UConn football future opponents: Week 2

UConn football lost badly to Syracuse Saturday, 48-14. UConn had a chance to get above .500 for the first time in several years but failed to even cover as three-touchdown underdogs.

The Huskies are already a quarter of the way through their season. Here’s an overview of how Week 2 went for their nine remaining opponents.

No. 4 Michigan (2-0) - Sept. 17

The first two weeks have been nothing short of dominant for the Wolverines. Hawaii came to the Big House on Saturday afternoon and never had a chance. Michigan put up three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters and went into cruise control by the time the Rainbow Warriors got on the board with a field goal toward the end of the third quarter.

JJ McCarthy was ruthlessly efficient, completing 11 of his 12 pass attempts for 229 yards and three touchdowns, earning a 99.2 QBR before sitting. This was enough to earn the starting nod against UConn, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. Five Wolverines found the end zone on the ground, led by Blake Corum, who had nine rushes for 88 yards.

No. 18 NC State (2-0) - Sept. 24

FCS Charleston Southern went to Raleigh on Saturday afternoon and the Wolfpack did not mess around, grabbing a 55-3 victory. The Buccaneers had merely 150 yards of offense and just nine first downs, while NC State gained 538 yards and 32 first downs. Charleston Southern also had three turnovers and also did not have a drive longer than 40 yards. The visitors also had seven three-and-outs, two of which had negative yardage.

Devin Leary was 16-of-25 passing for 238 yards and four scores, with two more touchdowns on the ground on three carries for 20 yards. As a team, NC State spread the carries around and rushed 42 times for 217 yards. Delbert Mimms III had the most carries, with nine, gaining 39 yards.

Fresno State (1-1) - Oct. 1

Fresno State hosted Oregon State and the Beavers took a 35-32 win on the last play of the game after a seven-play, 73-yard drive in just 58 seconds. This was the third of three touchdowns scored in the final 1:50 of the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs out-gained Oregon State by nearly 100 yards and had 33:10 of possession, but the Beavers had the ball when it mattered and served the hosts their first loss of the season.

Jordan Mims carried the load for Fresno State on the ground, with 21 of the team’s 29 carries, running for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns, adding 27 receiving yards as well. Haener threw for 360 yards and a touchdown on 29-of-45 passing.

FIU (1-1) - Oct. 8

FIU was in San Marcos on Saturday to take on Texas State. The Bobcats did not take kindly to their feline visitors, as the Panthers were served a 41-12 defeat. The Panthers' defense allowed more than 200 total yards to Calvin Hill, who rushed 28 times and had two more receptions. Meanwhile, Texas State had two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to truly put the game out of reach.

Grayson James was a respectable 30-of-47 passing, but gained just 196 yards and threw a pair of interceptions. The ground attack had just as much of a struggle, gaining just 62 yards on 22 carries. James ran eight times for 18 yards, which was tied for the team lead with EJ Wilson Jr., who accomplished the same production on six carries, adding a touchdown.

Ball State (0-2) - Oct. 15

The Cardinals opened MAC play on Saturday, welcoming in Western Michigan. The Broncos were not kind guests, leaving Muncie with a 37-30 win on a 60-yard Sean Taylor rush with 7:33 to play. The teams were deadlocked in yards (447-437), with a slight edge to the Cardinals, but Western Michigan led the turnover battle, 2-1, and had six more first downs. The game also had six lead changes and an additional tie. Ball State had the largest lead when it went up nine midway through the third quarter.

John Paddock was 23-of-40 passing for 291 yards, mixing in a pair of scores through the air. Only three Cardinals had a rushing attempt, 26 of which were by Carston Steele. He went for 147 yards while also finding the end zone.

Boston College (0-2) - Oct. 29

Night games in Blacksburg are always tough. Virginia Tech raced out to a 17-0 lead on the Eagles and only a field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the second half prevented Boston College from going into the locker room without points, leading to a 27-10 win for the Hokies. The visiting Eagles had just 155 yards of total offense and had the game’s only turnover. However, wet weather at Lane Stadium kept Virginia Tech down as well, as the teams combined for just 25 first downs.

Dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate Phil Jurkovich had a dreadful game, completing 15 of his 28 passes for 135 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also lost 25 yards rushing on 12 attempts and was sacked five times. This led to four net rushing yards for Boston College on 26 carries.

UMass (0-2) - Nov. 4

UMass got shattered in the Glass Bowl, as Toledo scored the game’s first 28 points on the way to a 55-10 win over the Minutemen. UMass scored a touchdown with seconds remaining in the first half and then the Rockets went on to score 27 more unanswered points before a sad field goal with 23 ticks left on the clock would break the run. The Minutemen had just 13 first downs and were outgained 411-253.

Gino Campiotti was 5-of-14 passing for 27 yards, though he did run for 65 yards on 12 carries. Ellis Merriweather had the most rushing attempts, carrying the ball 17 times for 54 yards.

Liberty (2-0) - Nov. 12

Both teams struggled to finish off drives as Liberty took down UAB at home on Saturday, 21-14. The contest featured five turnovers, four of which were by the visiting Blazers. UAB would open the scoring, but the Flames scored 21 unanswered and though the Blazers answered back with 3:08 remaining, they were unable to get the ball back to try and force overtime.

Kaidon Salter provided a strong offensive spark for Liberty, doing it with his arm and his legs. He rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries and found the end zone, while also throwing for 202 yards on 13-of-25 passing. Salter led the team in attempts, but Shedro Louis had 13 carries for 45 yards and a score and Dae Dae Hunter (10 carries, 64 yards) found pay dirt, as well.

Army - (0-2) Nov. 19

UTSA traveled to face the Black Knights in West Point and though the Road Runners did not lead until 7:11 remaining in the game, the visitors prevailed 41-38 in overtime after Army went on a 12-play, 75-yard drive to score with 1:03 on the clock to force the extra session. The hosts were slightly out-gained in the offensive battle, 512-483, while the Black Knights also were minus-2 in the turnover battle.

Army opened up the passing playbook a little, as Cade Ballard was 11-of-15 passing for 221 yards and a touchdown. Tyhier Tyler also completed a 77-yard touchdown while also leading the team in rushing yards, grabbing 61 yards on nine carries. Ballard (16 attempts, 58 yards) paced the Black Knights in rushes, while Jakobi Buchanan found the end zone twice.