UConn Football Has Chance To Attract National Attention On Saturday

The Huskies enter College Park as huge underdogs
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The UConn Football Huskies enter Saturday with the opportunity to pull off a major upset.

For the first time since 2013, UConn will take on the Maryland Terrapins. Kickoff is set for noon at SECU Stadium in College Park. Maryland’s program is humming after a 2023 season in which it finished 8-3 and defeated Auburn in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl to end the year.

UConn finds itself undergoing massive personnel changes entering the 2024 season. Head coach Jim Mora, who is 9-16 at the helm so far at UConn, appointed new coordinators on offense and defense this offseason and completely revamped the Huskies roster. UConn features as many as 27 transfers, including four starters on offense.

Headlining Mora’s transfer class is sophomore quarterback Nick Evers, who was publicly revealed as the Huskies starter this week. With three years of eligibility remaining, Evers first attended Oklahoma out of high school and transferred to Wisconsin last season before ultimately landing in Storrs. Transfers Skyler Bell and TJ Sheffield are expected to be among Evers’s top targets at receiver.

Though not as severe as UConn’s, Maryland has undergone some roster changes of its own. Head coach Mike Locksley is handing his offense over to a new quarterback in Billy Edwards Jr.

Maryland’s most talented offensive player is running back Roman Hemby, who is expected to feature heavily in Week 1 versus UConn. The Huskies’ success or failure in College Park will depend largely on their defense’s ability to contain Hemby.

With Maryland seen as heavy favorites, UConn has the chance to generate national headlines with a surprise victory.

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Colin Keane
COLIN KEANE

Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org