Joe Fagnano threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns to help UConn beat North Carolina 27-14 in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, embarrassing Bill Belichick’s new team in his old backyard.

Belichick was not spotted in the home of the Boston Red Sox, about an hour north of the stadium where he and Tom Brady hung six Super Bowl championship banners. Interim coach Freddie Kitchens, who like Belichick is a former Cleveland Browns coach, took over when Mack Brown was fired and handled the bowl preparations.

On a day that was definitely not baseball weather, UConn fans took over the home of the Red Sox, and their team was just as dominant on the field. Mel Brown rushed for 96 yards for the Huskies. The Tar Heels (6-7) scored on Chris Culliver’s 95-yard kickoff return but had no real offense until running back Caleb Hood, who is not listed as a quarterback on the depth chart, took over in the fourth quarter. He ran five times for 64 yards before throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to John Copenhaver that made it 27-14.

Skyler Bell caught three passes for 77 yards for UConn (9-4), including a 38-yard touchdown that gave the Huskies a 10-0 first-quarter lead. Culliver took the ensuing kickoff back for the score, but that would be Carolina’s only production in the first half.

Fagnano hit Alex Honig for a 4-yard TD and Cam Edwards ran it in from 2 yards out to give UConn a 24-7 lead in the second quarter. The Tar Heels did not get their first first down until there were 24 seconds left in the half, on an encouraging 2-minute drill that brought them into UConn territory for the first time before Michael Merdinger’s blooper of a pass was intercepted by Tui Faumuina-Brown.

Takeaways

UConn: Won nine games for the first time since 2007.

North Carolina: Lost its last three games to stumble to its first losing season since 2021 — one reason why the 73-year-old Brown was fired.

Up next

UConn: Another four years under coach Jim Mora, who was signed to a two-year extension that was announced just before kickoff. North Carolina: Welcome to “Chapel Bill.”

Nebraska 20,

Boston College 15

Dylan Raiola passed for 228 yards and a touchdown as Nebraska built an 18-point lead through three quarters and hung on to beat Boston College for its first bowl victory since 2015.

After Nebraska built a 13-2 lead in the first half on scoring runs by Rahmir Johnson and Kwinten Ives, Raiola hit Emmett Johnson with a 13-yard TD pass on fourth down with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter for a 20-2 edge and the Cornhuskers (7-6) held on for the win.

Raiola completed 23 of 31 passes in front of a sizable Nebraska crowd that celebrated the team’s first bowl win since topping UCLA in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl and first winning season since 2016. Raiola completed passes to 10 receivers, including Jahmal Banks, who finished with four receptions for 79 yards.

Rahmir Johnson and Ives scored on short TD runs in the second period, and Nebraska’s defense set up the critical score in the third.

Emmett Johnson scored on fourth-and-3 play for a 20-2 lead. That score came after John Bullock sacked Boston College quarterback Grayson James, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Elijah Jeudy at midfield.

The Eagles got past midfield on five of their first seven drives, but committed two turnovers and failed to convert four fourth downs, including two inside the 10-yard line. Boston College finally cashed with 6:11 left in the fourth when Turbo Richard scored on a 1-yard run, but the two-point conversion failed. BC made it a one-score game on Jordan McDonald’s 2-yard run, a play after getting possession on a blocked punt.

After a scoreless opening quarter, Rahmir Johnson easily scored on a 4-yard run on the first play of the second period. After BC turned it over on downs twice in Nebraska territory, the Cornhusker’s took a 13-0 lead on Ives’ 2-yard run that was set up by Rahmir Johnson’s 22-yard run.

The Eagles picked up their only points of the first half when Ashton McShane blocked John Hohl’s extra point and returned it for two points.

Takeaways

Nebraska: Showed its depth at receivers, with Raiola hitting 10 players with passes, including Thomas Fidone and Emmett Johnson with five each.

Boston College: The Eagles displayed their depth at receiver, with nine players catching passes. Lewis Bond and Jeremiah Franklin caught six eacg

Up next

Nebraska opens its 2025 season against Cincinnati on Aug. 30. Boston College takes on Fordham on Aug. 30 to open its season.

TCU 34, Louisiana 3

Josh Hoover passed for four touchdowns to help TCU beat Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Mexico Bowl.

Hoover was 20 for 32 for 252 yards with an interception.

Eric McAlister had eight catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs (9-4).

TCU’s defense also had a solid day, holding Louisiana-Lafayette (10-4) to 209 yards, including 61 on the game’s final possession.

Ben Wooldridge was 7-for-20 passing for 61 yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He also threw an interception.

The Horned Frogs put together a fast start. Hoover found DJ Rogers for a 3-yard TD pass, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s opening possession.

After Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares missed a 54-yard field goal for Louisiana-Lafayette, TCU went right back to work.