UConn and Syracuse have built plenty of familiarity over the years on the basketball court, but the football series is still a short one. Saturday’s meeting in East Hartford will be just the 15th all-time matchup between the programs, with Syracuse holding an 8-6 edge.
The Orange won the last two meetings, including a 27-20 overtime decision a season ago. That game sits alongside the rest of the series history, which has been fairly back-and-forth but tilted slightly toward Syracuse in recent years. The full list includes Syracuse wins in 2025, 2024, 2022, 2018, 2016, 2012, 2006 and 2004, while UConn took games in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2005.
This year’s matchup brings both teams in looking to steady themselves. UConn enters at 2-2 after a tough loss to Miami (Ohio) last weekend, while Syracuse is 1-2 and trying to rebound after defeats to Cal and Pitt, plus a bye week.
A key storyline for Syracuse is the return of Steve Angeli as the starter at quarterback. Angeli, who led the Orange past UConn in 2025, tore his Achilles in the fourth game of the season and Syracuse went 0-8 without him.
He came back this year and opened the season by guiding Syracuse to a 66-3 win over New Hampshire, but the last two games have been rough: he has thrown five interceptions in those losses. There had been buzz that transfer Amari Odom might get the nod, but Angeli is the one set to start, with Odom still in the mix for some snaps.
Saturday also marks the first collegiate game for Syracuse wide receiver Calvin Russell III. The five-star recruit from Florida is one of the most highly regarded prospects Syracuse has ever signed. He tore his Achilles in spring ball and is back in action a little more than six months later, an impressive return for a player expected to be part of the Orange’s future.
There’s also plenty of overlap between the staffs and rosters, which should make the game even more interesting. Syracuse defensive coordinator Vince Kehres previously held the same role under Jason Candle at Toledo, and UConn offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile spent the last few years as an offensive assistant with Syracuse.
The schools will also meet in exhibition basketball action early in October, with the women playing Oct. 12 and the men taking the floor on Oct. 13. Both games will be at Mohegan Sun Arena.
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UConn athletic director David Benedict pushed back publicly, saying Andersons budget estimates were off base and challenging the way the numbers were being framed. The exchange gave the Huskies an unexpected place in a conversation that stretches well beyond one game, with the dispute now becoming part of the backdrop for how fans judge the cost of competing and the gap between perception and reality. [Read more 🡒]
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Dan Hurleys Rival Pickup Is Facing An Immediate UConn Test
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For Hines, the immediate challenge is less about old loyalties than learning how quickly he can fit into UConns way of doing things. The Huskies practices are known for being demanding, and the system has already asked him to adjust to a style that is both physically taxing and complicated, making his transition as much about survival as it is about opportunity. [Read more 🡒]