Uconn football
Huskies open their season today at Fresno State at 2 p.m.
After opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, the Uconn football team will take the field at Fresno State on Saturday (2 p.m. ET., CBS Sports Network).
It’s the first game in over 600 days for the Huskies, who will face a Fresno State program loaded with returning starters from a team that finished 3-3 last season.
The Huskies, who arrived in California late Thursday, are making their furthest trip west in program history (the previous longest was Boise State in 2017) and will open the season on the road for the first time since 2010 at Michigan. It is also their first time playing as an independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference. They’ll do so under intense heat, with temperatures expected to be in the high 80s by the time the two sides kick off.
Uconn head coach Randy Edsall isn’t worried about the sultry conditions as the
Huskies look for their fourth win over an FBS opponent in the last four seasons.
“I’m not concerned about it at all, because I can’t control it,” Edsall said. “To me, it’s no big deal. We’ve got to go out and play in it and we’ll do everything that we can in terms of practicing outside doing the things that we have to do. We’ve done things during preseason, and I think our kids are in really good condition. Again, it might be where you have to play more guys, and we’re ready for that.”
The players are ready for it too.
“We’re going to control what we can control,” Uconn senior offensive lineman Ryan Van Demark said. “Go out there, stay hydrated like we would for any other game.”
According to the two-deep depth chart released Monday, the Huskies have two starting quarterback candidates. Sophomore Jack Zergiotis and redshirt sophomore Steven Krajewski are both listed in an either-or capacity, though
Krajewski is also penciled in as the starting holder on special teams.
As of Friday a starter had not been publicly named in what now appears to be a gameday decision by Edsall and his coaching staff.
Zergiotis, who threw for 1,782 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 10 games as a freshman, practiced with the first team offense at the two August practices open to media. Krajewski played in four games last season (292 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) and said at media day in July he is “ready to take over that position and play to the best of my ability.”
When asked for clarity on the quarterback situation Tuesday, Edsall kept details close to the vest.
“It is what it is,” he said. “We’ll see Saturday.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Huskies’ season opener.
The basics
Time: 2 p.m. ET.
Venue: Jim Sweeney Field at Bulldog Stadium.
Last meeting: The two programs have never played.
The line: Fresno State -27.5.
Last year: Fresno State (3-3); Uconn (did not play in 2020, 2-10 in 2019).
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Uconn IMG Radio Network (Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman and Adam Giardano) — 97.9 ESPN Hartford.
Livestream: Information can be found at the CBS Sports website.
Fresno State players to watch
Bulldogs senior running back Ronnie Rivers has amassed 2,629 career rushing yards and 44 total touchdowns and was named to Doak Walker Award watch list this year, given out to the nation’s top back. Senior quarterback Jake Haener passed for 2,021 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2020 and was fourth nationally in yards per game. Junior wide receiver Jalen Cropper caught 37 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns in 2020 and leads a deep group. Senior defensive end Kwami Jones totaled five sacks for a middle-of-the-pack defense.
The tale of the tape
Uconn’s offense: While the Huskies listed both Jack Zergiotis and Steven Krajewski as potential starters at quarterback on Monday’s two-deep, the rest of the offense is set. Edsall has praised the team’s depth at wide receiver and running back, and experienced players like Kevin Mensah, Cam Ross and Jay Rose could be leaned upon in an early season contest.
Uconn’s defense: After historic struggles in 2018 and a nearly-as-bad performance in 2019, the Huskies’ defense will look to improve this season. Experience should help, as eight of the defensive starters on Uconn’s two-deep depth chart also started last season. Uconn’s pass rush will be needed to slow down the Bulldogs’ offense.
Fresno State’s offense: Haener was one of the nation’s most accurate quarterbacks in 2020, Rivers is a reliable running back and Phil Steele’s 2021 college football preview named three Fresno State wide receivers to its preseason all-mountain West team. Suffice to say, the Bulldogs have weapons.
Fresno State’s defense: The Bulldogs allowed 430 yards per game in 2020, 42nd most nationally, but struggled most against the run, giving up 212.3 rushing yards per game — 22nd most in the country.
Key matchup: Uconn’s secondary vs. Fresno State’s passing attack.
The Bulldogs threw the ball more than 41 times per game in 2020 and could look to pounce on a Uconn defense which allowed 243.3 passing yards per game on just over 28 attempts on average in 2019.
With Cropper, redshirt sophomore Josh Kelly (22 catches last year) and either a quick Keric Wheatfall or burly, 6-foot-4 Ty Jones (a Washington transfer) running routes, the Huskies secondary could have its hands full. Senior Jeremy Lucien is the only set-in-stone starter, per the two-deep depth chart Uconn announced Monday, with some mesh of Myles Bell, Tre Wortham, Malik Dixon, Durante Jones, Jalon Ferrell and Diamond Harrell set to occupy the opposite corner spot and two safety positions.
Edsall said Monday that “some guys didn’t maybe separate themselves as much” in the secondary on ESPN 97.9’s coaches show on Monday, but said a day later that he’s not concerned about Uconn’s defensive secondary against Fresno State.
“I feel good about our secondary, I feel good about whoever is going to go into the game and play for us,” Edsall said. “Whether they start the game or whether they spell somebody or, hopefully somebody doesn’t get an injury. I feel good about all those guys.”
Uconn player to watch:
Mensah. If Uconn is still not sold on a singular quarterback, the senior running back in search of his third straight 1,000-yard season could be looked to early — especially against a run defense which was among the shakiest in 2020.
About Fresno State’s coach:
Kalen Deboer. His first season as head coach came last year after serving as offensive coordinator at Indiana (2019), Fresno State (201718) and Eastern Michigan (201416).
About Fresno State’s mascot:
Bulldogs. The school’s real life iteration is named Victor E. Bulldog.
Famous Bulldogs alumni:
David Carr, Derek Carr, Lane Kiffin, Trent Dilfer, Davonta Adams, Paul George and Aaron Judge.