List of UConn Huskies bowl games

The UConn Huskies football program enjoyed its greatest period of success during the first head coaching tenure of Randy Edsall (1999–2011).

Prior to his hiring, UConn only appeared in two post-season football contests, during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

The team also shared two Big East Conference[Note 2] championships and were ranked at various times in the Associated Press (AP), Coaches', and Harris polls, as well as the BCS standings.

[3] Subsequent to Edsall's first departure after the 2010 season,[4] UConn has played in three bowl games: in 2015 under Bob Diaco and in 2022 and 2024 under Jim L. Mora.

[9] The season before, UConn finished with a 9–3 overall record, but did not receive a bowl invitation due to the lack of conference affiliation.

[15] However, Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski had broken his throwing hand during the MAC Championship Game and was largely ineffective; he was only able to complete six of twelve passes for 43 yards and did not play in the second half.

[17] In the second quarter, after Toledo finally scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown by Gradkowski, UConn added 13 more points to the scoreboard.

Wake Forest dominated the second half, taking the lead late in the third quarter off of 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Riley Skinner to tight end John Tereshinski.

The Huskies, led by running back Donald Brown's 208 yards rushing, dominated the first half statistically,[25] but found themselves down 20–10 midway through the second quarter due to giving up six fumbles, five of which were recovered by Buffalo.

UConn would close the gap to 20–17 by halftime, and take the lead for good late in the third quarter off of a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen to tight end Steve Brouse.

The Connecticut victory was sealed when, late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy threw a pass that was intercepted by UConn safety Dahna Deleston and returned 100 yards for a touchdown, making the final score 38–20 in favor of the Huskies.

[5] Connecticut was selected as a participant in the 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl following a tumultuous 7–5 regular season, marked by the loss of five games by a total of fifteen points between them, a double-overtime victory at Notre Dame, and the murder of cornerback Jasper Howard.

[28][29] Facing the Huskies were the South Carolina Gamecocks with the same regular season record of 7–5, highlighted by wins over then-No.

[29] Connecticut took control of the contest in the first quarter, scoring on a one-handed 37-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Kashif Moore and then, after South Carolina failed to convert a fourth down play at their own 32-yard line, kicking a 33-yard field goal to take a 10–0 lead.

[30] Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley and South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood were among four players from the two teams to be selected in the 2010 NFL draft.

The Huskies earned the BCS berth by beating both West Virginia and Pittsburgh in consecutive weeks during the regular season.

The Huskies struck back as cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted a pass from Sooner quarterback Landry Jones and returned it for a touchdown; after multiple field goals, the score was 20–10 in Oklahoma's favor at halftime.

[36] Connecticut accepted a bid to play in the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl against the Marshall Thundering Herd, who were looking to finish with at least ten wins for the third consecutive season.

Marshall's first three drives in the second half ended in a turnover on downs after going for it on 4th-and-2 from the Connecticut 17-yard line, a missed 43-yard field goal attempt, and an interception.

Despite this, the Huskies were unable to make progress against the Herd's defense, scoring only a single field goal to cut the lead to 13–10 at the end of the third quarter.