University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Duke
Huskies Battle the Blue Devils Saturday at The Rent
11/6/2025 2:06:00 PM | Football
Media Coverage
Television: CBS Sports Network
(pxp) Rich Walz (analyst) Robert Turbin (sideline) Tiffany Blackmon
Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield Flagship Station - Fox Sports 97-9 FM (Hartford)
(pxp) Mike Crispino (color) Wayne Norman (sideline) Adam Giardino
Affiliates - WAVZ 1300 AM (New Haven), WGCH 1490 AM (Greenwich), WILI 1400 AM/95.3FM, (Willimantic); WICH 1310 AM/94.5 FM (Norwich-New London)
Online: The Varsity Network App
SiriusXM 387 and on the SiriusXM App
Live Stats: UConn.Statbroadcast.com
Social Media: X: @UConnFootball Instagram: UConnFootball
Quick Hits
The UConn Huskies continue their three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon playing host to the Duke Blue Devils at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Kick-off is slated for 3:30 pm on CBS Sports Network
Saturday's match-up marks the fifth meeting between UConn and Duke with the series tied at 2-2. The Blue Devils have taken the last two match-ups, winning at home in 2024 (26-21) and at The Rent in 2023 (41-7). The Huskies took the first two back in 2004 and 2007. UConn is 1-1 against teams from the ACC this season, losing in overtime, 27-20, at Syracuse and winning at Boston College, 38-23.
UConn is coming off a 38-19 win over UAB last weekend, remaining unbeaten at home this season (4-0) while also clinching bowl eligibility for the second-straight season. The Huskies haven't been bowl eligible in consecutive campaigns since the 2009 and 2010 season and have now reached bowl eligibility in three of four seasons under head coach Jim Mora.
Husky wide receiver Skyler Bell continued to put up big numbers, catching eight passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Bell has caught six or more passes in eight of nine games this season and hauled in 10-plus catches in three games. He raised his season total to 11 touchdown grabs, tying the UConn school record.
Quarterback Joe Fagnano completed 23 of 30 passes for 267 yards and threw four touchdowns in the win and in doing so eclipsed the 10,000 yards passing mark in his career between UConn and his time at Maine. Fagnano has thrown 22 touchdowns this season and has thrown for three or more touchdowns in three-straight games. He ran his streak to 10-straight games dating back to last season without an interception.
Last Meeting vs. Duke... Sept. 14, 2024 - Duke 26 UConn 21 - Durham, NC
The UConn Huskies got 106 yards rushing and a touchdown from running back Cam Edwards but saw their second half lead erased in the fourth quarter as the Duke Blue Devils came away with a 26-21 win last season at Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke erased a 21-17 UConn lead in the fourth quarter with a Todde Pelino field goal and quarterback Malik Murphy's third touchdown throw of the night en route to the win. Murphy finished 28-for-43 for 267 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. For UConn, Edwards rumbled to his third career 100-yard game needing 21 carries to hit the century mark while adding a 26-yard catch to his stat line. R-Sophomore Nick Evers was under center to lead the UConn offense and threw his first career touchdown. Evers finished the night 15-of-29 for 135 yards and also ran it 10 times for 60 yards. Duke broke out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter before the Huskies started to claw their way back. The first score came on a linebacker Langston Hardy 65-yard interception return for six. The Huskies owned the third quarter, putting two scoring drives to take a 21-17 lead. Duke pulled within 21-20 on the first play of the fourth quarter as Pelino hit his second field goal of the night. The Blue Devils created their second turnover on the next UConn drive, Murphy found Que'Sean Brown for the go-ahead score. The Huskies had a chance to cut into the lead but a 48-yard field goal chance with 5:42 left went wide right and the Blue Devils would take over and never give UConn the ball back. Star Thomas ran for 122 yards on 22 carries while Brown caught all 11 passes thrown his way for 87 yards and a score for Duke. The Blue Devils finished with 409 yards of total offense.
Scouting the Blue Devils... The Duke Blue Devils make their way north fresh off a 46-45 win on the road at Clemson last weekend to improve to 4-1 in the ACC and 5-3 overall. The Blue Devils feature the 4th ranked passing offense in the country (324.3) led by quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah is among the national leaders in all passing categories, including 2nd in passing yards per game (321.5). He has thrown for 2,572 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. Wideout Cooper Barkate leads the team with 45 catches for 774 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 96.8 yards per game and 17.2 yards per catch on the year. In the backfield, Nate Sheppard has carried the ball 84 times for 557 yards and five scores. He averages 6.6 yards per carry. Fellow back Anderson Castle has run for 319 yards (5.5 ypc) and has found the endzone six times on the season. Defensively, safeties Caleb Weaver and Dashawn Stone lead the team with 57 and 52 tackles, respectively.
UConn vs. the ACC... The Huskies are 9-29 all-time against the ACC. The Huskies are 1-1 against the conference this season, losing a tough 27-20 overtime game at Syracuse and posting a 380-23 win on the road at Boston College. UConn snapped a six-game skid against the conference with a win over North Carolina in the 2025 Wasabi Fenway Bowl to cap last season. UConn is 2-2 against Duke, 2-2 against Virginia and 1-3 against Wake Forrest. The Huskies are 2-4 against Boston College since the Eagles joined the league in 2005 and 0-5 vs. Syracuse since the Orange jumped to the ACC in 2013. UConn has also faced Clemson (0-1), Georgia Tech (0-3), North Carolina (1-3) and NC State (0-4). The Huskies were 1-3 against Maryland when the Terrapins were a member of the conference through 2014. The Huskies have also faced Louisville, Miami, Pitt, SMU and Virginia Tech in their history but prior to those teams joining the ACC. The Huskies have never faced Cal, Florida State or Stanford.
