EAST HARTFORD – After multiple high-powered offensive performances at home to start the season, the UConn football team relied on its defense to win Saturday’s game against Temple, 29-20, in walk-off fashion. Facing 4th-and-goal from the UConn 1-yard line, down three points with three seconds left on the game clock, Temple went for the win. The Owls tried running the ball up the middle, but Huskies safety Durante Jones forced the ball out and Jordan Wright took it 96 yards the other direction to seal UConn’s fourth win at Rentschler Field this season.
A highly entertaining, yet sloppy, win improved UConn’s record to 4-2 on the season before an announced crowd of 28,921. Quarterback Joe Fagnano, starting in place of the injured Nick Evers, finished an inconsistent day 24-for-41 passing with 272 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. TJ Sheffield stepped up as the Huskies’ top receiver after Skyler Bell appeared to have suffered an ankle injury, and caught nine passes for 141 yards and a score.
Temple quarterback Forest Brock, who hadn’t played since he suffered a wrist injury in Week Two against Navy, was 18-for-31 with 136 yards and an interception. The Owls finished the game with 270 total yards to UConn’s 371, and ran for 134 while UConn’s rushing attack managed just 99 yards on the ground. The Huskies came out aggressive on offense with Fagnano finding different receivers to move the Huskies down the field through the air.
Facing a 4th-and-2 at the Templ.