Mike Aresco,
UCF, Milton roll to a road victory against UConn
the AAC commissioner, was among those most excited to see UCF’s season-opening battle with UConn.
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Despite a scary start, UCF looked like it hadn’t missed a beat under new coach Josh Heupel.
The No. 21 Knights jumped out to quick 14-0 lead before cruising to a 56-17 win over UConn Thursday night. UCF extended the nation’s longest win streak to 14 games.
“I thought we came out and played really well ... 1-0. It’s never as good and never as bad as it seems,” Heupel said after earning his first victory leading a college program. “I’m proud of the way our kids competed. I loved the energy from them.
“I’ve never not had fun. I was really calm for whatever reason. I was less nervous than I was as a coordinator. The energy and environment inside our building is pretty special.”
The evening, however, started out on a somber note after UCF defensive back Aaron Robinson was injured during the opening kickoff. The redshirt sophomore was down on the field surrounded by athletic trainers for about 10 minutes before being carted off the field.
“He’s going to be OK,” Heupel said of Robinson. “He’s going to stay overnight.”
UConn looked impressive on its first drive, moving the football down the field to the UCF 36-yard line before middle linebacker Pat Jasinski forced the ball out of Zavier Scott’s hand and Richie Grant recovered the ball at the 39.
“One of the most important parts for a defense is creating turnovers,” Jasinski said.
He said Grant’s big play helped shift the momentum in UCF’s favor early.
“It was huge,” Jasinski said. “They were driving on us and we were having some difficulties. Richie coming up with that play was huge.”
The Knights (1-0, 1-0 AAC) wasted little time in moving the football, driving 61 yards on 10 plays capped off by a two-yard touch- Please turn to UCF, C4