EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn football team made another emphatic statement Saturday by steamrolling Florida Atlantic 48-14.
It’s clear, the Huskies want fans to know things are different this season.
UConn moves to 2-2 with the victory, while the FAU Owls drop to 1-3. The Huskies are unbeaten on the season at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, where they’ve outscored opponents 114-31 through two games.
Sophomore quarterback Nick Evers, a transfer from Wisconsin, paced the Huskies’ offense with 88 yards through the air, completing nine of 14 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions. Evers also rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries, reaching the endzone twice on the ground.
The stars of the game were UConn running backs Durrell Robinson, a freshman, and Mel Brown, a junior.
Robinson carried the ball 16 times for 157 yards, scoring two touchdowns. His longest run on the night was 29 yards, and he averaged 10.3 yards per carry.
Brown wasn’t far behind, rushing for 156 yards on 21 carries, including a burst of 46 yards that was UConn’s longest play of the game.
Featured running back Cam Edwards, a sophomore, carried the ball just seven times for 30 yards. Junior running back Victor Rosa was out with an injury.
UConn carried the ball for 424 yards on Saturday, nearly breaking a school record set in the 1950s. As it stands, Saturday marked the second most rushing yards in UConn football history.
During a postgame interview with CBS Sports Network, Robinson credited the offensive line for the impressive outing.
“That’s our O-line. They’re amazing,” Robinson said. “I ain’t never seen a group of guys that come and work together so much before and after hours. They’re in the meeting room, they’re always doing something to get better, and that only just encourages me and my running back room to see work hard work pays off. I’m very grateful for that and very grateful for our team. It’s a great win and momentum we can build off.”
Robinson said he is aware of the national stigma surrounding UConn football’s lack of success and believes the team is working to change the narrative.
Skyler Bell, a junior wide receiver who has established himself as one of the premier players at his position in the country, was quiet for most of the game but had one explosive reception on a 43-yard pass from Evers.
The Huskies dominated all facets of the game from its earliest stages, led by a defense that didn’t allow a first down until deep into the first quarter.
After settling for a field goal and fumbling on its first two drives, the UConn offense exploded, as the ground game took off. A 12-play, 80-yard drive was capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass from Evers to Brown.
On their next possession, the Huskies used another 12-play drive, marching 91 yards to the endzone. Robinson carried the ball for an eight-yard touchdown to put UConn up 17-0, a lead it took into halftime.
Following the break, UConn picked up right where it left off, with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that Evers finished with a three-yard run into pay dirt.
After an FAU interception deep in its own territory, UConn failed to move the ball through the red zone and settled for a field goal to increase the lead to 27-0. FAU scored its first touchdown of the night on the next drive to cut the deficit to 20, but UConn wasn’t done.
The Huskies answered immediately with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with another Evers rushing score, this one from two yards out. UConn led 34-7.
After a defensive stand quickly returned the ball to UConn, the Huskies advanced down the field again, going 47 yards in three plays for another touchdown. Robinson carried the ball on all three plays, as UConn jumped out to a 41-7 lead.
Even when FAU responded with a touchdown of its own to cut the score to 41-14, the Huskies got right back on the board. After senior backup quarterback Joe Fagnano was substituted in for Evers, he connected with freshman wide receiver Shamar Porter for a 33-yard score on a fourth down play. Porter’s spectacular one-handed grab is sure to end up on highlight reels across the nation.
On a night headlined by the offense, one cannot overlook the defensive performance. UConn held FAU to just 87 yards through the air and 125 yards on the ground, forcing an interception made by senior linebacker Jayden McDonald.
The Owls were forced to punt six times during the game.
UConn football is back in action next Saturday at home against Buffalo for a noon kickoff.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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