EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Coming off the bye week, UConn football is set to host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Saturday at noon on CBS Sports Network at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
The Huskies have been dominant at home, where they are undefeated in 2024. Through four games in East Hartford this season, UConn has outscored opponents 187-54 while averaging 46.8 points per game.
UConn is 1-2 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 24-10 defeat in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl that ended one of the Huskies’ greatest seasons at 9-4. Wake Forest represents the Atlantic Coast Conference; the Huskies have lost five straight games to teams from the ACC.
Entering Saturday’s matchup, UConn carries the momentum, having last played on Oct. 5 against Temple. Despite being down late in the fourth quarter, the Huskies rallied back to take the lead only to allow Temple to advance to the UConn one yard line.
It was then that UConn’s defense stood tall, denying Temple on four consecutive plays. On the final play, Temple needed just inches to score and win but fumbled. UConn defensive back Jordan Wright scooped the ball and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Huskies a 29-20 win, one of the most exciting victories in Rentschler Field history.
On the other hand, Wake Forest is trying to turn their season around. Last week, the Demon Deacons were handily defeated 49-10 against the No. 10 Clemson Tigers.
Wake Forest has thrown the ball well this year, led by red shirt senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier, whose 20.7 completions per game rank sixth in the country. His 1,439 passing yards rank ninth nationally, and he is eighth in the country in both passing yards per game, with 239.8, and touchdowns, with nine.
The Demon Deacons have a talented cast of receivers as well. Wideouts Taylor Morin has 29 catches, Deuce Alexander has 21 receptions and Horatio Fields has caught the ball 20 times. Wide receiver Donovan Greene also has 16 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns; he is averaging 16.94 yards per catch.
Wake Forest running back Desmond Claiborne has carried the ball 99 times for 524 yards and six touchdowns. His 5.3 yards per carry average is good enough for eighth in the nation, and his 87.3 yards per game ranks seventh.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Demon Deacons are led by junior defensive back Nick Andersen, who has 69 tackles, ranking first in the country with 11.5 tackles per game. Andersen also has 34 solo tackles, which is first in the country at 5.7 per game.
UConn has found success with two quarterbacks this season, senior Joe Fagnano and sophomore Nick Evers. After being named the starting quarterback, Evers has shown glimpses of the potential that made him a top recruit, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 172 yards and two more touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Evers’ season has been shadowed by injuries, as he’s missed multiple games throughout 2024. In his place, Fagnano, the backup, has shined. Following the victory against Temple, Fagnano now has thrown for 999 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.
However, Evers poses a much greater threat in the run game than Fagnano, and it will be interesting to see who gets the starting nod on Saturday against Wake Forest. Head coach Jim Mora has hinted that Evers will start against the Demon Deacons.
There is much less uncertainty in the UConn ground game, which has seen major contributions from multiple players. Lead back Cam Edwards, a sophomore, has racked up 320 rushing yards this season on 64 attempts, reaching the end zone three times on the ground. He’s also caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Junior running back Mel Brown has also been a surprise, rushing 62 times for 315 yards and a touchdown.
Freshman Durrell Robinson has done the heaviest lifting in the running back room thus far. He has rushed for 421 yards on 55 attempts this season, reaching the end zone four times and averaging 7.7 yards per rush.
Perhaps, UConn’s most dynamic player in 2024 has been junior wide receiver Skyler Bell, who has emerged as one of the top wideouts in the country. Entering the Wake Forest game, Bell has caught 22 passes for 23.1 yards per reception. He leads the team with 508 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Worth noting, he left the Temple game with an injury and did not return.
Senior TJ Sheffield has also been outstanding as both a punt returner and a wide receiver. This season, he has 260 receiving yards on 24 receptions, including two touchdowns.
Much credit must go to the Huskies offensive line, led by senior Chase Lundt. The unit has statistically been one of the best in the country in 2024 and has consistently given UConn running backs space to flourish.
UConn’s defense, led by senior Jelani Stafford, has also been solid, allowing just 22.6 points per game and 351.2 yards per game, stats that are skewed by the 50 points the Huskies gave up in a lopsided 50-7 loss to Maryland to begin the season.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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