We know that fans enjoy getting the opponent perspective, so we are thankful that Aman Kidwai from The UConn Blog took the time to engage with us. Here are our questions, and you’ll find our answers to them on their site.
TNIAAM: What are the expectations from UConn fans for this season?
AK: After a 9-win season, the Huskies’ first since 2007, expectations are to be at or near the same level this year. There have been some key departures, but just one draft pick and a couple UDFA, and only two key transfers
out, at DL and RB. They had a good portal recruiting offseason and expect a lot out of returning guys as well. I think 8 wins was a reasonable preseason expectation, especially because the schedule is not hard.
Duke, BC, and Syracuse are the only opponents with preseason ratings ahead of UConn. The remaining opponents include a bunch of down bad programs like FIU, FAU, UAB, Ball State, and some other G5s that are sneaky tough at best in Rice, Buffalo, Delaware, and Air Force. After beating an FCS opponent badly, I don’t think those projections have changed much, though there is lots of hope heading into this Week 2 matchup.
TNIAAM: Syracuse likes to let their corners play man, how big of a risk is that against Skyler Bell? What makes him so effective as a deep threat?
AK: Skyler Bell is fast, has great hands, and is a YAC monster. His 80-yard TD against CCSU was a quick screen that he took to the house, and he’s done that before against FBS opponents last year. I’m not a defensive schematic expert, but given UConn’s less proven pass-catching weapons, Syracuse may benefit from shifting some coverage focus to him and letting the rest of the WRs and TEs try to beat them in the passing game, even if they like to let their corners play man. UConn had Purdue transfer TJ Sheffield last year, who was an NFL UDFA this offseason. This year, they have a few guys looking to step into that WR2 role but nobody who’s very proven.
TNIAAM: We’ve heard a lot about Joe Fagnano being in his 7th year, but last season he threw 20 TD’s and had only 4 interceptions. What is a way that opposing defenses can disrupt him and the passing game?
AK: He was not the full-time starter last season, as UConn had brought in Nick Evers, a former four-star out of the portal, and started him to open 2024. At the time, we didn’t know if Fagnano would be able to come back in 2025 so it seemed to make sense to start the high-potential young guy, but Evers kept getting hurt and had some decision-making issues. As UConn started stacking up wins, the coaching decision favored the QB who gave them the best chance to keep winning, which was Fagnano, who had started some games due to injury before being named the starter for the Syracuse game last year.
The former Maine transfer held down the starting job because he’s a strong decisionmaker and a solid athlete. In the spring of 2024, he reportedly beat out then-incumbent starter Ta’quan Roberson (former Penn State recruit, now the starter at Buffalo) before Evers joined. Fagnano doesn’t have a cannon or extraordinary accuracy, but he can hit his receivers in stride and give them a chance to make a play. He does miss throws on occasion but has kept turnovers down as you noted. I think pressure without blitzing and forcing the offense to be one-dimensional by stuffing the run would probably disrupt him and the passing game. I don’t think UConn wants to be passing it 40 times a game.
TNIAAM: Which Huskies defenders will be ones to watch this weekend?
AK: This side of the ball has a lot of new faces, so we’re still working to figure that out. D’Mon Brinson and Cam Chadwick have been longtime starters in the secondary, while Temple transfer Tyquan King is expected to be a difference maker at LB. We didn’t see much pass rushing or attacking from the defense in Week 1 from the rebuilt front seven, albeit against an FCS opponent. I’ll suggest Ben Smiley and Stephon Wright on the DL and Oumar Diomande and Bryun Parham at LB, but that’s more based on preseason evaluations than anything we’ve seen them do in a Husky uniform.
TNIAAM: What’s your prediction for the game and why?
AK: I think Syracuse has a talent edge on UConn and thought the loss to Tennessee did not affect any broad thoughts on the quality of the Orange heading into this matchup. I’m honestly not sure what to expect for how the game plays out in terms of being a track meet or a defensive battle, but it should be close. Syracuse wins, 28-20.
Thanks again to Aman for the responses to our questions and be sure to check out our responses on The UConn Blog.
