Ellis Merriweather carried 39 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns and UMass ground out a 27-13 win over UConn in a battle of previously winless Bowl Subdivision independents on Saturday.
Merriweather carried on 10 of the 12 plays on the Minutemen’s opening drive, punching in from the 9 to make it 7-0, but the Huskies came back to take a 10-7 lead on a 34-yard Steven Krajewski-to-Keelan Marion touchdown pass and 38-yard Joe McFadden field goal.
Cameron Carson kicked a pair of second-half field goals to put UMass back in front, 13-10 and Merriweather and Zamar Wise each ran for second-half touchdowns to put the game away.
The Minutemen (1-5) ran for 247 yards and Brady Olson added 162 yards on 10-of-22 passing.
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Krajewski was 13-of-24 passing for the Huskies (0-7), but was picked off twice. Nathan Carter carried 20 times for 136 of UConn’s 163 yards rushing.
