Tag: connecticut

UConn, Army eager for last hurrah at Fenway Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

BOSTON — UConn’s Skyler Bell wants to finish what he started.

The Huskies (9-3) enter Saturday’s Fenway Bowl matchup against Army (6-6) with quarterback Joe Fagnano opted out and coach Jim Mora gone to take over at Colorado State.

Despite rumors that Bell — who has logged 1,278 receiving yards and a program-record 13 touchdowns this season — also would get an early start on charting his NFL future, the consensus All-American wanted one last opportunity.

“I never said I wasn’t playing,” Bell said. “Being with this team the last two years, I think the brotherhood thing is super real. … I think I’d be remiss to leave here and look back at that last game and saying, ‘Why didn’t I suit up with my guys one last time?’”

Running back Cam Edwards (1,132 yards, 14 touchdowns) also is expected to help UConn chase a 10th win for the first time in program history. All three of the Huskies’ losses this season have come in overtime.

UConn looks to go back-to-back at the Fenway Bowl after beating North Carolina 27-14 a year ago. Bell made three catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in that game.

The Huskies will be led by interim coach Gordon Sammis, the offensive coordinator under Mora who will assume the same role at TCU following the bowl. UConn hired Toledo’s Jason Candle as its next head coach on Dec. 6.

Sammis did not address the media alongside his players last Friday as anticipated.

UConn also has not released an updated depth chart. The start at quarterback could go to Nick Evers, who held the role for part of last season after arriving from Wisconsin, where he was also teammates with Bell.

There could be other departures, but the Huskies figure to have a strong roster available.

“This game’s fleeting,” tight end Louis Hansen said. “You’re not guaranteed to get another game.”

Army has won back-to-back bowls — including last season’s Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech after winning the American Conference title — and seeks three in a row for the second time in 12th-year coach Jeff Monken’s tenure at West Point.

Saturday’s kickoff comes just two weeks after the Black Knights lost only the fifth 1-point game in Army-Navy history, as a fourth-quarter touchdown was the difference in a 17-16 win for the Midshipmen.

“It’s an opportunity to play another game,” Monken said. “For this team, this brotherhood, to be able to go out and play together. For our senior class to play one more time. To play for a winning record, and to play for the opportunity to say we’re a bowl champion.”

Despite the heartbreaking rivalry loss, quarterback Cale Hellums became Army’s first 100-yard rusher against Navy since 2012 and sits just 22 rushing yards shy of becoming the eighth Black Knight to reach the 1,200-yard mark in a season.

Hellums, a junior, leads a roster that consists largely of upperclassmen. Army does things the old-fashioned way — without a transfer portal with which to work.

“We’re tough, we’re competitive, and (the players) develop and they stay in the program,” Monken said. “We’ve got juniors and seniors, for the most part, playing out there. When you grow up in the program and in the system…they play together and play for each other.”

UConn and Army met in West Point, N.Y., in 2021 and 2022. The Black Knights won both of those meetings.

Saturday marks the fourth playing of the Fenway Bowl, with initial installments in 2020 and 2021 canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Prior to UConn’s visit last December, Boston College beat a ranked SMU team 23-14 in 2023.

–Joshua Kummins, Field Level Media

UConn standout QB Joe Fagnano skipping Fenway Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano confirmed he will not play in the Fenway Bowl.

The Huskies (9-3) will meet Army (6-6) on Dec. 27 at Fenway Park in Boston.

Instead, Fagnano told the Hartford Courant that he will be preparing for upcoming showcase games and the NFL draft.

“After talking with my teammates, my coaches, my family, we all agreed it was best for me,” he said. “It stinks the way it ended. I would have loved to have played in a bowl game, but the way things are laid out now, some things just happen.”

On the season, Fagnano threw for 3,448 yards (sixth in nation) and 28 touchdowns (tied for seventh). He was intercepted just once.

He was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and a three-time Manning Award Weekly All-Star. He was named a Group of Five second-team All-American.

Star wide receiver Skyler Bell, who earned first-team AP All-America honors, also is expected to skip the game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Jim Mora watches from the sideline as they take on the Ball State Cardinals at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Colorado State hires coach Jim Mora away from UConn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jim Mora, who resurrected a floundering football program at UConn, has accepted the head coach job at Colorado State.

UConn athletic director David Benedict confirmed Mora’s departure in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

“We are grateful for Coach Mora’s contributions to UConn over the past four seasons,” Benedict said. “He took on the challenge of rebuilding our football program and delivered results that exceeded expectations. … Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put our program back on the national stage.”

