Smith Rushes for Three TDs in 42-35 Win vs. Stonehill

Saturday, September 12

Durham, N.H.

6:03 PM

University of New Hampshire

1-2 , 0-1

Stonehill

1-2 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Stonehill	7	7	7	14	35
New Hampshire	14	7	14	7	42

Joquez Smith rushed for 122 yards and three TDs vs. Stonehill on Sept. 12, 2026 at Wildcat Stadium

Photo by: Kallie Gagne

9/12/2026 11:53:00 PM | Football

Box Score

UNH Head Coach Sean Goldrich Records First Career Victory

DURHAM, N.H. – Senior running back Joquez Smith (Tampa, Fla.) rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 42-35 victory against Stonehill College on Saturday night at Wildcat Stadium.

It marked the first career victory for UNH first-year head coach Sean Goldrich.

Smith had TD runs of 26, 34 and 3 yards – the last of which gave UNH a 42-28 lead at 11:06 of the fourth quarter – on 13 carries.

Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Ricketti (Rocky River, Ohio) started the game with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He had a game-high 182 all-purpose yards with three catches for 47 yards and three kickoff returns for 135 yards.

Senior quarterback Brooks Bentley (Venice, Fla.) completed 14 of 22 passes for 195 yards, including a 5-yard TD toss to junior wide receiver Ty Carlson (Oswego, Ill.). Senior Ja'Carree Kelly (Gainesville, Fla.) was UNH's top target with five catches for 78 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Trevor Barry (Elma, N.Y.) recorded a career- and game-high 15 tackles as well as a forced fumble and 71-yard blocked field goal return for a TD. Grad student safety Jackson Stone (Lebanon, N.H.) finished with a personal-best 14 tackles and sophomore linebacker Isaiah Jones (Springfield, Mass.) had a career-high nine tackles.

Stonehill quarterback Jack O'Connell threw for 380 yards and four TDs, and he was the Skyhawks' top ground gainer with 53 yards on 17 carries. Jaylin Baker pulled in six catches for 64 yards and a pair of scores.

Both UNH and SC move to 1-2 on the season.

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UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 19 (1pm) to face Harvard at Wildcat Stadium for Community Heroes Day.

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FIRST QUARTER

On the opening kickoff of the game, Ricketti put the Wildcats on the board with a 96-yard touchdown at 14:47 and Lucas Glassburn (Windermere, Fla.) kicked the PAT.
Stonehill then marched 59 yards down the field on nine plays to tie the score, 7-7, on a drive capped by a three-yard rush by Shane Eason at 11:03.

The Wildcats took a 14-7 lead when junior Sean Webb (San Diego, Calif) blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt, which resulted in Barry's 71-yard touchdown – New Hampshire's second special teams TD of the game – at 1:37.

SECOND QUARTER

Stonehill put together an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive capped off by a 16-yard touchdown from O'Connell to Kevin Sheridan and a successful PAT kick from Langdon Jr, Laws tied the game, 14-14, at 12:46.

Midway through the second quarter, Bentley completed a 26-yard pass and then another 26-yarder to Carlson to reach the SC 23. Following an illegal forward pass penalty, Smith burst up the middle for a 26-yard touchdown run with a PAT kick by Glassburn to put the Wildcats ahead 21-14 at 5:55.

THIRD QUARTER

Starting at their own eight yard line on the opening drive of the second half, the Skyhawks' drive ended when O'Connell was sacked by New Hampshire's Chris Campanelli (Kenoza Lake, N.Y.) for a 12-yard loss, forcing a 55-yard punt.
Starting at the Wildcats own 34 with 8:34 on the clock, Bentley completed a 32-yard pass to Kelly to quickly reach the SC 34. Facing 4^th-and-four at the SC 28, Bentley connected with Ricketti for a 19-yard completion down to the SC 9. Three plays later, Bentley threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Carlson at 6:33 and Glassburn added the PAT to increase the Wildcats' lead to 28-14.
Stonehill answered with a five-play, 65 yard scoring drive that ended with O'Connell to Jaylin Baker for the 6-yard score. Langdon Laws, Jr. PAT kick closed the deficit to 28-21.

New Hampshire fired back quickly with a drive of four plays for 75 yards capped by a touchdown rush from Joquez Smith for 34 yards at 2:18. Glassburn pushed the Wildcats' lead to 35-21.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Skyhawks opened the fourth quarter with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive. O'Connell completed a 21-yard pass to Baker at 14:06 to close the gap to 35-28.
New Hampshire wasted no time responding with an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive, that was capped by a three-yard rush Smith at 11:06. Glassburn's PAT widened the 'Cats lead to 42-28.
At the SC 25, the Skyhawks started their comeback with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive highlighted by a six-yard touchdown pass from O'Connell to Cole Clarke at 5:41. Laws, Jr. PAT was good to lift the visitors within 42-35.
UNH consumed most of the remaining clock with an 11-play, 50-yard drive that ended on a 42-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left with 55 seconds remaining.

Stonehill quickly advanced to the UNH 29 and on the last play, O'Connell's pass sailed out of the back of the end zone.

UNH NOTEBOOK

The last time UNH returned a kickoff for a touchdown was Nov. 4, 2023, when Caleb Mead scored on an 87-yarder vs. Villanova.
The previous time the Wildcats returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown was Nov. 17, 2012 against Towson..
Chief Ebana (West Hartford, Conn.) had a career-high six tackles, including a strip-sack.
Barry has recorded 10+ tackles all three games this season with 13 in the opener at UAlbany followed by 11 at Syracuse and 15 vs. Stonehill.
He is UNH's active leader with 117 career tackles.

Ricketti eclipsed 500 career receiving yards; he now has 539.

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