UConn vs. Army
Our third and final bowl game in a ballpark – or maybe we should call it a bowlpark – is the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, the third of eight games to kick off on Saturday, Dec. 27. UConn vs. Army is this year’s version, as the home of the Boston Red Sox gets transformed into a football stadium for a day.
The Huskies, despite a terrific 9-3 regular season, are not being given much of a chance here with the loss of head coach Jim Mora Jr. to Colorado State and a large number of players in the transfer portal. QB Joe Fagnano has opted out of the bowl game as well, even though top target Skyler Bell seems to have opted back into the game after some question on his availability. It would help, as we know Army will be ready to go and the transfer portal is a much more difficult option for their players.
Odds from Circa Sports as of December 23, 5:00 p.m. PT; check out our Circa Betting Splits and DraftKings Betting Splits.
Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army (-9.5, 44)
Saturday, Dec. 27, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
At time of writing, Fagnano was prepping for a shot at the NFL and the East-West Shrine Bowl, so it doesn’t seem like he’ll be convinced to play. Bell has been trying to convince the players in the portal to suit up with him and we’ll have to wait and see how many he can get on his side because UConn could be missing most of their offensive line and two starts in the back seven on defense.
The hope is that backup QB Nick Evers will be around to start for the Huskies, as he’s 10-of-15 for 105 yards with a TD this season. Evers was 97-of-180 last season with a 5/5 TD/INT ratio and 245 yards on the ground. Many UConn fans took to social media to voice their displeasure with the one-time Oklahoma recruit playing over Fagnano last season, which were mostly attributed to NIL money and promises made. That may have been speculation, but after seeing the season Fagnano put up in 2025, the frustration seems more justified.
In any event, Evers still has some experience with the team and the personnel that will be around him. UConn’s regular season numbers don’t matter much with Fagnano’s absence, especially because he had a stellar 28/1 TD/INT ratio. Cam Edwards had 1,132 yards on the ground with 5.7 yards per carry and 14 rushing scores. It’s been reported that he will play, despite being in the portal.
Even with all of the moving parts on offense for UConn, there are real defensive concerns here as well. The Huskies are going up against the triple-option and an Army team that always stays ready and disciplined. While UConn’s offense was pretty prolific, their defense was below the national average in yards per play allowed and well below in yards per carry allowed. The Huskies allowed 23 rushing scores overall and 4.65 yards per carry to FBS opponents.
The Black Knights did fall a point short for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy with their loss to Navy, but they can still finish out the season with a win and also post a 7-6 record. As strong as Jeff Monken has been since taking over in 2014, Army’s 12-2 finish last season was their first winning record since 2021.
UConn vs. Army Fenway Bowl Prediction
Monken is 5-1 SU in both games thus far and he’ll go up against OC turned interim head coach Gordon Sammis. Sammis was thought to be a potential successor to Mora, but the university hired Jason Candle from Toledo instead. Sammis will be TCU’s OC next season. A lot of people are leaving Storrs for something new and it’s fair to wonder who will play, how invested they are, and if the defense is going to be remotely ready for the option.
I think this line has swung too far at this point, as UConn prepped for the Air Force option in November. While UConn was tied for 124th in allowing rushes of 10+ yards, they only allowed 13 rushes of 20+ yards. With Army’s style of play and limited possessions, plus a creative play-caller in Sammis, the Huskies have a chance to keep it close. The Huskies won this bowl game last year and haven’t won consecutive bowl games since 2008-09. Somebody should be motivated enough to play.
Pick: UConn +9.5
Check out picks from VSiN hosts and guests on this game and all of the college football games on our Pro Picks Page.
See our Bowl Game Betting Hub for more previews and predictions.
