STORRS, Conn. -- It was an emotional arrival at Bradley International Airport on Monday as the parents of Jasper Howard arrived in Connecticut. UConn football coach Randy Edsall met the grieving couple at the airport.

An autopsy revealed that University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard died of a single stab wound to the abdomen.

His death has been ruled a homicide.

Starting cornerback Howard, 20, of Miami, was fatally stabbed on campus early Sunday morning. His stabbing occurred after a fight erupted outside a school-sanctioned dance at the Student Union.

Howards teammate Brian Parker, who is ineligible to play this season, was also stabbed. Both men were taken to Windham Community Memorial Hospital. Howard was then airlifted to St. Francis Hospital, where he died. Parker was treated and released from the hospital.

UConn police said Monday that the search for Howard’s assailant continued. They said they do not believe his stabbing was random, and that they don’t believe students are in danger.

UConn football coach Randy Edsall said he was called to St. Francis Hospital early Sunday morning to identify Howard’s body.

“I have two children of my own at home, but I have 105 sons and one of my sons has been taken away,” Edsall said.

Howard’s girlfriend in Miami was pregnant with the couple’s child. She was with him this past weekend as he helped his team win their homecoming game over Louisville, 38-25. His family said he had dreams of playing in the NFL.

UConn junior Daniel Stark said he watched Saturday’s game and was excited about the team’s outlook for the season. Stark said he received a text message from UConn notification system Sunday morning, alerting him of the stabbing. He said shortly afterward, he found out Howard had died.

“It’s definitely a tragedy, I mean, the win yesterday was such a morale boost and that feeling was just turned around. It’s like a low in my stomach when I got that text this morning,” he said. “It’s just painful, the UConn community is hurt.”

Many students said they are surprised the stabbing happened on campus.

“I usually feel pretty safe, nothing really happens, so it’s pretty surprising, I’d say,” senior Katie Kabot said.

Although police said the stabbing was not a random act, students said they remain worried about safety.

“Last year there was another stabbing off campus; it just seems like it’s becoming a trend,” Stark said.

UConn head of security Ronald Blicher said Howard’s death is the first homicide on the campus in the more than 30 years he’s worked there.

“While I will call this not a random act of violence, the university doesn’t have someone walking around stabbing people,” he said.

University police reopened the student union Sunday night.

Anyone with information is asked to call UConn police at 860-486-4800.