UConn looking at trip to Death Valley as a chance to make memories

Clemson will host UConn at Noon Saturday.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Nov 11 13:34:44 GMT-04:00 2021

UConn interim head coach Lou Spanos knows his Huskies will have a stiff test when they travel to take on Clemson this weekend, but he’s also looking at it as a chance to make memories.

Clemson (6-3, 5-2 ACC) hosts UConn (1-8, FBS Independent) Saturday at noon in Death Valley (ACC Network). They did not compete during the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and Randy Edsall, the program’s former head coach, stepped down in the first week of September.

The Huskies haven’t played since losing a 44-13 decision to Middle Tennessee back on October 22nd. Clemson has won two in a row and has seen its offense improve, albeit incrementally, since the start of the season.

The UConn contest is one of two remaining non-conference games on Clemson’s schedule, along with its regular-season finale with rival South Carolina. It’s also one of two remaining home games, which will be followed by the ACC finale with Wake Forest at Memorial Stadium.

Spanos said he’s been impressed by both sides of the ball.

“Both are really good. Sometimes the stats don't show it, but on offense they do a great job of moving the sticks, also running the ball, and making plays,” Spanos said. “They’ve got play makers at all different levels, obviously from the quarterback to the running back to the receiver, Justyn Ross, and a couple other receivers and the tight end too, Davis Allen. And on defense, Coach (Brent) Venables does as an outstanding job year in, year out. They are attacking and aggressive. They make a lot of plays behind the line scrimmage, creating turnovers, and play with relentless effort and pursuit. They’re well-coached and we have a challenge.”

Spanos said that with the program in a state of transition, he is telling his team to take advantage of playing in a place like Death Valley.

“At one of our team meetings the other day, we talked about how's it's a privilege to be here at UConn and also play a major sport,” he said. “And then we said, you have an opportunity to play against one of the premier universities in the country. And they were asked to raise their hands, who signed up for this? The whole team did. And we talked about the importance and about how to stay in focus, just the process of the game-day events and just embrace it and enjoy it. That's what college football's all about, memories.”

Spanos said the Huskies are preparing for Death Valley to be loud and raucous on Military Appreciation Day and the Tigers’ purple out.

“Like on all away games, we have crowd noise that we use and simulate it. And obviously, we keep on using that,” he said. The best way to say it is you have to be thorough enough. But if it's too loud and then you can get no work done. But if it's too soft, you get no work done. It's a nice minimum maximum where the decibels, if you're indoors, then you have to worry about the other side of the ball. But also if you're outdoors, you got to worry about the neighbors so they won't call the police on us.”