EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Durell Robinson showcased an impressive performance by rushing for 132 yards, which included a standout 68-yard touchdown, helping the UConn Huskies clinch a victory against Rice with a score of 17-10 on Saturday.

Robinson’s touchdown in the third quarter marked the Huskies’ first points of the game. They built upon their lead in the fourth quarter when Cam Edwards scored on a 4-yard run following a 34-yard reception by Skyler Bell that positioned them at the Rice 9-yard line.

Later in the game, Chris Freeman extended the lead to 17-3 with a 30-yard field goal with just 3:40 left on the clock. Rice made a notable comeback with Quinton Jackson achieving a 100-yard kickoff return, which not only became the longest in the program’s history but also the first of its kind since 2012. However, the Owls were unable to capitalize when they regained possession with only 22 seconds remaining.

At halftime, Rice led 3-0, but the team struggled offensively, accumulating just 178 yards throughout the match. Both teams faced challenges on third-down conversions, managing to convert only 5 out of 32 attempts combined.

Robinson’s impressive yardage came from 15 carries, while UConn’s quarterback Nick Evers completed 9 of 24 passes for 128 yards but threw one interception. On the other side, Rice quarterback Drew Devillier finished the game with a 14 of 39 passing performance totaling 88 yards.