In its first game in the state of Connecticut, BYU defeated the UConn Huskies 35-10 Friday night at Rentschler Field. BYU is now 1-0 all-time against UConn. It also improves to 17-2 against American Athletic Conference opponents.
BYU improves to 7-3 in season openers, including 3-2 on the road, in the Bronco Mendenhall era.
The 35 points scored marks the most by the Cougars under Mendenhall in a season opener on the road. It also marks the largest margin of victory in the first game of the season in that time period. The last time BYU scored more than 35 in the first game on the road came against UTEP in 1992.
The last time the Cougars scored 14 points or more in the first quarter of a season opener was in 2008 against Northern Iowa en route to a 41-17 victory.
The Cougar defense forced a turnover on each of the first two UConn possessions. This game marks 11 consecutive games BYU has intercepted at least one pass.
BYU started three freshmen against UConn: two on offense (Tejan Koroma and Ului Lapuaho) and one on defense (Jordan Preator).
Nine different receivers caught a pass including Colby Pearson, Jordan Leslie, Mitch Mathews, Terenn Houk, Algernon Brown, Adam Hine, Paul Lasike, Devin Mahina and Mitchell Juergens.
Running back Adam Hine and linebacker Michael Alisa carried the team and special teams flags, respectively. Former defensive end Brian Hughes (1993-94) carried the alumni flag.
Official attendance for the game was 35,150.
Taysom Hill
Junior quarterback Taysom Hill scored a career-high five touchdowns against UConn (three passing and two rushing). He finished the game 28-36 with 308 passing yards, his third career game with 300 or more passing yards. He also set a personal best with a 177.1 pass-efficiency rating. The junior led the team with 97 rushing yards and two scores.
Mitchell Juergens
Sophomore receiver Mitchell Juergens not only got his first start as a Cougar but also played in his first game. He lined up as an inside receiver but also ran the ball and returned punts for BYU. Juergens finished with two catches for 19 yards, one rush for five yards and two punt returns for 24 yards.
Terenn Houk
Junior receiver Terenn Houk posted personal highs in receptions (four), yards (58) and touchdowns (one).
Colby Pearson
Sophomore receiver Colby Pearson played in six games last year but never registered a catch. Tonight he had three receptions for 47 yards.
Jordan Leslie
Senior receiver Jordan Leslie started in his first game at BYU and also registered two catches for 22 yards.
Adam Hine
Junior running back Adam Hine scored his first receiving touchdown (second TD overall) on a seven-yard pass from Taysom Hill in the second quarter. He added 15 rushing yards on six rushes.
Bronson Kaufusi
Junior linebacker Bronson Kaufusi registered four tackles, including two sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery in his first game as a linebacker after switching from the defensive end position.
Michael Davis
Sophomore receiver Michael Davis recorded a career-high eight tackles and one pass breakup.
Trevor Samson
In his first action at BYU, senior kicker Trevor Samson went 5-5 on PATs.
Zac Stout
Senior linebacker Zac Stout set a new career high (and tied for a team high) with 10 tackles. His previous high was six against Nevada in 2010. He also added one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Jherremya Leuta-Douyere
Junior linebacker Jherremya Leuta-Douyere recorded a personal best with five tackles while also added a forced fumble. He forced the fumble on UConn's first play from scrimmage to help set up a BYU touchdown.
Michael Alisa
Senior linebacker Michael Alisa registered four tackles, a personal best, and one tackle for loss in his first game back on defense since his freshman year in 2008.
Skye PoVey
Senior defensive back Skye PoVey set a career high with 10 tackles, including his first career sack.
Mitch Mathews
Junior receiver Mitch Mathews tied a personal high with five receptions against UConn. He finished the night with 62 yards and one touchdown, a 26-yard catch to put BYU ahead 14-0 in the first quarter.