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UConn Football Falls Short Against SMU, 62-50

The Huskies’ offense did all it could in the losing effort.

By Daniel Connolly
Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

Despite a herculean effort from the offense, UConn football came up short in a 62-50 shootout against the SMU Mustangs that featured 1,174 yards of offense on the day.

The rushing attack powered the Huskies’ offense, gaining 365 yards on the ground — a season high and the most for the team since 2008. Running back Kevin Mensah set a career high with 184 rushing yards on 28 attempts, good for 6.6 yards per carry.

The Mustangs quickly drove down and scored a touchdown on their first possession. The Huskies followed up with a quick three and out and SMU scored again to go ahead 10-0.

However, UConn got on the board thanks to a 30-yard touchdown run by David Pindell, who sliced up the middle thanks to a swinging-gate play from the Huskies’ offensive line to get the deficit to just three.

Unfortunately, UConn just had no answer for SMU’s high-powered attack. After Pindell’s touchdown, the Mustang found the endzone on three-straight drives and went into the half leading 31-10.

Coming out of the break, the Huskies offense came alive. They drove down the field on their first possession and scored a touchdown to get within shouting distance at 14 points.

The two teams traded touchdowns before UConn’s defense finally made a stop and got the ball back and scored to bring the deficit within eight points. After forcing a stop on the previous drive, the Huskies chose not to punt to give their defense another chance to step up.

UConn forced a third down but couldn’t get off the field, instead allowing a 51-yard run to the 3-yard line that set up another SMU touchdown, essentially ending the comeback bid.

Despite such a poor showing from the defense, Pindell and the offense had a strong game. The senior quarterback ran for 181 yards with two touchdowns and had a solid day through the air, completing 25 of 38 passes for 215 yards and 4 touchdowns. UConn only punted twice on the afternoon.

Pindell reached 1,000 yards rushing on the season in the first half, but a handful of negative plays dropped him back below the mark. He re-gained it in the second half to become the first quarterback in UConn football history to reach the milestone and the first Husky to do so since Lyle McCombs in 2011.

SMU offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee had a field day against his former team, dropping 62 points and earning 594 yards of total offense. The Mustangs punted three times all game.

With the loss, UConn falls to just 1-9 on the season with two games remaining. They travel to Greenville, North Carolina next week to face the 2-6 East Carolina Pirates.

Randy Edsall, David Pindell, Santana Sterling, Kevin Mensah Postgame video - https://connecticut.forums.rivals.com/threads/uconn-football-postgame-smu-11-10-18.6937/

  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog
  • The SMU Mustangs take on the UConn Huskies in a college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT on September 15, 2018. Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

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