MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – Pat White ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in his first start, leading No. 18 West Virginia to a 45-13 win over Connecticut on Wednesday night.

First-place West Virginia (7-1, 4-0 Big East) showed no signs of sluggishness from an 18-day layoff.

The Mountaineers built a 35-3 halftime lead, getting a pair of touchdowns following turnovers.

The defense limited UConn (4-4, 1-3) to 12 rushing yards and 129 overall, the fewest allowed by West Virginia in three seasons.

UConn had one of Division I-A’s top defenses statistically, but four of its opponents have a combined record of 3-29.

The nation’s ninth-best rushing attack used a rotation of backs to compile 228 yards against the Huskies.

White, a redshirt freshman starting for the injured Adam Bednarik, frustrated UConn with his legs and his arm.

He ran for 63 yards on 12 carries.

White hit Brandon Myles with a 20-yard TD pass early in the second quarter. On the first play of the ensuing drive, West Virginia’s Warren Young recovered a fumble at the UConn 20.

White then leveled two UConn players on a block that saved teammate Steve Slaton from a big loss. Two plays later, White eluded three defenders on a bootleg run to the right and scored from 14 yards out for a 28-3 lead.

Freshman Dennis Brown, UConn’s third starting quarterback this season, got a rude greeting in his first road game.

He was sacked six times and threw an interception that Anthony Mims returned 32 yards to the UConn 14 midway through the second quarter. That set up White’s second TD run of the game, a 14-yard bootleg run to the left.

Brown finished 10-of-19 for 97 yards. White went 7-of-16 for 106 yards with an interception.

Slaton, a freshman who ran for 188 yards and set a school record with six TDs in a triple-overtime win over Louisville on Oct. 15, left with a sore hip late in the first half and did not return. He led West Virginia with 71 yards rushing.

Slaton’s 32-yard run set up his 1-yard TD to open the scoring. Later in the first quarter, four different players had bursts of 10 yards or better, including fullback Owen’s Schmitt’s 15-yard run for a 14-3 lead.

UConn, 0-6 all-time against ranked teams, was held to field goals twice after taking possession in West Virginia territory. The Huskies’ lone touchdown came on Lou Allen’s short run midway through the fourth quarter.

AP-ES-11-02-05 2306EST