The UConn football team suffered yet another overtime loss on Saturday as it fell to Rice, 37-34, after two extra periods on a rainy evening in Houston.
Rice running back Quinton Jackson, who has had the Huskies’ number the last two years, accounted for 248 total yards and four touchdowns, ultimately sealing the game as he slipped past the UConn defense for a 23-yard score in the second overtime period.
The Huskies fell to 5-3 on the year, with all three losses coming in extra time on the road.
UConn, favored by more than a touchdown coming in, is now 2-1 all-time against Rice (4-4).
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano had a strong start and finished the game having completed 32 of his 48 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. But the Huskies managed only 168 total yards in the second half as the rain slowed the game down and struggled to run the ball, finishing with only 105 yards on the ground to Rice’s 300.
UConn’s Skyler Bell leaps for a first-half reception in the Huskies’ game at Rice on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 in Houston. (Courtesy of UConn Athletics)
“Not acceptable,” head coach Jim Mora said over Zoom. “It’s our third loss in overtime on the road. No excuses. Just did not get it done when we needed to get it done. Didn’t run the ball well enough, didn’t stop the run well enough. Very frustrated and very disappointed. Our team is very disappointed.”
Skyler Bell (eight catches, 158 yards, TD) started the game with a simple 10-yard slant route and was gone on UConn’s first play from scrimmage, escorted 80 yards into the end zone by fellow receiver John Neider as the Huskies’ offense set the tone for an eventful, back-and-forth first half.
Slow to start, Rice chipped away with a five-minute drive that resulted in a 38-yard field goal to get on the board.
Jackson, who had a 100-yard kick-return touchdown last year at Rentschler Field, made another big play against the Huskies as he broke a pair of tackles and out-ran everybody for a career-long 73-yard rushing score that put the Owls ahead, 10-7, early in the second quarter.
After three-straight punts, Fagnano guided the Huskies 77 yards down the field in 13 plays with big throws to Bell and Neider, finally hitting Cam Edwards out of the flat for a 12-yard score – his first receiving TD of the season.
Edwards finished with three receptions for 24 yards and ran for 59 yards on 16 carries, adding a second touchdown on the ground.
UConn defensive lineman Trent Jones II (89) celebrates his 3rd-down sack in the first quarter with Kervins Choute (33). (Courtesy of UConn Athletics)
Jackson immediately struck again, walking into the end zone with a 75-yard catch-and-run out of the backfield with less than two minutes before the break. There was more than enough time for UConn to get back on top as the Owls left tight end Juice Vereen wide open for a 34-yard touchdown down the sideline, his third in the last two games, and the Huskies took a 21-17 advantage into the half.
Chris Freeman’s 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, a season-long, set a new program record as his 12th-consecutive make, surpassing the previous mark of 11 held by himself (2024) and Dave Teggart (2008). It was UConn’s only scoring play in the second half.
Rice ran the ball on 12-consecutive plays to answer with a touchdown that tied the game at 24 with just under 12 minutes to play.
Neither team could get anything going from there as the rain started to pick up. Freeman’s streak quickly came to an end as he slipped on the wet turf and couldn’t convert a 46-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
The teams traded punts for the remaining five minutes before Rice ultimately kneeled out the final seconds of regulation.
Rice got the ball to start overtime and Jackson reached across the plane for his second rushing touchdown. Edwards answered with his own rushing score from 5-yards out, set up by a 16-yard reception from Terrence Smith. But UConn failed to get a first down to start the second overtime period, settling for a 41-yard field goal before Jackson ended the game.
The Huskies return to Rentschler Field with another chance to clinch a sixth win and bowl eligibility for the third time in four years under Mora when they host UAB at Noon on Saturday. They will have two additional home games against Duke (Nov. 8) and Air Force (Nov. 15) before wrapping up the regular season at FAU on Nov. 22.
Originally Published: October 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM EDT
