Connecticut Huskies @ West Virginia Mountaineers Football Preview

Two of the Big East’s three new head coaches will open conference play against one another. West Virginia and Dana Holgorsen have gotten off to the start that most expected. Outside of the home loss to LSU, the Mountaineers have picked up the new offense rapidly, and after identifying playmakers over the first month of the season, have settled into a comfortable rhythm offensively. Geno Smith has adapted to the Holgorsen offense as well as prior quarterbacks did at his other stops as an offensive coordinator.

Conversely, Coach Paul Pasqualoni inherited a UConn team coming off a Fiesta Bowl berth and Big East championship, but with little returning experience on offense. The results have been disappointing thus far: The Huskies find themselves limping into conference play at 2-3 and face the prospect of a very long season. While last year’s upset of West Virginia propelled them to a Big East title, a win this year would revive the Huskies’ slim hopes of merely reaching the postseason.

Dana Holgorsen was hired to bring offense to Morgantown and he has done so by any measurement you might want to choose. After five games, including one against one of the nation’s best defense in LSU, the Mountaineers are one of the nation’s most effective passing offenses. Geno Smith is completing 65 percent of his passes for 1709 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. With him at the helm, the Mountaineers rank sixth nationally in passing offense (362.8 yards per game) and are also in the top twenty of the nation in both scoring and total offense as well. While the Mountaineers struggled to develop balance with the run game, a suitable answer at running might have been found last week against Bowling Green. Tailback Dustin Garrison got his first start and gashed Bowling Green for 291 yards and two touchdowns. With the emergence of Garrison, slowing down the Mountaineers’ offense will be a tough task for UConn. Especially considering the way the Huskies struggled against a similar passing attack in last week’s loss to Western Michigan.

The Huskies, after four weeks of trying various combinations, might have finally settled on a quarterback. Johnny McEntee likely settled the debate with his 300 yard, four touchdown performance against Western Michigan last week. Still, the Huskies rank near the bottom of the Big East in almost every offensive category. That won’t do against the Mountaineers withering offensive attack. The loss of cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson hurt the Huskies last week and looms very large against a significantly better passing attack in West Virginia. Unless the Mountaineers turn the ball over repeatedly, it’s hard to see the Huskies finding the point production and takeaways that will enable them to repeat last year’s monumental upset.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer