Will the Connecticut Huskies Win a Game in 2013?

The Connecticut Huskies are one of five teams at the FBS level this season that have yet to win a game. They are the only ones out of a major conference, however, to still be looking for their first win (other bad BCS teams scheduled better cupcakes, apparently). And they’ve looked about as poor as you can going 0-7. They rank outside the top 100 in most every statistical category nationally, fired their head coach midway through the season (with no discernible difference made on the team) and appear to be losing their fighting spirit as the losses keep mounting. With five games to go in 2013, is there any chance UConn gets a win?

Looking back at their losses this season, they were close to breaking into the win column a couple of times. They had the Michigan Wolverines on the ropes before letting them escape with a 24-21 win back on September 21. Then in AAC play, UConn went down to the wire with the South Florida Bulls but lost 13-10 despite the Bulls’ inability to score an offensive touchdown in the game. Other than that, it’s been blowouts for the Huskies this season with the next closest margin of defeat an 11 point loss against the Maryland Terrapins.

And looking ahead, UConn has some tough games still on the schedule. Their next game is on November 8 against the No. 19 Louisville Cardinals, who look as focused as ever and will be looking to get some retribution for their loss to the Huskies last season. After that, they’re on the road against the SMU Mustangs (3-4) and Temple Owls (1-7) in back to back weeks before finishing the season with a two-game home-stand against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-3) and Memphis Tigers (1-6).

With that schedule, there are two winnable games for this team against Temple and Memphis, clubs that have been only slightly more successful this season than UConn. The Owls could present an issue as they have been competitive in most of their games, losing four games by 10 points or less, this season and have some offensive balance in their attack. Their defense, while not great, is still vastly better than what the Huskies have put on the field this season, so UConn will still be a significant underdog on the road November 23.

That leaves the season finale against Memphis as their last chance at avoiding a winless season. So far, the Tigers have only beaten the Arkansas State Red Wolves in non-conference play where they dominated in a 31-7 win. In the rest of their games, Memphis has struggled to get their offense going, averaging just 20 points per game on the season. Their defense, however, ranks No. 3 in the AAC in total defense and No. 49 in the country in scoring defense. Not great, but much better than you’d expect from a 1-6 team and a serious obstacle for a largely ineffective UConn offense.

So while they have opportunities in seemingly winnable games down the stretch, things don’t look good for the Huskies’ chances of winning a game in 2013. Whoever becomes the next coach of UConn will have their work cut out for them rebuilding this program up into even a middle-of-the-pack contender.

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