Fagnano’s career-high 362 yards and 4 TDs lead UConn past Boston College 38-23
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BOSTON (AP) — Joe Fagnano threw for a career-high 362 yards and four touchdowns, including 50-, 43- and 38-yard scores, and Connecticut beat Boston College 38-23 on Saturday to send the Eagles to their sixth straight loss.
Fagnano completed 23 of 31 passes and also ran for a 2-yard score as the Huskies (5-2) beat Boston College for the second time in three tries and won in Chestnut Hill for the first time ever. It was UConn’s first road win over a power conference team since 2012.
“We’re trying to build something special,” coach Jim Mora said. “It’s an everyday proposition. We have to attack it every single day. But we’re starting to see some results.”
Skyler Bell caught 10 passes for 125 yards and a 38-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter that clinched it. Juice Vereen, who spent the previous two seasons at N.C. State, caught four passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns — the first scores of his career.
The Huskies had five plays of 25 yards or more in the game, giving them 33 this season — the most in the nation (pending late games Saturday).
“We like that. We like explosive plays,” Mora said. “When you get those chunks, that’s great. We try to scheme it up as best we can, and it’s up to the players to go out and execute. And they’ve been doing that.”
BC (1-6) led 20-17 thanks to a 39-yard TD pass from newly promoted starting quarterback Grayson James to Reed Harris just before the half. But Fagnano hit John Neider for a 43-yard score to start the third quarter, then connected with Vereen from 14-yards out to make it 31-20.
BC drove to the Huskies 7 but settled for a field goal to make it a one-score game. Fagnano found Bell at the BC 36 before he scampered to the left sideline and into the end zone to make it 38-23.
“We brought him here to do what he did today,” Mora said. “We knew that he was capable of that.”
James replaced Thomas Castellanos as the starter last season, but he was bumped to No. 2 on the depth chart this season in favor of former Alabama backup Dylan Lonergan. Lonergan threw a game-sealing interception in a four-point loss to California on Sept. 27, then struggled in blowout losses to Pittsburgh and Clemson.
In his first start of the season, James completed 16 of 28 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns; he was sacked seven times. Jordan McDonald ran for 123 yards on 24 carries for the Eagles.
The takeaway
UConn improved to 2-13-2 all-time against BC, with the other win coming in 2022.
With just one win, Boston College is in danger of having its worst season in almost 50 years. The 1978 team went winless in 11 games. BC has finished with two wins twice since then.
Up next
UConn visits Rice on Saturday.
Boston College is at Louisville on Saturday.
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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football