EAST HARTFORD – The UConn football team responded to last week’s overtime loss with a dominant all-around performance to beat Alabama-Birmingham, 38-19, at Rentschler Field on Saturday and clinch bowl eligibility for the third time in four years.
Now 6-3 with every loss coming in overtime on the road, it is the first time since 2010 that the Huskies reached bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons.
Quarterback Joe Fagnano, still without any turnovers, was gifted favorable field position from his defense throughout the game and finished an efficient 23-for-30 passing for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Fagnano reached the 10,000-yard milestone for his career.
The Huskies saw hat tricks from star receiver Skyler Bell (three touchdowns) and defensive back Cam Chadwick, who was the first UConn player with three interceptions in a game since Andrew Adams against UCF on Nov. 1, 2014. Bell hauled in eight passes for 149 yards, and Chadwick added seven tackles and a sack.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano looks downfield for an open receiver during the first half of the Huskies’ home win over Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. (Courtesy of UConn)
UAB, which hasn’t won away from home since Nov. 26, 2022, saw its road losing streak extend to 16 games as it fell to 3-5 on the season. UConn’s defense forced three turnovers and five sacks as it held the Blazers to 218 yards through the air and 154 on the ground.
After coach Jim Mora decided to go for it on 4th-and-6 inside the red zone and turned the ball over on downs to start the game, UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna gifted Chadwick his second interception of the season.
From there, the Huskies put together six consecutive scoring drives with five touchdowns and a field goal to blow the game open.
Fagnano made up for the stalled opening drive with a 26-yard completion to John Neider into Blazers’ territory and found his favorite receiver, Bell, down the sideline on the next play for a 26-yard score. It was Bell’s ninth TD of the season and 14th as a Husky, which surpassed the program’s career record (FBS era) set by current receivers coach Kashif Moore from 2008-11.
Neider, who had 45 receiving yards on three catches in the first half, made a 14-yard grab to set Cam Edwards up at the goal line for his ninth rushing score of the season to go up 14-0 in the second quarter.
UConn defenders Camercon Chadwick, left, and Donovan Branch (11) converge to stop UAB running back Solomon Beebe during the first half of the Huskies’ win on Saturday at Rentschler Field. (Courtesy of UConn)
Looking for a spark, UAB turned to backup QB Ryder Burton, who was behind center in the Blazers’ ranked win over Memphis two weeks ago. But Burton was off target with his first passing attempt and Chadwick came diving in for his second interception of the game.
The Huskies capitalized with a 51-yard field goal from Chris Freeman and got after the Blazers on defense with a pair of long sacks, forcing a 4th-and-40 and a punt from the end zone on the ensuing drive. Jackson Harper returned the punt inside the UAB 15-yard line and Fagnano tossed it up to Bell again for his second touchdown of the day three plays later.
After the defense forced a turnover on downs to start the second half, Fagnano stepped up in the pocket and found tight end Juice Vereen from six yards for his fourth touchdown in the last three games, extending the lead to 31-0. The Blazers got on the scoreboard after UConn left receiver Brandon Hawkins Jr. uncovered for a 68-yard touchdown pass, but Fagnano found Bell again down the seam for 38-yards and his third touchdown of the game.
With his 11th receiving TD this year, Bell tied the program’s all-time single-season record, which was set by Carl Bond in 1998.
Hawkins scored again with a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make the score 38-12 with 12 minutes to play and the Blazers added another passing TD in the final seconds of regulation.
UConn is 10-1 at Rentschler Field over the last two seasons and will play host to Duke and Air Force before finishing its season at Florida Atlantic on Nov. 22.
