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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 10:23 a.m., Saturday, October 25, 2008

CFB: Brown runs for 150 yards; UConn beats Cincinnati

By PAT EATON-ROBB
Associated Press

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Donald Brown ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns and Connecticut scored 20 fourth-quarter points to beat Cincinnati 40-16 today.

Brown, who came in as the nation's leading rusher, set the school's single-season record with 1,324 yards in just eight games.

Redshirt freshman David Teggart, making his first career start, hit four field goals as the Huskies (6-2, 2-1 Big East) won their 11th consecutive home game.

Quarterback Cody Endres, another redshirt freshman starting for the first time, completed 18 of 42 passes for 196 yards.

Brown had just 80 yards late into the fourth quarter before a 54-yard run. He scored from 5 yards to make it 33-16, breaking open what had been a close game.

Robert McClain returned his second interception of the game 28 yards for a touchdown to close out the scoring.

Tony Pike and Chazz Anderson combined to throw for 259 yards for Cincinnati (5-2, 1-1), which will play at Hawaii on Dec. 6. Pike started for the first time since breaking his left (non-throwing) arm against Akron on Sept. 27, but only made it through the first half.

He was 10-of-27 for 136 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but Anderson took over after intermission. He was 9-of-20 for 123 yards and two interceptions.

The Huskies' defense held Cincinnati to just 30 yards rushing.

Teggart's 47-yard field goal into a 20-mph wind gave UConn a 20-16 with 19 seconds left in the third quarter. He hit a 32-yarder less than 2 minutes later after UConn's C.J. Marck stripped Mardy Gilyard of the ensuing kickoff.

McClain returned an interception 40 yards, to set up another field goal.

Cincinnati scored less than 2 minutes into the game, after Connor Barwin came up the middle to block his third punt of the season. That set up the first of three field goals from sophomore Jake Rogers, a 29-yarder. The Bearcats' kicker also hit a 54-yarder with the wind at his back just before the half to give the Bearcats a 13-10 lead. The kick was the third longest in Big East history, and the second longest for Rogers, who hit from 55 yards as a freshman against Oregon St.

After going 3-and-out in his first drive, Endres led UConn on a 10-play 57-yard drive the next time he got the ball, setting up Teggart from 26 yards.

Endres, UConn's third-string quarterback, played in place of sophomore Zach Frazer, who suffered a head injury a week ago in a loss to Rutgers, and senior Tyler Lorenzen, who went down in September with a knee injury.

UConn's Jasper Howard returned a 59-yard Kevin Huber punt 25 yards, setting up the Huskies' first touchdown drive. Brown scored from the 2 when he hurdled cornerback DeAngelo Smith in the backfield, then outraced the Bearcat defense to the corner of the end zone, leaping in to give UConn its first lead at 10-3.

Pike needed just six plays to bring the Bearcats back down the field, completing five consecutive passes, the last a 27-yard strike to Mardy Gilyard who scored his sixth touchdown of the season.

UConn freshman Jordan Todman took a pitch into the end zone from a yard to cap a seven-play 65-yard drive that gave Connecticut a 17-13 lead with 11:10 left in the third quarter. The drive was highlighted by a 34-yard pass from Endres to freshman wideout Michael Smith.