East Hartford, Conn. — Joe Fagnano stepped in as quarterback and delivered three touchdown passes to Skyler Bell, leading UConn to a commanding 47-3 victory over Buffalo on Saturday before an announced crowd of 20,347 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
Fagnano replaced starting quarterback Nick Evers, who left the game with an injury with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Fagnano quickly made an impact, connecting with Bell on a 40-yard touchdown that extended UConn’s lead to 23-0 by halftime.
In the third quarter, the duo teamed up again for two more touchdowns—one for 70 yards and another for 11 yards—while Mel Brown added to the score with a 23-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the Huskies to a dominant 44-3 lead.
“I’m not too much of an emotional guy,” Bell said. “I try to stay even keel. I don’t really talk to much. But if there’s something to be excited about, I’ll be excited.
“I always have had belief in myself, confidence in myself. When I came here and spoke to Coach Mora, I think we had the same belief not only in myself but each other. He gave me confidence where I knew I could go out there and make plays and he’d be standing behind me. I’m trying to prove myself as one of the best and I’m going to keep doing that.”
Fagnano completed 11 of 19 passes for 217 yards. Bell was the star of the game, hauling in six receptions for 153 yards, marking UConn’s first 150-plus-yard receiving performance since 2019. His three touchdowns were the most by a UConn receiver since Dak Newton’s three-touchdown game against Villanova in 1996.
Cam Edwards contributed with a 43-yard rushing touchdown, finishing the game with 97 yards on 10 carries. Kicker Chris Freeman also added to the scoreboard with four field goals.
The Huskies dominated the game, outgaining Buffalo 537 to 198 yards. The Bulls’ only points came from a second-quarter field goal by Upton Bellenfant.
“When you can get a team either way, you’ve got them with the run and you’ve got them with the pass, that’s a good feeling,” Mora said. “It happened today because our guys have put their minds to it.”
