By Neill Ostrout
STAFF WRITER
EAST HARTFORD _ Just when it appeared the UConn football team would finally break through in a close game, the Huskies somehow found a way to lose.
Rutgers wideout Tim Brown caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Savage with 22 seconds left in the game. It was the first play of a drive following a UConn score, and gave Rutgers an unbelievable 28-24 win over the Huskies Saturday afternoon at Rentschler Field.
On fourth-and-goal from the with just 43 seconds to play, Jordan Todman scored on a two-yard touchdown run around the right end to give UConn’s its first lead of the game at 24-21.
In their first home game since Jasper Howard’s death, the Huskies (4-4, 1-3) were obviously stunned by the result.
Down by four in the closing moments, quarterback Zach Frazer drove the Huskies 87 yards for the winning score. They converted three fourth downs on the drive, including the game-winner.
Rutgers (6-2, 1-2) had just 241 total yards prior to Brown’s final catch but led for almost the entire game.
UConn quarterback Cody Endres left the game in the first quarter after taking a hit from Rutgers’ Blair Bines and landing on his left shoulder. Endres spend the rest of the game with his arm in a sling.
Frazer finished 21-of-47 for 333 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in relief.
Just as they did last week in their loss to West Virginia, the Huskies allowed a touchdown on the opening kickoff and missed two field goals.
The Huskies were down 11 in the fourth quarter when Frazer hit Marcus Easley across the middle for a modest gain that Easley turned into a 32-yard touchdown.
The home team briefly pulled within three thanks to a two-point conversion that saw Frazer throw to 324-pound Mike Ryan on a tackle eligible play. But after an official’s review _ presumably to determine if Frazer’s pass was forward or backward _ the referee announced that Ryan was an ineligible receiver on the play and that by him catching the ball it was illegal touching.
UConn coach Randy Edsall was livid with the decision and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing with referee Tom Tomczyk.
After the review Edsall opted to kick the PAT and had to settle for a 21-17 deficit.
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