A few observations from a new-ish fan:
1) I became a UConn fan in 2021. don't ask me why, horrible timing on my side - I know.
In my short time caring about this football team, that was the best RENT atmosphere I have seen on a tv screen. NC State 2023 was solid, but this beats it because we were competitive to the end of the night. People stayed and the camera optics looked greatttt. entire lower bowl filled, much of top bowl populated with folks, it looked like a VINTAGE Big East night time game, like the ones I watched on youtube from the 2000s. There is something special about a packed Rent, specifically at NIGHT... not sure why, it just looks awesome to me. It was cool to see what UConn "could" look like if some P4 conference just gave us a friggin' chance. someone. anyone. Please, folks, we will not let you down.
2) Our performance and our crowd, influenced the CBS production team - announcers sounded DIFFERENT tonight, and were genuinely into the game until the final whistle.... or was it just me? Their emotions were locked in. Everything was just.... right. Hands down the best UConn CBS broadcast I've watched in my 5 seasons following this team.
3) Our offense finally went up against a team that was proven to not be bad (Duke is not elite but surely a competitive P4 team) and moved the ball. We were not perfect but from the eyball test, we belonged. The offensive playcalling deserves a shout out for exhibiting some creativity when UConn desperately needed to create some green space. Duke was more athletic than us, so that's where play design becomes critical - UConn did their homework and called some plays that raised my eyebrows, in a good way.
4) I will miss the Fagnano-to-bell connection, dearly dearly dearly - as will we all. I will savor the last 3 games of their tenure, like a fine wine. No clue if we'll be back to being a UConn offense next year... i sure hope not. But if we unfortunately return to earth and resume underwhelming QB play/passing attack, then at least I'll have enjoyed this short ride of competent air attack. Thank you, offense (not just JF/SBell, but especially them).
5) THIS is the win I was looking for, since I started following UConn - Every other P4 win had an asterisk to it... UNC was an apathetic team in that bowl, 2025 BC "sucks", 2023 BC "sucked" --- all the haters had their ammunition to write off our wins as flukes, and give us no credit for playing good, close games against Cuse/WF 2024/ Duke 2024. This game has NO asterisk on it - Duke needed the win, Cristobal was fully locked in, and their stakes were just as high as ours. No excuses, UConn played like a champion. And no asterisks can possibly be added to it.
6) Congrats to the old guard here, those who have been following since Big East and before - This win means lots to me as an angry fan who saw miserable performances from my start. I can only imagine what it means for you, who sat through the fall of the old Big East, loss of power status, and subsequent misery of the 2010's. You deserve to feel what you're feeling, tonight. A UConn that matters.
cheers