USU looks to extend winning streak, takes on Conneticut
After a bye week and five straight games in Utah, the Utah State football team will travel to Storrs, Conn., to take on the University of Connecticut Huskies at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
“I think UConn is a team in a lot of ways that is much like we are,” USU Head Coach Mick Dennehy said. “They are playing a lot of young kids and at times they are playing with some very talented young kids.”
The Huskies are playing with 10 to 12 freshmen, Dennehy said.
This weekend will be the beginning of what may be more challenging for the team than the Aggies’ 2-5 record.
The team will play three road games in four weeks, travel 11,218 round-trip miles and visit the Eastern time zone twice and the Pacific time zone once.
Knowing this, Dennehy feels the Huskies will be ready for USU.
“I would expect that they will be as ready to play us and as well as anybody has,” Dennehy said. “It is going to be very important that we are as ready to go and as ready as we can.”
UConn will be the Aggies’ second independent opponent in as many games.
Saturday’s meeting will also be the first ever battle between the teams.
It would seem the Aggies have the upper hand in the meeting due to the Huskies 2-8 record and the team’s battle with injuries.
“They have been beat up a little bit and have been forced to become younger as the season has gone along,” Dennehy said.
The Huskies aren’t the only team suffering from injuries.
“I think Emmett White has improved significantly since last Thursday,” Dennehy said.
White injured his ankle during the Homecoming game against the University of Central Florida on Oct. 27.
“I would guess that he will be ready to go,” Dennehy said. “He has come along very nicely.”
Tony Newson and Ryan Duncan, who have also been struggling with injuries, are still up in the air, Dennehy said.
The game against UCF was the last time the Aggies have played.
“Our last game seems like it was played two months ago,” Dennehy said. “I think the Univeresity of Central Florida win is a good win for us. For the first time all year we put four quarters together in which we played very well as a team and that is always so critical in the game of football.”