This season has become about preparing for the future and surviving the present for the UConn football team.

Not a shocker considering the state of the program.

The Huskies have no choice but to stick to the long-term plan despite their woes.

"I'm not going to panic, or anything like that," coach Randy Edsall said. "I know what we're doing and where we're going and what we want to do, so we've got to keep grinding away and keep doing the things necessary to get better."

Wins will continue to be tough to come by, especially on Saturday when the Huskies visit No. 20 South Florida (6-0, 2-0) in an American Athletic Conference game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (7 p.m., CBSSN).

The Bulls are one of eight unbeaten teams left in the FBS.

"Just another week of playing an undefeated team," Edsall said. "It seems like that's been the case quite a few times this year. ... We're going to face a very talented team."

It hasn't helped that the Huskies (1-5, 0-3) have played the fifth strongest schedule in the country.

Not counting the season opener, UConn has faced an undefeated team all but one time this season and that was Memphis, which had a 3-2 mark. It was the last game the Huskies played before heading into the bye week.

The break helped the Huskies heal both mentally and physically before returning to prepare to face USF, one of six games remaining on their schedule. Some players went home and recharged.

"The off-week was beneficial," Edsall said. "Guys were able to get rested up, get some bumps and bruises taken care of, let their bodies heal a little bit to go into the second half of the season. And it was good for us as coaches to be able to go out and recruit and evaluate people to make our program better.

"We have to continue to coach our young men that we have here, but we've got to go out and continue to get better players and guys that will fit into what we want and what we need here. That's probably the biggest thing that we've got to be able to accomplish."

USF is another opponent that will have a decisive edge in every area. The Bulls possess far more playmakers than the Huskies. Junior running back Jordan Cronkrite has gone over 100 yards in four straight games, ranking third in the nation with 151.5 yards per game.

"We have to make sure we eliminate the big plays against us," Edsall said. "Defensively, they're going to get up and load the box and challenge you. We've got to find a way to win the one-on-one match-ups and take advantage of some of the things that they do against us."

The only way for UConn to eventually close the talent gap is for Edsall to bring in quality recruits. He plans on continuing to play his young Huskies who are gaining valuable experience this season.

There's no magic wand that Edsall can wave to speed up the growth process.

"Schematically, there's things that you might tweak," Edsall said. "But you're not going to make wholesale changes. We believe in what we're doing. We just have to get our guys to do it a little bit better and they have to be more comfortable doing it."

Any improvement this season hasn't shown up on the scoreboard, especially on defense. The young Huskies have allowed at least 49 points in all six games.

It will be difficult for UConn to contain USF, which ranks 15th in the nation in total offense.

The Huskies could take some pressure off their defense by sustaining drives, but that hasn't happened so far this season. After scoring a first quarter touchdown in each of their last three games, they've managed a total of 21 more points on the way to losses.

Probably the best the Huskies can hope for Saturday is to be competitive. And even that might be too much of a stretch right now given the state of the program.

"We've got a lot of work to do, there's no doubt," Edsall said. "It's just where we are."

g.keefe@theday.com