Explosive plays have regularly blown up UConn's chances of being competitive on game day this season.

The Huskies have given up 18 touchdowns of 20 or more yards, including three in last week's lopsided loss to Navy. There are far more big plays than that by opponents that didn't result in scores but were damaging.

Attribute those failures to defensive breakdowns, missed tackles, missed assignments and turnovers.

"Big plays happen because people don't do their job," coach Randy Edsall said. "They've got to do a better job with that."

It will be difficult to solve the ongoing problem at No. 17 Cincinnati on Saturday at Nippert Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBSSN). The Bearcats (7-1, 4-0) are perhaps the best team in the American Athletic Conference. They're riding an 11-game home winning streak and suffered their only loss at No. 3 Ohio State (42-0) on Sept. 7.

The Huskies (2-7, 0-5) have never won at Cincinnati and dropped seven straight versus ranked teams, last winning Nov. 21, 2015 against No. 13 Houston.

Edsall has challenged his team to match Cincinnati's physical style of play.

"We're facing a really good football team, No. 17 in the country," Edsall said. "A really sound, solid team that's playing well. ... We're going to have to prepare well and take our execution to a higher level because the one thing that's happening when you watch the film in our games, we have abilities to make plays but we're not making them.

"Offensively, we have things there, but it's always just one little thing that's not allowing us to have the success that we need to have. And same thing defensively, we have guys in position but we have to have guys that are going to make plays.

"... We are doing some really good things at times. Then what's happening is, we have these lapses and breakdowns that cause us not to be able to achieve at the level that we want to achieve."

Only three games remain for the Huskies to fix or at least work on their issues. After a bye week following Saturday's game, they host East Carolina on Nov. 23 and close out the season at Temple on Nov. 30.

East Carolina (3-6, 0-5) threw a scare into Cincinnati last week. The Pirates led 40-28 in the fourth quarter before the Bearcats rallied, winning 46-43 on Sam Crosa's 32-yard field goal on the game's final play.

For the Huskies to have any shot at staying close on Saturday, they'll have to limit mistakes against a fast, aggressive, physical Cincinnati defense that ranks second in the country with 20 takeaways. The Bearcats have made 12 interceptions and recovered eight fumbles. Sophomore Ja'Von Hicks is tied for the league league in interceptions with four and ranks first in fumbles recovered with three.

Freshman quarterback Jack Zergiotis committed three turnovers on his own, including one deep in the red zone, against Navy.

"It's on me to be smart with the football and play safe football, and learn from what happened last game," Zergiotis said.

Cincinnati is the fifth bowl-eligible opponent that UConn has played this season. The Huskies are 0-4 versus the previous four, losing to Indiana, Central Florida, Tulane and Navy all by large margins.

Edsall believes the tough schedule will help the Huskies in the long run.

"The schedule is what it is," Edsall said. "You play what's there. It should help these guys moving forward. You see what you're playing and now you've got to step it up and do things to get yourself to  that level. But again, it's that process that we have to go through."

g.keefe@theday.com.