Candle spent a decade as the head coach at Toledo, so he's very familiar with the Redhawks.
After a 48-20 win against Southern Mississippi on Saturday night, the UConn Huskies football team is now 2-1 on the 2026 campaign.
The win against the Golden Eagles was a solid one for head coach Jason Candle's program, which is coming off back-to-back nine-win campaigns.
Candle is in his first year at the helm of the group after spending the previous decade as the head coach at Toledo (2016-25).
While with the Rockets, he had several meetings with Miami (Ohio), who the Huskies will play this Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET) on the road in Oxford, Ohio.
The Redhawks are 1-2 this season after losing to Cincinnati on Saturday. They actually led the Bearcats by 21 points before losing 35-31.
Here's more of what you need to know.
Candle's history against Miami
| Year | Score | Overall record vs. Miami |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 21-17 | 1-0 |
| 2023 | 23-14 UM | 1-1 (MAC title game) |
| 2024 | 30-20 | 2-1 |
| 2025 | 24-3 | 3-1 |
Interesting to note: Both Toledo and Miami (OH) compete in the MAC, but they are on opposite sides of the conference, meaning they do not play each other every single year.
The two programs did not play each other from 2012-22, meaning that Candle did not play against Miami in the entire first half of his coaching tenure at Toledo.
That said, he has recent experience against the Redhawks, having won each of the last two meetings in both 2024 and 2025.
Miami did beat the Rockets in the 2023 MAC title game. There's certainly going to be familiarity among the staffs.
Also in the news for UConn football
--Despite Saturday's dominant win against So. Miss, there are things for Candle and his coaching staff to clean up moving forward. The biggest one? The penalty issue, which has been prevalent in all three of UConn's games at this point.
--Cyncir Bowers ran for 84 yards in the win on Saturday, including a 42-yard touchdown run. We highlighted how he can help unlock another level of the Huskies offense.
Also in the news for UConn athletics
--The UConn women's basketball team held an open practice on Sunday in Fairfield. There was some injury information to come out of that practice, including updates on Allie Ziebell and Blanca Quinonez. Quinonez had shoulder surgery in the offseason.
--The UConn men's basketball team toppled Duke in the 2025-26 Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four. In a game that will forever be remembered, Braylon Mullins hit a game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second to go to earn the victory. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer addressed the contest - and if he's watched it - last week.
