After losing 45-20 to South Florida last game, Syracuse (1-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) travels to play its first road game of the season against Connecticut (2-1, 0-1 American Athletic) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.

Here’s everything you need to know about UConn.

All-time series: Connecticut leads 6-1. Two wins by Syracuse (in 2004 and 2006) were vacated by the NCAA.

Last time they played: Syracuse rolled past UConn, 40-10. The 30-point difference is the largest margin of victory in the series history. It was a 20-10 game at the half, but the Orange pitched a 20-0 second half to win the game easily. Quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns, running back Jerome Smith ran for 133 yards and wide receiver Alec Lemon had 166 receiving yards and a score. The game started a string in which SU won six of seven games, including a 38-14 victory over West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The Connecticut Report: The Huskies attack runs through starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs. He’s completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 555 yards, one touchdown and one interception through three games. He also leads the team in rushing attempts and yards, with 53 carries for 160 yards. Wide receiver Noel Thomas is tied for seventh in the country, averaging 8.7 catches per game for 26 total. He’s the only player on the team to have more than seven catches.

The Huskies stronger unit is on defense and it’s what Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said he was concerned about. Connecticut falls just outside the top 50 in yards allowed per game but ranks 41st in total points allowed (19.7). Most impressive, UConn is sixth in the nation in red zone defense. (UConn finished seventh last season.) Opponents have gotten the ball to the Huskies’ 20-yard line 11 times this season, but have come away with just five touchdowns and one field goal.

How Syracuse beats Connecticut: Contain UConn as much as possible on offense. The last two opponents SU faced were offensive juggernauts, which meant that the only way SU would find a way to win was in a shootout. Syracuse is averaging 27 points per game. Against a team in Connecticut, with a tough defense and a mediocre offense, somewhere around that number of points should be enough for SU to win, as long as a battered defense can hold up.

Stat to know: 105

Syracuse tied the ACC single-game record (and set a school record) for most plays run with 105 last week against USF. Those 105 plays turned into only 20 points.

Player to watch: Bryant Shirreffs, quarterback, No. 4

Whenever one player leads a team in both rushing and passing, odds are that he’s the player to watch. Shirreffs is accurate, but throws for just 185 yards per game. If the Orange can keep him in the pocket and take away his favorite in the target in Thomas, it should find success on Saturday.

Published on September 23, 2016 at 7:21 pm

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer