The Huskies make the transition from the Big East to the newly formed American Athletic Conference coming off a 2-5 straight-up record in conference play that led to a 5-7 SU record overall.
The highlight of an otherwise disappointing season was a stunning 23-20 OT victory over Louisville, which was ranked No. 20 in the nation at the time. This victory as a 10-point road underdog could be something to build on in 2013.
Odds to Win AAC: 33/1 at Sportsbook
Regular Season Win Total: 5.5 at Sportsbook
Connecticut was just one win away from being bowl eligible last season, which should be the goal this season considering the projected win total for this team is 5.5. Third-year head coach Paul Pasqualoni will have his starting quarterback Chandler Whitmer and leading rusher Lyle McComb from last season back, which is a good start. Whitmer threw for 2,659 yards and nine touchdowns while McComb racked up 860 yards on the ground, but the offense as a whole was ranked near the bottom of Division IA in scoring with an average of 17.8 points a game.
The saving grace for this team was a shutdown defense that allowed an average of just 19.8 points a game which was the 19th-best total in the country last year. Both Angelo Pruitt and Shamar Stephen are back to anchor the defensive line but there are a few holes to fill at linebacker and in the secondary. The Huskies went 2-2-1 against the spread over their last five games in 2012 and ended the year 3-6-3 ATS. They were 2-3-1 ATS at home and 1-3-2 on the road. The total stayed UNDER in eight of 12 games overall and in six of their last eight games on the year.
AAC Championship Odds at Sportsbook as of August 8
Louisville 4/7
Cincinnati 4/1
Rutgers 4/1
UCF 15/2
SMU 25/1
Connecticut 33/1
South Florida 33/1
Houston 50/1
Memphis 66/1
Temple 75/1
