EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Despite a valiant fourth-quarter comeback attempt, UConn football fell short against Wake Forest 23-20 on Saturday, ending a five-game home winning streak.
The UConn offense entered the game scoring 46.8 points per contest at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field this season but came out slow. The Huskies trailed 20-6 in the third quarter before quarterback Nick Evers found momentum and threw two second half touchdowns.
After a 25-yard touchdown throw by Evers with 2:27 on 3rd & 15 trimmed the UConn deficit to three, the defense stood tall, forcing Wake Forest to quickly punt. As the clock ticked away, UConn began moving the ball up the field.
The momentum stalled, however, as 4th & 3 from the UConn 48-yard line became 4th & 8 from the Huskies’ 43-yard line after a costly false start. On fourth down, Evers’ pass was incomplete, and UConn turned the ball over.
There was obvious contact, however, past the first down marker, as Wake Forest defensive back Jamare Glasker clearly held UConn wide receiver Jasiah Gathings. After the game, UConn head coach Jim Mora was adamant that holding or pass interference should have been called on Wake Forest.
Instead, the Demon Deacons were able to run out the clock, and UConn fell to 4-3 after suffering its first home loss of the season. In a fiery postgame press conference that lasted less than a minute, Mora was emphatic that the referees stole the game away. He noted that the officiating team came from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the home of Wake Forest.
“What I told the team is I’m proud of them for fighting back. We’ve got to make sure we put ourselves in a position where it doesn’t come down to one play where an ACC [officiating] team makes a [expletive] call against an independent,” Mora said.
The former head coach of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks wasn’t done, as he continued to give the referees a verbal lashing. He showed fire reminiscent of his father, Jim Mora, Sr., the longtime NFL head coach, who once created a memorable soundbite when asked if his struggling Indianapolis Colts team could make the playoffs... "Playoffs?"
UConn’s Mora said again that his team must start off games better but echoed his sentiment that the Huskies got robbed on Saturday.
“That’s for us to play better at the start of the game so it doesn’t come down to that call, which was holding and [pass interference]. That’s what I told them. We’ll come back and we’ll fight, so it’s on us to play better earlier, but it’d sure be nice if it was a level playing field,” Mora said.
Mora was then asked to provide an explanation for what happened.
“It was a hold a hold and a PI. A hold and a PI! Here’s your explanation. ACC vs independent. There’s your explanation. It’s pretty [expletive] simple,” Mora said, referring to the fact that UConn football does not belong to a conference before he walked off from the podium.
Regardless, there were many positives to take away from the Wake Forest game.
Evers, the sophomore transfer from Wisconsin, had one of his best performances in a UConn jersey. He completed 26 of 43 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns, overcoming an early interception with strong play late.
The UConn running game was held to just 40 yards, led by sophomore Cam Edwards’ 26 yards, but the wide receiving core shined for much of the second half.
Gathings, a junior, had a breakout game for UConn, catching seven passes for 75 yards and an impressive touchdown. He was Evers’ most reliable target.
TJ Sheffield, a senior transfer from Purdue, had five catches for 52 yards, while senior Brett Buckman has two big fourth-quarter catches for 34 yards.
Louis Hansen, a junior tight end, had two catches for 31 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown catch late that brought the Huskies within three points of Wake Forest. Skyler Bell, a junior transfer from Wisconsin has been UConn’s most dynamic playmaker this year but had a quiet day, catching only three passes for 26 yards.
Chris Freeman, UConn’s senior kicker, was perfect, hitting both field goal attempts, including one from 53 yards, and both extra points.
Wake Forest was led by senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who completed 21 of 36 passes for 274 yards. He threw no touchdowns and one interception.
Junior running back Demond Claiborne accounted for all of Wake Forest’s touchdowns, scoring twice while rushing for 60 yards.
UConn is back in action at the Rent next Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3:30 against the Rice Owls, who will enter the game below .500.
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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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