The UConn Huskies head out on the road on Saturday to take on the Maryland Terrapins. The Huskies, one of the few remaining independents in the sport, come into the year following a 3-9 season in 2023. The Huskies won their season finale over UMass to grab their third win.
For Maryland out of the Big Ten they went to a bowl game a season ago and took down Auburn, 31-13, in Nashville to wrap up the season. Maryland finished the year at 8-5.
This game is slated to be played at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. FS1 is scheduled to air the affair. The last time these two teams met was back in 2013 when Maryland won the game by 11.
Huskies Seeking Road Upset
It will certainly be a tall task for the Huskies in College Park. Led by head coach Jim Mora, UConn has four transfers starting on offense, including two receivers and quarterback Nick Evers. The head coach is 9-16 at UConn, so finding a turnaround is much needed for his job.
Evers, the former Wisconsin signal-caller, was named the starter earlier this week over Joseph Fagano. Fagano passed the ball 35 times behind Ta’Quan Roberson last season. The top targets are newcomers Skyler Bell and TJ Sheffield, along with Brett Buckman.
One of the joys of being an independent is scheduling. The Huskies will host Merrimack next week, and then go on the road at Duke. UConn then plays six straight home games, leading to three straight on the road to end the season.
Terrapins Looking to Build off 8 Win Season
The eight wins in 2023 was a feather in the cap for head coach Mike Locksley. His pro style offense will feature a new signal caller this fall though with Billy Edwards Jr in the mix. His top targets Octavian Smith, Tai Felton, and Kaden Prather all return.
Edwards Jr. is taking over for Taulia Tagovailoa, who tossed 25 touchdowns last season. Edwards made just 30 passes. Felton is the top receiver returning with 732 yards and leading the team with six touchdowns. Prather was next with five.
Roman Hemby returns. He is one of the more talented running backs in the Big Ten. Hemby rushed 142 times for 680 yards a season ago. Look for him to be involved early and often in this offense.
College Sports Wire Score Prediction
Maryland should handle this one with no problems. Hemby is going to get a big-time workload for Coach Locksley’s squad. The Huskies are going to have a tough time slowing him down. The Terrapins are not going to need to throw the ball a ton. When push comes to shove, the Terrapins win this game easily.
Our College Sports Wire score prediction for this game is Maryland 34-13 over UConn.