The Connecticut Huskies (3-2) open up Big East Conference play on Saturday afternoon when they face the undefeated and No. 22/21 ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0) inside High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
UConn, which last faced a ranked opponent on October 8, 2011 when it faced West Virginia, has played Rutgers on 31 previous occasions, with the Scarlet Knights owning a 21-10 edge. However, the Huskies and Scarlet Knights have split their last ten meetings. The two schools last squared off last season on November 26, and Lyle McCombs and Scott McCummings both had two touchdown runs to lead Connecticut past Rutgers, 40-22, in East Hartford, CT.
Connecticut has alternated wins and losses so far this season on the way to a 3-2 record. Last weekend, the Huskies escaped with a 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bulls at Rentschler Field. Chandler Whitmer had 227 passing yards and one touchdown while McCombs rushed for 97 yards and one score for the Huskies.
Rutgers has been victorious in all four games it has played this season, beating the Arkansas Razorbacks, 35-26, most recently last weekend. Gary Nova torched the Arkansas defense for 397 yards and five touchdowns and Jawan Jamison had 118 rushing yards for the Scarlet Knights, who racked up 525 total yards.
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on ESPNU and can be heard on the radio on the UConn IMG Sports Radio Network.