UConn fans have been given a gift. An ugly, messy, soaking wet gift.
The Huskies beat Tulane on Saturday 7-3 (yes, in football), putting them at 5-5 with two shots at a sixth win and bowl eligibility.
The next time UConn takes the field, it will have a chance at its biggest victory since three head coaches ago. That chance will come in two weeks, on Nov. 21 against unbeaten Houston at PAWS ARF.
It’s not just about beating a ranked team and going to a bowl game, though that’s significant in itself. It’s not just about the dramatic turnaround from the Paul Pasqualoni era, though that’s bigger still.
It can be about showing the nation that UConn can, in fact, have a strong football program with a passionate fan base behind it.
That game against Houston won’t make the Big Ten or ACC come calling by itself, but it can be the beginning of making UConn more appealing to a power conference.
We’ve discussed the UConn fan’s paradox before: “We don’t want to go see UConn play East Carolina, but a better conference won’t want us until we start going to games.” Given how dreadful the football team has been the last few years, it is understandable why many would not want to spend their money on such a product.
But now there are no excuses. The team will play a College Football Playoff contender at home, and a win would likely put it in a bowl game — its first since the Randy Edsall era.
If fans don’t care enough about this, they will never care enough to pique the interest of a power conference. This needs to be the beginning, or the idea of UConn fitting in with the Power 5 will continue to be laughed off for the foreseeable future.
“I’ll be cold!” I can hear some of you saying.
Yes you will. You’ll be outside for three-plus hours in late November. Welcome to Connecticut. But you’ll be watching the team that has played 10 consecutive weeks without a bye — the first time I can remember that happening — just to accommodate room in the schedule for the AAC title game. A title game, by the way, that the Huskies are still mathematically in the running for. UConn also just won a game 7-3 on the road in a monsoon.
You can warm up after the game.
If you live in Connecticut, you’re used to the cold. Almost the entire Houston roster is from the south. That might not make the difference in the game, but it’s one small element that could work in UConn’s favor.
Remember that time Robert Griffin III said that Rentschler Field was the toughest stadium he’s ever played in? That just shows the great potential of UConn fans. This is the best time in years to bring that energy back. There’s another element that could work in the Huskies’ favor. Anything is possible.
Despite that, UConn might not beat Houston in two weeks at PAWS ARF. The Cougars are certainly the better team — maybe one of the best teams in the country. UConn is a .500 team. In fact, the worst-case scenario is that UConn loses that game and falls at Temple to finish the season at 5-7. That’s still a three-game improvement over last year with a ridiculously bright future ahead.
Win or lose, it’d be nice for them to see your appreciation. Start doing it consistently and you never know who might take notice.
As of this writing, there are still thousands of seats available. Buy some.
