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Prediction time: UConn

Army is a 34.5-point home favorite against winless UConn Saturday at Michie Stadium.

The Black Knights have won 11 straight games at home. UConn enters the game with six-game losing streak, dating back to 2019. The Huskies did not play a game during the 2020 pandemic season.

UConn (0-3) has lost its first three games by a combined 132-28 including a 38-28 defeat to Holy Cross of the Patriot League. The Huskies have yet to score a point against Division I-A opponent. UConn was shut out by Fresno State (45-0) in its opener and Purdue (49-0) last week.

Army coach Jeff Monken said he never tries to concern his players with how their opponent is playing. The focus is on Army.

“I’m not delusional that we are more talented than they are,” Monken said in his Thursday press conference. “They have talented players. They have big players. I’m impressed with them physically. They haven’t put it together yet this year. I hope they won’t play their very best game against us because they are going to give us a lot of trouble. We are going to have to play our very best, I feel like, if we are going to have a chance to beat them. I feel like that every week.”

UConn does lead the series 5-2. Monken referenced his first two games against UConn as Army coach during his first two seasons during his Thursday press conference. Chris Carnegie’s goal-line Pick Six clinched the Black Knights’ win in 2014 and Army fell short 22-17 at UConn in 2015.

“It’s not like they got all of sudden different players,” Monken said. “They have talented players then and I think they have talented players now and they have a good coaching staff. They have some experience playing against this offense. This is not the first time that they’ve seen this offense as a coaching staff and there’s players on the team from two years when they played Navy and got to face this offense.”

With all due respect, Army’s program is certainly in a better place now. Matchups like this fall into the “win” category when going over Army’s schedule in the preseason and UConn’s first three games have done nothing to change that.

Sal Interdonato (Black Knight Nation): This game has the makings of Army’s 2020 opener against Middle Tennessee State (42-0). Last week’s win over Western Kentucky was a physical game on both sides of the ball and Army could be playing without a few key starters. There’s no urgency to rush players that are banged up this week. UConn ranks 100th against the run, allowing 189 yards per game but have allowed four rushing touchdowns through three games. The Huskies have given up 12 passing touchdowns. The Black Knights should have success on the ground and in the air in a comfortable win.

Predictions from across the college football world

Pete Fiutak (College Football News): Army 42, UConn 7
Kerry Miller (Bleacher Report): Army 42, UConn 7
Berry Tramel (The Oklahoman): Army 33, UConn 7

Feel free to post your predictions in the comments section.

Here’s Jeff Monken’s video press conference from Thursday with talk of the UConn matchup, junior linebacker Andre Carter’s fast start and more.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Fearless 6

    September 17, 2021 at 7:05 PM

    This game will be closer than most think as UCONN will use the pass to move the ball somewhat effectively, and Army will play backup much of the second half. Plus Monken is not looking to run up a huge margin of victory on a struggling UCONN Team which goes along with the playing back ups to develop depth for future important games.

  2. Norm Remick

    September 18, 2021 at 1:19 AM

    I agree with Fearless 6 above. This game is a chance to give a lot of guys a lot of valuable game experience to build for next year.
    Therefore, Army will take it by a score of 33-14.

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