UConn Earns Bowl Prediction in Week 6

The UConn Huskies (3-2) are en route to their third bowl under head coach Jim Mora, and Mora’s 7th bowl as a head coach for both the Huskies and the UCLA Bruins. 

Under Mora, the Bruins have mounted back-to-back gritty wins against Ball State and Buffalo, placing them well within the reach of a bowl, which is typically just six wins. 

Weekly, ESPN writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach come together to update bowl projections. 

This week, however, Bonagura was the lone candidate to select UConn.

Bonagura tipped the Huskies to land in the Boca Raton Bowl, where they would square off against Jacksonville State (2-3) (1-0).

The Gamecocks hail from Conference USA, where they are led by Charles Kelly. Kelly is in his first season at the helm. Kelly was recently co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Auburn. Prior to that, Kelly was the defensive coordinator for Colorado in 2023, and the associate defensive coordinator and safeties coach under Nick Saban at Alabama for four seasons. 

Leading Jacksonville State is quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. This season, the senior has compiled 576 yards and two touchdowns to two interceptions on a 55.8% passing rate. 

Wimsatt has found much more success on the ground, with 238 yards and four touchdowns, averaging out to 5.2 yards per rush. 

The two sides have never squared off, with this being the Gamecocks’ third year in the FBS.

Yet before fans can look into a potential matchup, UConn must first take down the Florida International University Panthers (2-2) (0-1). 

Speaking of running quarterbacks, FIU’s Keyone Jenkins is a serial rusher. This season, Jenkins has totaled 701 yards on 73-116 passing for two touchdowns and three interceptions, but has added a hearty four touchdowns on the ground and 64 yards.

Here is what Mora had to say about Jenkins during his weekly press conference. 

“And he can run the ball in the design quarterback runs, obviously, but his big, big plays have come when, you know, you're in coverage, maybe you're in man coverage or someone’s in zone, and we get out of position, and then he turns what looks like a pretty good pressure rush into a big gain.”