College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the UConn Huskies season with what you need to know.
CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 UConn Huskies
UConn preview in 60 seconds
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– UConn Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 in AAC (now Independent)
Head Coach: Randy Edsall, 4th year, 6-30
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 125
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 126
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 126
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Offense 3 Things To Know
– The problems on the defensive side have overshadowed all of the issues on offense, but the program hasn’t known what 300 points in a season is like since going to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010.
The Huskies couldn’t move the ball last year. They couldn’t convert third downs, had no ground game, and averaged just 345 yards and fewer than 19 points per game. Now as an independent, there’s hope for just a wee bit of an improvement with enough experience back to start finding something that works.
CFN in 60 Video: UConn Huskies Preview
– QB Jack Zergiotis took his lumps as a freshman. The 6-1 Quebec native hit 58% of his passes for just 1,782 yards and nine touchdowns with 11 picks, and he’s not much of a runner. However, he showed the upside to potentially turn the passing game loose, throwing for 418 yards in the loss to East Carolina and showing enough over the second half of the year to be a player to build around.
Zergiotis appeared to be the main man late last year, but he still has to win the job over sophomore Steven Krajewski and former NC State transfer Micah Leon.
A slew of backup receivers are transferring, but Cameron Ross and Matt Drayton are young receivers who worked their way into the mix, and senior TE Jay Rose is a good midrange pass catcher.
– The offensive line was decimated by transfers with six either gone or looking for another home. Throw in the loss of new New York Giant Matt Peart at left tackle, and there’s a massive personnel problem.
On the plus side, however the configuration is worked out, there’s a good back in Kevin Mensah to work the offense around. The depth behind the 1,013-yard back, though, is non-existent.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Defense 3 Things To Know
– Baby steps. 2018 UConn could make a terrific case in the Worst College Football Defense Ever argument – allowing 605 points and allowing 49 or more in 10 of the 12 games – and the 2019 version was a bit better.
The Huskies couldn’t get behind the line, allowed 467 yards and 40.5 points per game, and got whacked around for 48 points or more in six of the last nine games, but … it was a bit better. However …
– The transfer problem is a big deal for the UConn offensive line, and it’s hitting the secondary really, really hard, too, starting with the loss of leading tackler safety Tyler Coyle to Purdue. The Huskies aren’t totally depleted at corner, but they’re close – they’re going to be really, really young. Junior Robert King will have to be the new leader at safety with Coyle done.
– Omar Fortt is back. He’s built like a smallish corner, but he’s the team’s leading linebacker and was the second-leading tackler last season. Jackson Mitchell is a promising option after coming up with a 65-tackle freshman season, and there are just enough other young linebackers to be fine – even with transfer issues hammering the depth. They’ll be busy behind a leaky defensive front.
6-4, 336-pound junior Travis Jones is a keeper. He’s decent at getting into the backfield, and he’s got the size to gum things up a bit. Now he needs help from someone to make something happen behind the line for a D that only generated 19 sacks. 270-pound junior Lwal Uguak was the team’s leading sacker with just four.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top UConn Huskies Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top UConn Huskies Players
Best UConn Huskies Offensive Player
RB Kevin Mensah, Sr.
The 5-9, 198-pounder isn’t all that big, but he’s been able to carry what little bit of a UConn offense there’s been over the last few seasons. Despite being keyed on by every defensive gameplan, he managed to run for over 1,000 yards over the last two seasons with 2,619 yards and 19 scores in his three seasons. He hasn’t been able to break loose all that often, but he’s been able to hold up.
2. WR Cameron Ross, Soph.
3. QB Jack Zergiotis, Soph.
4. TE Jay Rose, Sr.
5. WR Matt Drayton, Soph.
Best UConn Huskies Defensive Player
DT Travis Jones, Jr.
The guy is trying to do everything for a defensive front that hasn’t done a whole lot over the last few seasons. The 6-4, 336-pound local product helped up for 55 tackles as a freshman, and did his part for 40 stops with 3.5 sacks last season. He’s not necessarily a force in the backfield, but he’s able to occasionally find his way into positive plays.
2. LB Omar Fortt, Sr.
3. DE Lwal Uguak, Jr.
4. LB Jackson Mitchell, Soph.
5. S Rob King, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The UConn Huskies Offense
The passing game has to show up. The ground attack wasn’t bad two years ago, and it had its moments last season, but the inconsistencies throwing the ball have been a massive problem.
Yeah, the team managed to hit the 200-yard mark eight times, but that’s mostly because the O had to throw in blowouts. The Huskies only threw 14 touchdowns on the season and had more than one scoring pass in just four games.
There are three decent options at quarterback, and the receivers are fine, but averaging more than eight yards per pass – and being better on third downs – would be massive.
Biggest Key To The UConn Huskies Defense
The defensive front has to stop getting ripped apart. There haven’t been enough tackles for loss, and there’s not enough pressure in the backfield, but forget about any improvement overall unless there’s something happening consistently against a decent ground game. Offenses are getting way too many easy second and third down chances, and it all snowballs from there.
The Husky D wasn’t as bad as it was in 2018 – allowing over 4,000 rushing yards with 45 touchdowns – but it still gave up close to six yards per carry, 34 scores, and was hit for 200 rushing yards or more in seven of the last nine games.
Key UConn Huskies Player To A Successful Season
DT Caleb Thomas, Jr.
Travis Jones has next-level potential at one tackle, but he needs more help inside. The 6-0, 287-pound Thomas has enough starting experience, and just enough size, to start being more than a part of the rotation. The line needs steady producers – the opportunity is there for Thomas to make a massive impact.
Key Game To The UConn Huskies Season
Old Dominion, Oct. 3
If there’s any hope of coming up with a decent season, the Huskies have to beat UMass in the opener, and then take down Old Dominion a few weeks later. There are just enough winnable games on the slate to push for four wins or more for the first time since 2015.
Beat the Monarchs, don’t slip against Maine a week later, and they’ll have three wins with Liberty, San Jose State, and Middle Tennessee still to face.
– UConn Huskies Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 UConn Fun Stats
– 3rd Down Conversions: Opponents 67-of-134 (50%) – UConn 48-of-163 (39%)
– Points Per Game: Opponents 40.5 – UConn 18.9
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 136 – UConn 45
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: UConn Huskies Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
There’s still SO much work to do.
It’s been a rough second act for head coach Randy Edsall – who brought the program to some prominence before back in the mid-to-late 2000s – and it starts with being totally unable to generate much of anything from the lines.
And now, despite going 6-30 in three seasons – and with three of those wins coming against FCS teams – everything is still in rebuilding mode.
However, even with way too many transfers and way too many young parts that need to emerge, there’s hope for a decent year as the program moves to life as an independent.
There are seven games on the slate against teams that didn’t go bowling last season, a few against teams that were just as miserable as UConn was, and just enough hope to work towards a four-win season.
That might not sound like much, but the Huskies have broke the three-win mark just once since 2012.
Set The UConn Huskies Regular Season Win Total At … 3.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 3
Assume wins over UMass and Maine. Don’t assume a win over anyone else – the program hasn’t earned that benefit of the doubt over the last few seasons – but Old Dominion is a winnable game.
There should be one slight-stunner at home late in the year if the lines can be anything less than miserable. But … can it get to four wins? UConn will be the underdog in at least eight games, but the program is overdue for something stunningly positive.
Or, just a season with a little bit of promise.
