No. 19 Liberty (8-1) returns to action on Saturday to take on the UConn Huskies (5-5). The game is scheduled for a noon kick off and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
UConn needs just one win in its last two games to become bowl eligible for the first time 2015. Things have been difficult for the Huskies’ program, having not had a winning record since 2010. Their five wins already this season is the most for the program since 2015. The Huskies were just 1-11 last season, did not play in 2020 due to COVID, and did not surpass two wins in a season in either 2019 or 2018.
Enter Jim Mora who is in his first year as head coach of the FBS Independent program.The former NFL and UCLA head coach, Mora has found immediate success. After beginning the year just 1-4 against a brutal schedule that included games against Syracuse, Michigan, and NC State, Mora and the Huskies have reeled off four wins in their past five games, including a win over Boston College, 13-3. Most recently, UConn is coming off a 27-10 win over UMass last Friday night.
“We’ll have to fight it and guard against coming off two huge, emotional wins over BYU and Arkansas,” said Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze on Monday. “You better get your mind right and get back to work because we are going to play a very, very, very hungry football team that is extremely well coached and believing right now that they can become bowl eligible in year one. It reminds me of us here in year one. I’m very impressed with the job that Coach Mora has done.”
The Huskies are averaging just 18.5 points per game so far this season. They average 293.4 yards per game and just 105.8 through the air. Zion Turner has completed right at 60% of his 186 passes this season for 1,023 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also has 74 rushing attempts for 181 yards.
His favorite target is 5’7″ receiver Aaron Turner. The sophomore has 37 receptions for 354 yards and 3 touchdowns. Only three other receivers on the team have double digits receptions so far this season.
Devontae Houston leads UConn with 434 rushing yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He’s one of five players with at least 52 rushing attempts this season. Victor Rosa leads the team with 6 touchdowns.
It has been on defense where the Huskies have been able to have some success. UConn is holding opponents to 140.9 rushing yards and 384.9 total yards of offense per game. Over their last five games, the Huskies have held four opponents to 14 points or fewer. The only loss during that time came against Ball State, when the Cardinals scored 25 points.
“Defensively, they are playing at a very, very high level,” said Freeze. “That’s concerning to me because I still can’t get out of my mind some of our inconsistencies that can lead us to all of a sudden being in games that are very, very tight even when our defense is playing well. When you see that they are playing at a high level on defense under Coach Mora. He’s got a veteran DC in Spanos. It’s concerning to me, and coming off, obviously, a big win. I know there are still young men in that room that mentally every thing’s a challenge, all of your successes and your failures. How do we handle success? That’s going to be a great test for us this week.”
PREDICTION
Liberty 28, UConn 10
Line: Liberty -14.5
Picks results this year:
Straight-up: 8-1
ATS: 6-3
