UConn football begins Jason Candle era with 56-7 drubbing of Lafayette
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EAST HARTFORD – The Jason Candle era began Saturday at Rentschler Field, and the UConn football program indicated it hasn’t lost a step.
The new-look Huskies handled an FCS opponent like they should, rolling over Lafayette in a 56-7 blowout victory. The 49-point margin of victory is the third-widest in program history.
UConn set the school record for total yards in a game with 671 – 370 through the air and 301 on the ground – while holding the Leopards to 209 total yards.
Quarterback Kalieb Osborne, the Toledo transfer named starter Friday night, showed all of what he brings to the table as a true dual-threat behind center. Taking advantage of some extended time in the pocket, the Pontiac, Michigan, native completed 19 of 26 passes for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air to go with his 90 rushing yards on eight carries and another two scores on the ground.
His only blemish came in the second quarter, when the pocket collapsed and he took a hit that diverted his pass into the arms of Lafayette linebacker Beckham Dee for an interception and the only turnover of the day.
Other than that play, the Huskies were able to do whatever they wanted.
Receiving the opening kickoff to start the game, Candle’s offense set the tone early with a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Osborne to fellow Toledo transfer Javon Brown, who hauled in six passes and led the team in receiving with 92 yards.
Running back Kenji Christian, another former Rocket, caught an 18-yard touchdown pass out of the backfield on the next series before the offensive line opened up the entire right side of the field for Osborne to keep it for a 9-yard rushing score, making it 21-0 with time left in the opening quarter.
While the Huskies’ defense forced four straight three-and-outs, Cyncir Bowers, the running back from West Virginia, ran in for a 16-yard score in the second quarter. And Christian, after the interception, went untouched from 25 yards out for a rushing touchdown of his own to put the Huskies up, 35-0, at halftime.
The first half wasn’t without some rust. UConn was flagged seven times in the first 30 minutes; five times for offensive holding, including one that erased what would’ve been a 66-yard touchdown pass from Osborne to JD Willoughby in the final minute of the half.
Osborne, too elusive for the Leopards, went and got the points himself early in the third quarter when he split a pair of defenders and hurdled another on his way into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game.
That signaled the end of the day for Osborne as Candle turned to Tucker McDonald, a fourth-year Husky from Holden, Mass., with Tennessee transfer Jake Merklinger inactive on the sideline. It didn’t take much for McDonald to lead his first scoring drive as he handed off to former CMU running back Trey Cornist for a 55-yard score to make it 49-0 late in the third quarter.
McDonald connected with freshman receiver Raymond Liggins III for a 60-yard touchdown with three minutes left to complete the scoring as he finished his day having completed 6 of 7 passes for 105 yards, a TD and a tipped INT.
On the verge of their first shutout victory since 2012, the Huskies gave up a two-yard rushing touchdown in the final minute to reach the 56-7 final score.
The Huskies will be in for a significant change of speed next week, when Maryland visits as the first of three power conference opponents on this year’s schedule.
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