EAST HARTFORD, Sept. 7, 2024 – On a record-setting afternoon, the UConn football team bounced back from last week’s big loss to Maryland with a dominant 63-7 win over Merrimack College at Rentschler Field.
Senior quarterback Joe Fagnano (Williamsport, Pa.) completed 13-of-19 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns, tying the single-game school record held by Dan Orlovsky, who threw five TDs in a game three times.
The Huskies tied a FBS school record with 63 points and set a new school record with 624 yards of total offense. UConn scored 63 points in a win over Kent State in 2002.
Fagnano threw touchdown throws of 50, 60, 39, 44 and 12 yards while 10 different UConn receivers caught passes in the win.
UConn (1-1) came flying out of the gates and scored 35 points in the first quarter on 16 total plays, setting a new school FBS record for points in a quarter. The Huskies finished the first half with 56 points and 486 yards of offense with Fagnano completing 10-of-15 passes for 298 yards and four scores. UConn’s 56 points at the half sets a new FBS school record for points in a half (49 vs Kent State, 11/9/02).
Junior Skyler Bell (Bronx, N.Y.) caught two passes and had 105 yards receiving including a 60-yard touchdown catch, his first as a Husky. Bell hit the century mark receiving for the second-straight game.
Junior tight end Alex Honig (Bavaria, Germany) caught three passes, including his first career touchdown, while senior Ezeriah Anderson (Seffner, Fla.) and freshman Shamar Porter (Nashville, Tenn.) each caught a pair of passes and scored their first touchdowns as Huskies.
On the ground, UConn piled up 278 yards rushing and were led by freshman Durrell Robinson (Seat Pleasant, Md.) who finished with 94 yards on 10 carries and a score. Junior Mel Brown (Stone Mountain, Ga.) ran for 87 yards on a team-high 14 carries.
Fagnano added 38 yards rushing and a score to his offensive totals for the day while junior Victor Rosa (Bristol, Conn.) and sophomore Cam Edwards (Norwalk, Conn.) each scored TDs.
The UConn defense held Merrimack (0-2) to 279 yards of offense while picking up four sacks and 10 tackles for a loss.
Merrimack’s Jermaine Corbett ran for 103 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Junior back-up quarterback Justin Lewis came in and was 6-of-6 for 103 yards and a touchdown.
The Huskies return to action by going to Duke on Saturday.
UConn 63, Merrimack 17
At East Hartford Merrimack (0-2) 7 0 0 10 — 17
UConn (1-1) 35 21 7 0 — 63 First quarter C: Joe Fagnano 1 run (C Freeman kick), 13:00
C: Cam Edwards 50 pass from Fagnano (Freeman kick), 9:41
C: Durrell Robinson 48 run (Freeman kick), 7:49
C: Victor Rosa 29 run (Freeman kick), 4:40
M: Jermaine Corbett 46 run (L Davis kick), 1:39
C: Skyler Bell 60 pass from Fagnano (Freeman kick) 0:27 Second quarter C: Shamar Porter 39 pass from Fagnano (Freeman kick), 13:18
C: Edwards 1 run (Freeman kick), 5:58
C: Ezeriah Anderson 44 pass from Fagnano (Freeman kick), 3:24 Third quarter C: Alexander Honig 12 pass from Fagnano (Freeman kick), 6:10 Fourth quarter M: Seth Sweitzer 71 pass from Justin Lewis (Davis kick), 7:31
M: Davis 32 FG, 0:00
RUSHING: Merrimack – Corbett 14-103, Pereira 9-13, Lewis 4-9, Latham 2-5, Wadley 1-5, Wyatt 4-2, Anthony 4-minus 14; UConn – Robinson 10-94, Brown 13-87, Fagnano 5-38, Rosa 3-31, Edwards 6-15, McDonald 2-9
PASSING: Merrimack – Justin Lewis 6-6-0, 101, Malakai Anthony 7-11-0, 46, Ayden Pereira 2-8-0, 6; UConn – Joe Fagnano 13-19-0, 328, Cole Welliver 2-4-0, 10, Tucker McDonald 2-3-0, 8
RECEIVING: Merrimack – Sweitzer 2-77, Dunn 2-23, Robinson 2-19, Wilson 4-14, Mason 2-11, Palmer 1-8, Wadley 1-3, Shorter 1-minus 2; UConn – Bell 2-105, Anderson 2-54, Edwards 1-50, Porter 2-42, Honig 3-36, Sheffield 2-21, Gathings 1-15, Robinson 2-10, Rosa 1-8, Harper 1-5
