Connecticut 37, Massachusetts 0: Dwayne Gratz returned an interception for a touchdown, the Huskies blocked a punt for another and limited the visiting Minutemen to 59 total yards.

The Huskies held UMass to three first downs, registering their first shutout since 2007 against Maine.

Lyle McCombs rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Chandler Whitmer was 15-of-25 for 219 yards in his UConn debut. Whitmer threw two interceptions.

UConn held UMass without a first down until its seventh possession with 33 seconds left in the first half. One series earlier, Gratz picked off Mike Wegzyn and ran 37 yards for a score with 1:49 remaining in the first half for a 20-0 lead.

The Huskies went 75 yards the first time they had the ball, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by McCombs with 5:59 left in the first quarter.

Taylor Mack blocked a punt and Max DeLorenzo fell on it in the end zone for a 27-0 lead in the third quarter.

Chad Christen converted the first two field-goal attempts of his career in the second quarter for the Huskies, the second from 47 yards. Christen replaced all-time point leader Dave Teggart, who graduated.

GAME NOTEBOOK: UConn has won nine of 11 season openers since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division 1-A. … UMass has a 36-34-2 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1897. … UMass is in its second year of transition to FBS. It will compete in the Mid-American Conference, but cannot play for the league title or in a bowl until 2013. … The Huskies are 18-3 against MAC opponents.