Mora’s teams posted a 27-23 record over four seasons, including a 9-3 mark in 2025 that gives the Huskies back-to-back nine-win campaigns for the first time in program history. The Huskies qualified for bowl games three times, including this season, and are looking for their first-ever 10-win season.

Before Mora’s arrival in Storrs, Conn., the Huskies had won 10 games in their previous five seasons combined.

At Colorado State, the 64-year-old Mora will replace Jay Norvell, who was fired Oct. 19 after a loss to Hawaii left the Rams with a 2-5 record. Norvell had an 18-26 record overall.

Mora signed a four-year contract extension with UConn last December through the 2028 season that would have paid him just over $10 million.

Colorado State has yet to confirm the move, so no contract details were available early Wednesday.

At the time of Norvell’s firing, Colorado State athletic director John Weber said the Rams needed a new direction.

“As we prepare to join the Pac-12 Conference next year, we need to position our program to compete at the highest level,” he said. “While we’ve seen progress, a change in leadership is necessary to achieve the sustained excellence our program requires.

“We are continuing to invest and work hard to ensure that the football program and the next head coach have the resources needed to capitalize on this historic opportunity.”

Under interim head coach Tyson Summers, the Rams have lost four consecutive games. They will end their season Saturday against Air Force.

At UConn, offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis was named interim head coach. The school statement said a national search for Mora’s successor would begin immediately.

Mora previously was the head coach at UCLA and with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. His overall coaching record is 73-53 in college and 31-33 in the NFL.

–Field Level Media

Joe Fagnano aerial attack powers UConn over Duke

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Joe Fagnano completed 27 of 39 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns to lead UConn to a 37-34 victory over Duke in East Hartford, Conn. on Saturday.

UConn (7-3) trailed by five until Skyler Bell caught a 19-yard TD pass from Fagnano with 1:58 to play. Fagnano capped the scoring by running in the two-point conversion.

Bell caught 11 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns in the win. UConn also received three field goals from Chris Freeman.

Duke (5-4) moved the ball to its 42-yard line on its final possession, but UConn recovered a fumble with 18 seconds to play.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah completed 22 of 31 passes for 222 yards and three TDs, but he was intercepted twice.

Duke opened the scoring on its first possession when freshman running back Nate Sheppard (16 carries, 100 yards and two TDs) capped a three-play, 55-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.

UConn made it a 7-7 game when Fagnano tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Juice Vereen, and then took a 10-7 lead on a Freeman 29-yard field goal with 6:12 remaining in the first quarter.

A 10-yard TD pass from Mensah to Andrel Anthony helped Duke move in front 14-10 with 12:25 to play in the second quarter.

A 4-yard TD pass from Fagnano to Bell gave the Huskies a 17-14 lead with 5:59 remaining in the half, and UConn extended its lead to six points when Freeman made a 45-yard field 51 seconds before halftime.

It was 21-20 Duke after Sheppard scored his second TD on a 3-yard run with 10:13 left in the third, but UConn regained the lead, 23-21 on Freeman’s 20-yard field goal with 6:50 remaining in the third.

Mensah tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Landen King to give the Blue Devils a 28-23 advantage with 2:09 left in the third, and they carried that five-point lead into the final 15 minutes.

After a 3-yard TD run by Cam Edwards put the Huskies up 29-28 with 10:48 left, Jeremiah Hasley caught a 10-yard TD pass from Mensah that gave the Blue Devils a 34-29 lead with 5:34 to play.

–Field Level Media

Duke pursues another road win in clash with UConn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Duke will seek its fourth straight road win when it faces UConn in a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon in East Hartford, Conn.

Duke (5-3) is 3-1 on the road this season, but its last three road games were victories over Syracuse (38-3 score), Cal (45-21) and Clemson (46-45). The Blue Devils may meet plenty of resistance on Saturday, however, as UConn is 4-0 at home this season and is averaging 44.8 points per game at Rentschler Field.

“In college football, I think winning at home sets the floor of your program,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “I think winning away sets the ceiling of your program. It’s really hard to be an elite college football program without winning away from home.”

UConn (6-3) and Notre Dame are the only FBS independent programs. Duke will be the third Atlantic Coach Conference team UConn has faced this season. The Huskies lost 27-20 in overtime at Syracuse on Sept. 6 before winning at Boston College 38-23 on Oct. 18.

Both teams have received excellent quarterback play this season. Duke’s Darian Mensah has completed 202 of 290 pass attempts for 2,572 yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s been intercepted only twice. UConn’s Joe Fagnano, a transfer from Maine, has passed for 2,529 yards and 22 TDs and has not been intercepted.

Duke’s Cooper Barkate leads the ACC in receiving yards (774) and has at least 65 receiving yards in every game this season.

