Duke football vs Connecticut scouting report, predictions for the Blue Devils’ Week 11 game
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Duke football heads north to East Hartford, Connecticut to take on UConn in Week 11.
The Blue Devils (5-3, 3-1 ACC) and Huskies (6-3) will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET in a game that will air on CBS Sports and can be streamed via Paramount+.
Duke steps out of conference play following a dramatic 46-45 road win at Clemson, sealed by a late two-point conversion. It marked the Blue Devils’ first win over the Tigers in Death Valley since 1980. UConn is coming off of a 38-19 win over UAB in Week 10.
Saturday will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs, with Duke winning the last two.
“It’s an easy game to re-establish our attention and know that you’re going to go on the road and what’srequired,” coach Manny Diaz said on Monday, Nov. 3. “Your best is required. Your best preparations are required, your best mindset is required. So, we’ll see if we’re the team that can be the same version of ourselves in multiple weeks in a row, which is what we need to get we want.”
As of Wednesday, Nov. 5, Duke is a 9.5-point favorite over UConn per BetMGM with the over/under set at 65.5.
Here are some things to know and a prediction for Duke’s Week 11 contest vs. Connecticut on Saturday:
Battle of two high-scoring offenses, efficient quarterbacks
Heading into Saturday, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah ranks fifth in the FBS with 2,572 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. Sitting right behind him and sixth in the FBS is UConn’s Joe Fagnano with 2,592 passing yards and 22 touchdowns on the season ― with no interceptions. Both offenses also rank within top-25 nationally in scoring average, with UConn ranking 15th at 36.9 points per game and Duke 25th with 35.4 points per game. Meanwhile, the Huskies defense is holding opponents to 23.89 points per game (63rd in the FBS) and Duke’s 28.12 (T-93rd).
Both quarterbacks also have an arsenal of weapons at receiver. Mensah has eight guys with 100-plus receiving yards on the season, led by Cooper Barkate with 45 receptions for 774 yards and five touchdowns. UConn’s Skyler Bell leads the FBS with 11 receiving touchdowns and is Fagnano’s top target, with nearly 1,000 yards receiving on the season.
Turnover battle will be key
In nearly all of its wins this season, Duke has come out on top in the turnover battle. When it hasn’t, the result has been a loss. Duke will be facing a UConn team that has committed just one turnover all season, a fumble against FIU. The Huskies defense, meanwhile, has come up with 11 turnovers: eight interceptions and three fumbles. UConn’s plus-10 turnover margin is tied for 7th in the FBS. Duke sits at a plus-5 turnover margin, good for 22nd in the FBS. Its defense has come up with 13 takeaways: eight interceptions and five fumbles. Offensively, Duke has turned the ball over eight times, Mensah has only being picked off twice and the other six coming from fumbles, four in the loss to Illinois and two in the loss to Georgia Tech.
As always, winning the turnover battle will be key for a victory.
UConn’s aggressive front seven
UConn enters the game third in the FBS with 33 sacks, led by linebacker Bryun Parham with 9.5 sacks on the season. Duke’s offensive line must protect Mensah and give him time for his reads against an aggressive Huskies front seven. Mensah has been sacked 16 times this year, with Duke sitting near the middle of the FBS pack in protection. The most sacks the Duke front line has allowed in a game was four in the Blue Devils’ loss to Illinois.
Duke vs Connecticut score prediction
Duke 42, UConn 35
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke vs Connecticut scouting report, score prediction for Week 11 contest
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