Joey Fagnano and Skyler Bell on Saturday had a show as UConn rolled to a 38-19 victory over UAB, continuing the 6-3 string of the Huskies this season.
Joey Fagnano is a veteran and experienced quarterback that played in UConn and Maine, but he was almost flawless in the air. He made 23 out of 30 passes with 267 yards and four TDs three of which were to Bell. Along with the performance Fagnano passed the 10,000 career passing yards mark and went on with his streak of performance – 22 touchdown passes in the season and not a single interception.
Skyler Bell had his way all afternoon, receiving 8 of the passes of 149 yards and those three points on 26, 9 and 39 yard lines. It was their chemistry that saw UConn get an early lead due to their slow start, where they turned the ball over on downs on their first drive. When the offense finally gained its rhythm, Huskies could not be stopped and secured three touchdowns and one field goal to lead the scoreline to 24-0 at the break.
In the process of the executed crime, the defense ensured that UAB was not able to keep up. Defensive back Cam Chadwick had three interceptions which was a career day and was the only school record over the years. His superficial performance prevented UAB intentions to come back in the second half, and gave the victory to the Huskies.
In the case of UAB, quarterback Ryder Burton had good figures when it comes to completing 21 out of 30 attempts in 209 yards and two TDs; however, his two interceptions cost him. Brandon Hawkins Jr. the running back brought some energy with a rushing and a receiving touchdown, but the Blazers did not come out of its initial deficit.
It was the first loss of the interim head coach of UAB Alex Mortensen who had led the team to a 31-24 upset of then-No. 22 Memphis two weeks ago. Mortensen replaced Trent Dilfer who was fired after a 2-4 start.
UConn, in their turn, keeps gaining momentum as the season is entering the last stretch. The Huskies are becoming a hard team to keep up with with the efficient passing of Joey Fagnano, the ability of Bell to make big plays and a defense that is able to force the opposition to make a turnover.
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