The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
UConn holds on to top Wagner in season opener
Mensah runs for 144 yards; Beaudry goes 14 for 21
EAST HARTFORD — A power running back and stifling defense were constants of Randy Edsall’s first stint at the helm of the UConn football program.
The Huskies borrowed a few pages from that playbook to walk out of Rentschler Field with a 2421 win over FCS opponent Wagner in the season opener on Thursday night before an announced crowd of 19,678 on Thursday night.
Kevin Mensah ran for 144 yards and Art Thompkins added 91 as UConn’s 234 rushing yards are the most for the Huskies in a season opener since 2009.
The much maligned UConn defense turned the corner after a recordsetting 2018 season taking a shutout into the second half and holding the Seahawks to 185 yards.
Wagner appeared to be in position to get the ball back down by three points late in the fourth quarter but a facemask penalty called with Mensah stopped a yard short on third down so rather than having the punt the ball back to the Seahawks, UConn was able to run out the clock.
UConn faced American Athletic Conference powerhouse UCF to open the 2018 season and other than UCF’s oneplay drive at the end of the first half, the Huskies gave up touchdowns on eight of their first nine drives.
It was a much different story against Wagner as UConn didn’t allow a first down until Wagner’s fourth offensive possession. The
first three drives managed a total of two yards.
The Huskies offense was heavily reliant on the running game with Mensah piling up 87 of the Huskies’ 120 rushing yards in the first half. Quarterback Mike Beaudry, a graduate transfer who began his collegiate career at Division II West Florida, had a couple of key runs on the only touchdownscoring drive. He had a 10yard run in the middle of the drive and then scored on a 12yard run.
UConn had chances to add to the lead. A promising drive in the second quarter was slowed by a pair of holding penalties before Clay Harris kicked a 30yard field goal to push the lead to 100.
Later in the half UConn drove to the Wagner 30 before Mensah was stopped for no gain on 4th and 1.
The Huskies drove inside the Wagner 25 on the opening possession of the second half before Mensah fumbled the ball away.
UConn started three transfers on defense as juniorcollege transfer Dillon Harris had the Huskies’ only tackle for loss in the first half as part of his four tackles. Notre Dame transfer D.J. Morgan, a linebacker, had three tackles and Diamond Harrell had two tackles. Morgan finished with a teamleading eight tackles, Harrell had five stops and Harris had had four.
The Huskies started the next drive on the Wagner 36 following a Lwal Uguak thirddown sack, the first of his two sacks. Not only did UConn fail to capitalize on starting a drive in Wagner territory for the first time but on a fourth down play, Myron Morris intercepted Beaudry pass in front of the UConn sideline and raced untouched for a 71yard touchdown to make it a 107 game with 7:39 left in the third quarter.
The Huskies responded with a 63yard scoring drive capped by Mensah’s 4yard touchdown run up the middle.
The Seahawks punched right back with Dymitri
McKenzie’s 55yard scoring run to make it 1714 with 2:51 left in the third quarter.
In a back and forth third quarter, UConn had the last score with Art Thompkins carried the ball four times for 21 yards including a 5yard touchdown.
A personal foul penalty on Eric Watts wiped out an eightyard loss and on the next play McKenzie scored from 4 yards out to make it 2421 with 3:36 remaining. McKenzie’s second touchdown of the game capped a 92yard scoring drive.
Beaudry was 14 of 21 for 158 yards with five of his completions coming to freshman Matt Drayton.
The Huskies were without a pair of receivers expected to have significant roles as Ardell Brown and Cameron Ross were not active for the game and defensive lineman Caleb Thomas also missed the contest.
Chris Williams had 11 tackles for Wagner and McKenzie finished with 115 rushing yards.