The 2024 campaign for the UConn football team has been quite the roller coaster journey so far. After a blowout loss at Maryland, the team briefly lost starting quarterback Nick Evers. However, Joe Fagnano played excellently in the program’s 63-17 demolition of Merrimack. With these games, there was some chatter among fans about who the starting quarterback should be for the Huskies, although head coach Jim Mora opted to start Evers for the Huskies’ third game at Duke. While UConn lost this matchup 26-21, there were many positives that Connecticut fans should take away from the game.
Early on, the Huskies were unable to string together sustained offensive plays, although the sparks were there. On the game’s first play, Evers got Connecticut going, scrambling for a 23-yard gain. This was all the more encouraging considering this was his first snap since enduring a significant shot at Maryland. That scramble showed that he was not afraid to tuck in and run, despite the strong likelihood of taking a big hit. Despite this, the punting unit had to boot it away three plays later. Connor Stutz did an excellent job for the Huskies, pinning the Blue Devils within their 10-yard line. However, it seemed that the Connecticut defense was a step behind, as it took Duke only three and a half minutes to make it a 7-0 ball game. Yet the bigger issue was that duo quarterback Maalik Murphy and wide receiver Jordan Moore appeared to have a solid rapport early on. The pair had nearly 50 yards on the opening drive, including the opening score. Duke’s rushing game was also alive and well, as Peyton Jones was doing a solid job early on finding open running lanes and proving to be a thorn in the Huskies’ side. Despite the opening drive blues, UConn fought back.
Connecticut forced back-to-back punts from Duke thanks to the defensive lines’ ability to close rushing lanes and put pressure on Murphy. This pressure was so relentless that the sophomore sailed a couple of balls, and the program had to bring out Kade Reynoldson to punt it away. It should also be noted that this early success would not have been possible without the solid coverage from the secondary, causing Murphy to throw heavily contested balls.
While the UConn defense was playing solidly, they were often called upon to put out some fires with less-than-ideal field positions. Early in the second quarter, Evers scrambled out of the pocket, looking downfield for a receiver. However, he found no one. Cornerback Chandler Rivers hit Evers, stripping him of the football, and the Blue Devils recovered. Duke’s offense was able to set up shop on the UConn 39-yard line. Yet again, the Connecticut defense limited the damages. The program yielded another three points thanks to the leg of Todd Pelino, who drilled a 53-yard field goal. A couple of drives later, Duke wide receiver Eli Pancol burnt his corner and scored a 36-yard touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 17-0 lead. Things were looking bleak for the Huskies. But the tide was about to turn.
The Huskies finally got on the board late in the second quarter, thanks to a crucial defensive sequence. Senior linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown batted a pass at the line of scrimmage, and his teammate, Langston Hardy, happened to be in the vicinity. The sophomore linebacker intercepted the tipped ball and took it over 60 yards to the house.
After a couple of punts, the first half ended. While the offense wasn’t starting the way they would have liked, Cam Edwards had a solid half. The junior running back picked up 66 yards on the ground on 13 carries. Edwards’s onset performance was crucial even though there weren’t points on the board, considering how well Duke contained Skyler Bell. The sophomore wide receiver was held to three receptions for 14 yards in the first half. If the team was to come back, they needed Bell to get more involved, and that is exactly what happened in the second half.
Not only was the scramble game in full throttle for Evers, but Bell was the catalyst of the first offensive scoring drive, hauling in a 22-yard reception at the Duke 16-yard line. A couple of plays later, on third down, Edwards took an outside run in for a score on a run, which would become a recurring theme for the entire second half. Edwards excelled all night long, running the ball on the outside, and this was thanks to the excellent blocking of the left and right guards, leaving running lanes for Edwards. A drive later, Edwards was doing it all again, gaining a first down through the ground and catching a pass for 22 yards. This set up a 13-yard Alexander Honig touchdown reception. And for the first time all night, UConn had a lead, clawing all the way back from down 17-0. Despite this newfound advantage, the Blue Devils wasted no time chipping away at it. Pelino added a 47-yard field goal to his night, and Que’Sean Brown had a 20-yard touchdown reception thanks to an interception from Terry Moore. After this, the Huskies had some opportunities to get back into the game, but a missed field goal and the inability to stop the Duke running game late allowed the Blue Devils to salt the clock away, with UConn coming up short 21-26.
Despite this loss, there were some highs from this one. Edwards finished with 106 yards on the ground. Not to mention, Bell put together a solid seven reception 58-yard day after struggling to assert himself in the first half, like he has done before for the program. The UConn defense, both the secondary and the defensive line, showed up and made plays against a legitimate ACC program.
If a few more plays had gone in their favor, the Huskies could have come away with a win. Despite this loss, Saturday was a solid performance when you consider that the Storrs’ program came into Saturday as severe underdogs, projected to lose by 18 points. However, Connecticut made it a close fight, and there is certainly momentum heading into week four. UConn will host FAU this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. to open up a six game homestand in East Hartford, Conn.