UConn Clobbers UMass, 56-35

Kevin Mensah rushed for five touchdowns Sunday in UConn's 56-35 rout
of UMass.

By Bob Phillips

AMHERST, MA—It didn’t matter that it came against the University of Massachusetts, the team ranked No. 130 (dead last, in other words) in ESPN’s College Football College Index. Nor did it matter that they were playing on enemy turf. What did matter was that the losing streak is finally over, and that it came at the expense of a New England rival, and a fellow FBS team that has fallen on hard times of late. And obviously it didn’t hurt that Kevin Mensah had a career game. The 5-9, 198-lb. running back from Worcester rushed for 164 yards and scored not one, not two, not three, not four, but five touchdowns to lead the Huskies over the Minutemen, 56-35, before 12,234 fans at McGuirk Stadium on Saturday.

“Kevin epitomizes what a true football player is, and a teammate,” head coach Randy Edsall said. “You're just happy for guys that have those kinds of performances because of what they put into it. It’s a lesson to everybody that if you work real hard and do the right things, you can be successful.”

Art Thompkins also came up big with a career-high 135 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown against the overwhelmed Minutemen. It marked the first time since a game vs. Texas Southern in 2010 that a pair of Husky running backs had rushed 100 or more yards in the same game.

And let us not forget the receiving corps. Freshman wide-out Cameron Ross posted big numbers himself: nine grabs, a career-high 120 yards including one touchdown. Indeed, Ross became the first Husky to register 100 yards or more receiving in a single game this season

.

Mensah's teammate Art Thompkins had a big day himself with a career-
high 135 yards and a rushing touchdown.

UConn utilized a trick play in the third quarter to pad the lead with Quayvon Skanes taking a pitch and tossing a 15 yard touchdown pass to Jay Rose. It was the first receiving touchdown in Rose's career.

“That play did not work in practice for us,” quarterback Jack Zergiotis said, grinning. “And then it worked in a game. It's just funny how things work.”

And let’s not forget to mention the Connecticut defense, which forced UMass into three turnovers. It was the second time this season the Huskies have forced three turnovers in a game, the first time coming vs. the Fighting Illini of Illinois.

“I'm just really happy for our kids,” Edsall said. “They've done the things we've asked them to do, and now we were able to go out and get a win.”

The 56 points is the most for the Huskies have put on the board vs. an FBS opponent since 2009 when they scored 56 against Syracuse. Saturday's victory also avenged a 22-17 defeat to the Minutemen last season.

UConn hopes to carry its momentum into this week’s Friday night prime-time match-up vs. 6-1 Navy. Kickoff will be at 8 p.m. ET at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

—With staff reports

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