The UConn Huskies close out the 2024 regular season and a three-game road swing on Saturday afternoon with a trip to New England Rival UMass.  The Huskies and Minutemen will face-off at 12 noon on ESPN+.

Saturday's match-up is the 78th in the all-time series between the Minutemen and the Huskies in a series that dates back to 1897.  UConn and UMass have met six times in the FBS era since 2012 with the Huskies winning four of those match-ups. UConn is 2-1 at UMass in those match-ups including a 31-18 win in Amherst last fall.. 

The Huskies saw their three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday, falling on the road at Syracuse, 31-24. UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano threw for 228 yards and two scores in the loss, completing 10 passes each to wideouts Skyler Bell and TJ Sheffield.  Running back Cam Edwards ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run, the longest play from scrimmage for the Huskies this season. The loss was the third this season for UConn against teams from the ACC.

The Huskies earned their seventh win of the season with the victory at UAB, guaranteeing the program's first winning season since the 2010 campaign. Seven wins is also the most since the 2010 season when UConn finished 8-5.  It is also marks the fastest to seven wins since the 2008 season.  If the Huskies can grab win number eight, it would tie for the fourth most wins in program history, accomplished 10 times.  During the program's FBS era (2002), UConn has won eight games six times and nine games twice.

UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis has been named a nominee for the 2024 Broyles Award, which honors college football's top assistant coaches, as announced on Tuesday by the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation.Sammis is one of 65 nominees in this class, selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 FBS programs across the country.

Last Meeting vs. UMass...Nov. 25, 2023 -- UConn 31 - UMass 18 -- Amherst, MA

UConn running back Cam Edwards finished with 102 yards and two touchdowns and the Husky defense forced three turnovers on the way to a season-ending 31-18 win at UMass in front of 12,291 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium last fall. In addition to forcing three turnovers, the UConn defense held UMass to just 59 yards rushing and 289 total yards in the win.  Edwards eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second time on the season, needing 19 carries.  Fellow back Victor Rosa ran for 71 yards and a touchdown in the win. Huskies forced turnovers on the first two UMass possessions and sophomore corner Mu-Mu Bin Wahad gave UConn the game's first points, returning an interception 45-yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. UConn quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson finished 16-of-28 for 174 yards, finding tight end Justin Joly for six completions. On defense, senior Jackson Mitchell made seven tackles and force a fumble.  Mitchell ended his UConn career with 438 total tackles, third all-time at UConn. UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh completed 18-of-30 for 230 yards and a touchdown.  Receiver Anthony Simpson caught six passes for 107 yards.

Scouting the Minutemen...The UMass Minutemen enter the season finale at 2-9 and coming off a 59-21 loss at No. 10 nationally ranked Georgia last weekend. The Minutemen have lost three-straight with their last win coming at home against Wagner, 35-7. Taisun Phommachanh has been under center for much of the season, completing 132-of-234 passes for 1590 yards and eight touchdowns, but injury forced him out of last two games.  A.J. Hairston has taken over as the signal caller and has thrown for 346 yards and two scores. On the ground, Jalen John is the team's top-runner with 505 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Wideout Jakobie Keeney-James has 45 catches for 771 yards and five scores. He is averaging 17.13 yards per catch. On defense, linebacker Jalen Stewart leads the team with 72 tackles. Defensive end Louce Julien is the team's top pass rusher with 5.0 sacks on the year.

Offensive Notes from Syracuse... UConn went to Joe Fagnano to start Saturday's game at Syracuse and the r-senior completed 27-of-48 passes for 270 yard and two touchdowns. His 27 completions marked a new career high for the signal caller.  The 27 completions and 48 pass attempts were a season-high for the UConn passing attack...The UConn running game averaged 7.3 yards per rush but had a season-low 17 rushing attempts in the loss...Running back Cam Edwards had a first quarter 71 yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-one play, marking the longest run of his career and the longest offensive play from scrimmage this season for UConn...UConn receivers Skyler Bell and TJ Sheffield each caught 10 passes in the game, marking the first time a UConn receiver hauled in double digit receptions since Aaron Turner (10), vs. Liberty in the 2022 season. Bell's 10 catches was a career-high and he finished with 113 yards receiving, marking his fourth 100-yard receiving effort this season and the fifth of his career.  For Sheffield, his 10 catches also marked a new career-high...Tight End Louis Hansen had a career-high 33 yards receiving and his third touchdown grab of the season.

Defensive Notes from Syracuse... For the third time this season the UConn defense held an opponent under 100 yards rushing, holding the Orange to 68 yards on the ground, the lowest total by an opponent this season...Linebacker Jayden McDonald posted 12 tackles in the loss, his fourth game this season with double digit stops. McDonald also added a sack to his game totals...Defensive backs Rante Jones, Lee Molette and Cam Chadwick all had season-highs for tackles. Jones posted nine stops with Molette and Chadwick chipping in seven tackles each...The Huskies allowed 470 yards passing, a season-high mark, just the second time this season a team has gone over 300 or more yards in the air on the Huskies.

Special Teams Notes from Syracuse... Punter Connor Stutz matched-his career-long with a 69 yard boot against the Orange. It matched the 69 yard punt he had in the Georgia State game...Place kicker Chris Freeman hit his only field goal attempt, a 42-yarder in the third quarter. It was his 16th make of the season, the most from a UConn kicker since the 2015 season. It also ties for sixth in the record book for most makes in a season.