How to watch BYU vs. UConn: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
The Huskies open 2014 with a visit from an unfamiliar foe.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Bob Diaco era begins at Connecticut on Friday, as the Huskies host BYU. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with television coverage on ESPN and streaming broadcast available through WatchESPN.
Connecticut jettisoned former coach Paul Pasqualoni midway through the 2013 campaign and hired the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Diaco as his replacement in December. Friday’s game will be Diaco’s first as a head coach at any level. He won the 2012 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
Diaco has his hands full at UConn, which has fallen from a Big East championship and Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2010 to the bottom of the American Athletic Conference in three short years. The Huskies went winless against last year’s non-conference slate, including a loss to eventual FCS runner-up Towson. There were signs of life late, however, as the team won its last three games for interim coach T.J. Weist.
BYU, on the other hand, is the status quo. Bronco Mendenhall is back for his 10th season as head coach of the Cougars after earning bowl eligibility in each of the last nine. While BYU returns a backfield tandem that tore up many highly regarded opponents in 2013, running back Jamaal Williams will miss the opener due to a pair of offseason incidents. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy has departed for the NFL, but the defense remains a stout unit.
More College Football
More College Football
How to witness
TV: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Radio: The UConn broadcast is available on WTIC 1080 AM in Hartford. KSL 1160AM/102.7 FM/SiriusXM 143 handles the radio broadcast for BYU.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked entering the season, though BYU did receive votes in both the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll and AP Poll.
Vegas: BYU is a 16.5-point favorite over the Huskies. The over/under is set at 52 points.
Weather forecast: Nearly perfect. The daytime high should approach 80 degrees, with kickoff temperatures near 70.
Three names to know
Taysom Hill, QB, BYU: Any discussion of BYU has to start with Hill, who effectively ended Mack Brown's tenure at Texas in one September night last year. His 259 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns decimated the Longhorns and catapulted him into the national conversation. Hill threw far too many incompletions -- 47 percent of his pass attempts -- and interceptions -- 14 -- for serious Heisman Trophy consideration. But if he can iron out his mistakes, Hill immediately becomes one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country.
Geremy Davis, WR, UConn: Davis was one of the few silver linings in UConn's lost 2013 season, amassing 1,085 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 71 receptions. His 15-catch, 207-yard performance in the season finale against Memphis keyed a stunning 35-point win over the Tigers and made him arguably the most important offensive weapon at the Huskies' disposal.
Bob Diaco, Head coach, UConn: Diaco's task is monumental: Reverse the course of a program in complete, seemingly inexorable decline and relegated to mid-major status by realignment. He will attempt to do it with defense, installing his standard 3-4 to replace Pasqualoni's four-man front. He'll be starting from scratch. The Huskies' best defensive player, linebacker Yawin Smallwood, left for the NFL Draft a week before Diaco was hired.
Hey, we finally joined Facebook!
Two things at stake
BYU has had difficulty scheduling since going independent, but its television contract with ESPN means it will not lack for national TV opportunities. A season-opening loss as a double-digit favorite against UConn will make next week’s trip to Texas especially crucial for a team light on quality opponents, though.
For Connecticut, a win could provide some much-needed excitement around a program that has been under a dark cloud for three seasons. With FCS Stony Brook coming to Storrs in one week and a visit from Boise State in two weeks, UConn has the opportunity to take three home wins and a pair of big-name scalps before AAC play starts.
Further reading
Vanquish the Foe covers all the BYU news you would ever need, while The UConn Blog lives up to its name.
See More:
