University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Tennessee
Huskies Face No. 19 Tennessee Saturday
11/2/2023 10:37:00 AM | Football
TV: SEC Network
Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield - ESPN 97.9  Affiliates - WAVZ 1300 AM (New Haven), WGCH 1490 AM (Greenwich), WILI 1400 AM/95.3FM, (Willimantic); WICH 1310 AM/94.5 FM (Norwich) Online: The Varsity Network App
Game Notes:  UConn Tennessee
Quick Hits...
UConn stays on the road this week and heads to No. 19/16 nationally ranked Tennessee at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Huskies and Volunteers will kick-off at 12 noon on the SEC Network.
This will mark the first-ever match-up between the two schools and the Huskies first match-up against an SEC opponent since a 2021 trip to Vanderbilt. UConn is 2-6 all-time against teams from the SEC with a home win over the Commodores in 2010 and a win over South Carolina in the PapaJohns.com Bowl to cap the 2009 season.Â
This will be the Huskies second match-up against a nationally ranked opponent this season. UConn lost at home earlier this season to No. 18/18 Duke, 41-7. UConn's last win over a ranked opponent on the road came in 2012 at No. 19 Louisville, 23-20 in three overtimes. The Huskies have lost 11-straight on the road to ranked teams.
UConn heads to Tennessee coming off a 21-14 loss at New England rival Boston College last weekend. The BC offense held the ball for 40:44 minutes and ran 83 plays to 43 for the Huskies. The Eagles converted on 10-of-16 on third down and 3-of-4 on fourth down while picking-up 30 first downs while finishing with 246 yards on the ground in the win.
UConn sophomore running back Cam Edwards led the offense at BC, finishing with 89 yards on the ground including a 30-yard touchdown run, this third score on the season. R-junior Jelani Stafford scored his team-leading sixth touchdown in the loss. Defensively, junior Tui Faumuina-Brown finished with a career-high 12 tackles, 8 solo.
Scouting the Volunteers...
The Tennessee Volunteers rebounded from their loss at Alabama with a 33-37 road win at Kentucky last Saturday. The Vols moved up to No. 19 in this weeks AP Top-25 and No. 16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The Vols come in leading the SEC and ranking seventh nationally in rushing averaging 221.8 yards per game. Leading the ground game is junior back Jaylen Wright who has hit the century mark five games this season, piling up 713 yards on 102 carries. Wright averages 7.0 yards per carry, first in the SEC and eighth in the NCAA. Senior back Jabari Small has 415 yards on 82 carries. He has two scores and two touchdowns. Sophomore back Dylan Sampson has 376 yards rushing with a taem best seven touchdowns this season. Quarterback Joe Milton III has rushed for 258 yards and four TDs and averages 4.5 yards per rush. Through the air, Milton III has thrown for 1,763 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. On defense, Tennessee has a pair of the best pass rushers in the nation in James Pearce, Jr. and Tyler Baron. Pearce Jr. leads the team with 7.0 sacks, ranking second the SEC and 10th in the nation. Baron has 5.0 sacks, ninth in the league.
UConn vs. The SEC...
The Huskies are 2-6 all-time against teams from the SEC. The Huskies last faced a team from the SEC during the 2021 season, a 30-28 loss at Vanderbilt. UConn's last win against a team from the league was the 2010 season, a home win over the Commodores (40-21). The Huskies other victory came in PapaJohns.com Bowl, 20-7 over South Carolina to cap the 2009 season. UConn is 0-1 against Kentucky, 0-2 vs Missouri, 1-0 vs South Carolina, and 1-3 against Vanderbilt. The Huskies have a future home (2027) and away (2028) series on the docket against Ole Miss.
