Huskies Down Minutemen in Amherst

Click HERE to view UConn’s postgame press conference.

Two teams having diametrically opposed seasons, but have a shared geography, UConn and UMass met for the now annual rivalry game on Saturday. UMass entered with a one game lead in the all-time series, but UConn was looking to spoil Senior Day in Amherst as well as earn their 8^th win on the season for the first time since 2010. But you know what they say, throw the records out in a rivalry game, and that was the case here, as UConn persevered with a 47-42 victory. It was hardly easy for the Huskies, who committed inopportune penalties, especially in the first half, and faced a UMass team that was motivated to get a win for their former HC, who was fired with two games left in the year. 

On the first play from scrimmage, QB AJ Hairston was sacked by Langston Hardy, and then followed that up by having a ball batted down by Pryce Yates. It was about as easy as it would get for the Huskies on this day. Joe Fagnano came out for the Huskies and hit TE Louis Hansen on a short play action pass, and Hansen outran the UMass defense for the score. One play, 55 yards for the TD. After throwing three times on their opening possession, UMass took to the ground on the ensuing drive, switching to QB Ahmad Haston. A couple runs by Jalen John, including a rush of 14 got the Minutemen into UConn territory, then back to Hairston, hit Jacquon Gibson for a 31 yard gain, aided by a missed tackle, into the red zone. On 3^rd and 12 from the 19, Hairston took a hit and found Gibson again for a 19 yard TD pass. Gibson came into the game with 220 yards on the year and no TDs, but had 50 yards on one drive. 

Two drops on consecutive plays by Skyler Bell, followed by an incompletion targeting Bell, forced UConn to punt on its second possession. UMass moved its way back into UConn territory, and on 3^rd and 3 from the Husky 29, CJ Hester was stopped at the line of scrimmage, and the Minutemen went for it on and 4^th and 3, where Hairston hit leading receiver Jakobie Keeney-James on the slant, outrunning the Husky secondary for the score, and their first lead of the game at 14-7 with 2:17 left in the quarter. Mel Brown responded on the ensuing kickoff, taking it 96 yards to the house. The Husky defense forced an important three-and-out to give them some rest. Fagnano immediately hit RB Durell Robinson out of the backfield for a gain of 19 as an eventful first quarter came to a close. UConn held possession for just 1:42 and didn’t run the ball once in the quarter. 

The Huskies ran the ball early and often to open the quarter, as Robinson broke off another big gain of 25, then on 3^rd and 6^th from the 9, Cam Edwards rushed forward to get the 1^st down, then hit paydirt on the next play from 3 out to retake the lead at 21-14. An unneccessary roughness call on Alfred Chea after the kickoff gave UMass starting field position at their own 39, but the Huskies forced a second straight three-and-out. Fagnano then threw a bad interception on the first play of the drive, and UMass took over at the UConn 35, followed by a late hit out of bounds, gave UMass the ball at the 15. Hairston hit TE Dominick Mazotti for 13, and Hairston would go back to Mazotti two plays later with a one yard TD pass, and the two teams were tied once more, 21-21 with 8:26 left in the half.  

Edwards continued his tear, breaking off a big run of 35 to the UMass 32, and on 3^rd and 3 from the Minutemen 10, Robinson was stopped a couple yards behind the line of scrimmage, and Chris Freeman came out for his first FG attempt of the afternoon, and he hit from 30, giving UConn a 24-21 lead with 4:46 left in the half. UMass’ drive was aided by two facemask calls on Jayden McDonald, and John took it in from 15 yards out, his longest run of the half, and UMass took a 28-24 lead with 1:19 left in the half. Mel Brown had a good return to the UConn 48. On a crucial 3^rd and 4 from the UMass 35, Fagnano’s pass to Jasaiah Gathings fell incomplete, and the Huskies brought out Freeman to try a 53 yarder, which he hit, tying his career-long, and the Huskies entered the half down one, at 28-27. 

Halftime Stats:

UConn opened the half in good shape, aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct on UMass after the first play, but Hansen held on the next, negating most of that gain. On 3^rd and 7, Fagnano’s pass to Bell sailed out of bounds, and UConn attempted a fake punt, Stutz trying to throw, but the pass was broken up, and UMass took over at the Husky 47. The defense held, forcing UMass to punt. UConn started at their own 9, and faced a big 3^rd and 9 from their own 25, where Hansen caught a nice pass being hounded by the UMass defender, then Robinson ran for a gain of 16, and quickly, UConn was in plus territory. UConn faced 3^rd down again at the 41, and the pass to Robinson out of the backfield only got back to the line of scrimmage, and the Huskies were forced to punt again. 

The Husky defense forced a three-and-out, and the Minutemen punted from their own end zone, giving UConn good starting field position at the UMass 49. They could do nothing with it, as Fagnano was sacked at the line, and UConn punted right back, followed by another UMass punt. After a big pass to TJ Sheffield for 13, then Edwards rushes, Fagnano hit Jasaiah Gathings in the end zone, making the 26 yard TD catch even with defensive pass interference. On the two-point conversion, Fagnano kept it up the middle, but was stopped just shy of the goal line. The Huskies led 33-28 as the 3^rd quarter came to an end, and it was setting up for an exciting finish. 

UMass could do nothing with the ball, with Hairston just escaping McDonald in the end zone, and UMass punted, giving the ball at the UMass 35. On a crucial 3^rd down conversion, Robinson had a great individual effort to get six, then followed it up with a 14 yard gain, getting the Huskies down to the goal line. Fagnano hit Edwards with a play action from three yards out, and extended the lerad to 40-28 with 11:12 left in the game. UMass responded, with a 24 yard rush by CJ Hester, followed by a 32 yard QB keeper by Haston down to the Husky 10. Hester would hit paydirt, running over Malik Dixon-Williams, and it was a one score game again, 40-35 with 7:20 left. On a crucial 3^rd and 2 from midfield, Edwards rushed for four, and the clock continued to wind down. UConn, rightfully, kept feeding Edwards, but it was Robinson who took it in from 15 yards out to give UConn a 47-35 lead with 2:18 left, and UMass with just one timeout. UMass went with another new QB, Will Perry, who led the Minutemen downfield, and hit T.Y. Harding for the seven yard TD, and it was back to one score, 47-42 with :36 remaining. The onside kick was touched by a UMass player before it went ten yards, but Hansen recovered anyways, and the Huskies escaped with a victory. It wasn’t easy, but there won’t be any complaints in Storrs after their 8^th win, and an opportunity to win 9 for the first time since 2007, and just the third time ever in the FBS era. 

Final Stats: