Connecticut Huskies (0-6, 0-2 American) at No. 21/25Game UCF6 Knights (5-1, 2-0 American) • Saturday, Oct. 26 • 12 PM Orlando, Fla. - Bright House Networks Stadium (45232) American Athletic Conference Game of the Week SNY/ESPN Regional • UConn IMG Sports Radio Network
The Coaches UCONN INTERIM HEAD COACH T.J. WEIST T.J. Weist, a 25-year veteran of the coaching profession who most recently served as the wide receivers coach at Cincinnati, is the interim head coach at UConn for the rest of the 2013 season and has a 0-2 record in that position. Weist was elevated to that position on Sept. 30 -- four games into the 2013 season. Weist is in his first season at UConn and continues to serve as offensive coordinator and also has position responsibility with the wide receivers. During his time with the Bearcats, Cincinnati won a total of two BIG EAST Championships. Weist (pronounced WEEST) helped lead the Bearcats to a 10-3 record in 2012 and a 48-34 victory over Duke in the Belk Bowl. Weist served as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator in the Belk Bowl as the Bearcats gained 554 yards of total offense on 53 plays and did not have a turnover. Cincinnati was 17 of 25 in passing for 332 yards. Weist joined the Bearcats after eight years at Western Kentucky mentoring the receivers. He also served as the team’s assistant head coach (2007-09) and offensive coordinator (2003-06). Weist came to WKU from Indiana, where he served as wide receivers coach from 1997-01. While at IU, he also carried special teams responsibilities with the return units and also served as the Hoosiers’ recruiting coordinator his first two years. Weist was also on the staffs at Tulsa (1996), Southern Illinois (1994-95), Michigan (1990-93) and Alabama (1988-89). A native of Bay City, Mich., Weist was a wide receiver at Alabama from 1985-87, taking part in three postseason bowl games, and earned a letter as a senior. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1988, and then added an exercise physiology master’s degree one year later.
UConn Schedule/Results Date 8/29 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/8 11/16 11/23 11/30 12/7
Opponent (TV) Score/Time TOWSON (ESPN3) L, 18-33 MARYLAND (ESPN3) L, 21-32 No. 14/15 MICHIGAN (ABC) L, 21-24 at Buffalo (ESPN3) L, 12-41 USF* (SNY/ESPN-R) L, 10-13 at Cincinnati* (ESPNU) L, 16-41 at No, 21/25 UCF* (SNY/ESPN-R) 12 p.m. LOUISVILLE* (ESPN2) 8:30 p.m. at SMU* TBA at Temple* TBA RUTGERS* TBA MEMPHIS* TBA
*Denotes American Athletic Conference Game
UCF Schedule/Results Date 8/29 9/6 9/14 9/28 10/5 10/18 10/26 11/9 11/16 11/21 11/29 12/7
Opponent (TV) Score/Time AKRON (ESPN3) W, 38-7 at FIU (CBSSN) W, 38-0 at Penn State (BTN) W, 34-31 No. 12/13 South Carolina (ABC) L, 25-28 at Memphis* (ESPN3) W, 24-17 at No. 8/6 Louisville* (ESPN) W, 38-35 UCONN* (SNY/ESPN-R) 12 p.m. HOUSTON* TBA at Temple* TBA RUTGERS* (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. USF* (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) TBA at SMU* TBA
UCF HEAD COACH GEORGE O’LEARY George O’Leary is in his tenth season in charge of the UCF program and has guided the team to five bowl appearances during his tenure there, including a win in last year’s Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. During UCF’s time in Conference USA, he led the Knights to two conference championships and four division titles. O’Leary enters Saturday’s game with an overall head coaching record of 117-89 and a 65-56 mark at Central Florida. He also served as head coach at Georgia Tech with a 52-33 record from 1994-2001. O”Leary also had assistant coaching stops at Syracuse (1980-86), Georgia Tech (1987-91), the San Diego Chargers (1992-93) and the Minnesota Vikings (2002-03). *Denotes American Athletic Conference Game O’Leary is a native of Central Islip, N.Y. and is a 1969 graduate of New Hampshire. Rankings indicate ranking at time of game
Radio & TV Coverage TELEVISION COVERAGE Saturday’s game will be televised as the American Athletic Conference Game of the Week thought ESPN Regional Television. Eamon McAnaney will handle playby-play duties and is joined by former NFL tight end Anthony Becht on color, while Brooke Weisbrod is on the sidelines. Colleen O’Brien is the producer while Will Bealke directs. The game will be seen in Connecticut and the metropolitan New York area on SNY and will also be seen in such markets as Chicago (WCIU), Philadelphia (WPVI), Dallas-Ft. Worth (KTXD), Washington, D.C. (MASN), Houston (KUBE), Tampa-St. Petersburg (WFTS), Orlando (WKCF), Cincinnati (WKRC), San Antonio (KCWX) and Louisville (WHAS). RADIO COVERAGE The UConn IMG Sports Network is the home of Husky football on the radio. WTIC Newstalk 1080 in Hartford serves as the flagship station and is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada. The 2013-14 year marks the 22nd consecutive season that WTIC is the flagship for UConn sports. The 2013-14 football and men’s and women’s basketball season also marks the second year that the radio rights are held by IMG College, which is UConn’s multi-media rights partner.
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UConn and UCF have never previously met. Geremy Davis had a career day against Cincinnati, pulling down eight receptions and setting a new career-high with 140 yards. Davis is currently top-50 nationally and top-five in The American in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. Tim Boyle tossed for 310 yards in the game against Cincinnati, his first 300-plus yard day in only his second career appearance UCF is the second ranked opponent UConn has faced this year, after the Huskies fell 24-21 to then-No. 14/15 Michigan on Sept. 21