Army runs over lifeless UConn football team 41-16 in frigid Fenway Bowl

The Huskies never stood a chance in the coldest game in program history. Star QB Joe Fagnano sat out, while All-American WR Skyler Bell played just one drive.

BOSTON — The UConn football team was just a shell of itself Saturday against the servicemen in a lopsided 41-16 loss to Army in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

At 26 degrees in Boston, it was the coldest recorded game in program history, and the Huskies played like it on both sides of the ball.

UConn’s once-explosive offense lacked its two most prominent playmakers and hardly resembled the unit that scored 36.9 points per game during the regular season.

Seventh-year senior QB Joe Fagnano sat out to prepare for the NFL Draft, and consensus First Team All-American WR Skyler Bell played just one drive before removing himself from the contest.

To put in perspective what UConn was missing, Fagnano threw for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception in 2025. Bell caught 13 touchdown passes from Fagnano for 1,278 yards this year.

Multiple key offensive linemen also opted not to play.

Freshman QB Ksaan Farrar took the snaps for the Huskies Saturday and struggled to move the ball.

He scored a late touchdown on the ground but finished the game with just 84 passing yards, most of which came when the score was out of reach.

Redshirt junior RB Cam Edwards delivered a strong performance for UConn with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown against Army.

Edwards had several big runs on a drive in the first quarter, which ended with him reaching the end zone on a 12-yard burst.

That gave the Huskies an early lead 7-0 lead, but the highlights afterwards were few and far between.

Edwards is one of about 15 Huskies who have entered the transfer portal after former head coach Jim Mora left the program for Colorado State in November.

Admirably, many of those players participated in the Fenway Bowl, but the absences were too much for UConn to overcome Saturday in frigid temperatures.

Outgoing offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis served as interim head coach for UConn against Army but will now leave the program to lead the offense at TCU.

Meanwhile, Army featured a full roster and played without the distractions UConn is experiencing, which showed.

The Black Knights stuck to their identity and ran the ball aggressively, dominating time of possession by controlling the ball for 36:15.

Freshman RB Godspower Nwawuihe was the star of the game. He finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Both of his touchdowns were electric. Nwawuihe scored from 43 yards out in the second quarter to give Army its first lead at 14-7.

The Black Knights led 14-10 at halftime.

Then, Nwawuihe opened the third quarter with a captivating 70-yard touchdown run. He escaped seemingly countless tacklers and turned what should have been a loss into an incredible score that gave Army a 20-10 lead.

From that point, the game had escaped UConn’s grasp.

Army junior QB Cale Hellums, known for his effectiveness on the ground, rushed for 45 yards and two touchdowns.

He added 108 yards through the air, completing seven of his eight attempts.

Hellums’ only target was senior WR Noah Short, who hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass that tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter. It shifted momentum permanently.

With the loss, UConn finished the season at 9-4 and failed to secure its first 10-win campaign at the FBS level. The team falls to 4-5 in its nine bowl appearances.

Entering Saturday, the Huskies were close to setting several program records and had mixed results.

UConn was 18 points away from breaking the school record but finished two shy of that mark.

The Huskies needed 209 total yards against Army to shatter the program record and were able to do so by recording 267.

Still, UConn’s total yardage Saturday was far below its regular season average of 456.7.

The Huskies also entered the game three passing touchdowns short of a school record but never reached the end zone through the air on Saturday.

Now, UConn will start over in the era of its new head coach, Jason Candle, who was hired from Toledo.

Candle comes from an offensive background. He led the Rockets to eight bowl appearances in 10 seasons at the helm and never had a losing campaign but has his work cut out from him in Connecticut.

Many of the players who took the field for the Huskies Saturday just played their last game with the program, especially those who have already entered the transfer portal. Expect more to follow.

Candle must attempt to retain as many contributors as he can to ensure that the product he delivers next year resembles UConn’s regular season success in 2025 and not so much its postseason performance in the Fenway Bowl.

Huskies’ fans will long remember the 2025 season for the prolific partnership between Fagnano and Bell that produced historic statistics and caught the attention of the college football world.

That said, from Mora’s departure to the disappointing showing at Fenway Park, the past month has been forgettable for the UConn football faithful.

Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.

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Army runs over lifeless UConn football team 41-16 in frigid Fenway Bowl

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