NEWARK, Delaware — UConn football found itself in a track meet at Delaware Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with 52 points scored in the first half before it settled down in the second. The Huskies held a late lead but allowed the home team to tie it before falling in overtime for the second straight week.
The home team got on the board first after UConn received the opening kick and went three-and-out. A Bryun Parham sack forced 3rd & 16 on the ensuing Delaware drive but quarterback Nick Minicucci completed a 33-yard corner route to Sean Wilson. The Fightin’ Blue Hens marched into the end zone from there, aided by two penalties, as Minicucci finished the drive with a QB keeper for the score.
UConn responded with a 51-yard scamper by Cam Edwards to tie the game in the middle of the first quarter. Delaware went right back up with a 70-yard run by Jo Silver where he reversed field and found enough space to get all the way to the house.
The Huskies moved the ball well on their next drive, as Joe Fagnano completed long passes to Juice Vereen and Skyler Bell, but his third-down attempt to the corner of the end zone fell incomplete. They settled for a field goal to make it 14-10, the score at the end of the first quarter.
Delaware had no trouble moving the ball once again, as a drive aided by a late hit penalty and ended with another Minicucci keeper for a touchdown, making it 21-10 with 12:54 left in the first half.
The Huskies got a touchdown on their next drive on a 31-yard run from Victor Rosa to make it 21-17. After making their first stop, Fagnano completed four passes for 81 yards before Edwards punched it in from two yards out to give UConn its first lead, 24-21.
That lead was short lived, as Minicucci hit Duplessis for a long ball that saw Lee Molette hit the ground as the receiver came down with it and took it to the house, making it 28-24, which would be our halftime score.
The two teams traded punts to start the third quarter before Joe Fagnano hit Reymello Murphy for the first points of the second half, putting UConn ahead 31-28. Delaware answered right back with a Silver run from 18 yards out to reclaim the lead, 35-31 going into the fourth quarter.
UConn answered right back with long completions to Bell, Louis Hansen, and Murphy to set up 4th & goal from the 1-yard line. Fagnano hit TE Alex Honig on a play-action pass for the go-ahead TD, 38-35.
This score would hold deep into the fourth quarter, as Delaware missed a field goal and UConn turned it over on downs on the other end with 2:10 left. A fourth-down pass interference called on Cam Chadwick kept the Fightin’ Hens drive alive despite taking a sack on the first play. They converted another fourth down to set up a game-tying field goal as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, UConn made it near the goal line but a second-down pass was dropped and on third down Fagnano was sacked, setting up a field goal. Delaware marched down for a first down with two runs and then Minicucci ran in a touchdown from 13 yards out to seal the win.
Next up, the Huskies (1-2) are back home to take on Ball State at Rentschler Field. Kick-off is at 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
