| Maryland coach Randy Edsall faces his former team for the first time. (US Presswire) |
Connecticut (1-1, 0-0 Big East) at Maryland (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
Kickoff: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
Spread: Connecticut by 2.5
Watchability: It will be the Huskies' first crack at former coach Randy Edsall, who left the program in 2011.
Shining stars: Connecticut: LB Yawin Smallwood. Anchoring a defense that is tops in the nation against the run, Smallwood has been a force, averaging more than 10 tackles a game in his first two. Maryland wants to run the ball, but it will have to figure out how to get around Smallwood. Maryland: QB Perry Hills. The freshman had a solid game last week in a win over Temple after struggling in the opener. Hills threw two touchdowns and rushed for a third last Saturday.
Who could steal the show: Connecticut: RB Lyle McCombs. The top returning rusher in the conference, McCombs is off to a bit of a slow start this season. With quarterback Chandler Whitmer struggling, McCombs will need to be effective in order to take the pressure off the passing game. Maryland: WR Marcus Leak. As a freshman, Leak only had 12 catches, and he's already halfway to that total this season. He's had consecutive games of at least 90 receiving yards, and he scored his second career touchdown last week against Temple.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Though the crowd will be behind Edsall, it would be a fun trip to take as a UConn fan. Unless, of course, the Huskies lose.
Magic number for Connecticut: 1.1. Against North Carolina State last week, Connecticut only managed 1.1 yards per carry, losing 10-7. Maryland is tough against the run, but the Huskies must get McCombs going.
Magic number for Maryland: 23. The Terps held a 23-point advantage at halftime over Temple last week before letting the Owls cut the lead to two in the fourth quarter. They'll want to bury UConn this week if given the chance.
The game comes down to: Offense. Both teams have been ugly on offense his season, and whichever team is able to move the ball will have the advantage.
Prediction: Connecticut 17, Maryland 7
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