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Previewing Army and Connecticut's Game in the Bronx

The Black Knights and Huskies will square off in Yankee Stadium this Saturday. Both teams enter at a disappointing 2-6, but someone will emerge victorious and hold a slim chance of making a bowl.

Army and UConn will face each other this Saturday in Yankee Stadium, searching for just their 3rd victory on the season.
Army and UConn will face each other this Saturday in Yankee Stadium, searching for just their 3rd victory on the season.
Chris Trotman

Where: Yankee Stadium, New York, New York

When: Saturday, 3:30 PM EST

Coverage: CBS Sports Network

Vegas Odds: Army +4

After an embarrassing home loss to Air Force, the Black Knights head into the weekend with far more questions than answers. In their past three losses, Army has surrendered 103 points while only scoring 44. They are still averaging almost 300 yards on the ground, but teams have been able to stop long gains on 1st and 2nd down and force Army to throw the ball. Angel Santiago has only completed 28 of his 55 passes for 362 yards and A.J. Schurr has only attempted 25 passes, completing 11 of them for 222. Each QB has thrown for a single touchdown. Or, in Big 12 terms, a bad first half of passing.

The ground game has shown bursts of promise throughout the season, with 6 different rushers averaging over 5 yards a carry. The issue has been gaining consistent yards early on in drives. With Terry Baggett getting less and less looks, Army has turned to Tony Giovannelli as the primary wing back, with Larry Dixon as the primary lead back.

Connecticut has struggled on both phases of offense, averaging 192 yards passing and only 90 yards rushing, stats similar to Army's closest loss this season in Wake Forest. UConn will look for senior Chandler Whitmer to stay upright behind an offensive line that has surrendered 25 sacks on the year. Max DeLorenzo and Ron Johnson have split carries this season almost equally, neither showing much burst or explosiveness.

Match Up To Watch: Army pass rush vs UConn blockers

As stated above, UConn has surrendered 25 sacks on the season. This will be a good test to an Army team that has only recorded 7 sacks this season. If Army can find a way, through blitzing or line schemes, to pressure Whitmer, then the Black Knights can avoid losing their 4th straight game this season. A loss this Sunday would mean the only highlight this Army team can have this season is beating Navy on December 13th.

Prediction: Army 17, Connecticut 27