EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -Andre Dixon ran for 116 yards and Tyvon Branch ran a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown to spark undefeated Connecticut to a 44-10 win over Akron on Saturday.
The 5-0 start is the best for a UConn team since 1995 when the Huskies went 6-0 as a Division I-AA school.
Akron (2-3) had a 10-9 lead with 4:04 left in the first half after a 6-yard touchdown pass from Chris Jacquemain to Jabari Arthur, but didn't score again.
UConn began its 35-point run on the ensuing kickoff when Branch grabbed the ball on the 3, made one move to his left, and went up the middle of the field to make it 16-10.
Connecticut quarterback Tyler Lorenzen completed 17 of 26 passes for 203 yards with an interception and two touchdown passes. One of those went to Dixon, who also had a 55-yard touchdown run.
Jacquemain was 19-of-28 for 145 yards for Akron, with a touchdown and an interception. He completed his first 10 passes including five in a row on the game's first scoring drive, which ended with a 28-yard field goal from Igor Iveljic.
UConn answered by going 70 yards in seven plays, capped when Dixon caught a pass in the left flat from Lorenzen and ran it in. UConn kicker Tony Ciaravino missed the extra point, but later hit on his seventh consecutive field goal, a 45-yarder, to give the Huskies a 9-3 lead.
The Zips' Bryan Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards, and Akron was in the end zone two minutes later on Arthur's touchdown.
The Zips drove to the UConn 3 just before halftime, but poor clock management allowed the time to run out before they could score. On second down with 24 seconds left, Jacquemain scrambled to the sideline and was forced out. Officials ruled his forward progress had been stopped before he went out of bounds, and allowed the clock to run. The Zips didn't realize what was happening and were lining up for a field goal as UConn players were running to the locker room.
Connecticut scored three third-quarter touchdowns, on drives of 60, 71, and 90 yards to put the game away.
Connecticut was one of 23 undefeated teams heading into Saturday, and one of just four not ranked in the AP Top 25.
Akron played without its top defender, defensive back John Mackey, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Zips' 27-20 win over Kent State last week. Mackey led the team in tackles and is its defensive captain.
