CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Joe Fagnano’s career-year continued on Saturday as he led the UConn football program to its first road win over a power conference opponent since 2012 in a high-powered, 38-23 victory at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium.
The only quarterback in the nation with at least 1,500 passing yards and no interceptions entering the game, Fagnano was as efficient as ever in Chestnut Hill. He completed 23 of his 31 passes and set a new UConn-career high for passing yards with 362, surpassing his 355 yards in the Huskies’ last game against FIU. The Williamsport, Penn. native had four passing touchdowns for the second time this season and added 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
UConn improved to 5-2 on the season with its second win over a power conference opponent in Jim Mora’s tenure as head coach – both of which came against Boston College, the first in 2022 at Rentschler Field. UConn is now 2-13-2 all-time against the Eagles.
The program’s last road win over a power conference team came in 2012, when the Huskies defeated Maryland and former head coach Randy Edsall.
Skyler Bell continued to star as Fagnano’s favorite target as he registered his third game of the year with at least 10 catches and went for 125 yards and the game-sealing touchdown. Tight end Juice Vereen went for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns on four catches as UConn accumulated over 450 yards of total offense for the second game in a row.
BC scored first with a 47-yard field goal, but UConn’s response came quickly after the Eagles lost track of Vereen in coverage and the NC State transfer found himself wide-open for a 50-yard catch-and-run into the end zone.
The Huskies saw their bye week red zone work pay off with two stops inside their own 10-yard line on the ensuing drive, holding BC to a 22-yard field goal.
Fagnano continued to carve the BC defense, hampered by injuries, and guided the Huskies 80 yards down the field in nine plays, finishing an efficient drive with his second rushing touchdown of the season from two yards out to put the Huskies up 14-6 early in the second quarter.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano looks for running room during the Huskies’ game at Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)
Defense was hard to come by in the first half as BC, with backup QB Grayson James starting in place of the struggling Alabama transfer, Dylan Longeran, relied on its run game to push down the field. James found tight end Kaelan Chudzinski for a 9-yard touchdown to cut into the Huskies’ lead before UConn’s Chris Freeman split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal – tying the program record with 11-consecutive made kicks.
UConn punted for the first time with less than two minutes left in the half, and its defense couldn’t take advantage of three Eagles’ penalties as James connected with Reed Harris for a 39-yard score to take a 20-17 lead just before the break.
Fagnano built off his first-half performance to start the second, connecting with a wide-open John Neider from 43 yards out for the Milford native’s first career receiving touchdown to regain the lead. Fagnano made up for UConn’s third holding penalty of the game with a 25-yard connection with Bell, setting up a second touchdown for Vereen from 14 yards out to put the Huskies up, 31-20, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.
UConn tight end Alex Honig gains yardage on a 40-yard catch and run during the Huskies’ game at Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)
The Eagles made it a one-score game with a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but UConn’s defense, thanks to a huge 3rd-down sack from Bryun Parham and Aaron Key, forced a punt with seven minutes to play.
Bell made his 10th catch of the game on a quick route, made two defenders miss and ran 38 yards into the end zone to seal the victory with just over five minutes left.
