Fagnano’s career-high 362 yards and 4 TDs lead UConn past Boston College 38-23

By Canadian Press on October 18, 2025.

BOSTON (AP) — Joe Fagnano threw for a career-high 362 yards and four touchdowns, including 50-, 43- and 38-yard scores, and Connecticut beat Boston College 38-23 on Saturday to send the Eagles to their sixth straight loss.

Juice Vereen caught four passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns for the Huskies (5-2), who beat Boston College for the second time in three tries and won in Chestnut Hill for the first time ever.

Fagnano completed 23 of 31 passes and also ran for a 2-yard score. Skyler Bell caught 10 passes for 125 yards and a 38-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter clinched it.

BC (1-6) led 20-17 thanks to a 39-yard TD pass from newly promoted starting quarterback Grayson James to Reed Harris just before the half. But Fagnano hit John Neider for a 43-yard score to start the third quarter, then connected with Vereen from 14-yards out to make it 31-20.

BC drove to the Huskies 7 but settled for a field goal to make it a one-score game. But Fagnano found Bell at the BC 36 before he scampered to the left sideline and into the end zone to make it 38-23.

James replaced Thomas Castellanos as the starter last season, but he was bumped to No. 2 on the depth chart this season in favor of former Alabama backup Dylan Lonergan. Lonergan threw a game-sealing interception in a four-point loss to California on Sept. 27, then struggled in blowout losses to Pittsburgh and Clemson.

In his first start of the season, James completed 16 of 28 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns; he was sacked seven times. Jordan McDonald ran for 123 yards on 24 carries for the Eagles.

The takeaway

UConn improved to 2-13-2 all-time against BC, with the other win coming in 2022.

With just one win, Boston College is in danger of having its worst season in almost 50 years. The 1978 team went winless in 11 games. BC has finished with two wins twice since then.

Up next

UConn visits Rice on Saturday.

Boston College is at Louisville on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press

18
-17