBS opponent this season, even just one more win this season could help make this season sting less and generate a little bit of optimism for 2019.