EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn football dominated Merrimack 63-17 on Saturday afternoon en route to its first win of the 2024 season.
In the home opener at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, it was all Huskies, all day. Coming off a difficult 50-7 loss to Maryland last Saturday, UConn rebounded immediately out of the gate against Merrimack and never turned back.
Starting in place of the injured QB Nick Evers, backup QB Joe Fagnano made a case for the starting job by contributing six touchdowns. The senior threw for 324 yards on 13-19 and five touchdowns; he also rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The Huskies set program records by scoring 35 points on five touchdowns in the first quarter alone and 56 points on eight touchdowns in the first half.
“It was great to get a win,” head coach Jim Mora said after the game, praising the full student section for being "fantastic."
Mora was happy with how the team began the game.
“We were able to get some big plays out of players we’re depending on. I thought Joe did a really nice job. We ran the ball well and we were able to do some things.”
Mora complimented Fagnano for being calm and reading out his progressions.
“Joe threw the ball with accuracy. Joe ran the ball for some first downs and made some plays. I was very pleased with his performance,” Mora said.
Freshman RB Durell Robinson led UConn on the ground with 94 yards on 10 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown. Junior RB Mel Brown also rushed for 87 yards on 13 carries.
The Huskies received first and opened the game with a quick, two-minute drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run by Fagnano. The Huskies moved the ball 75 yards on five plays.
UConn scored again with 9:41 remaining in the quarter when Fagnano connected with sophomore RB Cam Edwards on a 50-yard touchdown pass, as the Huskies drove the ball 64 yards on four plays in a minute and a half.
UConn’s memorable first quarter was just getting started.
The Huskies scored again with 7:49 left in the quarter on Robinson’s 48-yard touchdown. About three minutes later, junior RB Victor Rosa scrambled for a 29-yard touchdown run, capping off a four-play, 54-yard drive that put UConn ahead 28-0.
After Merrimack scored their only touchdown of the first half, UConn responded quickly. Fagnano connected with junior WR Skyler Bell for a 60-yard touchdown, finishing off a two-play, 62-yard drive. Bell had two catches on the day for 105 yards. UConn pushed its lead to 35-7 by the end of the opening quarter.
The Huskies’ momentum didn’t slow in the second quarter, as Fagnano completed a three-play, 50-yard drive with a 39-yard touchdown to freshman WR Shamar Porter less than two minutes into the frame.
With 5:58 remaining in the second quarter, UConn scored again on a one-yard run by Edwards. The 10-play, 78-yard drive put the Huskies up 49-7. The magical half wasn’t done, however. UConn reached the endzone again with 3:24 remaining until halftime after Fagnano threw a 44-yard touchdown to senior WR Ezeriah Anderson on a two-play, 44-yard drive.
UConn led 56-7 at the half.
The Huskies opened the scoring again in the third quarter with 6:10 remaining when Fagnano finished a seven-play, 83 yard-drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior TE Alexander Honig to give UConn a 63-7 lead.
Not long after, Mora pulled Fagnano and several other starters to give the bench an opportunity. Merrimack capitalized by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and cutting the deficit to 63-17, which was the final score.
Mora described the defense as a work in progress but was proud of their effort. He did say the team got a bit complacent in the second half when he put some younger players into the game.
The Huskies hope to keep the ball rolling in a challenging matchup next Saturday at Duke at 6 p.m. in North Carolina. Mora said the Merrimack game can’t be a “one week wonder.”
“It’s been quite a while since this program has gone on the road and beat a power conference team,” Mora said. “It’s going to be a really tough task at Duke. They’re 2-0; they’re a good team.”
Regardless of how the season unfolds, UConn football fans can feel good about Saturday’s win over Merrimack that set multiple program records and may have breathed life into the Huskies' struggling football program.
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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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