| UConn will look to establish pressure on Saturday vs. Buffalo with LB Yawin Smallwood (top) and DE Trevardo Williams (bottom). (AP) |
Buffalo (1-2, 0-1 MAC) at Connecticut (2-2, 0-0 Big East)
Kickoff: Saturday, noon ET (Big East Network/ESPN 3)
Spread: UConn by 16
Watchability: Low. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses last week when they combined for six turnovers. A 53-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Western Michigan LB Desmond Bozeman late in the fourth quarter sealed the loss for the Huskies. UConn looks to avoid a second straight defeat to an opponent from the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo hopes to avenge a 17-3 defeat to the Huskies in 2011. If you lost the remote while watching the game, you may have fallen asleep early. The Huskies and Bulls went a combined 10 of 34 on third-down conversions. Neither team finished with more than 319 yards of total offense.
Shining stars: UConn: QB Chandler Whitmer. The sophomore transfer from Butler County Community College (Kan.) may have gotten comfortable with offensive coordinator George DeLeone’s scheme. Despite the loss to the Broncos, Whitmer threw for 333 yards and three TDs. Entering the game, Whitmer was one of only two starting quarterbacks in FBS who hadn’t thrown for a touchdown. The Huskies’ quarterback also wasn’t helped by several key drops. Whitmer must get rid of the ball quicker -- Western Michigan recorded six sacks against UConn. Buffalo: WR Alex Neutz. The 6-3 junior wideout couldn’t be stopped in the home opener against Morgan State. Neutz had eight catches for 154 yards and became just the second player in school history to have four touchdowns in one game. The Huskies struggled to pressure the quarterback last week in Kalamazoo. As a result, two Broncos receivers had 100-yard receiving days.
Who could steal the show: UConn: LB Yawin Smallwood. The sophomore linebacker had 8.5 TFLs through UConn’s first three games, but recorded just one last week against Western Michigan. The Huskies also registered just one sack. In its two previous games, UConn had 12 sacks combined. UConn made some adjustments with its four-man rush after halftime, defensive coordinator Don Brown told the Hartford Courant. UConn allowed just seven points on defense in the second half after surrendering 17 in the first 30 minutes. Buffalo: LB Khalil Mack. The Bulls junior linebacker recorded a career-high 12 tackles, including four for loss last week against Kent State. The 6-3, 245 pound linebacker has 3.5 sacks and 7.5 TFLs on the season. As a team, Buffalo already has a conference high 14 sacks. The Bulls have played fewer games than 10 of the 13 teams in the MAC.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Saturday’s contest will be UConn’s last nonconference game and one of its last home games before the temperature in the Northeast starts to drop. Forecasts call for temperatures in the low 60s with the possibility of rain.
Magic number for UConn: 253. The Huskies allowed just 123 yards through the air in their first three games, but gave up yards in chunks to Western Michigan QB Alex Carder last week. Carder had 253 passing yards when he left the game in the third quarter. If Carder wasn’t sidelined by a hand injury, he could have finished with much more.
Magic number for Buffalo: 4. The Bulls committed four turnovers against Kent State and have lost the ball five times in the last two weeks. Facing a stout UConn defense, Buffalo must capitalize on every opportunity it is given.
The game comes down to: The Huskies’ front seven. If Smallwood, DE Trevardo Williams and LB Sio Moore can pressure Buffalo QB Alex Zordich effectively, Neutz will have less time to gain separation downfield.
Prediction: UConn 20, Buffalo 6
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