11 a.m. | ESPN
Fenway Park Boston, Massachusetts
Series History
Series Record: UNC leads, 3-0
At UConn: 0-1
At UNC: 0-2
At Neutral Site: —
Longest UConn Win Streak: —
Longest UNC Win Streak 3-straight (1990-2009)
Largest UConn Margin of Victory –
Largest UNC Margin of Victory 27 pts (48-21 at UNC)
Connecticut Huskies Notes
Scouting the Tar Heels…
The Tar Heels finished the 2024 regular season 6-6 and qualified for a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season, which is the second-longest streak in Carolina football history. Star RB Omarion Hampton became a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished the season second nationally in rushing with 1,660 yards, while OL Willie Lampkin was tabbed the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, which goes to the ACC’s Most Outstanding Blocker. Carolina’s explosive offense averaged 32.3 points per game during the regular season and racked up 432.4 yards per game. Defensively, the Tar Heels finished eighth nationally in sacks with 39.
UConn vs. the ACC…
The Huskies are 7-28 all-time against the ACC. UConn went 0-3 this season against teams from the ACC, with a loss at Duke and Syracuse and a home loss to Wake Forest. UConn’s last win against the ACC came over Boston College in the 2022 season. The Huskies are 0-1 against the league in post season bowl games, losing to Wake Forest in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl (24-10). UConn is 2-2 against Duke, 2-2 against Virginia and 1-3 against Wake Forrest. The Huskies are 1-4 against Boston College since the Eagles joined the league in 2005 and 0-4 vs. Syracuse since the Orange jumped to the ACC in 2013. UConn has also faced Clemson (0-1), Georgia Tech (0-3), North Carolina (0-3) and NC State (0-4). The Huskies were 1-3 against Maryland when the Terrapins were a member of the conference through 2014. The Huskies have also faced Louisville, Miami, Pitt, SMU and Virginia Tech in their history but prior to those teams joining the ACC. The Huskies have never faced Cal, Florida State or Stanford.
2024 SEASON NOTES —
Setting the Scene…
The UConn Huskies close out the 2024 season playing in their second bowl game in the last three seasons under head coach Jim Mora. The Huskies will face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2024 Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Boston. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:am on ESPN and the ESPN app. Saturday’s bowl match-up is the fourth ever meeting between the Huskies and Tar Heels and the first since the 2009 season. UNC is 3-0 in the all-time series. This will mark UConn’s fifth match-up against a Power Four conference this season and fourth against a team from the ACC. The Huskies earned their eighth win of the season thanks to a 47-42 win at New England rival UMass to close out the regular season.It marks the program’s 10th eight win season and first since 2010, which also marks the last winning season for the program. If the Huskies can grab win number nine, it will be just the third time in program history a UConn team has won nine games, the last two coming in 2007 and 2003. The Huskies have won 10 games just once, during the 1998 campaign.
Home Cooking…
The Huskies closed out a six-game home stretch beating Georgia State to finish 6-1 at home at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field this season. Their 6-1 mark is the team’s most home wins since a 6-0 2010 campaign. Since playing at The Rent in 2003, this is the ninth time the Huskies have played seven home games. UConn was 7-0 in 2007 and 6-1 in 2004 and 2024. The UConn offense dominated in their seven home games, scoring 258 points, the most in their history in the stadium, while averaging 36.9 ppg, second only to the 2010 season when they averaged 38.5 ppg in six games.
Defensive Turnaround…
The UConn defensive unit, under first year defensive coordinator Matt Brock, has improved over last year’s performance in just about every major category heading into the bowl game. The Huskies are allowing 23.8 points per game (286 pts allowed), down from 29.8 per game last fall and the fewest points allowed in a season since the 2015 campaign (253 pts allowed). UConn’s defense has been among the best on third down this season, ranking 10th nationally at .312 percent. In 2023, that number stood at .429 percent. The UConn run defense is allowing 135.3 yards per game, down from 149.7 a year ago, and against the pass, the Huskies are allowing 202.3 yards per game, down from 258.8 in 2023. UConn ranks 45th in the nation in passing efficiency defense (122.68). UConn ranks 57th in total defense, allowing 359.1 yards per game, better than the 408.5 yards allowed last fall. Linebackers Jayden McDonald ranks 11th in NCAA in total tackles (119 / 9.9 pg) while Tui Faumuina-Brown led the team in sacks (4.5) and was second with 88.0 total tackles. Safety Malik Dixon-Williams had 60.0 total tackles and led the team with three interceptions
Offense Equally Impresses…
Under the direction of first year offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, the Huskies have been equally impressive on the offensive side from a year ago. UConn is averaging 32.3 points per game, 34th nationally, up from 19.1 last season. The Huskies have scored 388 points marking the most points scored since the 2009 season and the fifth most in school history. The last time a UConn offense average 30 or more points a game was in 2009 (31.2). The team piled up 4,808 total yards (400.7 pg), the most yards gained since the 2016 season. The rushing attack is back to 2022 form (191.0) and averaging 198.3 yards per game, up from 136.6 last season. The UConn running game has put up 2380 yards, ranking 26th in the nation, the fifth highest total in program history. The Huskies are averaging 400.7 yards of total offense a game, up from 326.9 last year and ranks 54th nationally. UConn continues to excel at protecting the quarterback, ranking 13th nationally in sacks allowed (1.00 pg) as well as tackles for loss allowed (3.92), ranking 13th as well. The UConn offense ranks 10th in the NCAA in red zone success converting at .925 percent. The Huskies have scored on 37 of 40 trips into the red zone this season and have 25 touchdowns on their 40 trips. The Huskies last season were 25 of 32 in the red zone with 17 touchdowns, a .781 percentage.
