EAST HARTFORD - Dave Portnoy left Friday night with a fresh take on UConn football, and it came after seeing the kind of turnout most programs would love to have waiting outside their own stadium.
As the lights came on for UConn’s rivalry game against UMass at Rentschler Field, Barstool’s College Football Show was set up just beyond the venue, where thousands of fans packed in for the show and for pizza from Frank Pepe’s, which was recently named the “Official Pizza of the UConn Huskies.”
Portnoy, who has spent plenty of time praising New Haven pizza through his “One Bite” review series, said the scene changed how he viewed the Huskies’ football potential.
“It’s the entire state. You have UConn and pizza,” Portnoy said, claiming New Haven style to be the best pizza in the world. “I honestly think UConn is a school in this new NIL era, you could wake up one day and be like, ‘Oh, UConn’s a competitive, real good football program.”
Earlier, Portnoy called UConn “a sleeping giant in football,” even while admitting he hadn’t watched the team take a snap this season. He pointed to the fan support as the reason for optimism.
“UConn has great fans. They travel for basketball, look at this crowd for football.
I think if they could get in a conference, they have the stadium, I honestly think they could be a legitimate football school. You’ve got to get in a conference.”
The Barstool panel on hand included host Kayce Smith, Portnoy, Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Brandon Walker, and the group picked UConn to win the game. Against the spread, Portnoy took UMass to cover 13.5 points and expected a tight rivalry matchup.
“Listen, Jon Gruden knows more football than anybody ever, he loves Jason Candle. He thinks Jason Candle is the coolest,” said Smith, who also hosts the Gruden Family Football Show.
The crew also managed to get the Southwick Jug trophy, created in 2024 but never handed over after UConn won in Amherst, and made it clear they wanted the winner from Friday night to accept it. Portnoy, a Michigan fan, also took a jab tied to last year’s basketball national championship game.
Meanwhile, the UConn crowd responded with chants for Dan Hurley, though Hurley was not able to make it in time for an appearance.
In Other News...
UConn Just Took Control Of A Rivalry Fans Care About
UMass was back on the schedule with a familiar kind of edge, and UConn handled it at Rentschler Field with a 35-16 win that pushed the Huskies into the lead in the all-time rivalry. The result gave UConn a little extra bragging rights in a series that has been tight for years, while also giving the Huskies another solid showing from the offense. Cyncir Bowers ran for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Kalieb Osborne added 173 passing yards with two scores.
UMass had some stability back at quarterback with William "Pop" Watson III returning from injury, and he finished with 205 passing yards and a touchdown on 22 completions. But the Minutemen never found enough answers to keep pace once UConn started piling up plays on both sides of the ball. For a game that carried more history than the average nonconference meeting, the Huskies left with the kind of result their fan base will remember when this rivalry comes up again. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Gave Huskies Fans A Rivalry Win Worth Celebrating
The scoreline at Rentschler Field was the sort UConn fans have been waiting to see in this matchup, a comfortable 35-16 win over UMass that came with a little more meaning than your average nonconference result. The Huskies controlled the game behind a strong day on the ground from Cyncir Bowers, who ran for 131 yards and a touchdown, while Kalieb Osborne kept the offense moving with 173 passing yards and two scores.
UMass did get quarterback William Watson III back from injury, and he finished 22 of 38 for 205 yards and a touchdown, but the Minutemen never found enough rhythm to threaten the outcome after another uneven offensive showing. For UConn, the win was the kind that matters beyond one afternoon, the latest reminder that this rivalry has been tight for years and that every meeting still carries a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Has A Real Problem It Cant Carry Into Tougher Games
Kalieb Osborne gave UConn a steady afternoon in the 35-16 win over UMass, throwing two touchdown passes and adding another on the ground, while Cyncir Bowers provided the burst the offense needed with a big day on the ground. The Huskies also got a defense that controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game, limiting UMass to 303 total yards and just 53 rushing yards as UConn kept the Minutemen from ever really finding a rhythm.
Even so, the game offered a reminder that the Huskies cannot afford to get sloppy once the schedule stiffens. UConn was penalized 11 times for 100 yards, and several of those flags wiped out momentum in ways that tougher opponents are much more likely to punish. The win was comfortable enough on the scoreboard, but the discipline issues are the kind that can turn into a much bigger problem when the competition steps up. [Read more 🡒]