AMHERST, Mass. — In a thrilling conclusion to the regular season, Joe Fagnano led the UConn Huskies to a narrow victory over the UMass Minutemen with a final score of 47-42 on Saturday. Fagnano showcased his skills by throwing for three touchdown passes while Cam Edwards contributed significantly with 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own.

Fagnano connected with Jasaiah Gathings for a 26-yard touchdown with only 12 seconds left in the third quarter, putting the Huskies ahead 33-28. That touchdown marked a pivotal moment in the game, as UConn managed to hold onto the lead from there on out.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Fagnano expanded the lead by finding Edwards for a 3-yard touchdown pass, making it 40-28—this was the largest gap between the teams throughout the contest. Both squads exhibited high offensive intensity in the final quarter, trading touchdowns. UMass managed to score again with just 36 seconds remaining, thanks to a 7-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Will Perry to T.Y. Harding, capping off a meticulous 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:42. However, UConn was able to recover the onside kick attempt, regain possession, and successfully run out the clock.

UMass’s starting quarterback, AJ Hairston, also had a strong performance, throwing for three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win. With this result, UConn concluded the season with a commendable record of 8-4, marking their first time finishing above .500 since 2010 when they were part of the Big East Conference.

On the other hand, the Minutemen ended their season with a disappointing record of 2-10, continuing a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons. UMass last had a winning record in 2010, when they finished at 6-5 in the former Colonial Athletic Association.