Game Time: 9:00 AM ET, Saturday, September 18th, 2021 

Venue: Michie Stadium, West point, New York

Where to Watch:  CBSS

BetMGM:  Spread:  Army -33.5,  O/U:  49.5 points

Caesars: Spread:  Army -33.5,  O/U:  48 points

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Connecticut vs Army Preview and Analysis

Connecticut is 0-3 on the season.  All big losses. Fresno State 45-0, Holy Cross 38-28, Purdue 49-0.  The Holy Cross game looks close, but Holy Cross exists in football to be an easy win for practically every Northeast school.  Uconn is located in a beautiful part of Connecticut with lush green scenery, covered bridges, giant Oak trees… it’s just more suited as a basketball school.  Both blow-out losses were Unders. 

The Army Black Knights are 2-0 on the season.  They stomped on the Georgia State Panthers 43-10. And squeaked out a win against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 38-35.  Both wins went Over the point total.  Army is now 11 wins in Michie Stadium in a row, the 7th longest home win streak in FBS…. and it will go to 12 on Saturday.

Connecticut has scored 3 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing TD.  All in the game against Holy Cross.  In the other 2 games they didn’t score at all.  Redshirt sophomore QB Steven Krajewski isn’t much of a passer, he’s more of a runner. He rushed 11 times in the Purdue game for 42 yards.  I keep referencing the QB’s Purdue Boilermakers game stats because in the two games before that the QB was sophomore Jack Zergiotis who got benched.  So, whichever quarterback go with against Army just remember they aren’t a good passer. They need the quarterback's help in the running game since RB Kevin Mensah went for 10 yards on eight carries.  Kevin is averaging 2.7 yards a carry, Freshman RB Nate Carter is getting 2.7 yards per carry too, then there is Robert Burns a RB who has gotten 3.7 yards per carry on 11 attempts. 

The Army Black Knights are a swarm of power running, disciplined blocking and moving patriotism.  You can feel their teamwork from the bleachers.  Quarterback Christian Anderson is just a name.  The quarterback position is played differently at Army.  The team is averaging 90.5 passing yards per game 128th overall…. Because the 298.5 rushing yards per game is 7th overall.  They focus on running.  The required military service following college makes it difficult for Army to get top football recruits.  The strategy is get kids for West Point… then build them into a team.  The result is they are on a home win streak, 4th in 3rd down percentage 65.5, and 386 yards a game.

The Huskies have given up 894 passing yards, they are ranked 141st in college football. In the Purdue game the Huskies allowed touchdowns on 7 Purdue drives in a row. This isn’t a good team on either side of the ball.  In a three-game stretch the Huskies have given up 132 points… that’s a 44 point average.  (but before you go betting the Over, remember they scored 0 points twice!).  I won’t single out Uconn players with their uconn stats on the defensive side.  It can be overwhelming knowing you just can’t stop anybody… they can worry about sacks, interceptions and forcing turnovers later.  All they should do now is focus on getting simple tackles in every matchup.  Plus they get to watch the leaves change all season long.

Army defensive coordinator Nate Woody installed a new defensive scheme in 2020 and is still and always tinkering with it.  Army had the nation’s top defense in 2020.  The defense does have some stand-outs; Marquel Broughton who led the team in tackles last season, Cedrik Cunningham who came in second, and this year’s big standout is Sophomore Andre Carter who had 1 interception, one fumble recovery and 14 tackles in the game against Georgia Southern.   

Our prediction for Saturday, September 18th is Army 45 -  Uconn 3

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Both Army games this season have hit the Over.

Uconn is 0-3 ATS.

Uconn is 0-2 ATS when the spread is larger than 30 points.

Uconn:  QB Jack Zergiotis, Day to Day

Uconn:  WR Keelon Marion is the closest thing to a breakout star on Connecticut’s roster.  3 catches 60 yards and 2 TD’s.  Hope he capitalizes on his name, image, and likeness.

Army:  Tyrell Robinson,  he has caught the ball once this season for 40 yards and 1 touchdown.  Army runs the ball so much that you don’t want to miss any Tyrell Robinson catches.

“The O-line has to stay engaged with the running back, and the quarterback has to make the right reads,...Also, the receivers have got to do their job. ... We’ve got to execute better.” Head Coach Lou Spanos, apparently explaining the very basics of how a football offense works.

“We're probably a little ahead of that at this point this year than we were last year because of just trying to install defenses. We've got a lot of defenses that we're sort of sifting through to find exactly what our identity is back there.’’  Army Defensive coordinator Nate Woody

Uconn: QB Steven Krajewski, RB Kevin Mensah, RB Nate Carter, TE Jay Rose, WR Cam Ross, WR Heron Maurisseau, 

Army: QB Christian Anderson, RB Tyson Riley, SB Tyrell Robinson, SB Brandon Walters,  WR Reikan Donaldson, TE Joshua Lingenfelter

Army:

Rushing: Christian Anderson 87 YPG

Passing:  Christian Anderson 58.5 YPG

Receiving: Braheam Murphy  36 YPG

Uconn:

Rushing:  Kevin Mensah  35.67 YPG

Passing:  Jack Ziergiotis  174 yards YPG  (1 game, also 3 INT)

Receiving: Keelon Marion  20 YPG… and 50% of Uconn 2021 touchdowns.

Uconn:  Lou Spanos.  Did you see over in the Pac-12 that the Trojans fired Clay Helton?... Do you think Spanos is in the mix for the job?

Army:  

Isolated Thunderstorms.  82*  for the high.  Humidity 76%, 30% chance of precipitation.