UConn Football vs. Rhode Island: How to Watch, By The Numbers, Keys To Game

KICKOFF: 12:00 PM ET

TV: SNY, WatchESPN

ANNOUNCERS: Eamon McAnaney (play-by-play), Andy Gresh (color analyst), Justine Ward (sideline)

RADIO: UConn IMG Radio Network; TuneIn; Sirius 83, XM 206

ANNOUNCERS: Mike Crispino (play-by-play), Wayne Norman (color analyst), Bob Joyce (sideline)

POINT SPREAD: Pick’em

OVER/UNDER: n/a

SERIES HISTORY: The UConn Huskies and Rhode Island Rams will meet on the gridiron for the 95th time this weekend. UConn leads the overall series 51-35-8. They are 2-0 against the Rams since moving to the FBS level.

UConn’s Depth Chart for Rhode Island

Fun with Numbers:

4.5 - UConn’s average margin of victory against FCS schools since losing to Towson in 2013

18 - The number of tackles by Kevon Jones, which is tops for freshman in all of Division I

25 - URI snuck into the top 25 last week and enters their matchup against UConn as the No. 25 team in FCS

15 - The number of wins UConn has against FCS schools (15-1)

5 - Forced fumbles by URI, which is tops in FCS with Weber State and Alabama State.

9 - Huskies punter Luke Magliozzi punted nine times in the loss to Boise State for a total of 432 yards. His longest punt of the night was 59 yards.

What to Watch For

Bounce Back

After a systemic beatdown on the road against Boise State last week, UConn has a chance to rebound with a favorable matchup against FCS Rhode Island. Can the Huskies get over their terrible loss and take care of business for their first win of 2018?

Another Aerial Offense

Make no mistake, the Rams will not be as good offensively as UCF or Boise State, but URI’s offense does most of their damage through the air, averaging 254 passing yards per game. For a UConn defense (and secondary especially) that has struggled, this could make this matchup a little closer than it probably should be. Quarterback JaJuan Lawson is a legitimate dual-threat option, and wide receivers Aaron Parker and Isaiah Coulter could give the Huskies some problems.

Must Win or Can’t Lose?

Even though it’s early, a loss here is bad omen for this season and possibly the program as a whole. A win over a regional (and FCS opponent) is needed to keep morale from getting lower than it already is. A strong performance Saturday could give this young team some momentum and confidence heading into a tough road game at Syracuse. A loss puts a winless season very much in play and would be another brutal blow to a lagging fanbase.