Lyle McCombs carved up the Fordham defense, rushing for 141 yards and four touchdowns as the UConn Huskies trampled the Fordham Rams, 35-3, in the season opener at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
McCombs lead a Huskies offensive charge that totaled 434 total yards (206 rushing, 228 passing). All four of McCombs' touchdown runs came on rushed of less than five yards, but he did have a long run of 60 yards.
UConn (1-0) jumped onto the board with a two-yard touchdown run from McCombs with 6:57 left in the opening quarter. McCombs scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run with 9:48 left in the second, putting UConn on top, 14-0.
Natick product Scott McCummings (1-for-1, 55 yards, TD) fired a 55-yard bomb to receiver Ryan Griffin (three catches, 97 yards, TD), which resulted in a touchdown and a 21-0 lead for UConn, which it took into halftime.
McCombs scored his final two touchdowns in the third quarter, punching in scores from five yards out with 7:22 left and again from one yard out with 4:09 yards remaining, putting the Huskies up 35-0.
Patrick Murray connected on a 28-yard field goal with 24 seconds left in the third to break the scoreless drought, cutting their deficit to 35-3, but that was as close as the Rams would get.
Johnny McEntee completed 8-of-12 passes for 113 yards, Michael Nebrich was 3-for-8 for 60 yards and an interception and McCummings had the lone 55-yard pass for UConn. Byron Jones had a pick for the Huskies.
Peter Maetzold completed 12-of-25 passes for 149 yards and an interception for Fordham. Darryl Whiting ran for 21 yards on 12 carries and Brian Wetzel led the Rams' receivers with 58 yards on one catch.
UConn faces Vanderbilt on the road in its next game on Saturday, September 10.
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