“The chemistry between him and their quarterback — you notice it on film,” UConn coach Jim Mora said. “There’s a lot of confidence there. He’s a dynamic athlete.”

UConn has turned the ball over once this season and is plus-10 in turnover margin.

The Blue Devils have won four of their last five games since a 1-2 start. The Huskies also started 1-2 and have won five of their last six.

“(Duke is) playing at a very high level right now,” Mora said. “They’re very athletic. It’s gonna be a tall challenge for us.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange tight end Dan Villari (89) runs against UConn Huskies linebacker Aaron Key (5) during the first half at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Syracuse stages comeback for overtime victory against UConn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Steve Angeli and Justus Ross-Simmons hooked up for a 6-yard touchdown in overtime as host Syracuse rallied for a 27-20 victory over UConn on Saturday.

Angeli put a perfect ball near the front-right pylon and Ross-Simmons made an athletic catch against tight coverage. The Huskies drove to the 4 on their OT possession, but Antoine Deslauriers broke up the fourth-down pass to secure the win.

Angeli finished 33-of-53 for 417 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble for Syracuse (1-1), which overcame a 17-6 fourth-quarter deficit. Yasin Willis rushed 11 times for 48 yards and a score for the Orange, while Ross-Simmons finished with five catches for 83 yards and two TDs.

Mel Brown ran for a long touchdown and tight end John Neider threw a score on a trick play to highlight the action for UConn (1-1). Joey Fagnano passed for 259 yards for the visitors.

The Huskies opened the scoring on the first play of the second quarter. Neider, a tight end, took a swing pass from Fagnano and found a wide-open Alex Honig for a 15-yard TD.

After getting stopped on fourth down twice earlier in the game, the Orange got on the scoreboard on Tripp Woody’s 38-yard field goal with 3:37 left in the half.

Syracuse’s momentum did not last long, however, as UConn found the end zone 2 1/2 minutes later. Brown took a handoff around the left edge on third-and-1 and sprinted up the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown.

The Orange and Huskies exchanged field goals, leaving the scoreboard reading 17-6 — and that score remained until less than six minutes were left in regulation.

Angeli found Ross-Simmons for a 53-yard touchdown with 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, but the Orange jumped in front with 48 seconds left in regulation as Willis plunged in from 3 yards out.

The two-point conversion gave the Orange a 20-17 lead, but completions of 27 and 16 yards from Fagnano to Skyler Bell set the stage for Chris Freeman’s 41-yard kick with one second left, forcing overtime.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) throws past Syracuse defensive back Duce Chestnut (2) during the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025.

Sluggish out of blocks, Syracuse looks to have ‘fun’ vs. UConn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a humbling season opener, Syracuse coach Fran Brown said he hopes a more relaxed atmosphere will lead to better results Saturday afternoon when his team hosts UConn in non-conference action.

Coming off a 10-win season in Brown’s first year on the sideline, the Orange fell behind 17-0 against then-No. 24 Tennessee last Saturday. Syracuse made a bit of a comeback but never truly threatened the Volunteers in a 45-26 defeat in Atlanta.

Steve Angeli, a transfer from Notre Dame, threw for a career-high 274 yards, while Yasin Willis ran for 91 yards and three scores. The areas where the Orange struggled included rushing defense (6.2 yards per carry) and third-down defense (7 of 12 conversions allowed).

Perhaps the heightened expectations for 2025 got the best of Syracuse, which will look to rebound against a UConn team that it has beaten five straight times.

“We’re just ready to go out and have some fun this weekend. I’m still going to make sure the players have fun, though,” Brown said. “It’s important that they still have fun and understand that there’s just no moral victories in it. We’re 0-1, and that’s not a good deal. We want to get on the winning side of the column, so we can continue to try to go face the things we need to face.”

UConn (1-0) trounced Central Connecticut 59-13 on Saturday as Skyler Bell caught two touchdown passes, including an 80-yard scoring strike. Joe Fagnano finished with three passing TDs and one rushing score, while Cam Edwards racked up 115 yards and a touchdown on just six carries.

If anything, Huskies coach Jim Mora Jr. is trying to ensure that his charges don’t suffer a lapse in concentration after their resounding Week 1 victory.

“Every day is a new day. … We focus on being the best we can every day,” Mora said. “We make the corrections on Sunday and Monday, and then we move onto Syracuse. … We focus. We reset. … And then you have to focus on a really good team this week.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Jim Mora reacts to a call in the third quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

UConn’s Jim Mora accuses coaches of tampering

Posted on | by Field Level Media

UConn football coach Jim Mora accused his counterparts at other programs of tampering with his players in a strongly worded social media post on Monday.

