The UConn football team (1-0) is off to a blazing hot start after stomping in-state FCS foe Central Connecticut (0-1) on the final Saturday in August at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.
UConn started on offense after Central Connecticut won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
The game looked ugly to begin with, as UConn could not move the chains other than a 15-yard penalty on CCSU defensive tackle Wayne Coleman.
However, matters got worse as the Connecticut long snapper Zach Christinat airmailed his snap over punter Connor Stutz, forcing the former Sacramento State punter to dive for the ball at the Huskies’ 5-yard line.
“What I didn’t like was the way we started the game,” UConn head coach Jim Mora said at the postgame press conference. “It’s not characteristic of what we want to be.”
It did not take long for the Blue Devils to get on the board after that, with running back Elijah Howard going unscathed up the middle for the game’s first touchdown. UConn safety Malachi McLean would go down on the play and had to be helped off the field.
“Malachi [McLean] is in the UConn Health system,” Mora revealed. “So, we know he’s in really great hands, but we are concerned about him. It’s nothing that’s life-threatening.”
On the kickoff, Mel Brown bolted out to the Blue Devils’ 46-yard line, but the return would come back due to a holding penalty. Wide receiver Terrence Smith took his only carry of the game to the house on what would have been an 81-yard touchdown, but that also came back for a holding penalty.
UConn star wide receiver Skyler Bell proved early in the game why he was getting Biletnikoff Award hype. The former Wisconsin Badger tight-roped on the bottom sideline for an 80-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven points. Although his first touchdown was looked at, the touchdown was upheld.
“He’s got a big play mentality,” Mora said. “You know he’s a guy that Joe [Fagnano] has a tremendous amount of trust in.”
On the following offensive drive, Brown made up for the holding call on his 51-yard return with a 49-yard run to the 12-yard line that set up another touchdown for Bell, giving Connecticut a 14-7 lead.
After the first quarter, the Huskies were all over the Blue Devils on the stat sheet. Their offense was far too powerful to contain in comparison to what Central Connecticut could offer. UConn had a 156-50 advantage in total yards on offense. The most polarizing stat came in the receiving category, as Bell finished the first quarter with two catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Central Connecticut started the second quarter with the ball but turned it over on downs at UConn’s 27-yard line.
On the very next play, running back Cam Edwards rushed to the left and broke out for a 73-yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 21-7 lead.
On the next drive for UConn’s offense, Bell continued his spectacular game with a 26-yard one-handed grab on the right sideline to set up 1st & goal. That set up a read option touchdown for quarterback Joe Fagnano, who took matters into his own hands up the middle to make it 28-7.
On the following drive, Howard was helped off the field following an incomplete pass that sidelined him for the rest of the game. He went into the locker room and later appeared on crutches in the second half. Howard is coming off a season where he won the Northeast Conference (NEC) Offensive Player of the Year honor.
On 3rd & goal from Connecticut’s 3-yard line, CCSU quarterback Brady Olson’s pass to wide receiver Donovan Wadley was broken up by UConn safety D’Mon Brinson, which ended any hopes of a comeback for the Blue Devils.
Central Connecticut kicker Jack Hennessey knocked down the field goal to cut the Blue Devils’ deficit to 28-10, but the damage had already been done in the first half.
UConn went on to do even more damage, marching from midfield to find Arizona transfer Reymello Murphy for his first touchdown since scoring three touchdowns at Old Dominion during the 2023 season. It showed that Central Connecticut could not afford to settle for field goals as the Huskies were now up 35-10.
By halftime, UConn had dominated in every stat category. The Huskies held a 329-160 advantage in total yards. Fagnano completed 14 of 20 passes for 201 yards and four total touchdowns. Bell brought in four of his five targets for 135 yards and touchdowns.
Victor Rosa saw some time on the field despite not being listed on the Huskies’ depth chart. He used that for motivation, breaking out for a 20-yard touchdown on the first red zone play of the third quarter, which was a free play. With another extra point for kicker Chris Freeman, UConn was now up 42-10.
UConn did not slow down on offense the rest of the way, with touchdowns coming from wide receiver Jackson Harper (the first in his career) and Eastern Illinois transfer MJ Flowers.
The Huskies will look ahead to their first road matchup of the year, against former Big East rival Syracuse (0-1) on Saturday.