This week’s game between the Navy Midshipmen (2-0) and the Connecticut Huskies (2-1) promises to be a pivotal AAC matchup. The AAC’s third-leading passer, Bryant Shirreffs (628 yards, 2 TDs) is a player to watch in this matchup. It will begin Saturday, Sep 26 at 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on the CBSS.
Connecticut lost a close one to Missouri 9-6 last week. Noel Thomas had a solid outing in the loss, totaling seven receptions for 86 yards. Bryant Shirreffs finished with 156 yards through the air. Navy is hoping for a similar result to last week’s performance when they won easily over East Carolina 45-21 in its matchup. Chris Swain had an outstanding performance on the ground for the Midshipmen, gaining 123 yards and one TD on 29 carries.
Navy is an eight-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 50 points.
The Huskies enter the game with both records currently 2-1 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. The Huskies may look to take advantage of a Navy’s pass defense, which allows a completion percentage of 65.8% to its opponents. Transitioning to the Connecticut defense, there are a few things to keep in mind when it is on the field. The Huskies have the 22nd-best pass defense in the nation and give up 153 yards per game through the air.
Across the field, the Midshipmen have come out of the gate playing well with records of 2-0 SU and ATS this season. Offensively, they are a fun team to watch with an average of 46.5 points per game, the 12th-ranked scoring team in the country. If earlier games are any indication, the Midshipmen will run the ball aggressively. They average 393 rushing yards per game, good enough for first in Division I. The Midshipmen only give up 15.5 points per game and will be pushing their defense to climb even higher in the rankings. The Midshipmen may be able to focus their attention on other areas because Connecticut’s run game has not been reliable this year. The Huskies rank 116th in the nation with 109 rushing yards per game. If the Huskies aren’t careful with ball security against Navy’s defense, they are going to be in some trouble. Its defense has recovered the fourth-most fumbles on the season with 1.5 per game. The Midshipmen have a habit of pouring it on before they go into halftime. They average a Division I-best 21 points during the second quarter. Navy fans don’t normally have much to complain about when it comes to the refs. The Midshipmen record very few penalties, ranking 20th with only 4.5 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Navy, ATS Winner – Navy, O/U – Under
Notes
Connecticut is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games.
Connecticut is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut’s last 6 games.
Connecticut is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home.
Both teams are 2-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
The Connecticut passing attack is ranked only 82nd nationally, while the Navy pass defense is ranked 73rd. The Midshipmen passing game is ranked just 127th, compared to the 22nd-ranked pass defense of the Huskies.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Navy is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its first-ranked rushing attack will face the 37th-ranked run defense of Connecticut, while its 49th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 116th-ranked rushing game of the Huskies.
