UConn dominated every aspect of Saturday’s game at Boston College, except on the ground.
Even after the Eagles lost their No. 1 running back to injury early, UConn gave up 152 yards on 30 rushing attempts in the first half. The Huskies’ offense took control after the break and BC had to pass its way back into the game, only running for 39 additional yards as the Huskies emphasized their collective pursuit to the ball.
“We have a really good defensive coaching staff and they made adjustments, and then fortunately we have a really smart football team that cares and so when we make adjustments as coaches, our players can comprehend it and they can put it into action, and that’s what they did,” head coach Jim Mora said after the game.
In order to extend their winning streak to five games at Rice on Saturday, the run defense must be there all four quarters.
Aside from the service academies, which traditionally run option offenses, Rice has more rushing attempts than anyone in the FBS with 351 through seven games. With a new offensive scheme brought in by first-year head coach Scott Abell, the Owls rank No. 17 in the nation in rush yards per game with 215.4, and in doing so, they are 19th in time of possession.
With a new offense brought in by first-year coach Scott Abell in place, Rice ranks No. 17 in the nation in rush yards per game with 215.4. (Maria Lysaker/Rice Athletics)
But Rice limped into its bye week having lost three games in a row, to Navy, FAU and UTSA.
It was a defensive battle when the programs last met at Rentschler Field in 2024 and the Owls took a 3-0 lead into halftime. UConn’s running game came on in the second half and the Huskies eventually came out on top, 17-10, despite turning the ball over twice and allowing a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown from Quinton Jackson, who is now the Owls’ lead running back.
Matching up for the third year in a row, UConn leads the all-time series against Rice, 2-0. The Huskies forced four turnovers to win at Rice Stadium, 38-31, in 2023.
The Owls’ defense, which held the Huskies to 309 total yards last season with Nick Evers behind center and pitched a first-half shutout, has some continuity.
Jon Kay, a four-time Texas high school state champion coach, served as the linebackers coach for the Owls last season before taking on defensive coordinator duties this year. Senior linebacker Andrew Awe, who made five tackles against the Huskies last season, including one for a loss, is Rice’s leading tackler with 52 on the season. Ty Morris, another linebacker who had five tackles plus a sack and a TFL at The Rent last year, has 45 tackles on the season so far.
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Keys to the game
Balance on offense: When Mora looks for offensive balance, the goal isn’t to run the ball half the time and pass it the other half.
“It means that if you have to throw the ball to win a game, you’re able to do it effectively. And if you get in a game and you have to run it to win, you can do that effectively,” he said Tuesday.
At Boston College, especially with Cam Edwards going down early with a shoulder injury, it was clear that the Huskies would have to win with QB Joe Fagnano’s arm – and Fagnano answered the bell, completing 74% of his passes for a new UConn career-high 362 passing yards. The seventh-year QB is the only player in the FBS with at least 200 passing attempts and zero interceptions.
Edwards eventually returned to Saturday’s game and is doing “fine,” according to Mora, who said he looked “damn good” in practice this week.
Rice ranks No. 43 in the nation with 199.1 passing yards allowed per game and has the No. 88 rush defense, allowing 158.1 yards per game on the ground. UConn’s offense, high-powered as ever, will need to make the most of its possessions as Rice looks to keep its defense off the field for as long as possible.
The Owls allowed 246 yards and three touchdowns through the air in a 61-13 loss at UTSA before their bye week. They also gave up some big plays on the ground as the Roadrunners ran for 191 yards and three touchdowns.
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Contain the run: UConn hasn’t had much experience against mobile quarterbacks this season, and it is likely to be tested this week against Rice sophomore QB Chase Jenkins, who has 80 rushing attempts and only 89 passing attempts to this point.
The Owls used four different quarterbacks in their last game against UTSA and only completed 10 of 19 passes for 79 yards through the air.
Quentin Jackson, who had the 100-yard return last season and leads the Owls with 487 rushing yards on 98 attempts (5.1 yards per carry), is a player to watch out of the backfield. So is Daelen Alexander, who carried most of the load the last time out, accumulating 129 yards on 12 rushing attempts with the team’s lone touchdown.
Look for UConn’s linebacker group to play a significant role, especially Bryun Parham, who is No. 27 in the nation in tackles (61), No. 4 in sacks (8.5) and No. 5 in tackles for loss (11).
What to know
Site: Rice Stadium in Houston
Line: UConn by 10 1/2
Time: 3 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ – Ted Emrich, Charles Arbuckle, Smacker Miles
Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield, Fox Sports 97.9
Online: The Varsity Network App – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman, Adam Giardino
Record: UConn: 5-2, Rice: 3-4
Series: UConn leads, 2-0
Last meeting: Oct. 26, 2024 – UConn 17, Rice 10 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford
