Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Weather Forecast (East Hartford, CT)
Temperature: ~74°F (23°C) at kickoff
Conditions: Partly cloudy, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Comfortable New England afternoon; no major weather disruptions expected.
Injury Report
Ball State Cardinals (MAC):
QB Kiael Kelly (263 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 143 rushing yards, 1 TD) healthy and starting.
RB Qua Ashley (209 rushing yards, 2 TDs; also 1 receiving TD) available.
WR Eric Weatherly (60 receiving yards) active.
DE DeJuan Echoles Jr. (3 sacks, 11 tackles) healthy and leading the defense.
UConn Huskies (Independent):
QB Joe Fagnano (865 passing yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs; 66% completions) healthy.
RB Cam Edwards (306 rushing yards, 3 TDs) available.
WR Skyler Bell (332 yards, 2 TDs) and WR Reymello Murphy (171 yards, 2 TDs) both active.
LB Bryun Parham (team leader with 5 sacks, 19 tackles) healthy.
Key Player Matchups
QB Kiael Kelly (Ball State) vs. UConn Front Seven
Kelly is a dual-threat QB; UConn’s linebackers must contain his scrambling ability.
RB Qua Ashley (Ball State) vs. UConn Run Defense
Ashley is averaging nearly 70 YPG; UConn must prevent him from breaking long runs.
QB Joe Fagnano (UConn) vs. Ball State Secondary
Fagnano is averaging 288 YPG; Ball State’s DBs must limit explosive plays.
WR Skyler Bell (UConn) vs. Ball State Corners
Bell is UNC’s top target with 332 yards; Ball State must double him or risk big gains.
Recent Team Form
Ball State Cardinals (1–2, MAC)
8/30/25: L 31–10 @ Miami (OH)
9/6/25: L 44–41 vs. Delaware (FCS)
9/13/25: W 34–29 vs. New Hampshire (FCS)
Trend: Offense improving with Kelly and Ashley, but defense giving up 35 PPG.
UConn Huskies (1–2, Independent)
8/30/25: L 27–17 vs. Syracuse
9/6/25: W 38–14 vs. FCS opponent
9/13/25: L 44–41 vs. Delaware
Trend: Offense productive (averaging 32 PPG), but defense inconsistent, especially against the pass.
Series History
This is the first-ever meeting between Ball State and UConn.
Betting Trends
UConn:
1–2 ATS in 2025.
2 of 3 games have gone over the total.
1–0 ATS as a 21+ point favorite this season.
Ball State:
2–1 ATS in 2025.
1 of 3 games has gone over the total.
1–0 ATS as a 21+ point underdog this season.
Head-to-Head: First meeting.
Historical Betting Results
UConn: Historically inconsistent ATS, but strong when favored heavily against FCS or lower-tier G5 teams.
Ball State: Often covers as a large underdog, but rarely wins outright in such spots.
MAC vs. Independents: Independents (like UConn) cover ~60% of the time in September non-conference games.
Game Odds
Ball State Cardinals 53.5
Connecticut Huskies – 21.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
