UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano threw for two touchdowns and the Huskies’ defense overwhelmed North Carolina for a 27-14 victory in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday in Boston.
Mel Brown ran for 96 yards and the Huskies (9-4) reached the nine-win level for the third time in program history.
It was a miserable day for the Tar Heels (6-7), who are in transition as they await Bill Belichick, who now takes over as head coach.
Freddie Kitchens served as interim coach on Saturday following Mack Brown’s departure at the end of the regular season and had praise for his team despite the loss.
“I commend them for everything they’ve done the last three weeks. We didn’t really catch any breaks today,” Kitchens told reporters after the game. “You’ve got to make your own breaks sometimes. These guys just kept fighting.”
North Carolina’s Chris Culliver returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and backup quarterback Michael Merdinger threw for 86 yards. Six of the team’s 10 first downs came in the final 11 minutes.
Fagnano finished 16-for-23 for 151 yards for the Huskies, who were limited to a field goal in the second half after rolling up a 24-7 halftime lead.
North Carolina lost starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell to an apparent shoulder injury on the team’s second offensive series. The Tar Heels, who were without running back Omarion Hampton (going into NFL draft), didn’t pick up a first down until less than 30 seconds remained in the first half, and that was followed by an interception.
UConn’s first points came on Chris Freeman’s 32-yard field goal. Then, with 3:45 left in the quarter, Fagnano connected with Skyler Bell on a 38-yard touchdown.
The Huskies led 10-0 before Culliver’s ensuing kickoff return, the only glitch for UConn in the first quarter.
Fifty seconds into the second quarter, Fagnano hit Alex Honig with a pass for a 4-yard touchdown.
The final first-half touchdown came on running back Cam Edwards’ leap into the end zone to complete a fourth-and-2 snap. That capped a 14-play drive that consumed almost six minutes.
“I feel like a proud father towards this team,” UConn head coach Jim Mora said. “We ran for 210 yards. That’s how you win a football game.”
North Carolina, which lost its fifth consecutive bowl outing, was credited with 1 rushing yard in the first half.
The Tar Heels drove 98 yards on eight plays to score on running back Caleb Hood’s 17-yard pass to John Copenhaver with 6:46 left in the game. Hood rushed for a team-high 78 yards.
UConn had gone 0-3 against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, but it had no trouble in snapping that streak against the Tar Heels.
–Field Level Media
