East Hartford, Conn. — Mel Brown rushed for 138 yards and scored a touchdown, while Nick Evers contributed with a touchdown pass and a rushing score, helping Connecticut secure a 34-27 victory over Georgia State on Friday night.
UConn (6-3) quickly took control, covering 59 yards in just three plays on its opening drive. Evers connected with Louis Hansen for a 2-yard touchdown pass to put the Huskies up 7-0, a score set up by Brown’s impressive 52-yard run on the first play. Chris Freeman then added a 42-yard field goal, pushing the Huskies’ lead to 10-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Georgia State (2-6) responded early in the second quarter with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by Zach Gibson’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Ted Hurst, narrowing the gap to 10-7. The Panthers then capitalized on a fumble recovery by Henry Bryant near midfield, setting up a 30-yard field goal by Liam Rickman to tie the game at 10. However, UConn regained the lead just before halftime with Freeman’s 28-yard field goal, going into the break up 13-10.
Early in the third quarter, Cam Edwards’ 46-yard run positioned UConn for a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Durell Robinson, extending their lead to 20-10. Georgia State answered with a 20-yard field goal by Rickman at the end of a lengthy 16-play drive, trimming the deficit to 20-13 as they entered the fourth quarter.
UConn pulled away in the final period, with Evers scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run to put the Huskies up by two touchdowns with 12:54 left. Moments later, Brown added to the lead with a 31-yard touchdown run on the first play following Malik Dixon-Williams’ interception and 15-yard return, pushing the Huskies’ lead to 34-13.
Georgia State fought back late in the game, with Freddie Brock breaking free for a 55-yard touchdown run, and Gibson adding a 2-yard rushing score in the closing minutes. Despite the effort, the Panthers fell short, extending their losing streak to five games.
Evers completed 10 of 16 passes for 75 yards and added 25 yards on nine rushing attempts. Brown made an impact with 14 carries, while Edwards contributed 88 yards on 13 carries, helping the Huskies rack up a total of 271 rushing yards.
For the Panthers, Gibson threw for 257 yards, completing 28 of 40 passes with one interception. Hurst caught seven passes for 91 yards, and Brock added 78 yards on 10 rushing attempts.
