The last two times the UConn football team clinched bowl eligibility, they did it with a three-point triumph over a ranked opponent. Both upsets, coincidentally, came in the Huskies’ final home game of the year.
Such was the case Friday night at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. While there was no upset, Connecticut secured that sixth win with nearly the same late-game drama.
The Georgia State Panthers scored 14 unanswered points in the contest’s final 11 minutes. Their comeback attempt could not ruin the Huskies’ senior night, however. UConn collected 271 rushing yards on 43 carries in a suspenseful 34-27 victory over Georgia State in East Hartford.
UCONN BASKETBALL MESSAGE BOARD | THE HUSKY HOUSE FORUM | UCONN BASKETBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | UCONN FOOTBALL RECRUITING
“Tonight showed that there are all different kinds of ways to win, and the most important thing is that you do win,” head coach Jim Mora said postgame. “We were struggling on defense … Our offense started running the ball well, and that is our identity. Being able to run the ball effectively like that makes you feel good.”
Junior running back Mel Brown highlighted the Huskies’ first-ever triumph over a Sun Belt Conference opponent right from the start.
Brown’s 52-yard run on Connecticut’s first play from scrimmage immediately set the tone for their previously-muted rushing attack. The Georgia native ultimately finished with 138 yards on 14 carries and his first touchdown since September.
The Huskies’ run game bested the Panthers’ by over 150 yards. Redshirt sophomore Cam Edwards supported Brown’s performance with 88 yards on 13 attempts. Charlotte transfer Durell Robinson added a touchdown on top of his 21 yards.
It helped take some weight off of the passing department. Wisconsin transfer Nick Evers completed 10 of his 16 passes for only 75 yards. Tight end Louis Hansen and wide receiver Skyler Bell each picked up over 20 on seven combined catches.
Georgia State, meanwhile, kept Friday’s contest close with their dynamic passing attack. Two-time FBS transfer Zach Gibson guided the Panther offense for the third straight week, going 28-40 for a career-best 257 passing yards. Junior wideout Ted Hurst caught seven of those completions for 91 yards and a touchdown.
That aerial assault weakened UConn’s defense, especially in late-down situations. Georgia State became the first team all season to convert over 40% of their third down snaps and multiple fourth downs against the Huskies. Nevertheless, Connecticut still made plays defensively that, at times, stymied the Panthers.
Defensive backs D’Mon Brinson and Malik Dixon-Williams each grabbed an interception. Six different Huskies recorded a tackle for a loss. Georgia State only gained 60 yards on the six drives where they did not score.
One of the two three-and-outs UConn’s defense recorded came right before Brown’s spark. The Gardner-Webb transfer collected 57 yards on the Huskies’ first two offensive snaps. Evers fired a short pass off to Hansen on the third that quickly put Connecticut ahead 7-0. Graduate kicker Chris Freeman extended the Huskies’ lead to 10-0 with a 42-yard field goal on their next possession.
The Panthers erased that double-digit deficit on just two lengthy drives. Hurst kept one foot in the endzone three plays into the second quarter to get Georgia State within three. Robinson’s fumble near midfield helped the Panthers knot the game at 10 on Liam Rickman’s 30-yarder.
Brinson’s first pick of the year three minutes later set UConn up with prime field position to break the deadlock. Although they would have likely preferred seven points, the Huskies took a 13-10 halftime advantage when Freeman cashed in from 30 yards out.
Connecticut wasted no time extending their lead out of the intermission, however. Edwards reignited the offense with a 46-yard scamper down the middle of the field on third down. Four plays later, Robinson burst into the endzone and put the Huskies up 10 again.
Georgia State, now down 20-10, countered with a drive that chewed eight minutes off the clock. Despite getting to UConn’s three-yard line, however, the Panthers only mustered three more points.
The Huskies doubled their seven-point lead just four plays into the final frame when Evers called his own number on second and goal. Less than 90 seconds later, Connecticut went up 21, their largest advantage in any game since they battled the Buffalo Bulls.
Dixon-Williams collected his second pick of the season, snagging quarterback Christian Veilleux’s throw before it could reach its intended target. Brown immediately capitalized on the takeaway with a 31-yard rushing touchdown.
But the Huskies, ahead 34-13, could not begin celebrating just yet. Redshirt junior running back Freddie Brock, who had just 23 rushing yards, found a hole on fourth down and scampered for a 55-yard touchdown.
That left 9:35 for Georgia State to score two touchdowns. UConn’s subsequent drive only burned 4.5 minutes and stalled in enemy territory. Worse, multiple defensive hiccups consistently kept the Panthers’ comeback hopes alive.
A roughing the passer penalty and a dropped interception helped Georgia State cross midfield. Hurst’s 45-yard reception in double coverage got the offense down to the two-yard line. Unable to score through the air, Gibson took the ball himself as the Panthers pulled within seven with 1:51 remaining.
Georgia State followed that up with their second onside kick of the season. While the Panthers successfully recovered their first attempt, they could not recreate the magic. The Huskies came up with the ball, and all that remained in their path to bowl eligibility was to move the sticks once.
It took all four tries, but Edwards gave Connecticut the bowl-clinching first down with a four-yard run.
The Huskies next head out to Alabama for a bout with the UAB Blazers in their first road contest since mid-September. While UConn will have a 13th game on their schedule, the mentality going forward will slightly change.
“To finish our homestand 6-1 is really impressive and says a lot about those players in that room. That is not easy to do,” Mora stated. “Now we have to transition into being road warriors.”
Kickoff next Saturday, November 9, is at 2:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
