Huskies’ Bowl Hopes on Life Support
The Story: The loss to South Florida delivered a near death blow to UConn’s chances at bowl eligibility because now the Huskies must either win their final five games or qualify via one possible loophole.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Bowl eligibility requires FBS schools to finish with at least a .500 record and no more than one victory over a non-FBS school.
• There is a remote possibility UConn (1-6) could be considered for a bowl with a less-than-.500 record, but only if there are fewer than 84 schools (for 42 bowl games) that fail to meet the bowl requirements.
THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE: After Week 8, there are 80 schools with a .500 record or better, but two — upcoming UConn opponent James Madison and Jacksonville State — aren’t bowl eligible, at least initially, because they are still in the transition phase from FCS to FBS.
• If everything remained status quo, only then would James Madison (7-0) and Jacksonville State (6-2) be in line to land bowl berths. Any remaining vacancies would be filled by five-win schools.
• For UConn to be first in line as a five-win school, it must have the highest multi-year Academic Progress Report (APR) score. But that is highly unlikely — UConn’s APR is 956 (out of 1000), tied for 99th among the 133 FBS schools. By comparison, Rice (996 APR) was the lone five-win school to earn a bowl bid last year.
UCONN’S ONLY SHOT: For the Huskies to finish at 5-7 and stay in the bowl conversation, they would need to survive a gauntlet of three consecutive road games with only one loss. It begins Saturday at Boston College (4-3) and then continues at No. 25 James Madison (7-0) and at No. 21 Tennessee (5-2).
• While the Huskies defeated Boston College a year ago in East Hartford, they have done nothing to inspire hope of winning any of the next three games, especially after their disappointing 24-21 defeat at home against South Florida (4-4).
REALITY CHECK: How do others feel about the Huskies? They now rank 126th out of 133 FBS schools, according to USA Today, and are one of eight with only one win. UConn has already been installed as a 12.5-point underdog Saturday against the Eagles (noon, ACC Network).
• The most conceivable record for the Huskies now is 3-9, since they finish with games against in-state FCS opponent Sacred Heart and UMass, the lowest-ranked team among FBS schools.
THE MOST SOBERING IMPACT: Like it or not, Jim Mora‘s first season — ending with a long-awaited bowl game — established a higher bar for his second season. And to this point, the Huskies have fallen woefully short.
• The damaging consequence of a losing season comes on the recruiting trail, where UConn’s status as an independent school alone has challenged its ability to attract and land top prospects.
• How do you persuade a stud recruit to play for a below-average football team at a traditional basketball school with a history of losing seasons, no conference visibility, mediocre talent, less NIL opportunity, and a half-full stadium in unpredictable Northeast weather? You can’t.
PROVE IT: There is only one way Mora can improve his sales pitch to potential recruits. As a former NFL head coach, he must prove he’s capable of elevating an ordinary talent pool to achieve extraordinary results.
• The proof would come in the form of a victory over Boston College, at the very least, if not either James Madison or Tennessee. No one expects UConn to win. And would you blame anyone after watching the Huskies cough up an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to South Florida at home?
• Forget about UConn’s all-but-gone bowl chances. Each game over the next three weeks is a fight for the soul of the football program. Give recruits something positive to believe in. For Mora to change the UConn football narrative, as he’s promised, it needs to happen now.
— David Kull (david@uconndaily.com)
Morning Reads
• The baseball team’s schedule is out with 53 games on tap and potentially three more on the way. The softball team? Check out its schedule here.
• Cooper Flagg wrapped up his visit with Duke over the weekend, and all eyes continue to be on the nation’s No. 1 recruit and where he will land – Duke or UConn.
• Who needs Flagg when you have a potential NBA player and one of the nation’s top guards returning in Tristen Newton, who was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list for the nation’s top point guard.
Top photo: Jim Mora speaks to CBS Sports Network following the win over Boston College. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
