University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Fall to Eagles in Home Opener
9/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Huskies Fall to Eagles in Home Opener
Storrs, CT (September 8, 2001)- A career best 367-yard passing performance by Eastern Washington quarterback Fred Salanoa combined with an 89 yard rushing effort by running back Jesse Chatman led to a 35-17 victory for the Eagles over the University of Connecticut Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Storrs, CT.
The win snapped a five game losing skid to Division IA opponents for Eastern Washington and in doing so gave EWU a 1-0 record, while UConn fell to 0-2 on the season.
UConn jumped out to the early lead after opening with a scoring drive that lasted five minutes and 53 seconds, and ended with a one-yard run by Taber Small (Sr., Baltimore, MD). Eastern Washington countered with the first of four passing touchdowns by Salanoa as he found Lamon Brightful on a 34-yard strike to even the game with 8:12 to go in the second quarter.
Matt Hickok (Jr., Gloversville, NY) nailed a 42-yard field goal to put the Huskies back on top, 10-7, before Jesse Chatman took it in from 25 yards out 23 seconds before halftime to make it 14-10. With the score, Chatman now has 26 career touchdowns, which ties the school record.
In the second half, the Eagles would blow the game open with a pair of touchdown passes in the third and one more in the fourth. Salanoa found Kyler Randall and Kyle Delorme from 28 and 38 yards, respectively as it marked the first career touchdown for both.
A 13-yard reception by Shaylon Reed just into the fourth, Shaylon Reed capped the EWU scoring before Small ended it with 3:46 left in the game on a three yard run to conclude a 10 play, 63 yard drive.
Redshirt freshman Keron Henry (Brooklyn, NY) finished 8-for-18 for 89 yards and was sacked three times. Freshman Dan Orlovsky saw his first action as a Husky, completing 1-of-3 passes for 15 yards. Redshirt freshman Chris Bellamy led the UConn rushing effort on the day with 86 yards on 15 carries, while senior Taber Small notched a pair of rushing TD's on the afternoon.
Up next, the Huskies will travel to Philadelphia, PA, for a September 15th meeting with Temple. Kickoff is set for Noon. The game will be televised live on Connecticut Public Television and will also be carried by WTIC-AM 1080.
NCAA FOOTBALL—September 8, 2001 CONNECTICUT vs. Eastern Washington At Memorial Stadium—Storrs, CT Eastern Washington 35, Connecticut 17 1st 2nd 3rd 4th -- Total E. Washington (1-0) 0 14 14 7 -- 35 UConn (0-2) 7 3 0 7 -- 17 FIRST QUARTER UC-Taber Small, 1 yd run (Matt Hickok), 9:07 SECOND QUARTER EW-Lamont Brightful 34 yd pass from Fred Salanoa (Troy Griggs kick), 8:12 UC-Hickok 42 yd field goal, 4:54 EW-Jesse Chatman 25 yd run (Griggs kick) 00:23 THIRD QUARTER EW-Kyler Randall 28 yd pass from Salanoa (Griggs kick), 4:25 EW-Kyle Delorme 38 yd pass from Salanoa (Griggs kick), 00:07 FOURTH QUARTER EW-Shaylon Reed 13 yd pass from Salanoa (Griggs kick), 13:57 UC-Small, 3 yd run (Hickok kick), 3:46 ATTENDANCE: 15,723 EW UC First Downs 26 15 Rushes-yards 30-146 40-90 Passing yards 384 104 Sacks By: Number-Yards 3-19 0-0 Passes (Comp/Att/Int) 28-42-1 9-21-1 Punts 6-32.8 7-46.0 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 10-120 6-61 Time of possession 28:27 31:33 Individual Statistics RUSHING: Eastern Washington: Jesse Chatman, 15-89, Mario Sweet 8-30, Lamont Brightful, 1-11, Jovan Griffith, 4-10, Fred Salanoa, 2-6; Connecticut: Chris Bellamy, 15-86, Taber Small 14-37, Chandler Poole 2-5, Team, 1-(-8), Dan Orlovsky, 1-(-8), Keron Henry 7-(-28). PASSING: Eastern Washington: Fred Salanoa 25-38-1, Eli Marsh-3-4-0; Connecticut- Keron Henry 8-16-1, Dan Orlovsky, 1-3-0. RECEIVING: Eastern Washington-Kyler Randall, 7-79, Joe Levens, 6-82, Kyle Delorme, 3-53, Shaylon Reed, 3-50, Jesse Chatman, 3-38, Andre Cummings, 3-32, Lamont Brightful, 1-34, Mario Sweet, 1-8, Dan Curley, 1-8. Connecticut: Cliff Hill, 3-47, Jasen Ridley, 3-34, O'Neil Wilson, 1-10, Rashad Drayton, 1-7, Chris Bellamy, 1-6.
