Army football to face surging UConn team in Fenway Bowl

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Army football coach Jeff Monken said he wouldn’t have minded being sent to Hawaii for a college bowl game — for obvious reasons — but a trip to historic Boston isn’t too bad, either, especially for local fans.

The Black Knights and Connecticut Huskies will renew a regional rivalry when they meet in the fourth annual Wasabi Fenway Bowl at venerable Fenway Park on Saturday, Dec. 27. It will be the schools’ tenth all-time meeting, with all but one taking place since 2003. Army beat UConn in the most recent meetingsIs at West Point in 2021 and 2022.

“Playing in a postseason bowl game is a measure of success for every team in FBS football,” said head coach Jeff Monken, who is taking his seventh Army team to a bowl game, since 2016. “It rewards the players for a good season and recognizes the accomplishments of a great team effort.”

Army football: Playing at the Fens

Army most recently played in a Major League Baseball Stadium in 2021 and 2022, with a two-game neutral series against Air Force at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers.

“I am thrilled that our team will play in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl – one of America’s most unique bowl experiences at such an iconic sports venue with over 100 years of history, like our football program,” Monken said.

“It is also one more opportunity for us to showcase our program and our incredible institution on a national stage, displaying our brand of football and the values of West Point in front of the nation. Our team, and especially our seniors, are incredibly proud to join the other great Army teams that have played in the postseason.”

Connecticut heads into the game with interim coach Gordon Sammis, who took over when head coach Jim Mora took the job at Colorado State. Jason Candle has left Toledo to take over the Huskies, and will be announced on Monday.

“We’re honored to accept the invitation to return to the Wasabi Fenway Bowl,” said Sammis. “Last year’s experience was memorable – our victory over North Carolina, combined with our incredible fanbase helping set a Fenway Bowl attendance record, showed what UConn football is all about. We’re excited to build on that success and create more special memories at historic Fenway Park. Playing at such an iconic venue is a unique opportunity and our players have worked exceptionally hard this season to put themselves in a position for a tenth win and what would be a historic season for UConn football. They’ve earned the chance to return to Boston and compete on this special stage once again.”

Huskies have excelled of late

UConn has been to a bowl game in three of the past four seasons (2022 lost to Marshall in Myrtle Beach Bowl; 2024 win over North Carolina in Fenway Bowl), and a tenth win would mark only the second time in program history (1998). The Huskies beat ACC playoff champion Duke and Boston College.

UConn has a potent offensive attack, led by quarterback Joe Fagnano (3,448 yards passing, 28 TDs, 69 pct. completions), wide receiver Skyler Bell (101 receptions, 1,276 yards, 13 TDs) and running back Cam Edwards (199 carries, 1,132 yards, 14 TDs) — the Huskies are one of just five teams to have a 3,000-yard passer, plus 1,000-yard receivers and rushers. Bryun Parham had 58 solo tackles, 116 in all, and 10 sacks, and Oumar Diomande has 61 solos, 111 total and five sacks. The Huskies are posting 460 yards per game while allowing 413.

This will be the fourth time Fenway Park has hosted a college football bowl game, all since 2022. The ballpark has hosted football for decades, recently the Harvard-Yale 2018 game; Dartmouth vs. Brown game in 2017; the Notre Dame Shamrock Series 2015 game against Boston College; and various Ivy League contests. Games have been played at Fenway since 1912, with a handful of Boston-based pro teams making it their home.

“We’re looking forward to watching the Army Cadets and UConn Huskies face off in this year’s Wasabi Fenway Bowl,” said Michael Welts, CMO of Wasabi Technologies and member of the bowl’s executive committee. “Each team brings its own unique spirit and traditions to the game, and we can’t wait to see the story this year’s pairing writes at Fenway Park.”

Army last played in Massachusetts on Dec. 9, 2023, when the Black Knights beat Navy 17-11 in the 124th Army-Navy Game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the first series game played in a New England location. While that game celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, this contest comes in a year when the U.S. Army celebrates 250 years since its founding and just ahead of next year’s 250th birthday party for the nation.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football to face UConn in Fenway Bowl

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