UConn football routed UAB on Saturday afternoon to achieve bowl eligibility, winning 38-19 to improve to 6-3 on the season. Joe Fagnano threw four touchdown passes, three to Skyler Bell, as the Huskies scored 21 in the second quarter to put the contest out of reach.
The Huskies got the ball first and drove to the UAB 20, going for a 4th-and-5 to turn it over on downs. The Blazers were driving on their ensuing possession before Cam Chadwick picked off Jalen Kitna in the Husky red zone.
After a long completion to Bell and a 26-yarder to Neider, Fagnano hit Bell a few yards short of the goalline, and the speedster finished his run for the first score of the day.
UAB went three and out, and then UConn moved downfield with passes over 10 yards to Alex Honig, Reymello Murphy, and Neider again to set up a Cam Edwards rushing touchdown.
The Blazers trotted out backup QB Ryder Burton, who starred in their win over Memphis two weeks ago. He threw an interception on his first play, leading to a 51-yard Chris Freeman field goal to make it 17-0 in the middle of the second quarter.
UAB started the next drive on its 25 but moved back after a big sack and a bad snap that led to another big sack. Coming from their five, UAB’s punt was fielded by Jackson Harper at their 49. Harper returned it 37 yards to set up a 9-yard fade to Bell to make it 24-0.
UAB mounted an extended drive to end the half but came away empty after an incomplete pass on 4th down.
The rout continued as Cam Chadwick picked off his second pass on the first possession of the third quarter, setting up a Fagnano touchdown pass to make it 31-0. UAB responded with a 68-yard touchdown pass, trying a 2-point conversion that fell incomplete, before another touchdown pass from Fagnano to Bell made it 38-6.
UAB added two garbage-time touchdowns to get us to our final score, 38-19, after the Blazers managed just six points through the first three quarters. Chadwick would later catch a third interception. Bell finished with 149 yards on eight receptions.
Cam Edwards had 15 carries for 62 yards and the score while Terrence Smith added 35 rushing yards in a modest but solid outing for the rushing attack.
Next up, UConn plays its second of three consecutive home games as it faces Duke. The Blue Devils are 5-3 after winning a shootout at Clemson today.
Kick off is at 3:30 p.m. from Rentchler Field and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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