KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m.
TV: CBS Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Fran Charles (play-by-play), Taylor McHargue (analyst), Hailey Sutton (sideline)
RADIO: UConn Sports Network; Varsity Network App; 97.9 Fox Sports, WGCH 1490 AM, WAVZ 1300 AM, WILI 1400 AM and 95.3 FM, WICH 1310 AM and 94.5 FM; Sirius/XM online streaming, XM 382 (UConn)
ANNOUNCERS: Mike Crispino (play-by-play), Wayne Norman (color analyst), Adam Giardino (sideline)
RECORDS: UConn (1-2), Ball State (1-2, 0-0 MAC)
LAST WEEK: UConn lost another heartbreaker
as they fell to Delaware, 44-41, in overtime; Ball State snuck by FCS opponent New Hampshire, 34-29
POINT SPREAD: UConn -21.5 (odds via FanDuel)
O/U: 52.5
SERIES HISTORY: This is the fifth matchup between the Huskies and the Cardinals on the gridiron. Ball State has won all four previous meetings.
GAME NOTES WITH DEPTH CHART: UConn; Ball State
PREGAME PRESS CONFERENCE(S): UConn head coach Jim Mora; Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich
WEATHER FORECAST: East Hartford, CT
Fun With Numbers
21: UConn is 21-11 vs MAC opponents and 1-1 during the Jim Mora era against the conference.
2: Ball State has two former Huskies on its roster in Alfred Chea and Nathan Voorhis.
4.5: Voorhis leads the Cardinals with 4.5 sacks. Last year, their sack leader had 5.5 sacks.
5: UConn linebacker Bryun Parham has five sacks, which puts him in a three-way tie for the best mark in FBS this season.
11: Ball State is tied for fourth in the country in total sacks with 11 on the season. UConn had 10 sacks, which is tied for 10th in the country.
332: UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell has caught 22 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns. The 332 yards rank fifth in FCS.
1040: Cardinals quarterback Kiael Kelly has rushed for 1,040 yards in his career, which is the third most by a quarterback at the school.
40: The Huskies offense is averaging 40 points per game, which is 31st nationally.
525: UConn’s offense is averaging 525 yards per game, which ranks them 12th in FBS. They are also 12th in passing yards per game with 336.
97: Huskies head coach Jim Mora has 97 career wins as a college football coach.
What to watch for
The Running Back Rotation
UConn has had some struggles getting the run game going and the loss of Mel Brown to a collarbone injury doesn’t help. Brown and Cam Edwards were the primary ballcarriers out of the backfield for the Huskies across last season and the start of 2025. Victor Rosa has shown playmaking ability with his limited opportunities, though he did lose the ball against Delaware on a play that ended up being called back due to a defensive penalty.
Expect more of Rosa and for new contributors like Terrence Smith, MJ Flowers, Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, and Oliver Lundberg Coleman to get more opportunities. Brown’s injury is expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks, Mora said, so the Huskies will need guys to step up here.
Defensive Redemption
The UConn defense got gashed on Saturday at Delaware. It simply needs to hold up stronger against this Ball State team and tighten up its act across the season. The big plays on the ground and through the air need to stop, and they need to be stronger against the run. Ball State’s QB Kiael Kelly is also a running threat, like Delaware QB Nick Minicucci, who had a career day after stepping in as the Blue Hens’ backup.
Matt Brock’s crew needs to keep Kelly in check and also prevent him from hitting career highs in the passing game, the way it allowed Minicucci to achieve. If the Huskies can’t hold it down defensively against one of the worst teams in FBS, we’re gonna have problems.
Finish Strong
In two straight losses on the road, UConn finished with a better net success rate and held a lead in the fourth quarter, but missed opportunities to secure a win on late fourth downs and in overtime. The Huskies need to improve their situational execution and avoid outplaying their opponent in a loss as they head into this game favored by 21 points.
They did some things well in the Syracuse and Delaware games, like zero official turnovers, no interceptions, a mostly efficient passing attack, big plays on offense, and some emerging stars in the defensive front seven. But it doesn’t matter if they’re collapsing when they could be putting games away. Late mistakes loom large.
The advanced metrics suggest UConn is better than its 1-2 record, but that can go downhill quickly with a loss or even a bad performance in a win on Saturday at the Rent. Jim Mora’s squad needs to put the past behind them and take care of business by multiple scores to build momentum on the field and with the fanbase. They travel to Buffalo next week before a home date with FIU the following week — both of those games should be tougher than what they face this Saturday.
