UConn: Oh-for-two
Huskies off to worst start since 2002 after loss to Edsall, Terps
East Hartford — Pre-game talk focused on the return of former UConn coach Randy Edsall.
Post- game chatter will likely center on the dismal direction the Huskies are heading after a 32-21 loss to Maryland on Saturday night before 38,196 fans at Rentschler Field.
The Huskies are 0- 2 to start the season for the first time since 2002 when Edsall walked the sidelines. UConn fans booed Edsall, who fittingly wore black, and his Terrapins when they ran on the field before the game.
More potential trouble lies ahead for UConn, as it hosts No. 11 Michigan ( 3- 0) next Saturday.
“I look at it as another great opportunity,” UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “I think the players will be fine. We will look at the film and get back to work.”
The game started to slip away when Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown to extend his team’s lead to 2713 with 2:07 left in the third
quarter.
“The pick- six really hurt us at that point,” Pasqualoni said. “We’ve just got to make more plays and can’t give up those plays.”
On that play, quarterback Chandler Whitmer was under heavy pressure, taking a bone-jarring hit from 310-pound Darius Kilgo. Whitmer threw two interceptions and was sacked five times but also threw for a career-high 349 yards and completed 29 of 46 passes. His main target, red-shirt junior Shakim Phillips, had career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (178) and caught a 75-yard touchdown pass.
UConn’s feeble running attack managed only 34 yards on 33 carries.
It was a mixed bag for the UConn defense. The Huskies forced three turnovers and stopped Maryland twice on fourth-down attempts. But they allowed a bushel of plays of 10 yards or more.
The Huskies were outgained 501-383. The highpowered Terrapins came in averaging 581.5 yards per game.
“This was a very explosive team we played tonight,” Pasqualoni said. “At times, I was encouraged. I thought the effort the guys gave at times was very, very good.”
Maryland (3-0) relied on its dynamic duo of double-threat quarterback C.J. Brown and electrifying wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Brown piled up 122 rushing yards and 277 passing yards while Diggs had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
UConn failed miserably at accomplishing its pre-game goal of limiting long plays.
The Huskies had more than two weeks to prepare for Maryland after losing its opener to Towson 33-18 on Aug. 29. They were confident that they had corrected their problems. Apparently, they were wrong. UConn was fortunate to trail by just 13- 10 at halftime.
The Huskies came up with several key defensive stops to keep within striking distance, including holding Maryland twice on fourth-down conversion attempts in UConn territory and stalling a few other drives. Take the last drive of the first second quarter. Maryland mixed a potent running and passing attack to move the ball from its own 11 to deep into UConn territory. A defensive breakdown allowed receiver Lavern Jacobs to spring free for a 48-yard pass play that reached the UConn 3.
But the Huskies forced the Terrapins to settle for Brad Craddock’s 21-yard field goal as time expired.
Whitmer had some success throwing the ball, passing for 145 yards in the first half. But he also was sacked three times, twice on big third-down plays, and threw an interception. He was sacked five times in the season-opening loss to Towson.
Whitmer led his team on a six- play, 54- yard scoring drive on UConn’s second possession. Lyle McCombs fought his way in from the 5-yard line for a 7-0 lead.
The lead lasted until early in the second quarter when Brown bolted 41 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
A20-yardpuntsetupMaryland’snextscore. Craddock converted a 29-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.
UConn quickly answered, as Whitmer completed three passes to help set up a first and goal at the 10. But, on third down from the 8, linebacker Marcus Whitfield came flying in and sacked Whitmer. Chad Christen’s 33-yard field goal tied the game at 10 with 2:09 left.
The second half belonged to the quick- strike Terrapins. Diggs caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to complete a four-play, 80-play drive that took just 1:27 and pushed the lead to 20-10.
Christen converted his 10th straight field goal dating back to last year, making a 34-yard field goal to cut the gap to 20-13.
