UConn football's self-inflicted mistakes lead to loss against Army in season finale

Nov. 20—WEST POINT, N.Y. — The UConn football team has met the six-win requirement needed to receive a bowl invitation, but it squandered a golden opportunity to enhance its postseason resume and finish the regular season with a winning record in coach Jim Mora's inaugural season at the helm.

But a bevy of self-inflicted wounds cost the Huskies' dearly in a 34-17 loss at Army Saturday at at historic Michie Stadium and they will now have to wait to see whether they are on the outside looking in as bowl invitations are handed out.

A seventh victory would have been of considerable value to UConn (6-6) in its chase for a 13th game, and the Huskies held a 17-13 lead midway through the third quarter. But Army (4-6) scored two touchdowns in the third and added another score in the fourth to rally for the win.

"Obviously this is not the way we wanted to end, 6-6 is average and we wanted to be 7-5, above average," freshman running back and Bristol native Victor Rosa said. "I just want to make this bowl game and get an extra game for our seniors. I love this team and I appreciate my brothers."

UConn repeatedly shot itself in the foot, committing 11 penalties—including seven false start infractions—and scoring only three points on two drives that reached the one yard line.

We're hurting pretty bad," said sixth-year senior linebacker Ian Swenson, who may have played his last game in a Huskies' uniform. "A lot of self-inflicted wounds cost this game. We really wanted that game. We didn't want to be at average, we wanted to be above average."

The loss ends UConn's three-game winning streak, which included an upset victory over nationally-ranked Liberty last Saturday. The Huskies had won five of its last six after navigating a difficult early season schedule that included lopsided losses to Power Five programs Michigan, Syracuse, and NC State.

UConn's last winning season was in 2010, when they finished 8-5 after losing to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona. Head coach Randy Edsall left to take the Maryland job after that game and the program slumped to a 15-33 record over the next four seasons under Paul Pasqualoni and Bob Diaco.

The Huskies' last bowl appearance was in 2015, when they went 6-6 and earned a spot in the St. Petersburg Bowl. UConn lost to Marshall, finishing the season below .500.

The program went 10-50 over the next five seasons, which included Edsall's second tenure as coach.

The Huskies found themselves in a hole 2:03 into the game. After failing to pick up a first down on its opening drive, Army stormed punter George Caratan and blocked the punt on the UConn 19. Miles Stewart scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown to put the Black Knights up 7-0.

The Huskies responded by driving 67 yards on 14 plays on their ensuing possession but Rosa's seven yard touchdown run was overturned upon review and the ball was placed a half-yard short. One of five false start penalties in the quarter pushed UConn back and the Huskies had to settle for a Noe Ruelas 26-yard field goal.

UConn had another potential touchdown run, this time by Robert Burns, taken off the board on its next possession, and the Huskies again stalled at the one yard line after deciding to keep its offense on the field on fourth down and coming up short. Though the Knights had only four offensive snaps in the first 16 minutes, they led 7-3.

"We needed to execute better at the one-yard line," Rosa said. "I have to get into the endzone on that one play. We just have to execute better. The score shouldn't have been what it was at halftime."

The Huskies took the lead when Rosa ran in from 43 yards out for his team-leading ninth touchdown of the season with 3:12 left in the half. Rosa rushed for 105 yards in the first half and finished with a new career high of 112.

"Victor (Rosa) has been very impressive, but it hasn't been surprising to me," Mora said. "I got to go out to see him play probably about a year ago now and it was Victor to the right, Victor to the left, Victor to the right, Victor to the left and he was getting the heck beat out of him. He is tough and relentless. He has the ability to stay on his feet. He takes a lot of hits, but they are kind of glancing hits, and he has a nose for the end zone."

Army answered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the last series of the half that was capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Jemel Jones. UConn defensive lineman Eric Watts blocked the extra point to limit the damage but the Knights headed to the locker room up 13-10.

Despite trailing, UConn out-gained Army on the ground in the first half 203 yards to 109. The Knights would finish with 333 rushing yards to the Huskies' 266.

After forcing a three-and-out on Army's first drive of the second half, UConn took the lead with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that featured a 33-yard pass from quarterback Zion Turner to Kevens Clercius and was capped by Turner's one-yard run with 8:33 left in the third quarter.

Turner completed 14 of 24 passes for 116 yards and threw two interceptions.

But Army responded on the first play of its subsequent possession, as Braheam Murphy raced 75 yards nearly untouched into the end zone to put the Knights up 20-17.

Tyhier Tyler added touchdown runs of four and two yards to give the Knights some breathing room.

"It is a very disappointing day for us as a team," Mora said. "We have been playing well and today we didn't. We really hurt ourselves. That being said, hats off to Army. That is a class team, and it is an honor to play on these hallowed grounds."

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