EAST HARTFORD - UConn’s first game under Jason Candle looked a lot like a program that knew exactly what it wanted to be.
The Huskies buried Lafayette 56-7 on Saturday at Rentschler Field, opening the Candle era with a lopsided win that matched the mood of the day: fast, physical and almost entirely one-sided. The 49-point margin was the third-widest in program history, and UConn piled up a school-record 671 total yards while limiting the Leopards to 209.
Kalieb Osborne, the Toledo transfer who was named the starter Friday night, was at the center of it all. The quarterback showed off the full package in his debut, completing 19 of 26 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns while adding 90 rushing yards on eight carries and two more scores on the ground. His only mistake came in the second quarter, when pressure forced a throw that ended up in the hands of Lafayette linebacker Beckham Dee for the game’s lone turnover.
Even with that interception, UConn was in control from the opening series.
The Huskies took the kickoff and immediately marched 75 yards in six plays, finishing with Osborne hitting fellow Toledo transfer Javon Brown for a 24-yard touchdown. Brown finished as the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 92 yards.
From there, the offense kept stacking answers. Kenji Christian, another former Rocket, caught an 18-yard touchdown out of the backfield on the next possession. Then Osborne kept it himself for a 9-yard score after the offensive line opened the right side of the field, pushing the lead to 21-0 before the first quarter was over.
UConn’s defense made the margin feel even bigger by forcing four straight three-and-outs. In the second quarter, Cyncir Bowers, the West Virginia running back, added a 16-yard touchdown run, and Christian followed the interception by slipping through untouched on a 25-yard scoring run. That made it 35-0 at halftime.
The opening half still had a few rough edges. UConn was penalized seven times in the first 30 minutes, including five offensive holding calls. One of them wiped out what would have been a 66-yard touchdown pass from Osborne to JD Willoughby in the final minute before halftime.
Osborne added one more highlight early in the third quarter, splitting two defenders and hurdling another on his way to a second rushing touchdown. That was the end of his day, and Candle turned to Tucker McDonald, a fourth-year Husky from Holden, Mass., with Tennessee transfer Jake Merklinger inactive.
McDonald didn’t need long to get involved. On his first scoring drive, he handed off to former CMU running back Trey Cornist, who broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown that made it 49-0 late in the third quarter. McDonald later found freshman receiver Raymond Liggins III for a 60-yard touchdown with three minutes left, finishing 6 of 7 for 105 yards, one touchdown and a tipped interception.
UConn was on the doorstep of its first shutout since 2012 before Lafayette finally broke through with a two-yard rushing touchdown in the final minute.
Next comes a much tougher test. Maryland visits next week, the first of three power conference opponents on UConn’s schedule this season.
In Other News...
UConn's New Era Starts With One Decision Fans Still Need
Jason Candles first UConn team is already taking shape in the broadest sense, even if the details are still coming into focus. The Huskies open against Lafayette with a new head coach, a remodeled roster and the usual questions that come with a reset, and Candle has spent camp stressing preparation and a week-by-week approach rather than drawing a hard line around what the season must become.
One of the biggest unresolved items is the quarterback job, a choice that will help define how quickly this new era can settle in. Candle has also pointed to the defensive front as a camp strength while seeing enough from the running backs to know there are pieces to build around, but UConn is still waiting on the answer that matters most under center before the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Built Real Hype Fast But Maryland Will Test Everything
UConn could hardly have scripted a sharper start to the season, rolling past Lafayette in a 56-7 opener that gave the program an immediate jolt of confidence. The Huskies were efficient, explosive and balanced from the jump, with Kalieb Osborne drawing a strong review from Pro Football Focus and a defense that helped keep the Leopards from ever finding much traction.
Now the challenge gets real. Maryland is a far different kind of measuring stick, and the opener did more than pad a scoreline, it put a spotlight on new pieces who already look comfortable in key roles. Among the encouraging signs were linebacker debuts from KVon Sherman and John Lista, who each made an impact in the front seven and helped fuel the kind of fast start UConn will need to sustain once the competition stiffens. [Read more 🡒]