The Huskies defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham 31-23 in a historic comeback campaign to secure their first winning season since 2010.
In their first road win of the season, Connecticut, 7-3, overcame a 17-point deficit at the half to take down the Blazers (2-7) and tie the UConn program record for the largest comeback previously, set in 2003.
The first half was quiet for Connecticut as the only points came from a 26-yard field goal by Chris Freeman late in the first quarter. Though there were some bright moments throughout the first half, including an interception by Cam Chadwick, UConn struggled to capitalize on their moments of strength.
UAB, on the other hand, earned 20 points in the first half alone, with a field goal in the first quarter complemented by two touchdowns and another field goal in the second. The second quarter was particularly quiet for UConn as they were held to just six passing yards and 43 rushing yards, compared to the Blazers’ 43 passing yards and 103 rushing yards.
Heading into the third, Connecticut trailed 20-3 but began to show a subtle change in dynamics midway through. Coming off a 15-play drive, Durell Robinson sealed the deal on a one-yard rush to elevate UConn 20-10. Robinson, who has been a consistent force on the ground this season, finished the contest with a touchdown and 59 yards on 13 carries.
From there, UConn still struggled to find their rhythm whereas UAB wasn’t finished. With just under four minutes left in the third, the Blazers notched a 32-yard field goal to increase their lead to 23-10.
In addition to UConn’s unsteady rhythm, they also faced a change in the quarterback position as Nick Evers left with an injury. Joe Fagnano, who has amassed 1071 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, came in as relief. Fagnano proceeded to create a perfect storm in the final quarter to change the tide in favor of Connecticut.
The Huskies came alive with just over eight minutes left in the fourth as they stormed through an eight-play drive to quickly reach red zone territory in just over a minute.
Shamar Porter earned his third touchdown of the season on a six-yard reception from Fagnano on a fourth and goal play, cutting the Huskies’ deficit 23-17. Only needing one more touchdown to take the lead, victory was finally within reach for Connecticut.
The newfound momentum wasn’t reserved for just the offense. Just seconds after their touchdown, the Connecticut defense forced a fumble on the opening play of UAB’s drive to turn over the ball to the Huskies on the Blazers’ 21-yard line.
Just twenty seconds later, Jasaiah Gathings connected with Fagnano and fought against tight coverage in the back of the endzone for a 21-yard reception to elevate the Huskies to 24-23, their first lead of the day. Gathings has consistently been among the top receivers for the Huskies as he’s collected 249 yards this season, averaging 24.9 yards per game.
As for the Blazers, the contest wasn’t over as they still had over eight minutes of play left to take back their lead. However, Connecticut shut down any UAB opportunities and forced three-and-outs to shift control into UConn’s hands.
UConn’s final push came just before the two-minute warning as a massive 48-yard rush up the left sideline from Cam Edwards closed out the Huskies 31-23. From there, Connecticut’s defense remained an unbreakable force as they forced a turnover on UAB’s final chance with the ball.
The victory officially marks a winning season for Jim Mora’s Huskies as they head into the final stretch of the season with just two games left against Syracuse and UMass.
Looking ahead, UConn will be off next weekend but will head to Syracuse, New York to take on the Syracuse Orange on Nov. 23.