– Last Updated on June 8, 2018 7:50 am
2017 Football Preview – AAC – Huskies
Looking for 2017 Connecticut Huskies predictions? The Huskies went through a terrible 2016 season finishing the year at 3-9. The athletic program took action, firing Bob Diaco. The program brought back former head coach Randy Edsall (departing in 2010) to bring the program back to respectability in 2017.
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- 2017-18 College Football Preview – Connecticut Huskies
- Head Coach: Randy Edsall
- 2016 Record: 3-9
- Connecticut Huskies Odds to win the 2017 FBS Championship: +10000
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Can the Huskies be a surprise team in the American bringing back coach Randy Edsall?
2017 Connecticut Huskies Predictions: Team Strengths
RB and Defense: Connecticut is returning senior running back Arkeel Newsome. Newsome is the teams number one ranked offensive player, and very well should be.
In 2016, Newsome lead the team in rushing yards with 715 on 147 attempts. He also finished with five touchdowns. he’s also a solid receiver for the Huskies. Newsome had 25 catches for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns out of the backfield in 2016.
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Senior linebacker Vonte Diggs headlines a stout Huskies defense. The 6-2, 221 pound Diggs was the teams leading tackler in 2016, with 84 takles on the season. Including eight tackles for a loss on the year.
Diggs is rated as the number one defensive player on the Huskies defense for 2017.
In addition to Diggs, cornerback Jamar Summers, linebacker Junior Joseph, defensive end/linebacker Luke Carrezola and defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi are the top five best players on the Huskies defense.
New Coaching: Connecticut had the lowest scoring offense in D-I last season, averaging a horrible 14.8 points per game. That lead to the dismissal of former head coach, Bob Diaco, and the return of former coach Randy Edsall.
Edsall took the Huskies to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. The new head coach will look to speed up the offense and use the strengths of his what he has on the roster (not much).
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Inheriting an offense that ranked 105 in the nation, coach Edsall brings a new offensive coordinator to the Huskies in Rhett Lashlee. Lashlee was the offensive coordinator for Auburn under Gus Malzahn. He should bring some excitement to the anemic offense for 2017.
2017 Connecticut Huskies Predictions: Team Weaknesses
Will Shirreffs show up? Suspect offense: QB Bryan Shirreffs will be at the top of the depth chart again at quarterback.
There was some speculation about a quarterback competition to start spring camp, but that ended when Donovon Williams went down with a knee injury.
Shirreffs started nine games last season.
He passed for 2010 yards on 58.7 percent completion percentage,with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Shirreffs is the second ranked offensive player for the Huskies going into the 2017 season.
With the 105th ranked offense in the country, everyone on the Huskies offense needs to step up.
The Wideout core needs to step up too. The forgotten about wide receivers for the Huskies are almost never heard from.
Hergy Malaya Jr. is the best receiver for the Huskies going into the season.
His 2016 stats? 23 receptions for 296 yards and zero touchdowns. The Huskies need a no name guy to show up and take over as a true number one, and it can’t be the running back.
Connecticut Huskies Prediction: 4-8
The Huskies were horrible on offense and still managed three wins.
With new/old blood in key coaching positions, the Huskies should see more offensive success, and a faster tempo running the plays.
The defense will anchor the Huskies, as they have in past years. If the offense can improve just slightly, so will the win percentage.
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There is nowhere to go but up.
The Huskies will improve to be a game better than they were in 2016. With a more uptempo style of play, the program should have a new identity; but no shot at a bowl game this season.
2017 Connecticut Huskies Football Schedule
- 8/31/17 TBD Holy Cross
- 9/9/17 TBD USF
- 9/16/17 TBD @Virginia
- 9/23/17 OPEN DATE
- 9/30/17 TBD @SMU
- 10/6/17 TBD @Memphis
- 10/14/17 TBD @ Temple
- 10/21/17 TBD Tulsa
- 10/28/17 TBD Missouri
- 11/4/17 TBD East Carolina
- 11/11/17 TBD @UCF
- 11/18/17 TBD @ Boston College
- 11/25/17 TBD @Cincinnati
What do you think about our 2017 Connecticut Huskies Irish predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2017!
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