It was an evening for the underdogs as the Huskies devastated FAU 48-14 in a record-breaking performance Saturday night.
The Huskies, who began their six-week homestand at Rentschler Field, gave Florida Atlantic a masterclass in the rushing game and ran an FBS school record of 421 yards with dominant performances from all angles of the field. Though both schools came into the matchup 1-2 and FAU was the favored victor, the Huskies didn’t let a slight disadvantage sway their game.
After coming off a nail-biting 26-21 loss to Duke, the Huskies got a glimpse of what could’ve been as they just missed the lights of victory. Clearly, the UConn cavalry put their nose to the grindstone in practice last week to focus their efforts and maximize their potential.
On Saturday, the Huskies refused to let another victory slip through their fingers as they pulled away early and relentlessly. After picking up a 34-yard field goal in the first quarter, UConn once again beat Florida Atlantic to the scoreboard early in the second. UConn’s drive began with a deep pass up the middle from quarterback Nick Evers. Even battling double coverage, wide receiver Skyler Bell nailed the massive catch with a 43-yard competition to put the Huskies in optimal field position. Bell, a transfer out of Wisconsin, has been a massive asset to the Huskies’ offense as he picked up 304 receiving yards in the first three contests of the season.
Connecticut continued to capitalize on their running game as Evers ran for several first downs to find the Huskies in red zone territory. Junior running back Mel Brown secured his first points of the evening on a five-yard reception in the endzone from Evers. Contrary to last weekend’s contest against Duke, Connecticut led 10-0 just over three minutes into the second quarter.
Soon after, the Huskies’ rushing game immediately became a point of concern for FAU. In the first two weeks of the season, the Owls gave up 405 rushing yards to Michigan State and Army. Luckily for the Huskies, the trend continued.
Running backs Brown and Durel Robinson stole the show as they led the running offense seamlessly through the Owls’ defense. Both athletes made a radical turnaround from their Durham performance where they ran for a combined 13 total yards. Their performance on Sunday couldn’t have been more different as they each ran for 156 yards.
With just under two minutes left in the half, Robinson had points to show for his offensive leadership as he weaved through defenders and into the endzone on an eight-yard rush. Though Robinson nailed the touchdown without a hitch, his contributions began long before the end zone as he ran for 20 yards out of the 91-yard drive.
Heading into the half at 17-0, the Huskies were invincible as they performed like a well-oiled machine. The rushing offense enjoyed its best contest of the season and consistently wore out the FAU defense. By the half, four athletes: Evers, Robinson, Brown and Edwards had a combined 169 rushing yards.
Not only was Evers stretching his legs, but he also showed off his arm strength with 90 passing yards. FAU quarterback Cam Fancher paled in comparison with only 10 passing yards and an offensive total of 80 rushing yards.
Heading into the third quarter, FAU still couldn’t generate any means of success. Although Huskies began the game on the lookout for FAU running back Zuberi Mobley, the redshirt junior flew under the radar and struggled to build any sort of momentum with his colleagues. Last weekend against FIU, Mobley forged 134 rushing yards. At the Rent, the running back fought for just 36 total yards.
As for the Huskies, a rushing touchdown by Evers and a 35-yard field goal rounded out the third quarter. The Owls, however, made their first attacks after being shut out in the first half. Success finally came for FAU with just over two minutes left in the third. After fighting their way down the field and into red zone territory, running back CJ Campbell rushed for a three-yard touchdown on a handoff from Fancher. Though their fight was finally visible on the scoreboard, the Owl’s seven points were overshadowed by UConn’s 27.
In the fourth and final quarter, the Huskies let loose to stun FAU to silence. Connecticut added two more touchdowns, the first a two-yard rush from Evers and the second a 10-yard rush from Robinson, to their resume and unofficially claimed a win as the scoreboard favored the Huskies 41-7.
Though the Owls still had 10 minutes left, a comeback from a 34-point deficit appeared impossible for the struggling offense. Even with a 38-yard rush from Campbell bringing the Owls 41-14, it was no use against the Huskies’ monstrous performance.
The stars officially aligned for UConn as they claimed their final points of the game, a 33-yard reception for Shamar Porter from quarterback Joe Fagnano.
UConn finished the contest with all sorts of season highs and records to add to the books. With linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown leading the defense with nine tackles, the defense gave up a season-low 250 yards.
As for the offense, they dominated in one of the strongest performances to date. Evers ran for a career-high 78 yards and assisted in a record-breaking rushing game. The offense nailed the second-most rushing yards total in program history with 421 yards.
“Great team win, when you run the ball like that you always got a chance. We ran for over 400 yards and a lot of carries. That wasn’t necessarily the plan coming in. We’re trying to be balanced, and when you are having that kind of success running the ball, it makes it easier for everyone, and certainly your defense can stay off the field, stay fresh, and so that was fun to see,” said Head Coach Jim Mora.
The Huskies will be back at the Rent next Saturday at noon to take on Buffalo.