EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn quarterback Bryant Shirreffs threw for 270 yards and the Huskies got touchdown runs from Arkeel Newsome and Ron Johnson to beat Army 22-17 on Saturday.
The win gives UConn its first 2-0 start since 2008, and matches the Huskies total from all of last season. The loss drops the Black Knights to 0-2 for the first time since 2012.
Army's Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 129 yards, including a 56-yard first-half touchdown. His backup, A.J. Schurr, threw a 71-yard touchdown to Joe Walker in the fourth quarter to make the game close.
But safety Andrew Adams intercepted a pass with 2:21 left and the Huskies ran the clock out.
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UConn receiver Noel Thomas caught four balls for 83 yards and kicker Bobby Puyol hit three field goals.
UConn was just 2-10 last year, including a 35-21 setback to Army at Yankee Stadium in which the Huskies gave up 330 yards on the ground.
Twenty-one of the 22 defensive players on UConn's depth chart played in that game. They held the Black Knights to 180 yards on Saturday.
The Huskies outgained Army 415 yards to 265, and held onto the ball for 39 minutes.
UConn led 12-10 at the half, sandwiching a 10-yard touchdown run from Newsome around two short Bobby Puyol field goals.
Safety Obi Melifonwu sniffed out a misdirection pitch to Army's DeAndre Bell on a fourth down and made an open-field tackle to set up UConn's 62-yard touchdown drive early in the second half.
Shirreffs completed 19 of 25 passes. His 32-yard throw to freshman Tyraiq Beals set up a 2-yard touchdown run from Johnson that made it 19-10.
A 39-yard field goal from Puyol put UConn up by 12.
That's when Schurr came into the game. Army had just five yards passing on two attempts before he went long to Walker, who out-jumped Melifonwu and raced down the left sideline with just under five minutes left to cut UConn's lead to 22-17.
But Army could not get the ball back after Shurr's pass into coverage ended up with Adams.
Newsome rushed 13 times for 73 yards for UConn, while Johnson added 39 yards on 18 carries, and Shirreffs had 31 yards on the ground.
The UConn fumble at midfield helped give Army an early 3-0 lead.
The Huskies then used an 11-play, 69-yard drive to tie the game on a 23-yard kick.
Army took the lead back in the second quarter. After a taunting penalty on Melifonwu gave the Black Knights first down at their 44, Bradshaw kept the ball, ran through the middle of the Husky defense, then cut right and outran the secondary for his touchdown.
Newsome's touchdown run capped a 75-yard Husky drive. But for the second consecutive week, UConn had an extra point blocked, and trailed 10-9.
On the final drive of the half, Noel Thomas followed up a diving 33-yard catch, with a 26-yarder after a screen play to set up Puyol's 25-yard kick.
Army's Andrew King had three sacks and 4 1/2 tackles for loss.
UConn had not won back-to-back games since the end of the 2013 season in which it won three straight.
