First look: Top story lines, betting odds for Clemson vs UConn football game
Clemson may not be going to the College Football Playoffs, but the Tigers are going bowling after picking up their sixth win of the season over the weekend.
Progress has been slow, but the Tigers are picking up momentum down the stretch. Following a 30-24 win over Louisville, Clemson will take a break from ACC action to play host to UConn this week.
Clemson football schedule: UConn game, TV info
Who: Clemson (6-3) vs. UConn (1-8)
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
When: Noon Saturday
TV: ACC Network
VEGAS ODDS: CLEMSON-UCONN POINT SPREAD
Clemson opened as a 38-point favorite over UConn. It’s the Tigers’ largest line of the year against an FBS opponent. In recent weeks, the team’s spread has been single digits.
NOVEMBER RECORD
Clemson went 2-2 in September, 3-1 in October and will look to keep adding wins in the final month of the regular season. The Tigers started that effort by winning the first game of November on the road. Returning back to Death Valley, the group will look to build an already budding confidence on offense against a UConn team with only one win on the year.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Clemson and UConn will play one another for the first time ever. The Huskies are also returning to the gridiron this season after shutting down last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their only win of the year came via a 21-15 decision against Yale. UConn features an offense (126) and defense (109) that rank among the worst of the country’s 130 FBS teams.
THREE UCONN HUSKIES TO WATCH
Steven Krajewski, QB: After only playing four games in 2019, Steven Krajewski took the reins of the Huskies’ offense. He’s thrown for 938 yards and six touchdowns with seven interceptions while totaling a third-best 99 rushing yards to go along with two more TDs.
Keelan Marion, WR: Only a freshman, Keelan Marion leads the Huskies with five touchdown grabs on the year and is averaging 46.67 reception yards per game.
Ian Swenson, LB: Despite the 44-13 loss to Middle Tennessee over the weekend, Ian Swenson had a career-high 13 tackles to bring his total to 47 on the year, the fourth-best on the team.
THREE CLEMSON TIGERS TO WATCH
Beaux Collins, WR: With Joseph Ngata out, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced Beaux Collins as a starter. He got his first start against Louisville and recorded his first collegiate 100-yard receiving game, finishing with 104 yards and a touchdown.
Trenton Simpson, LB: Continuing to elevate his game, Trenton Simpson put together his best statistical performance against Louisville with a team-high 11 tackles with two quarterback sacks. He’s the fourth-leading tackler behind sixth-year seniors James Skalski, Baylon Spector and Nolan Turner with 38 stops, 5½ of which were behind the line of scrimmage.
D.J. Uiagalelei, QB: Swinney believes D.J. Uiagalelei has weathered the storm and is on the other side of it, which was evident against Louisville. While not a perfect performance, it was his best as the signal caller battled through a sprained PCL to total a season-high 220 passing yards, accounting for three total touchdowns without a turnover.
