UConn football team looks to end its road woes at SMU
It's nearly impossible to thrive in the high-scoring American Athletic Conference without a potent offense.
Too often last season, UConn brought a sling shot to a fire fight.
An anemic offense contributed to the Huskies' dismal 3-9 record in 2016. They averaged a conference low 14.8 points per game. Cincinnati was the only other AAC team to average under 20 points at 19.3. Both programs won just one conference game.
UConn possesses considerably more firepower this season while running a new up-tempo attack under the guidance of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. The Huskies are averaging 27.7 points, ranking seventh UCONN AT SMU 4 p.m. Ford Stadium, ESPNEWS
out of 12 AAC teams, and stand fifth in total offense at 489.3 yards.
The improvement is just a start, according to head coach Randy Edsall, who takes UConn (1-2, 0-1) on the road to face Southern Methodist (31, 0-0) on Saturday in an ACC game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas (4 p.m., ESPNEWS).
"Our guys are getting more comfortable with what we're doing," Edsall said. "Everybody always hates to hear this word, but we're executing. We're executing the things that are being called. If we can continue to do that and continue to stay ahead of the chains, then we've got a chance to continue to grow and continue to get better, which we will do.
"But there's still a whole lot of things that we've got to get better at. We're still nowhere near or even close to where we want to be from an offensive standpoint."
Edsall pointed to finishing drives, being more productive in the red zone, and short yard situations as primary concerns.
Of course, there would be less pressure on the offense to deliver if the defense did its job. The defense is allowing 33 points and 556.3 yards per game. Slow starts have killed the Huskies. Take last week's 41-38 loss to East Carolina. The Huskies fell in a 34-14 hole before rallying to close the gap late in the fourth quarter.
In three games this season, UConn has been outscored 71-21 in the first half. That's not a formula for success, especially on the road.
SMU is on pace to set a school record for scoring average and total offense, hitting 48 points and 499.5 yards per game. The explosive Mustangs have 28 plays of at least 20 yards.
Sophomore quarterback Ben Hicks, who's thrown a league-best 10 touchdown passes with 10, has a variety of weapons at his disposal. Sophomores Ke'Mon Freeman (243 yards, 5 TDs) and Xavier Jones (296 yards, 2 TDs) are the top rushers while Trey Quinn (22 catches, 2 TDs) and Courtland Sutton (13 catches, 5 TDs) are the primary receivers.
"We've got a big challenge on our hands," Edsall said. "They're a very talented football team. Very impressed watching them on film . ... You better make sure your eyes are in the right place defensively because if you're not doing what you're supposed to, then you're going to give up big plays. That's something that we just can't afford to do.
"Defensively, they have a lot of guys that are productive. We're going to have to play well and make sure we don't make mistakes and make sure we get better from last week."
UConn will be looking to end a drought of losing seven straight regular season road games dating back to November 2015.