It was one of the few second half highlights for the Huskies. g.keefe@theday.com
No. 1 Alabama 49, No. 6 Texas A&M 42
AJ McCarron and Alabama were not about to let Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M get another signature win. McCarron threw four touchdown passes, Vinnie Sunseri returned an interception 73 yards for a score — sidestepping Johnny Football on the way to the end zone, too — and Alabama paid back Texas A&M with a victory Saturday. Alabama (2-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) spotted the Aggies (2-1, 0-1) a 14-0 lead, shades of last season when A&M jumped out to a 20-0 lead in Tuscaloosa on the way to victory that all but won the Heisman for Manziel. McCarron and the Tide didn’t take as long to respond this time, ripping off the next 35 points. McCarron tossed three touchdowns in the first half to put Alabama up 28-14. Sunseri’s pick-6 made it 35-14 less than three minutes into the third. Manziel was his spectacular self, throwing for a career-best 464 yards and five TDs. But a firsthalf interception in the end zone swung the game the Tide’s way, and his third-quarter pick and whiff on the tackle put the Aggies in a deep hole. Alabama’s best defense was its offense. The Tide gained 568 yards and kept Manziel on the bench with a couple of long drives. The rematch was hyped for months, heightened by offseason drama over Manziel that culminated with the sophomore getting suspended for half of the opening game after an NCAA investigation into whether he was paid for signing autographs. Bama-A&M lived up to the billing. But this SEC heavyweight matchup was no 9-6 Game of the Century. The offenses were all but unstoppable.
No. 2 Oregon 59, Tennessee 14
Marcus Mariota threw for a career-high 456 yards and four touchdowns for Oregon. Freshman Johnny Mundt, who replaced ailing tight end Colt Lyerla, had five catches for 121 yards and two TDs for the Ducks (3-0). Josh Huff added six catches for 125 yards and a score. Mariota, who completed 23 of 33 passes, was the first Oregon quarterback to throw for more than 400 yards in a game since Kellen Clemens in 2005. The sophomore quarterback’s yardage ties for the third-most in a game in school history.
No. 5 Stanford 34, Army 20
Kevin Hogan threw for three touchdowns and Tyler Gaffney had two touchdowns and 132 yards rushing for Stanford. The Cardinal (2-0) entered the game as 30-point favorites but had their hands full from the opening kickoff, falling behind 6-0 to the much smaller Black Knights (1-2). Hogan’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Gaffney after an Army turnover gave Stanford a 27-13 lead late in the third quarter and the Cardinal averted an embarrassing moment. Army has not defeated a ranked team since a 17-14 win over No. 15 Air Force on Nov. 4, 1972.
No. 7 Louisville 27, Kentucky 13
Senorise Perry ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns and Teddy Bridgewater overcame a shaky start to pass for 250 yards for Louisville, which scored on four consecutive drives to pull away from its instate rival. The Cardinals (3-0) forced three turnovers, including two in their territory to preserve the win. Bridgewater connected with DeVante Parker for a 13-yard touchdown just before halftime and Perry followed with second-half TD runs of 1 and 36 yards sandwiched around John Wallace’s 21-yard field goal. Perry finished with 100 yards on 11 carries while Bridgewater completed 16 of 28 attempts to help the Cardinals earn their third straight Governor’s Cup.
No. 10 Florida St. 62, Nevada 7
Jameis Winston accounted for three touchdowns and Florida State’s four tailbacks all scored. Devonta Freeman ran nine times for 109 yards and a touchdown for the Seminoles (2-0) and James Wilder Jr. added 45 yards and a score. Karlos Williams may have been the most impressive of the bunch. The former safety, who moved to offense after the season opener, ran eight times for 110 yards and a score. His 65-yard run made it 31-7 early in the third quarter.
No. 11 Michigan 28, Akron 24
Fitzgerald Toussaint scored a go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown with 2:49 left and Michigan made a desperately needed stop on the final play to hold on. College football’s winningest program avoided getting upset at home — as it did against Appalachian State and Toledo — by a MidAmerican Conference team that hasn’t won a road game in nearly five years and was expected to lose by more than five touchdowns. TheWolverines (3-0) trailed twice in the second half — including with 4:10 left when Kyle Pohl threw a 1-yard TD — and allowed the Zips (1-2) to get to the Michigan 4 on the final drive of the game.
No. 14 Oklahoma 51, Tulsa 20
Blake Bell passed for 413 yards and four touchdowns in his first start for Oklahoma. Sterling Shepard caught eight passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns — all career highs — and Jaz Reynolds had 109 yards receiving and one score for Oklahoma (3-0). The Sooners scored on their first five possessions against Tulsa (1-2) to continue their dominance in the series, having won 12 of the last 13 games between the instate rivals.
No. 16 UCLA 41, No. 23 Nebraska 21
Brett Hundley threw three touchdown passes in the third quarter and UCLA came back from an 18-point deficit. The Huskers (2-1), wearing alternate black jerseys instead of their traditional home red, looked to be in total control the first half. The Bruins (2-0) scored 35 straight points in 16 minutes.