Greenville, N.C. — If Bob Diaco is going to lead UConn to its second straight bowl bid, the Huskies are going to have to run the table.

But after UConn was thoroughly manhandled by East Carolina on Saturday, it seems highly unlikely that's going to happen right now.

Isaiah Jones moved into second place on the all-time NCAA reception list with 19 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown as the Pirates ended a five-game losing streak by routing the Huskies 41-3 in an American Athletic Conference game.

UConn (3-6, 1-5) must win its final three games, starting with next Friday night's nationally-televised game against Temple at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The Huskies' final two games are at Boston College (Nov. 19) and at home against Tulane (Nov. 26).

"We turned the ball over three times. We didn't take it away and couldn't pick up first downs. It's pathetic," an obviously frustrated Diaco said. "Defensively, you are constantly on the field. It's a short field and every time you turn around you're back out there again seconds later and our backs are against the wall.

"That is just no way to play defense for sure. We gave up 41 points but there is a deeper subtext there. Our defense, for a large portion there, played way better than them. We need points, we need drives and that's what creates hope and excitement and belief."

Philip Nelson threw for 253 yards and two scores for the Pirates (3-5, 1-3), who took advantage of a rare missed field goal by Bobby Puyol and scored late in the first half to open a 14-3 lead.

"If we didn't miss the field goal it should be a 7-6 game and they scored on a trick play on third down," Diaco said. "It was like letting the rope slip out of your hand. Not that it was even a draw at that point but other than the first drive, it was a well defended half."

East Carolina then broke the game open by outscoring UConn 17-0 in the third quarter to open an insurmountable 31-3 lead.

James Summers plowed in for a 1-yard score, followed 30 seconds later by a Jones TD catch after UConn fumbled the kickoff.

Jones now has 355 career catches, six more than former Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles, trailing only the 387 catches tallied by his former East Carolina teammate Justin Hardy.

Noel Thomas led the Huskies with seven catches for 135 yards while Puyol kicked a 34-yard field goal earlier in the second quarter. But running back Arkeel Newsome was held to just 15 yards and 10 carries and quarterback Bryant Shirreffs also struggled, completing 16 of 30 passes for 180 yards with two interceptions.

"Performance needs to increase. Performance as a staff needs to increase," Diaco said. "We need to create more opportunities for them to produce and from an energy standpoint, more leadership. It has been a long, hard, crushing season so far and what is so unfortunate is that we make so many adjustments as a team and that's what is so unfortunate."