Connecticut at Vanderbilt

The Huskies began the post Randy Edsal era with an easy win at home vs. Fordham. While a QB by committee approach seems to be the agenda starting out, there has emerged another RB that is showing signs of picking up where the last two big gainers left off. Freshman Lyle McCombs rushed for 141 yards in the opener, and has picked up the apparent void left behind by Jordan Toddman. The Huskies’ strength is always their defense, and it will be no different this year as they have a strong defensive line, and the backs are very solid. Vandy lost their last seven games a year ago by more than 26 point per game, and finished 2-10. The offense was one of the worst in the country at 112, and they scored less than 17 ppg. Larry Smith threw more INTs than TD passes, and he will be severely challenged by the always opportunistic Huskies defense. The Commodores’ strength lies in the secondary, but is soft elsewhere, and UConn does not pass well, so their weakness on defense plays into UConn’s strength. The Huskies are 36-17-1 ATS in their last 54 non-conference games and 20-8 ATS in their last 28 overall. Wins are few and far between for the Commodores, and after an ATS win they are 1-10 ATS in their last 11. Play UConn in this one.