UConn is heading into Saturday’s noon kickoff with Syracuse trying to shake off a rough one, while the Orange bring a fresh wrinkle of their own: freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III is set to make his first appearance.
The Huskies are 2-2 after blowing a 14-point lead in a loss to Miami (Ohio). Syracuse comes in at 1-2, having dropped back-to-back ACC games against Cal and Pitt, though the Orange have had plenty of time to get ready for this matchup after last playing on Sept. 17.
On Monday, Syracuse made its quarterback plan clear. Steve Angeli will start against UConn, even with some Orange fans pushing for Amari Odom to get the job. Fran Brown also said Odom, the Kennesaw State transfer, will play, which gives Jason Candle and his staff another layer to prepare for.
Brown also said Russell will finally see the field on Saturday.
"As much as possible, As much as his body allows him to play, which the training room now says he can. He has a player load we want to make sure he continues to hit.
He hit it all last week. ... I’m really happy and excited about Calvin playing."
Russell arrives with a big reputation. The Florida native was a five-star recruit and one of the highest-rated players Syracuse has ever signed.
He left high school early in December, enrolled at Syracuse ahead of schedule, and even joined the basketball team. He appeared in one game on the court, a notable feat given he was still in what would normally be his senior year of high school.
His football debut has been delayed by a torn Achilles suffered in spring practice in March. He warmed up before Syracuse’s last two games, but he has now been cleared to play. The turnaround has been fast, with Russell returning in just about six months from an injury that usually takes much longer to recover from.
When he does get on the field, Russell will join Umari Hatcher and Justus Ross-Simmons in Syracuse’s receiver group. That gives Angeli more help around him, even after a stretch in which he’s thrown five interceptions over his last two games.
In Other News...
UConn Fans Got One Tough Update In A Busy Huskies News Day
A busy stretch of UConn news brought a mix of scheduling updates and an unfortunate injury note, starting with the basketball side. The Huskies announced that tickets for the home preseason games against Texas and Purdue will go on sale Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, a reminder that the new hoops season is already coming into focus as fans start circling dates on the calendar.
On the football side, UConn also locked in its matchup with Temple for October 10 at 3:45 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field, while the UConn Invitational golf tournament was trimmed to 36 holes because of rain and was set to finish Tuesday. The toughest update of the day, though, came from one of the program's former backs, as Cam Edwards now at Michigan State is dealing with a season-ending knee injury. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Faces A Familiar Problem In Jason Candles Biggest Test Yet
UConns home date with Syracuse on Saturday brings more than a Power 5 name onto the schedule. It also puts Jason Candle in a familiar football neighborhood, with connections across both sidelines and a test that comes with plenty of shared history. Syracuse is turning to Steve Angeli at quarterback, and the Orange are also expected to introduce freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell to college football in the same game.
The coaching overlap is just as notable for UConn. Candle and Syracuse defensive coordinator Vince Kehres worked together at Toledo, and UConn offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile has Syracuse ties of his own, which gives the matchup an extra layer beyond the usual nonconference meeting. For Candle, it is the kind of game that can feel more personal than most, even before the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Fans Have A New Spurs Connection Worth Watching
The UConn-to-San Antonio pipeline has added a new wrinkle for Huskies fans to track this fall. Stephon Castle and Tarris Reed Jr., both former UConn mens basketball players, were taken in the first round of consecutive NBA Drafts by the Spurs, and now theyre sharing the floor in preseason as the franchise continues to lean on recent draft success.
Castle has already established himself as a starting point guard in San Antonio, while Reed is trying to carve out a role in the frontcourt. Their overlap gives UConn followers a familiar connection to watch, especially with Castle sounding encouraged by what he has seen from Reed in practice. For a pair of players who came through Storrs in back-to-back classes, the next stretch in San Antonio could say plenty about how quickly Reed can turn his preseason opportunity into something more. [Read more 🡒]