UConn Earns Tight Win Over Ball State
After last week's game ended in a crushing loss to the Delaware Blue Hens, the UConn Huskies really needed a win at home against the Ball State Cardinals. It was a very close game, but the Huskies came out victorious 31-25 behind a great game from running back Cam Edwards.
Edwards handled almost all of the carries for the Huskies as he had 24 rushes for 194 yards and two touchdowns with his longest rush going for 67 yards for a touchdown, one of his two on the day. When you ride the hot hand as the Huskies did with Edwards, good things usually happen.
Both teams started this one out slowly as the two teams combined for eight plays and 29 yards, no scoring and two punts on their opening drives of the game. But on the ensuing Huskies drive, this is where the action started to pick up.
Jackson Harper returned the Cardinals punt 25 yards down to their 19-yard line and the Huskies settled for a field goal after four plays and being kept out of the end zone. The Huskies led 3-0 early in the first quarter.
The Cardinals punted again on the next drive after only four plays as the Huskies defense came to play. And on the next drive, the Husky offense wore down the Cardinals defense as they drove down the field as quarterback Joe Fagnano found wide receiver Skyler Bell in the end zone for two yards for the score.
The Huskies led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and were feeling really good about their chances of winning this game. But on the next drive, the Cardinals drove down the field rather easily and found the end zone in 6 plays. The Huskies still led 10-7.
The next four drives combined between the two teams resulted in three punts and the time running out in the first half with the Cardinals near midfield. The Huskies led 10-7 at the half and needed to come out with more energy if they wanted to win this game.
The Cardinals had the ball first to start the second half and again came out with nothing on their first drive. They only ran five plays and then punted the ball back to the Huskies. The Huskies responded by going 14 plays, 60 yards for the touchdown as wide receiver Terrence Smith ran the ball in from one-yard out and it was 17-7 Huskies.
On the next Cardinal drive, they went 11 plays 69 yards and settled for a 23-yard field goal. The Huskies led 17-10 going into the final quarter of the game.
The Huskies took their first drive of the fourth quarter and made it count as they went 10 plays 67 yards for the touchdown as Edwards ran the ball into the end zone on 4th-and-1 from the Cardinals 32-yard line. This was a huge score as the Huskies led 24-10 early fourth quarter.
The Cardinals threw an interception on the next drive, but the Huskies did not do anything with it. They went three-and-out and punted. The Cardinals went eight plays and 65 yards for the touchdown on the next drive and it was 24-17 and a one-score game again.
But the Huskies had the answer as they went three plays and 68 yards for the touchdown as Edwards ran it into the end zone from 67 yards out this time. This was the game-ender as the Huskies led 31-17 with 1:50 to go.
The Cardinals would score one more time on a six-play, 65-yard drive as it was 31-25 as they went for the two-point conversion. The Huskies secured the onside kick from the Cardinals and kneeled the last ten seconds out and emerged victorious.
The Huskies needed this win badly and now are 2-2 and travel to play the Buffalo Bulls on September 27 at 3:30 P.M. on ESPN+.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.