Huskies beat Rice for first win of the season

UConn’s Jackson Mitchell had a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown in UConn’s victory over Rice on Saturday.

Quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson threw for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns while the defense forced four turnovers as the University of Connecticut won their first game of the season Saturday with a 39-31 win over Rice Saturday in Houston.

The Huskies (1-5) trailed 14-0 after one quarter but scored 28 unanswered points to take a lead they would never relinquish. Senior linebacker Jackson Mitchell had a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown and defensive end Jelani Stafford scored twice from the one-yard line.

Rice quarterback JT Daniels threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns while Luke McCaffrey caught seven for 100 yards and both of his scores.

Rice (3-3) took a 14-0 lead with scores on their first two drives of the game as running back Juma Otoviano scored on TD runs of 24 and seven yards, respectively. The second drive covered 78 yards in eight plays.

The UConn defense switched the momentum, creating a turnover on Rice’s next drive to set up the Huskies deep in Rice territory with a first down and goal situation. Sophomore Pryce Yates got a strip sack of Daniels at the Rice six-yard line and Stafford recovered on the two.

Two plays later, the Husky defensive lineman plunged in from a yard out for his fourth score of the season.  The extra point attempt was blocked, leaving the Huskies trailing 14-6 with 10:49 left in the half.

The UConn defense came up with another big play after a big kick return by Rice.  A backward pass from Daniels to wideout Braylen Walker fell short and UConn’s Mitchell was there to scoop the loose ball and return it 50-yards for his second career touchdown to make it 14-13 with 9:54 left.

The Huskies would make it 20 unanswered points on their next possession as Roberson hit a streaking Cam Ross on a 41-yard pitch-and-catch in the endzone to make it 20-14 at the 3:48 mark.

The Huskies rolled out of the locker room and took the opening second half kick-off for a seven-play drive where short-yardage specialist Stafford got his second of the day from a yard out followed by a Roberson’s successful two-point conversion pass to Justin Joly to extend the UConn lead to 28-17.

Rice ended the Huskies 28-point run on the ensuing possession as Daniels put together a 14-play drive that covered 80 yards and was topped off by finding Luke McCaffrey on a third and goal from the four to pull withing 28-21 with 7:45 left in the quarter.

The fourth quarter started with UConn extending the lead to 31-21 on a McFadden 47-yard field goal, matching his career long set in 2021 against Mid Tennessee at home.  Rice answered with a Daniels to McCaffrey 30-yard hook-up to pull within 31-28 with just under seven to play.

The Huskies quickly responded and Roberson hit for another big play, finding his tight end Joly for a 59-yard touchdown that helped seal away the win.  After a late Horn 23-yard field goal, Joly would recover the onside kick with 40 seconds left to seal the win.

Joly finished with seven catches for 96 yards in the win.  Sophomore Victor Rosa rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries to pace the ground game.

UConn returns home to Rentschler Field next Saturday to host Central Florida at 3:30 p.m. in East Hartford.

Video highlights from ESPN

UConn 38, Rice 31
At Houston
UConn (1-5)       0  20  8  10  – 38
Rice (3-3)            14  0  7  10  — 31
First quarter
R: Juma Otoviano 24 run (Tim Horn kick), 6:53
R: Otoviano 8 run (Horn kick), 0:33
Second quarter
C: Cameron Ross 41 pass from Ta’Quan Roberson (kick fails) 10:49
C: Jackson Mitchell 50 fumble recovery (Joe McFadden kick), 9:54
C: Ross 41 pass from Roberson (McFadden kick), 3:48
Third quarter
C: Jelani Stafford 1 run (Justin Joly pass), 9:52
R: Luke McCaffrey pass from JT Daniels (Horn kick), 2:00
Fourth quarter
C: McFadden 47 FG, 14:02
R: McCaffrey 30 pass from Daniels (Horn kick), 6:56
C: Justin Joly 59 pass from Roberson (McFadden kick), 5:06
R: Horn 23 FG, 0:40
Individual statistics
RUSHING: UConn – Victor Rosa 18-89, Cam Edwards 7-8, Ta’Quan Roberson 1-7, Jelani Stafford 2-2; Rice – Juma Otoviano 6-51, Dean Connors 7-42, Ari Broussard 3-14, Luke McCaffrey 1-12, Quinton Jackson 1-11, JT Daniels 4-minus 18
PASSING: UConn – Roberson 15-19-0, 215; Rice – Daniels 33-49-1, 362
RECEIVING: UConn – Justin Joly 7-96, Cameron Ross 3-55, Kevens Clercius 2-32, Geordon Porter 2-24, Rosa 1-8; Rice – McCaffrey 7-100, Rawson MacNeil 6-91, Connors 7-88, Boden Groen 3-23, Broussar 2-14, Kobie Campbell 1-12, Braylen Walker 2-10, Quinton 1-8

Information from UConn Sports Information included in this report