HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The UConn Huskies head south this weekend for their first road test of the 2026 season, set to face off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday night at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST, with national television coverage on ESPN+.
Both teams enter the Week 3 non-conference matchup sitting at 1-1 and seeking a crucial rebound victory. After dominating Lafayette 56-7 in their season opener, head coach Jason Candle’s Huskies suffered a 38-14 setback at home against Big Ten opponent Maryland last Saturday. Meanwhile, Blake Anderson’s Golden Eagles aim to regain momentum after falling 43-8 on the road against Auburn following a season-opening victory over Alcorn State.
Saturday’s game marks the first-ever gridiron meeting between UConn and Southern Miss.
Coaching Connections and Roster Overhauls
While the programs have no history, the men on the sidelines certainly do. Candle holds a 3-0 career record against Anderson from their previous head-coaching tenures at Toledo and Arkansas State, respectively—including a victory in the 2015 GoDaddy.com Bowl. Conversely, Anderson holds a 2-0 record against the Huskies from his time leading Utah State.
Both first-year leaders oversaw massive roster overhauls entering 2026. Candle brought 87 new players to Storrs this fall—including 60 transfer portal additions—while Anderson ushered in 74 newcomers and retained just two returning starters in Hattiesburg.
Rebounding On Offense
UConn’s offense will look to regain the rhythm it displayed in Week 1, when the Huskies racked up a school-record 671 yards of total offense. Against Maryland, UConn was held to 223 total yards and just 67 rushing yards while allowing five sacks.
Junior quarterback Kalieb Osborne remains the engine for UConn's offense. Through two games, the Toledo transfer has accumulated 421 passing yards (4 TDs) and leads the squad in rushing with 120 yards and two scores.
To pull out a win in Hattiesburg, UConn’s offensive line must shore up protection against a Golden Eagles defense eager to push the Huskies into third-and-long situations. Additionally, Candle's squad will need to discipline its play after accumulating 19 penalties for 206 yards across its opening two home games.
Defensively, defensive back Zion Paret comes off a career-high 12-tackle performance against the Terrapins. Paret and linebacker K'Von Sherman (14 tackles, 3 TFLs) will lead a unit tasked with slowing down Southern Miss running back Steven Robinson, who leads the Golden Eagles with 174 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

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