“A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken @NCAAFootball rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours,” Mora, 63, wrote on X. “We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable. We are excited that we’ve built a program where coaches have to cheat to beat us and we will protect that program. Think hard before you tamper with our players. #justgettingstarted”

Mora’s Huskies beat North Carolina 27-14 in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday. Because of their postseason participation, his players have until Thursday to enter the transfer portal. His statement implies fellow coaches aren’t waiting for players to do so.

He doubled down in a reply to a comment to his post on X.

“Not sure how we fix it, I do know we don’t ignore it. We will expose any program and coach that violates @NCAAFootball @NCAA rules by Tampering with our players,” he wrote. “It makes players anxious, it puts a dent in the lessons parents have taught them about honesty and integrity. I’m 100% for the Portal and NIL/Rev Share. I’m 100% against grown men cheating the rules and teaching players horrible Life lessons.”

UConn football has been at a disadvantage compared to larger schools when it comes to availability of funds to pay players for their name, image and likeness rights. In November 2023, Mora made his frustration known about UConn’s lacking NIL money.

UConn finished the season at 9-4, winning nine game for just the third time in program history and losing only to power-conference programs. Mora, UConn’s coach for three seasons, received a contract extension through Dec. 31, 2028, that will pay him a total of $10 million plus incentives.

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick casts heavy shadow over Fenway Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Before a new era begins at North Carolina, there is one more football game to play.

That comes when the Tar Heels meet UConn on Saturday in the Fenway Bowl — at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

There is no doubt that much of the bowl game will include the backdrop of Bill Belichick becoming North Carolina’s coach beginning in the 2025 season. Adding to the buzz is the fact that the game will played practically in the backyard of where Belichick coached the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins.

The distractions could be numerous for the Tar Heels (6-6), who lost their final two games of the regular season.

“I want to compliment the guys on working to get better each and every day,” interim coach Freddie Kitchens said. “We’re just trying to do a good job staying where our feet are. I think the guys have done a good job of kind of knocking out some of the distractions.”

Since the departure of coach Mack Brown, Kitchens, who will remain with the program on Belichick’s staff, has overseen the North Carolina team. Belichick and Kitchens are in regular communication.

“He asks questions. I answer the questions,” Kitchens said, “so he’s fully aware of everything dealing with this program.”

UConn (8-4) certainly doesn’t want to be an afterthought in this bowl.

“It’s Fenway, (so) it’s going to be awesome,” Huskies coach Jim Mora Jr. said.

The Huskies are trying to match the program’s highest win total since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2000. UConn posted nine victories in 2003 and 2007.

“You guys can look back with a lot of pride that you’ve hopefully changed the trajectory of this program for a long time to come,” Mora said of his message to the team.

The trajectory for North Carolina, on the other, is that of a program in transition.

Kitchens is finishing his second season as North Carolina’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach. He is part of a group of assistants coordinating the offense for the bowl as 2024 coordinator Chip Lindsey departed for Michigan earlier this month.

“We try to draw on things we can control,” Kitchens said. “I expect them to play well and hopefully they expect themselves to play well.”

Kitchens has declined to discuss specifics regarding how the offense might be designed for the Connecticut game.

North Carolina defensive coordinator Geoff Collins remains in that position for Fenway Bowl.

“Nothing really has changed from a defensive staff or special teams staff,” Kitchens said.

Kitchens said that most players who entered the transfer portal have continued to work out with the Tar Heels and that he anticipates they will play in Boston.

One player who stepped away is running back Omarion Hampton, who ranks fourth all-time in rushing yards (3,565) for North Carolina. He has declared for the NFL draft after gaining 1,660 rushing yards — second in the nation behind the 2,497 of Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty of Boise State — and 15 touchdowns this season.

Mora said the Huskies will be without running back Durell Robinson (731 rushing yards), who is transferring to Auburn. Robinson is among at least 10 UConn players in the transfer portal, some of whom expressed interest in playing in the bowl.

“They want to finish this thing out,” Mora said.

The Huskies still have leading rusher Cam Edwards (756 yards) but will be without defensive lineman Dal’Mont Gourdine, who sustained a broken foot during a late-November practice.

North Carolina has won all three of its meetings with UConn, most recently earning a 12-10 win on Sept. 12, 2009, in East Hartford, Conn.

UConn is 0-3 against Atlantic Coast Conference members this year with losses to Duke, Wake Forest and Syracuse.

ACC teams (Louisville, Boston College) won the first two Fenway Bowls. Connecticut lost a regular-season game at the ballpark in November 2017, falling to Boston College.

Kitchens said he has been outside Fenway Park on a visit to Boston but never inside the gates.

–Field Level Media