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    Tuesday, November 05, 2024

    UConn football can’t catch a break, falls to Wake Forest 23-20

    East Hartford — Loud boos rained down from the home crowd as soon as quarterback Nick Evers’ fourth-down pass fell incomplete to end any comeback chance late in Saturday’s football game.

    Wake Forest defensive back Jamare Glasker appeared to make contact from behind before the ball landed near intended receiver Jasaiah Gathings near the Demon Deacon 47-yard line with 1 minute, 27 seconds remaining, but no call was made.

    UConn walked off the field with a tough 23-20 loss before an announced crowd of 30,122 at Rentschler Field.

    A short time later, an angry coach Jim Mora walked into the postgame press conference and expressed his displeasure with the Atlantic Coast Conference officials that worked the game.

    “What I told the team is I’m proud of them for fighting back,” Mora said. “We’ve got to make sure that we put ourselves in a position where it doesn’t come down to one play where an ACC team makes a horse (bleep) call against an independent.”

    Mora was just getting started.

    “It’s on us to play better earlier. But it would sure be nice if it was a level playing field. It was a hold and a PI (pass interference). Here’s your explanation: ACC vs. an independent. There’s your explanation. Pretty (expletive) simple.”

    Then Mora stormed out of the room.

    Of course, there’s no guarantee if the officials called a penalty that the Huskies would have either kicked a game-tying field goal or scored a game-winning touchdown. But they never had that chance.

    Gathings, who played his best game as a Husky finishing with seven catches for 75 yards as well as a 20-yard touchdown reception, didn’t put any blame on the officials.

    “I feel like I’ve still got to make the play,” Gathings said. “I’ve got to create more separation and I just didn’t make the play. … I looked for a (flag) when I got up. I don’t like putting it in the refs’ hands. We’re playing against an ACC team and ACC officials, we came in knowing we weren’t going to get any calls.”

    UConn (4-3) never led, trailing 13-6 at halftime and 20-13 entering the fourth quarter, and made too many mistakes to overcome the deficits. The Huskies saw their winning streak end at three straight and lost for the first time at home this season after a 4-0 start at The Rent.

    “Everybody is ticked off in the locker room,” linebacker Jayden McDonald, who had a monster game with a team-high 13 tackles and a sack. “We’ve just got to use that as fuel because we don’t like this feeling.”

    The Huskies seemed poised to make a comeback after Evers found tight end Louis Hansen for a 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 23-20 with 2:27 left in the game.

    After making a defensive stand and forcing a punt, the Huskies got the ball back on their own 20-yard line with 2:02 remaining.

    Faced with a fourth-and-3 from the UConn 48, offensive guard Brady Wayburn was called for a false start, leaving the Huskies eight yards for a first down.

    Evers, who returned to the starting lineup after missing a game with a head injury, misfired on his throw to Gathings. Evers finished 26-for-43 for 264 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and one interception.

    Wake Forest (3-4) took over and ran out the clock. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier sparked the attack, completing 21 of 36 passes for 274 yards, and running back Demond Clairborne rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns.

    “This game stings for a lot of us, especially for how hard we work and how much we invested into this team and this brotherhood,” Evers said. “No one wants to be on the losing side of this game. I think it’s going to put a chip on our shoulder for the rest of the season. It’s going to set the tone for how we’re going to approach practice, starting Monday.”

    UConn’s defense played well enough to win. Defensive back Cam Chadwick made an interception in the end zone right before halftime to stop one drive. Defensive lineman Dal’Mont Gourdine blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt with UConn down seven in the third quarter.

    But the offense couldn’t take advantage of a defense that came in allowing 34 points per game. The Huskies recorded season lows for rushing yards (40) and total offense (304 yards).

    Graduate kicker Chris Freeman had a productive game, converting field goals from 35 and a season-high 53 yards.

    But it wasn’t enough.

    The Huskies appreciated the support of the home crowd. They’ll be back at The Rent next Saturday to face Rice.

    “That was a great crowd,” McDonald said. “We definitely needed that. They gave us juice and they were loud all game. We just didn’t get the job done. I hope they keep supporting us. We’re going to bounce back from this.”

    g.keefe@theday.com

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