UConn HC Praises Joe Fagnano After Career Milestone
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The UConn Huskies couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday afternoon at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. With over 23,000 fans as witnesses, the Huskies took down UAB 38–19. That win officially makes UConn bowl eligible.
It’s the second straight season and third time in four years under head coach Jim Mora that UConn has earned that postseason ticket. Wide receiver Skyler Bell was unstoppable with eight catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns, tying the program’s single-season record for receiving scores.
Meanwhile, the cornerback Cam Chadwick made three interceptions, tying another school mark. And quarterback Joe Fagnano was at the heart of it all. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns.
Amid the historic win, something equally historic happened for UConn’s quarterback, who quietly joined college football’s elite.
Jim Mora Credits Joe Fagnano’s Quiet Confidence for Powering UConn’s Bowl Run
Joe Fagnano, UConn’s star quarterback, hit 10,000 career passing yards in the game against UAB. When Jim Mora was asked postgame about the rare feat, the UConn head coach leaned on the truth.
“Joe’s the same guy every day,” Mora said. “Even-keeled. Calm. Cool. Collected. But there’s this fire in him, a real burning desire to be great. He doesn’t need to say much; when he does, people listen because he’s earned that credibility.”
That balance has been the through line of Fagnano’s journey. In fact, the UAB match was another chapter of the same. On a day when UConn dominated every phase of the game, its quarterback pulled off one of his cleanest performances.
After a stalled opening drive, Fagnano engineered an 83-yard drive downfield, hitting Bell on a 26-yard touchdown to open the scoring. By halftime, the Huskies were up 24–0, and Fagnano was slicing through the Blazers’ secondary with the kind of efficiency Mora has come to expect. He finished the day with zero interceptions.
10,000 CAREER PASSING YARDS 🔥
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) November 1, 2025
Career milestone for our QB1 😤 pic.twitter.com/1yzyIAMedr
Through nine games this season, Fagnano has thrown for 2,262 yards, 18 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. That kind of production explains exactly what Mora means by “decision maker.” Fagnano’s completion rate stands at 67.9% and his efficiency rating of 158.9 has turned UConn’s offense into one of the most balanced in the AAC.
“He’s always been a good decision maker, but he’s taken that to another level," Mora said. "Whether it’s his completion percentage, his touchdown-to-interception ratio, or even the times he runs, Joe’s making the right choices with the ball. That’s what great quarterbacks do.”
It’s hard to argue with that assessment when the numbers are taken into account. Fagnano has recorded four-touchdown games against Boston College, FIU, and now UAB. Fagnano’s longest completion of the year, an 80-yard bomb at Rice, was proof that while his game is grounded in control, he still has the arm to stretch a defense whenever Mora calls for it.
How Did Joe Fagnano’s 10,000-Yard Journey Really Begin?
Fagnano’s story didn’t start in Storrs. It began in Orono, Maine, where, as a freshman under current UConn offensive coordinator Nick Charlton, Fagnano threw 1,835 yards and 17 touchdowns in just eight games. That year, he even earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Despite the pandemic hitting, Fagnano managed to post over 2,231 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. By the time he transferred to UConn in 2023, he’d built a portfolio based on persistence. Then, almost immediately, that persistence was tested again.
Joe Fagnano to Skyler Bell is one of the most dynamic duos in College Football
— Updog Sports Talk (@UpdogSportsTalk) November 1, 2025
pic.twitter.com/0xRMLdlpYA
Fagnano was hit with a shoulder injury in just his second start, which sidelined him for the rest of his debut season in Storrs. He didn’t play another snap that year, but he didn’t let go of the job either. This past offseason, he rebuilt from the inside out.
For Mora, that’s the part that stands out most.
“You just love seeing a guy who’s had a long, hard road get to this point,” he said. “He’s still young in football years, but he’s been through a lot. Watching him finally have this kind of success, it’s fun to be a part of.”
Now, Fagnano has 10 straight games dating back to last season without an interception. In fact, his 42 touchdown throws place him just behind Dan Orlovsky in the school’s FBS record book, fourth overall in UConn history.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.