UConn Huskies (2-1, 0-1 American) vs. Syracuse Orange (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
September 24, 2016 | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | UConn IMG Radio Network
Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (40,000) East Hartford, Conn.
The Coaches
UCONN HEAD COACH BOB DIACO UConn head coach Bob Diaco is in his third year as the head coach at UConn and his third overall as a collegiate head coach. In 2015, he led UConn to a 6-6 regular season record and an appearance in the St. Petersburg Bowl vs. Marshall. He has now led UConn to wins in four of its last five regular season games from 2015-16, including a win vs. Houston, which was ranked No. 13 in the country at the time. UConn finished the season ranked 33rd in the country in total defense, 15th in scoring defense and seventh in red zone defense. UConn led the American in all three category. The St. Petersburg Bowl was the ninth bowl game Diaco coached in, including the 2012 BCS title game when he was on the Notre Dame staff and the 2010 Sugar Bowl with Cincinnati. Diaco served on the Notre Dame coaching staff as the defensive coordinator from 2000-13 and was the assistant head coach in 2012 and ‘13. He was the 2012 winner of the Frank Broyles Award, given to the top assistant college football coach in the country and was the first Irish assistant to receive the prestigious award. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2011. Diaco joined the Notre Dame staff in 2010 as defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach, took responsibility for the entire linebacker position in 2011 and added responsibilities as associate head coach in 2012. His 2012 Irish defense ranked among the top 10 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 12 different categories Diaco has an impressive coaching resume as he served at Virginia (2006-08) as the linebackers and special teams coordinator and Cincinnati (2009) as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach before joining the Notre Dame staff. A native of Cedar Grove, N.J., and a 1995 Iowa graduate, Diaco began his coaching career in 1996-97 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. He then served on the staffs of Western Illinois (1999-2000) as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach, Eastern Michigan (2001-2003) working with the same positions and Central Michigan (2005) as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Iowa as a linebacker under Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry and was named the team’s co-MVP in 1995, starting in all 23 games over his junior and senior seasons. SYRACUSE HEAD COACH DINO BABERS Syracuse head coach Dino Babers is in his first year in charge of the Orange program after serving as the head coach at Bowling Green from 2014-15, where he led the Falcons to an overall record of 18-9. He led Bowling Green to a victory in the Camelia Bowl in 2014 and the team played in the GoDaddy Bowl following the 2015 season, but Barbers had already left for Syracuse before the bowl. Barbers was the head coach at Eastern Illinois from 2012-13 and led the team to the NCAA FCS playoffs both seasons, including the quarterfinals in 2013. His overall head coaching record is 38-18. Barbers has been on the staffs at Hawaii (1984), Arizona State (1985), Eastern Illinois (1987), UNLV (1988-89), Northern Arizona (1990), Purdue (1991-93), San Diego State (1994), Arizona 1995-2000), Texas A&M (2001-02), Pittsburgh (2003), UCLA (2004-2007), Baylor (2008-11). Barbers is a 1983 Hawaii graduate, where he played both running back and defensive back.
Radio & TV Coverage
TELEVISION COVERAGE Saturday’s game is being televised live by the CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan on play-by-play and Corey Chavous along with Melanie Collins on the sidelines. Jonathan Segal is the producer. RADIO COVERAGE The UConn IMG Sports Network is the home of Husky football on the radio. WTIC Newstalk 1080 in Hartford serves as the flagship station and is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada. The 201617 year marks the 25th consecutive season that WTIC is the flagship for UConn sports. The 2016-17 football, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey seasons also marks the fourth year that the radio rights are held by IMG College, which is UConn’s multi-media rights partner. Veteran UConn play-by-play announcer Joe D’Ambrosio is calling Husky games for the 25th season while Wayne Norman, who is celebrating his 49th year in broadcasting this year, on color.
#UConnNation
UConn Schedule/Results Date Opponent (TV) 9/1 Maine (ASN) 9/10 at Navy* (CBSSN) 9/17 virginia (sny) 9/24 SYRACUSE (CBSSN) 9/29 at Houston* (ESPN) 10/8 CINCINNATI* (CBSSN) 10/15 at USF* (TBA) 10/22 UCF* (TBA) 10/29 at East Carolina*(TBA) 11/4 TEMPLE* (ESPN2) 11/19 at Boston College (TBA) 11/26 TULANE* (TBA)
Score/Time W, 24-21 L, 28-24 W, 13-10 1 p.m. 8 p.m. 11:30 a.m. TBA TBA TBA 7 p.m. TBA TBA
*Denotes American Athletic Conference Game
Syracuse Schedule/Results Date 9/2 9/9 9/17 9/24 10/1 10/8 10/15 10/22 11/5 11/12 11/19 11/26
Opponent (TV) Score/Time COLGATE (ACCExtra) W, 33-7 at Louisville* (ESPN2) L, 62-28 USF (ACCExtra) L, 45-20 at UConn (CBSSN) 1 p.m. vs. Notre Dame* (TBA) 12 p.m. at Wake Forest* (TBA) TBA VIRGINIA TECH* (TBA) TBA at Boston College* (TBA) TBA at Clemson* (TBA) TBA NC STATE* (TBA) TBA FLORIDA STATE* (TBA) TBA at Pittsburgh* (TBA) TBA
*Denotes ACC Game
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Quick Hits
UConn and Syracuse meet for the first time since 2012 and met for nine-straight seasons from 2004-12. UConn lead the series 6-3 and has a spotless 4-0 record at home vs. the Orange.
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Redshirt senior kicker Bobby Puyol was named the American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for having two field goals in last week’s win vs. Virginia – including the game-winner. It was his second game-winning kick of the season.
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All three of UConn’s game this season have come down to the final play of the game with the result in question.
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Senior wide receiver Noel Thomas is seventh in the country in receptions per game and second in the American. He is fifth in the American in receiving yards per game and 29th nationally.
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Junior cornerback Jamar Summers, who had a game-changing interception Saturday, is now tied for ninth in school career history for intercpetions.
2016 University of Connecticut Football Game Notes
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