Duke football falls at UConn 37-34
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTVD) -- Joe Fagnano found Skyler Bell for a go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes to play, and a late fumble recovery secured UConn's 37-34 win over Duke on Saturday in front of the Huskies' largest home crowd since 2013.
Fagnano was 6 for 7 on the drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Bell with 1:58 left. After a review, Fagnano's two-point conversion run was good to put the Huskies up 37-34.
"It is the culmination of the lessons we learned this year from the close games that we have had. I think it is a testament to the will of our young men, the trust that they have in each other," UConn coach Jim Mora said. "They could easily have played that game and said enough is enough, especially late in the fourth quarter. I think if we hadn't had the failures we had in the two-minute drives earlier in the year, maybe we would have had the success we had tonight."
Duke was driving to try to force overtime, but UConn's Bryun Parham stripped Duke quarterback Darian Mensah of the ball, and Trent Jones recovered to secure UConn's second win over an ACC team this season.
"I just knew I had to make it and just do my job," Parham said. "I had to make the play. It was surreal. I've always wanted to make a play like that."
Duke looked like a different team offensively in the third quarter, scoring on both of its drives to take a 28-23 lead. Nate Sheppard had a 3-yard scoring run. The Blue Devils took the lead as Mensah rolled out and found Landen King in the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Duke coach Manny Diaz pointed to the mistakes that were too much to overcome.
"The quarterback (Fagnano) is the real deal," Diaz said. "We were well aware of that. It was a loss that in all three phases, that we made too many mistakes."
UConn (7-3) converted on a fake punt to set up a 3-yard scoring run by Cam Edwards with 10:48 remaining to put UConn ahead 29-28.
Fagnano threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns for UConn (7-3). Bell finished with 11 catches for 87 yards and two scores, and Reymello Murphy added 110 yards receiving.
Mensah threw for 222 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for Duke (5-4). Sheppard rushed for 100 yards and two scores.
UConn's defense came up with a pair of interceptions in the first half - both leading to Chris Freeman field goals as the Huskies led 20-14 at halftime.
Bell's biggest celebration came when the defense made its biggest play of the 2025 season.
"I was jumping for joy, I almost had a cramp," said Bell, who went over 1,000 yards receiving early in the game and set the program record for touchdown catches in a season. "I was jumping (like) crazy. The defense came up big."
The Blue Devils are minus-nine in turnover margin in their four losses this season.
Duke looks to bounce back next Saturday when Virginia comes to town.
The Associated Press contributed.
