Breaking Down the 2025 UConn Football Schedule: Key Wins, Must-Haves, & Games to Watch
The football schedule is complete for 2025, and the Huskies are looking to build off their first nine win season since 2007. With several offensive pieces returning, including WR Skyler Bell, plus a revamped defense, the schedule looks fortuitous at first glance.
Must Win:
- CCSU (7-6, loss in 1st round of FCS playoffs)
- At Delaware (1st season in FBS transitional period)
- Ball State (3-9 in MAC, hired Butler HC Mike Uremovich)
- At Buffalo (9-4, Bahamas Bowl win over Liberty)
- FIU (4-8, hired former FAMU HC Willie Simmons. QB Keyone Jenkins returns)
- At FAU (3-9, hired former Texas Tech OC Zach Kittley as HC)
Theres a lot of turnover in this group, as Ball State, FIU, and FAU will be on new head coaches. Buffalo loses its QB CJ Ogbanna, and FAU loses its QB Cam Fancher, not that either helped when they faced the Huskies last season. UConn did not lose to any G5 teams last season, and they should strive for that again in 2025. As far as road games go, going to Newark, DE, Buffalo, and Boca aren't the most daunting tasks. The absolute floor should be 7 wins, which feels pretty good to say.
Should Win:
- At Rice (4-8, hired former Davidson HC Scott Abell. Lost QB EJ Warner)
- UAB (3-9, QB Jalen Kitna returns)
- Air Force (5-7, finished season with four straight wins)
This is where I might be nitpicking, and UConn may very well all three of these games, but I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch. It's always difficult flying halfway across the country to play a game, even if it is in an environment like Rice Stadium. The Huskies needed a late comeback to beat UAB in the rain down in Birmingham, and Air Force won started 1-7, but won their last four games, including wins over Fresno State and Oregon State, and run triple option, which is always difficult to prepare for.
Not Impossible, but it'll be Tough:
- At Syracuse (10-3, lose QB Kyle McCord, defeated Washington St in Holiday Bowl)
- At Boston College (7-6, loss to Nebraska in Pinstripe Bowl)
- Duke (9-4, loss to Ole Miss in Gator Bowl)
We all know that UConn went 0-4 against P4 competition last season until defeating UNC in the Fenway Bowl, a team that lost its starting QB to injury early on in the game, and was without some key pieces who entered the portal. They'll want to win all three of these, but it won't be easy. Syracuse will reload after losing record-setting QB Kyle McCord, adding former LSU QB Rickie Collins, as well as quality defensive pieces like former Cal Edge David Reese, and Marshall DL Chris Thomas Jr. Getting the Orange in week two is interesting, as each team may need time to mesh, but I also said that about Maryland last year and we know how that turned out.
BC will enter year two under Bill O’Brien with former Alabama QB Dylan Longeran, after last year’s QB Thomas Castellanos left the team after being benched mid season. Duke, meanwhile, probably overachieved in year one under Manny Diaz, going 9-4, including a comeback win over UConn in September. They made a huge splash in the transfer portal, committing a reported $8M to former Tulane QB Darian Mensah over two seasons to replace Maalik Murphy. It's not just Mensah, they also added big App State RB Anderson Castle, Sam Houston S Caleb Weaver, and former Oklahoma WR Andrel Anthony. It won't be easy, but those two games being in October and November, respectively, we’ll know more about the Huskies by then.