PREVIEW: UConn Football ships to Syracuse for Saturday Matinée

UConn Huskies running back Mel Brown — Connecticut Huskies running back Mel Brown (7) runs the ball against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in the first half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. (CREDIT: David Butler II-Imagn Images)

UConn Football (1-0) will travel westward this Saturday to take on the Syracuse Orange (0-1) in a week two matchup inside the famous JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. Before the former Big East Conference rivals square off, let’s take a quick look at this year’s Syracuse team.

Head coach Fran Brown quickly turned the tides in Syracuse, taking what used to be a mediocre-to-average program and turning it into an ACC championship contender. Last season, Brown led the team to a 10-3 record in his first year, including a 52-35 win over Washington State in the 2024 DIRECTV Holiday Bowl, finishing at No. 20 in the final AP Poll.

Despite dropping their season opener to Tennessee 45-26 last week, the Orange are still loaded with talent, including the addition of several highly ranked prospects from the portal. That said, this will be a drastically different game for UConn, who defeated Central Connecticut (FCS) 59-13 in week one. Seeing how the Huskies stack up against this Power Four opponent is crucial in determining how the rest of the 2025 season will unfold.

Join the UConn Report now for $1 your first week and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic – included with your membership.

WHO / WHEN / WHERE / SPREAD

WHO: UConn Football versus Syracuse Orange

WHEN: Saturday, 12:00 pm ET

WHERE: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY OR ACC Network Extra

SPREAD via BetMGM: Syracuse -6.5pts || Over/Under set at 57.5pts

Head Coach: Fran Brown (2nd year)

Overall Record (2024): 10-3

Syracuse hired the fiery Fran Brown prior to last season after he served as a defensive backs coach at Georgia, preceded by stops at several other Division I programs. He’s known as one of the best recruiters in the nation, and it shows: Brown’s first-ever transfer portal class ranked No. 9 nationally, a truly impressive feat for a school not entirely known for football. His recruiting expertise, coupled with his relentless work ethic, has helped hoist Syracuse back to prominence.

Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Nixon (2nd year)
2024 Season Stats