Joe Fagnano saved the best game of his career for UConn’s regular season finale.
The Huskies’ quarterback was electric in a shootout win at FAU on Saturday, showing his veteran poise and decision-making as he led his team to a thrilling 48-45 victory with a go-ahead two-minute drill that left coach Jim Mora feeling like “a proud Papa,” as he put it. It is just the first time in UConn football history that the Huskies have reached the nine-win mark in consecutive seasons.
Fagnano completed 33 of his 46 passes for a career-high 446 yards and three touchdowns.
And his coach demanded he be considered for the Heisman Trophy in his post-game interview with Fox Sports Radio’s Adam Giardino.
“I haven’t said this: Joe Fagnano, if he’s not on the stage in New York with the final three for the Heisman, then it is a crying shame, with what he’s done this year,” Mora said. “Tulane and us, we’re the only (Group of Five teams that have beaten two power conference teams). And Joey Fagnano has a lot to do with it. All that Group of Five stuff, Joey Fagnano should be in the Heisman contingent, he should be sitting on the stage in New York City when they announce the Heisman. Period.”
The coach-quarterback duo has lifted the UConn football program to new heights, no question about it. And having a Heisman finalist would only accelerate its growing reputation, as the Huskies have executed one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football.
But does Fagnano really have a legitimate Heisman case?
You can now vote for UConn’s Joe Fagnano to win the Heisman Trophy
His numbers, up there with the best in UConn history, suggest he might. With a bowl game likely still to play, which would count in the program’s record book, Fagnano has the highest passing efficiency in UConn history (159.31), the second-most completions (284 – four behind Dan Orlovsky’s 2004 record), the second-most passing yards (3,441 – 44 behind Orlovsky’s 2003 record), the third-most touchdown passes (28, five behind Orlovsky’s 2003 record), and he is the only UConn quarterback with at least 150 pass attempts to only throw one interception over an entire season.
Orlovsky – who threw 14 interceptions in 2003 – never received a Heisman vote.
But Fagnano’s one interception on 412 passing attempts is certainly noteworthy.
How does he stack up nationally?
The UConn QB, through 12 games, is third in passing yards behind North Texas’ Drew Westemaker and FAU’s Caden Veltkamp, who threw for 494 yards against the Huskies on Saturday. Both, like most other Heisman contenders, have another regular season game left to play. Fagnano’s 68.9% completion rate currently stands at 16th nationally, his 28 touchdowns are third nationally and his passing efficiency is 15th. He and Temple’s Evan Simon (286 pass attempts) are the only two FBS quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts to have thrown one interception or less.
His favorite target, Skyler Bell, deserves a mention here: The Huskies’ receiver leads the nation in all three receiving triple-crown stats after Week 13, though most teams still have a game to play. Bell is first in receptions with a UConn-record 101, first in receiving yards with 1,276 (second-most in UConn history behind Mark Didio’s 1,354 in 1991), and first in touchdown receptions with a UConn-record 13. Bell was named one of 13 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver last week.
Based on betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the top-five Heisman favorites through Week 13 are:
- Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza (203-for-278, 2,641 yards, 30 TD, 5 INT)
- Ohio State QB Julian Sayin (239-for-301, 2,832 yards, 27 TD, 4 INT)
- Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (185 carries, 1,306 yards, 17 TD)
- Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (224-for-312, 2,924 yards, 26 TD, 6 INT)
- Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (189-for-306, 2,752 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT)
One thing all five have in common? They all star on top-15 teams, in AP Poll and the College Football Playoff rankings.
The same criteria that is keeping UConn off most AP ballots is what is holding Fagnano back in the Heisman race.
UConn’s strength of schedule, with its opponents (including Central Connecticut, an 8-4 FCS team) combining for a record of 53-80, is the second-worst in the country and its strength of record is 67th. It is true that UConn and Tulane are the only two Group of Five teams to beat two power conference teams, but it is also true that Boston College and Duke are a combined 7-15 on the season. Sure, UConn finished the regular season undefeated in regulation, but its three overtime losses came to teams with a combined record of 13-20.
While the Heisman Trophy doesn’t require playing for a national championship contender, it certainly helps.
There hasn’t been a Heisman winner from a non-power conference team since Ty Detmer in 1990, long before BYU became one with its move to the Big 12 in 2023. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty finished second to Colorado’s Travis Hunter in a close vote last year and was the first non-power conference player to finish second since San Diego State RB Marshall Faulk in 1992.
The top four vote-getters are invited to attend the Heisman ceremony, which will take place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 13, televised on ESPN.
Will Fagnano be one of them? It’s a long shot, but Mora hopes so. The finalists will be announced on Dec. 8.