UConn outlasts UMass to win eighth game, 47-42

UConn’s Skyler Bell (1) battles for yardage in Saturday’s college football game in Amherst. UConn beat UMass, 47-35. More game photos

AMHERST, Mass., Nov. 30, 2024 – The UConn football team made big plays and went toe-to-toe with spunky UMass in the regular season finale for both teams at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday.

The Huskies scored on their first play of the game with a 55-yard touchdown pass and had a 96-yard kickoff return in the first half.

But in the second half, the Huskies put their fate in their defense and running game as Connecticut beat Massachusetts, 47-42 to finish the season with an 8-4 record, hopefully awaiting an invitation to a post-season bowl.

Down by one at the half, UConn stopped the Minutemen (2-10) on four consecutive drives in the third quarter to take a 33-28 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies rode on the back of sophomore running back Cam Edwards of Norwalk.

Edwards, who ran for a game-high 142 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, carried the ball on nine consecutive plays as the Huskies turned a five-point lead into a 12-point lead.

UConn’s Reggie Akles (22) closes in on UMass QB A.J. Hairston (8) in Saturday’s college football game in Amherst. More game photos

Leading by five with 7:20 remaining, the drive began on the UConn 22 yard line and nine carries later, the ball was on the UMass 20-yard line. Mel Brown ran five yards to the 15 and Durell Robinson finished off the drive with a 15-yard run for a 47-35 lead.

“It just tells me overall, how much trust coach (Jim) Mora has in me to put the ball in my hands to finish the game and get the job done,” Edwards said. “I appreciate him trusting me to put the game away.”

Robinson ran for 83 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries while Brown ran for 26 yards on eight carries and had his electric kickoff return.

“It’s kind of how we’ve been all year,” Mora said. “We’re built to win tight ball games. We have confidence when we win those tight games. Now, there are three (tight) games we didn’t win. The next step for us to beating those ACC teams, a Big 10 team or whom ever we play in those close games.”

Quarterback Joe Fagnano got the start behind center for Connecticut and completed 15-of-26 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

“That last drive was a testament to this team,” Fagnano said. “We didn’t throw the ball once. Cam did an amazing job. He is always falling forward. Seldom do you see him get hit and fall backward.”

UConn took a 40-28 lead when Edwards scoring on a three-yard pass from Fagnano with 11:12 remaining in the game. But the spunky Minutemen came right back, sparked by a 24-yard run from C.J. Hester and a 32-yard run from quarterback A.J. Hairston to the UConn 10-yard line. Hester scored on an eight-yard run with 7:20 left to cut the UConn lead to five, 40-35.

“My hats off to UMass,” Mora said. “They had a lot of overcome. I thought their staff stepped up and their players played hard. What a great effort.”

UMass’ Jacquon Gibson (2) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown in Saturday’s college football game in Amherst. More game photos

Two weeks ago, UMass fired head coach Don Brown after an overtime loss to Liberty University with offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery being named the interim coach. A week later, the Minutemen scored 21 points in the first half of a 59-21 loss to then-No. 10 Georgia.

The game was tied at 14-14 after one quarter. Junior tight end Louis Hansen scored on a 55-yard touchdown reception on UConn’s first offensive play and Brown returned a kickoff 96 yards. The Minutemen got a pair of touchdown passes from Hairston, who completed 13-of-21 passes for 134 yards.

UMass had a 28-27 lead at the break thanks to another Hairston TD pass to Dominick Mazotti and a 15-yard run from Jalen John. UConn got a three-yard TD run from Edwards and a pair of field goals from Chris Freeman of 30 and 53 yards.

“It wasn’t use letting down,” Mora said. “Knowing it was UMass’ last game as an independent and probably playing a bit for coach Brown and it was Senior Day. But we hung in there. We hung in there.”

UMass will be joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) next fall.

After a UMass punt, the Huskies took over on the UMass 49 with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter, trailing by one, 28-27.

Fagnano completed a 13-yard pass over the middle to T.J. Sheffield to the 36 yard line. Edwards ran up the middle for seven yards and picked up another three yards to the UMass 26. Fagnano found Jasaiah Gathings on the right side for a 26-yard touchdown and a 33-28 lead. The Huskies had two cracks at a two-point conversion but they both failed.

The Huskies allowed just 14 yards by UMass in the third quarter.

Jayden McDonald led the Huskies with 20 tackles, including six solo stops. Amir Renwick had 10 tackles and four solo tackles. Waterbury’s Tyler Randolph led UMass with 12 tackles and four solo stops.

The game attracted 10,365 fans to McGuirk Alumni Stadium. With the win, UConn ties the all-time series between the two schools at 38-38-2.

UConn 47, UMass 42
At Amherst, Mass.
UConn (8-4)    14  13  6  14 — 47
UMass (2-10)  14  14  0  14 — 42
First quarter
C: Louis Hansen 55 pass from Joe Fagano (Chris Freeman kick), 13:57
M: Jacquon Gibson 19 pass from A.J. Hairstron (Jacob Lurie kick), 8:16
M: Jakobie Keeney-James 29 pass from Hairston (Lurie kick), 2:17
C: Mel Brown 96 kickoff return (Freeman kick), 2:02
Second quarter
C: Cam Edwards 3 run (Freeman kick), 11:58
M: Dominick Mazotti 1 pass from Hairston (Lurie kick), 8:26
C: Freeman 30 FG, 4:46
M: Jalen John 15 run (Riley Moore kick), 2:01
C: Freeman 53 FG, 0:17
Third quarter
C: Jasaiah Gathings 26 pass from Fagano (run fails), 0:12
Fourth quarter
C: Edwards 3 pass from Fagano (Freeman kick), 11:12
M: C.J. Hester 8 run (Lurie kick), 7:20
C: Durell Robinson 15 run (Freeman kick), 2:18
M: T.Y. Harding 7 pass from Will Perry (Moore kick), 0:36
Individual statistics
RUSHING: UConn – Edwardsn18-142, Robinson 11-83, Brown 8-26, Fagnano 2-6, Team 2-minus 4; UMass – John 18-78, Hester 13-55, Haston 2-33, Hairston 4-9, Campbell 2-7, Harding 1-6, Perry 1-2, team 1-minus 6
PASSING: UConn – Fagnano 15-26-1, 181; UMass – Hairston 13-21-0, 134; Perry 7-11-0, 72
RECEIVING: UConn — Hansen 4-73, Sheffield 3-31, Robinson 3-19, Gathings 2-31, Bell 2-24, Edwards 1-3; UMass – Mazotti 7-50, Keeney-James 5-68, Gibson 2-50, John 2-19, Harding 2-12, Galban 1-7, Campbell 1-0

More game photos