UConn Achieves Historic Feat Under Jim Mora
In this story:
The UConn Huskies have officially re-entered the national college football conversation. Jim Mora and Co. received a vote in this week's AP Top 25 poll, their first appearance in the voting since the final poll of the 2010 season.
The singular vote cast by AP voter Mike Hlas might have been placed at the 25th position in the poll, yet that single vote represents something far more significant than its ranking. It is the end of a 15-year drought, a period during which UConn football had become virtually invisible to the national media.
The 2010 season was the last time UConn appeared in voters' consciousness, when the Huskies finished the year ranked and receiving national attention. What followed was a wilderness of mediocrity and irrelevance.
The gray period saw coaching changes, administrative turnover, and doubts about whether UConn football belonged in the FBS at all. The program also considered dropping down to a lower division or joining the MAC rather than continuing to compete as an FBS Independent.
The Jim Mora Effect
The appointment of Jim Mora as head coach in 2022 began the program's rise. In his third season (2024), Mora guided UConn to a Fenway Bowl victory, the program's first bowl win in over a decade. Although it was a great achievement for the Huskies, an independent FBS program winning minor bowls was hardly newsworthy.
This season, things are different under Mora. With an 8-3 record through 11 games heading into their regular-season finale against Florida Atlantic, the Huskies have been incredible this season. They defeated two Power 4 programs en route to the historic season.
Joe Fagnano and Co. defeated Duke 37-34 on November 8 and Air Force 26-16 on November 15. This 2-0 record against Power 4 opponents places UConn among only two Group of Five programs (joined by Tulane) to accomplish the feat this season.
The Huskies completed a perfect 6-0 home record in 2025, their first undefeated home season since that magical 2010 campaign. Over the past two seasons, UConn has compiled a 12-1 home record, the best stretch in Rentschler Field's history.
The numbers during that 13-game span are staggering. The Huskies have averaged 38.5 points per game while outscoring opponents 500-231. Quarterback Fagnano and wide receiver Skyler Bell have been the cornerstones of the program’s success.
Fagnano has thrown 251 completions of 366 passes for 2,995 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only one interception. He rushed 42 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Bell, meanwhile, has recorded 1,151 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches.
Complementing the passing attack, running back Cam Edwards has achieved a historic milestone of his own. With 165 yards against Air Force that pushed him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season, Edwards became the first UConn running back since 2019 to reach that mark and just the 14th in program history.
Edwards and Bell have become the first running back-wide receiver duo in the FBS era (since 2003) to both eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, a feat not accomplished since 1988.
Bowl eligibility, which seemed like an impossibility three years ago, has become an expectation. A victory over Florida Atlantic would mark their most successful season in the modern FBS era.
Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.