What to know about Syracuse’s penultimate nonconference game vs. UConn
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The first three weeks of Syracuse’s season have brought plenty to think about.
The Orange are 1-2 and already look at risk of slipping into another losing spiral, like the one that derailed SU in last year’s 3-9 campaign. There’s already been quarterback controversy, although Fran Brown said Monday that Steve Angeli — who tossed five interceptions in the season’s first two Atlantic Coast Conference games — will start for SU Saturday.
The bottom line, though, is Syracuse needs to bounce back before ACC play ramps up. An away trip to UConn feels like the perfect opportunity to do so before the Orange take on four conference opponents in October. A win could build major momentum heading into that stretch. A loss could doom the Orange’s hopes of making a bowl game.
Here’s everything to know about Syracuse (1-2, 0-2 ACC) and UConn (2-2, Independent) before Saturday’s contest.
All-time series
Syracuse leads 8-6.
Last time they played
When the squads last met on Sept. 6, 2025, Syracuse beat UConn 27-20 in overtime at the JMA Wireless Dome. SU fell behind 14-6 in the first half but scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before a last-second Huskies field goal sent the game to overtime.
The Orange received the ball first in overtime, and Angeli found Justus Ross-Simmons for a six-yard touchdown to put SU ahead. The Orange then held strong on UConn’s final possession, with Antoine Deslauriers breaking up a pass in the end zone on fourth down to seal the win.
Angeli finished the day with 416 passing yards and two touchdowns, both to Ross-Simmons. The win was his first as Syracuse’s starter. On Saturday, he’ll have a chance to claim another crucial victory and prove he should keep the starting job.
The Huskies report
UConn has endured plenty of change since last year’s loss to Syracuse. Head coach Jim Mora departed for Colorado State after the Huskies finished the 2025 campaign 9-4 for the second straight year. Quarterback Joe Fagnano graduated and left for the NFL. Star wideout Skyler Bell — who torched SU for 11 catches and 105 yards last season — was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
The Huskies turned to former Toledo head coach Jason Candle — who worked alongside SU defensive coordinator Vince Kehres for six seasons — as their new head coach. Through four games under Candle, UConn is 2-2 with wins over Lafayette and Southern Miss and losses to Maryland and Miami (Ohio).
UConn’s offense is helmed by quarterback Kalieb Osborne, who followed Candle from Toledo this offseason. He’s thrown for 850 yards, totaled 12 touchdowns — seven passing, five rushing — and turned the ball over twice, while the Huskies offense is averaging 426.8 yards per game. But they’ve also struggled to keep opponents off the board, conceding 27.3 points per game to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
How Syracuse beats UConn
UConn has shown bright spots thus far, but not many against Power Four squads. It fell to a spiraling Maryland team by 24 points on Sept. 12, and — as poor as SU has looked over the past few weeks — Syracuse has probably been better than Maryland this year.
This may not be a welcome sight given Angeli’s struggles over the past two weeks, but SU’s key to securing a win looks to be its passing attack. UConn allows 279.8 passing yards per game and only 95 rushing yards per contest.
The Orange have split between the run and the pass pretty evenly through three games, favoring the run if anything. But Angeli and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon certainly aren’t afraid to air the ball out, like they did against UConn last year.
Brown said Amari Odom will see the field a bit as well, but whichever quarterback SU chooses will likely have to throw the ball efficiently to secure a win.
Stat to know: 95
Four games into the 2026 campaign, UConn ranks tied for 26th nationally with just 95 rushing yards allowed per game. Running the rock has been one of Syracuse’s strengths this year, as the Orange average 164 rushing yards per game.
While UConn’s numbers look impressive on paper, its success against the run only amplifies its shortcomings against the pass. The Orange will likely need to rely on the air raid for the first time this season, so Angeli must be sharp to avoid an upset loss on the road.
Player to watch: Kalieb Osborne, quarterback, No. 7
Replacing Fagnano, who finished top-20 in the country in passing yards last season, was always going to be a difficult task for UConn. And while the Huskies have already nearly matched last season’s loss total, Osborne’s been a solid replacement.
Osborne sat for two seasons at Toledo and saw his first in-game action as a redshirt freshman last year. He followed Candle to UConn, where he’s enjoyed somewhat of a breakout campaign. Osborne ranks tied for fifth among FBS quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns, and his seven passing touchdowns aren’t anything to bat an eye at, either. His 150.8 passer rating also ranks top-60 nationally, while his 61.4% completion percentage is quite a bit better than Angeli’s.
Whether with his arm or his legs, Osborne will be UConn’s X-factor if it wants to beat Syracuse.
