A 10-win season remains in play for the UConn football team, which improved to 7-3 with an improbable comeback victory at UAB last week. The win clinched the Huskies’ first winning season since 2010.
In over 100 years of history, UConn’s only 10-win campaign came in 1998, when the Huskies were still a member of the Atlantic 10 conference, two years before moving up to the FBS level. In order to reach the mark this year, UConn would have to beat Syracuse and UMass on the road and then win their first postseason game since the 2009 Papa John’s Bowl.
Saturday’s game at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse marks the fourth and final chance at a regular season victory over a power conference team for the Huskies, who lost their opener at Maryland and two ACC games against Duke and Wake Forest. Syracuse won at California on Saturday to improve to 7-3 and received votes in Sunday’s AP poll.
UConn has won its last two meetings against UMass, which fell to 2-8 with an overtime loss to Liberty at home on Saturday. The Minutemen have a tough matchup at No. 8 Georgia this week before hosting the Huskies in the Nov. 30 season finale.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) metric has UConn ranked No. 81, with Syracuse at No. 62 and UMass No. 126. The Huskies have a 26.3% chance to win out, according to ESPN.
Here are the latest bowl projections for the 7-3 Huskies after Week 12:
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
Run it back? ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura projected UConn to go back to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, where it landed two years ago after the team finished its regular season at 6-6 in its first year under head coach Jim Mora. Bonagura has UConn meeting the Huskies of Northern Illinois, who beat Notre Dame on Sept. 7 in one of the first major upsets this season.
Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 18 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm’s prediction – a trip to Florida just before the Holidays – is one that should get UConn fans excited. Palm had the Huskies in this game two weeks ago against Miami (OH) but changed the opponent this week to Rutgers, setting up what would be a battle between former Big East foes and two of the best teams in the northeast.
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Formerly known as the Quick Lane Bowl, UConn is projected by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach to meet Miami (OH) at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the Detroit Lions. The RedHawks are currently four spots above the Huskies by ESPN’s FPI metric and are riding a five-game winning streak.
68 Ventures Bowl
Dec. 26 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
247Sports’ Brad Crawford projects the Huskies to end up in the 68 Ventures Bowl against Lousiana-Monroe (ULM). The same prediction was made last week by Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.
