UNC took control with the kind of day UConn will want to forget, and the Tar Heels walked out with a 38-21 win after the Huskies piled up their worst turnover game of the season.
Billy Edwards Jr. steadied North Carolina throughout, finishing 29 of 38 for 255 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Tight end Jelani Thurman was a major part of the payoff, catching 64 yards’ worth of passes and scoring twice. In the backfield, Benjamin Hall ran for 81 yards and Demon June added 60, giving UNC enough balance to keep UConn chasing.
UConn had its moments, but the mistakes kept stacking up. Kalieb Osborne went 17 of 35 for 245 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble.
Cyncir Bowers led the Huskies on the ground with 68 yards and a touchdown, while Osborne added 60 rushing yards. Ryder Treadway was UConn’s top receiving threat, finishing with a season-high 82 yards and a score.
The game opened with early drama on both sides. UNC’s first drive reached the UConn 39 before Edwards Jr. threw into double coverage, and Hayden Pegg picked it off and brought it back to midfield. Jack O’Connor then missed a 45-yard field goal, leaving the game scoreless.
The first big swing belonged to North Carolina. After a UConn punt and a North Carolina penalty on fourth down, the Huskies got another shot at midfield.
Osborne’s pass was tipped and drifted behind Kenji Christian, where Timir Hickman-Collins grabbed it and raced 70 yards for a pick six. It was Osborne’s first pick-six of the year and only his third interception overall, and UNC led 7-0 with 5:30 left in the first quarter.
UConn answered by moving into UNC territory, and Osborne found Shamar Porter in the red zone before connecting with Treadway for an 18-yard touchdown to open the second quarter and tie it at 7-7. UNC quickly pushed back. Edwards Jr. hit back-to-back passes for 35 yards to get the Tar Heels into Husky territory, and on third-and-9 Hall broke through for a 38-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7.
The Huskies then handed the momentum right back. Osborne scrambled up the middle and lost the ball while trying to stretch for a first down, and Hickman-Collins came away with it at the UConn 22. A few plays later, Jordan Shipp caught a 6-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-7.
UConn kept fighting and cut into the margin on its next possession. Osborne rolled out and found Treadway for 18 yards, then hit Julian Allen for 33 more.
With 6:30 left before halftime, Osborne threw a 24-yard touchdown to Cam Abshire, trimming the deficit to 21-14. UNC answered with a six-minute march of its own, and Edwards Jr. finished it by finding Thurman for a touchdown that sent the Tar Heels into halftime up 28-14.
The Huskies came out of the break with another surge. Xavier Watson hauled in a 28-yard catch, Osborne found Treadway again at midfield, and then Osborne scrambled 25 yards down the sideline to get UConn into the red zone. Five minutes into the second half, Bowers punched in a 13-yard touchdown to pull the Huskies within 28-21.
North Carolina settled things from there. Edwards Jr. led a 56-yard drive that ended with Rece Verhoff’s 27-yard field goal, and the Tar Heels kept UConn from building any more momentum. The Huskies turned it over on downs at the UNC 39 on a fourth-and-long in the fourth quarter, then Verhoff missed a 49-yard field goal after UConn had moved the ball into range.
UNC’s defense finished the job with another takeaway. On Osborne’s third play of the next possession, Jalon Thompson intercepted him at the Connecticut 32 for his first pick of the season. That set up the final blow, as Thurman scored his second touchdown to push the lead to 38-21.
In Other News...
UConn Found One Clear Bright Spot In A Loss And Two Concerns
Ryder Treadway gave UConn one obvious offensive lift in the 38-21 loss to North Carolina, turning in the kind of performance that stands out even in a difficult afternoon. The receiver hauled in four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, and both quarterback Kalieb Osborne and coach Jason Candle singled out his dependable hands and ability to make the spectacular catch when the Huskies needed it most.
Even with that bright spot, the game left UConn with a couple of issues to sort through. Osborne had a tough time against a strong defense, and the kicking game also remains a concern as freshman Jack OConnor works to find more consistency on field goals. [Read more 🡒]
Sarah Strong Just Changed The Early Ceiling For UConn
The early-season bar for UConn keeps rising, and Sarah Strong is a big reason why. In a 91-79 win over No. 10 Iowa at Gampel Pavilion, the No. 2 Huskies got a career night from Strong, who poured in 39 points, while Blanca Quionez matched her own career high with 21 as UConn improved to 2-1.
What stood out beyond the final score was how much offensive punch UConn could summon against a ranked opponent this early in the schedule. The Huskies now turn to No. 18 Ohio State, and with Strong already showing she can carry a game at this level, the next test will say plenty about how high this groups ceiling might be. [Read more 🡒]