CONNECTICUT HUSKIES
at
SYRACUSE ORANGE

Carrier Dome (49,262/FieldTurf)
Syracuse, N.Y.

Television
ESPNU — Clay Matvick and Herm Edwards

Connecticut Radio       
WTIC-AM 1080 (flagship)       
Sirius 113; XM 203

Syracuse Radio
WTKW-FM 99.5 (flagship)
       

THE GAME
Connecticut and Syracuse have met just six times prior to Saturday’s game … The Huskies hold a 4-2 series lead and have won the last three meetings … Syracuse is 2-1 against Connecticut in the Carrier Dome, having won in 2004 and 2006 … Connecticut WR Marcus Easley caught a pair of touchdown passes and RB Jordan Todman ran for 123 yards and a TD in last year’s 56-31 win for the Huskies … Connecticut coach Randy Edsall is a 1980 graduate of Syracuse and was an assistant at his alma mater from 1980-90 when Syracuse coach Doug Marrone was a player.

CONNECTICUT (5-4, 2-2 BIG EAST)
Head Coach
Randy Edsall (Syracuse ’80)
71-69, 12th season

NOTES
Connecticut has won back-to-back games against teams picked first and second in the BIG EAST preseason poll following  home field victories against West Virginia (16-13 in overtime) and Pittsburgh (30-28) … Connecticut is 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road in 2010 … Connecticut ranks last in the BIG EAST in total defense (364.1 yards per game), but the Huskies have forced a BIG EAST-leading 19 turnovers … The Huskies have scored three touchdowns on interception returns and two on kickoff returns … RB Jordan Todman enters the game ranked second nationally in rushing (147.0 yards per game) … Todman has rushed for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns on 211 carries … QB Zach Frazer has thrown for 871 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions in seven games … WR Michael Smith has 30 receptions for 470 yards and two touchdowns, while WR Kashif Moore has 28 catches for 361 yards and four TDs … LB Lawrence Wilson leads the BIG EAST in tackles (95 total, 10.6 per game) … DE Jesse Joseph has 6.5 sacks, good for fifth in the BIG EAST, while LB Sio Moore is fourth in the conference with 10 tackles for loss.

SYRACUSE (7-3, 4-2 BIG EAST)
Head Coach
Doug Marrone (Syracuse ’91)
11-11, second season

NOTES
Having reached one of its stated goals of achieving bowl eligibility, Syracuse enters Saturday’s game in second place in the BIG EAST standings … Syracuse would get a share of the BIG EAST title with a win against Connecticut and any Pittsburgh loss in the Panthers’ last three games … Syracuse is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004 season and has clinched its first winning season since 2001 … Syracuse is one of three teams nationally with five road wins (Oregon, Boise State) … Syracuse is receiving votes in all three national polls … The Orange rank ninth nationally in total defense (297.1 yards per game) and 13th in scoring defense (17.8 ppg) … RB Delone Carter is fourth in the BIG EAST in rushing at 93.8 yards per game … Carter has rushed for 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 179 carries … QB Ryan Nassib has thrown for 1,777 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions … WR Van Chew has 36 catches for 563 yards and five touchdowns … LB Derrell Smith is fifth in the BIG EAST in tackles (85) and has team highs of three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries … DE Chandler Jones has a team-high four sacks.