Syracuse Orange v. Connecticut Huskies Prediction and Preview (9/6/25)

As we countdown to kickoff for the start of the Syracuse football season on Aug. 30, The Juice Online will be doing a team-by-team preview of its opponents.

After Monday's look at Syracuse's season opener on Aug. 30 against Tennessee, we move on today to SU's home opener against Connecticut on Sept. 6 at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Huskies are in the midst of a rebirth. Under head coach Jim Mora, the Huskies had their first winning season since 2010, back when they were a part of the Big East, going 9-4 in 2024 and notching a Fenway Bowl win over UNC to their belt.

Scouting the UConn offense

Their offense tallied 31.9 points per game, good for 35th nationally, and their defense allowed 23.1 points, which puts them 43rd nationally.

UConn’s offense is led by senior QB Joe Fagnano, who threw for 1,631 yards and 20 touchdowns, while only giving away four interceptions. Their ground game consisted of three strong backs: Cam Edwards (830 yards, 8 TDs), Durell Robinson (731 yards), and Mel Brown (665 yards).

Following the season, Robinson transferred to Auburn, while Brown and Edwards remain. The receiving core is led by senior Skyler Bell, who racked up 860 yards on 50 receptions and had five touchdowns as well.

The O-line remains to be seen, but UConn certainly has a noticeable amount of firepower at its skill positions.

Scouting the UConn defense

Defensively, UConn was one of the more quietly effective units in the country last season.

The Huskies ranked 32nd nationally in total defense (338.6 YPG) and held opponents to just 199.3 passing yards per game, good for 23rd. They excelled at forcing teams into uncomfortable second and third-down situations, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry and ranking 4th in the opponent's third-down conversion rate (29.78%).

The front seven was led by Jackson Mitchell, a four-year starter who recorded 94 tackles and 11 TFLs last year, but who has since been drafted. This leaves the core of UConn’s defense shot. This will require seniors like Donovan Branch Jr. and Ben Smiley to step up.

The secondary, while not overly athletic, is sound in coverage and rarely busts assignments, led by 4th year, D’Mon Brinson, who had an interception and 4 pass breakups last year.

A prediction and preview for the matchup

We predicted an opening game loss for Syracuse (0-1), and the keys to this game are enhanced defensive pressure and Rickie Collins’ bounce-back.

It is imperative that Syracuse front-seven become an overwhelming presence in this game as the UConn O-line is their weakest point. For Collins, this game can become one where is finds his footing as UConn let up a 61.86% Opponent Pass Completion last season, 74th in the nation.

I have Syracuse rebounding in week 2, notching a 38-17 win over Connecticut SU evens its record at 1-1.

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