Special Teams Notes…
UConn place kicker Chris Freeman ranks 21st in the NCAA in field goals per game (1.50). He finished 18-23 on field goals and a perfect 46-46 on extra points to lead UConn in scoring (100 pts)… Wide receiver and punt returner TJ Sheffield is 28th in NCAA in punt returns (7.0) and his 33 punt returns are the most in the nation… Running back and kick-off return specialist Mel Brown is 22nd in NCAA in combined kick return yards (462) and third in NCAA in kick return in TDs (1). He is second in kick-off return yards (30.8)… Punter Connor Stutz has punted 58 times this season and is averaging 43.57 yards per punt, ranking 31st in the nation. He had 14 punts over 50-yards on the year including a career-long of 69 yards. He had 17 kicks downed inside the 20.
North Carolina Tar Heels Notes
KEY STORYLINES
• Carolina will look to win its first bowl game since the 2019 Military Bowl when it defeated Temple, 55-13. • In Carolina’s six wins, the Heels have held their opponents to just 16.0 points per game and just 268.7 yards of total offense per game, while averaging 4.8 sacks and 7.7 tackles for loss per contest. JA Tar Heel has rushed for 100+ yards in 10 of UNC’s first 11 games of the season. UNC was one of just two teams in the nation to have a 100-yard rusher in each of its first 10 games. • Over the last five NFL Drafts, UNC’s 18 draft picks are tied for the second most among ACC schools. Carolina and Pitt are tied at 18 behind Clemson’s 26 selections. Florida State is fourth in the league with 17. • On December 11th, the University of North Carolina announced the hiring of legendary football coach, Bill Belichick. A three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, 2010), Belichick has an all-time NFL head coaching record of 333-178 (.652) and is only 14 NFL wins away from the overall wins record. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s and the 2010s, and he also was a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and holds the record for most NFL Playoff victories (31).
FROM THE NOTES
• In the last six years, the Tar Heels are 49-2 when they score 40-plus points and 76-11 when they score 30-plus points. • In the last six years, Carolina owns a 44-33 overall record. nineteen of the 33 losses have been by seven points or less with four setbacks coming in overtime. • Carolina had a rusher go for 100 or more yards in each of its first 11 games, Omarion Hampton ten times, and Davion Gause once. It’s the first time UNC has ever accomplished the feat and the Heels were one of two teams to do so this season (Boise State). • Hampton led the conference and was second in the nation with 138.3 rushing yards per game. He trailed only Ashton Jeanty. • North Carolina players have a total of six 1,000-yard rushing seasons since Mack Brown returned in 2019. That is the most of any team in the country. • Willie Lampkin has been impressive on the offensive line, coming in as the highest-graded guard in the Power 4 at 80.4 according to PFF. • Bryson Nesbit set a new UNC record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with the 11th of his career in the win over Charlotte and had two after that to give him 13 for his career, before getting sidelined for the season with an injury. • Kaimon Rucker, Jahvaree Ritzie, and Beau Atkinson have all been named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week once this season, each after recording three or more sacks in a single game. Atkinson’s 3.5 at Florida State are tied for the second most in a single game at UNC, while Rucker and Ritzie’s three are now tied for fourth most sacks in a single game. Rucker now has 22 sacks in his career and recently moved past Lawrence Taylor for sixth most in Carolina history. • Noah Burnette finished the 2023 season making 19-of-20 field goal attempts. His conversion percentage of 95.0 was fourth in the nation last season. • Burnette led the ACC in scoring last season averaging 9.1 points per game. • Burentte ranks third all-time at Carolina with 278 points and is third with 134 extra points made in his career. • Burnette’s 52-yard field goal in the 2024 opener at Minnesota was a career long and the longest by a Tar Heel since Nick Weiler hit a 54-yarder against Florida State on Oct. 1, 2016. • UNC’s 19-17 win at Minnesota marked the fewest points scored by Carolina in a season-opening win since defeating East Carolina, 14-10, on Sept. 16, 1978. • Following Max Johnson’s injury at Minnesota, Conner Harrell came in and became the first UNC quarterback to come off the bench to lead the Tar Heels to victory since Cameron Sexton replaced Mike Paulus and won at Miami in 2008. • Carolina’s win over NC Central on Sept. 14 made UNC 3-0 for the third consecutive season. The last time UNC started 3-0 in three consecutive seasons was 1979-81. • The Tar Heels won 41-14 at Virginia and then 35-11 at Florida State, marking the first time Carolina defeated consecutive ACC opponents by at least 20 points in the same season since 2016. • Carolina held both Virginia (288) and Florida State (201) to under 300 yards of total offense, the first time doing so to back-to-back opponents in true road games since 2007 (at Virginia Tech and Wake Forest).
