The 2025 Wasabi Fenway Bowl brings together the Connecticut Huskies (Independent) and the Army Black Knights (AAC) in a Northeast showdown at a historic baseball venue. UConn enters with a surprising 9-3 record, marking one of their best seasons in recent memory under outgoing coach Jim Mora, while Army limps in at 6-6 after a mixed AAC campaign. This matchup revives a series where Army has dominated lately, and with UConn facing coaching and player transitions, it could be a gritty, low-scoring affair emphasizing ground games. Below is a comprehensive preview.
Venue Location
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts. This iconic MLB stadium, home to the Boston Red Sox, transforms into a football field for the bowl, offering a unique outdoor setting with a capacity of around 37,000 for gridiron action.
Kickoff is set for 2:15 p.m. ET (1:15 p.m. CT). The game will air on ESPN and its streaming services.
Note: While the query specifies December 25, all official sources confirm December 27 as the date.
Weather Forecast
As an outdoor game, conditions could favor ball security in typical New England winter weather. Boston’s forecast for December 27, 2025, calls for highs around 40-48°F with a RealFeel temperature in the low 40s, partly cloudy skies, and a 20-40% chance of light rain or flurries. Winds may gust up to 10 mph, potentially impacting passing and kicking games—expect a run-heavy contest if precipitation develops.
Injury Report
Both teams enter with notable absences, including opt-outs and injuries that could shift strategies toward backups and depth players.
- Connecticut Huskies: Wide receiver Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman is questionable with a knee injury. Running backs Victor Rosa, Cam Edwards, and MJ Flowers are on the report with undisclosed issues, potentially limiting the ground attack. Tight end Juice Vereen is also dealing with an undisclosed ailment. Quarterback Joe Fagnano has opted out, leaving backups like Nick Evers to step in. Additionally, the team faces uncertainty with head coach Jim Mora’s departure.
- Army Black Knights: Quarterback Ethan Washington is out for the season with a knee injury. Running back Bartosh has missed recent games with an undisclosed issue and remains questionable. Defensive lineman D. Poe is questionable (undisclosed), and Henry is battling an undisclosed ailment. Opt-outs include key contributors like edge rusher Jahiem Lawson and defensive tackle Stephiylan Green (shoulder).
Key Player Matchups
This game could hinge on trench warfare, with Army’s triple-option offense clashing against UConn’s improved defense, and UConn’s passing game testing Army’s secondary amid opt-outs.
- UConn QB Nick Evers vs. Army S Max DiDomenico: With Fagnano out, Evers (147.47 efficiency in limited action) steps in as a dual-threat option, but faces DiDomenico, Army’s tackle leader, who could spy and disrupt scrambles.
- Army QB Bryson Daily vs. UConn LB Donovan Branch: Daily’s option reads power Army’s run-heavy attack (top-10 nationally), testing Branch, UConn’s leading tackler, to stuff gaps and force third-and-longs.
- UConn RB Cam Edwards (if available) vs. Army DL Nate Smith: Edwards has been a workhorse, but Smith’s interior pressure could limit inside runs, forcing UConn outside.
- Army RB Kanye Udoh vs. UConn DL Dal’Mont Gourdine: Udoh’s speed complements the option, challenging Gourdine’s edge-setting to contain perimeter plays.
Other watch: UConn WR Skyler Bell could exploit Army CB Donovan Saunders in the air if Evers gets time.
Recent Team Forms
- Connecticut Huskies (9-3, Independent): UConn started hot with wins over Merrimack (63-17) and Maryland (50-7), but faced mid-season tests like a loss to Duke (26-21). They finished strong, winning 6 of their last 7, including blowouts over Temple (45-3) and UMass (49-14), averaging 36.9 points per game offensively while holding foes to under 20 in victories.
- Army Black Knights (6-6, 4-4 AAC): Army opened with a loss to Lehigh but rebounded with wins over UAB (31-13) and Charlotte (24-7). They struggled late, losing 3 of 5 including to Tulane (24-17) and Navy (31-13), but secured bowl eligibility with gritty efforts like a 20-17 win over Air Force. Offense relies on the run (287 yards/game), but defense allowed 24+ in losses.
Conference vs Conference
Independent vs. AAC. The AAC, a Group of Five conference, emphasizes speed and athleticism with teams like Memphis and Tulane, while independents like UConn operate without conference ties, facing varied schedules. Historically, AAC teams hold a slight edge in non-conference play against independents, winning about 60% of matchups due to deeper recruiting pools.
Series History
Army leads the all-time series 5-4 since their first meeting in 1979 (Army 26-10 win). The Black Knights have won the last two encounters, including a 52-21 blowout in 2021 and 35-21 in 2022. UConn’s lone recent victory came in 2006 (21-7), but Army holds a 4-1 edge since 2010. Games average moderate scoring, with Army’s largest margin at +31.
Betting Trends
- UConn: 6-4-2 ATS overall; 4-2 ATS as underdogs; 7-5 O/U, trending under in cold-weather games (4 of last 5). Strong in bowls as dogs historically.
- Army: 6-6 ATS; 5-1 ATS as favorites of 7+; 5-7 O/U, favoring unders in neutral sites (3 of last 4). Covers well against independents (4-1 ATS last 5).
- Game-Specific: Public on UConn +8.5, but sharps backing Army amid Huskies’ transitions; unders hit in 6 of last 8 Fenway Bowls due to weather and run-focused teams.
Historical Betting Results
The Fenway Bowl (since 2022) has seen favorites go 2-1 ATS, with unders dominating (3 of 3 games). Largest margin: +17 (Louisville 24-7 over Cincinnati, 2022). Most points: 27 (UConn in 2024 win over UNC 27-14). AAC teams like Army are 0-1 in the bowl (SMU loss 2023), while independents (e.g., UConn 2024) covered as underdogs.
Game Odds
Connecticut Huskies 43.5
Army Black Knights – 9.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Thursday, December 25, 2025
