EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Navy continues to erase the memory of a three-win campaign from a year ago, becoming bowl eligible for the 15th time in 17 seasons with a dramatic last-second victory over Tulane last week. The Midshipmen already have doubled last season's win total and are seeking their fifth consecutive victory when they visit Connecticut on Friday night in a nationally televised matchup.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Navy -27.5
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The Midshipmen squandered a 24-point lead last weekend before squeezing out a 41-38 victory on a last-second field goal by Bijan Nichols to remain one game behind SMU in the American Athletic Conference West Division. "After last year, it's great to be bowl eligible. I'm never going to take that for granted again," coach Ken Niumatalolo told reporters. “So impressed with the grit and resolve of our kids - all the thing we talk about at the Naval Academy.” The Huskies ended a six-game losing streak with a 56-35 win at Massachusetts last week that also halted a 22-game slide against FBS opponents and a 12-game skid on the road. “They might have a little bit more bounce in their step,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said of his team, which will be attempting to end another lengthy drought, having dropped 15 conference games in a row.
ABOUT NAVY (6-1, 4-1 AAC)
Fullback Nelson Smith is second to dual-threat quarterback Malcolm Perry in rushing, but was replaced early last week by sophomore Jamale Carothers, who rumbled for 154 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to earn AAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. Perry eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the fourth consecutive game and needs 66 yards to join Keenan Reynolds as the only players in school history to run for 1,000 in three consecutive seasons. The Midshipmen are averaging a nation-leading 350.7 yards on the ground.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (2-6, 0-4)
The Huskies leaned on their ground game last week as Kevin Mensah ran for 164 yards and a career-high five scores - the most rushing TDs by a UConn player since 1993 - to share the conference’s weekly honor with Carothers. Art Thompkins, who had 100 yards from scrimmage the previous week versus Houston, ran for a season-high 135 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries as Connecticut amassed 326 yards rushing. Freshman Cameron Ross also set a season high with 120 yards receiving in his second straight game with nine catches.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Midshipmen are 8-1 against the Huskies, including a 28-24 victory in 2016 in the last meeting.
2. UConn QB Jack Zergiotis is the school's first true freshman to start and win a game since former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky in 2001.
3. Nichols was named the AAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning 48-yard field goal.
PREDICTION: Navy 34, Connecticut 17