No. 19/20 Football Travels To No. 24/24 William & Mary (CSN-NE, 12 p.m., Oct. 17)

Saturday, October 17

Williamsburg, Va.

12:00 PM

University of New Hampshire

The College of William & Mary

No. 19/20 Football Travels To No. 24/24 William & Mary (CSN-NE, 12 p.m., Oct. 17)

10/13/2015 9:58:00 PM | Football

Saturday, Oct. 17 – 12 p.m. – Zable Stadium – Harrisonburg, Va.
No. 19/20 UNH (3-2 overall, 1-1 CAA) at No. 24/24 William & Mary (3-2, 2-1)

Television: Comcast SportsNet • There will be watch parties at the Thirsty Moose Taphouse in both Portsmouth and Dover this Saturday. Fan who wear UNH gear will get 10% off their bills while the Wildcats are on TV.
Online video: caa.tv
Radio: Wildcat Sports Radio Network

NEXT HOME GAME: vs Rhode Island • Saturday, Oct. 31 • 1 p.m. • Tickets • Promotions

QUICK HITTERS
The No. 19/20 UNH football team has its only open week of the 2015 season last weekend. The Wildcats return to action Oct. 17 at The College of William & Mary. Opening kickoff at Zable Stadium is 12 p.m. and the game will be televised live on Comcast Sports Network as well as online at caa.tv.

The 'Cats own the nation's longest streak of Top 25 appearances with 162 in a row, a stretch that dates back to Sept. 13, 2004.

UNH comes out of its open week on a two-game win streak following a 37-14 Homecoming victory against Elon University on Oct. 3.

During the current win streak, the Wildcats have outscored the opposition by an aggregate score of 94-28, including 45-0 in the first quarter, 35-14 in the second quarter (80-14 in the first half), and 3-0 in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats, who opened the 2015 season with three consecutive road games, have a 1-2 road record this year.

UNH has a 1-1 record in televised games this season.

William & Mary reentered the Top 25 at No. 24 (in both polls) following last week's 38-16 win at then-No. 14 Villanova. The Tribe has alternated wins and losses through five games.

New Hampshire has a 4-14 lifetime record against William & Mary but the 'Cats prevailed 32-3 in last year's Homecoming game against the 10th-ranked Tribe.

Spanning the 2004-14 seasons, UNH has a 6-7 record following an open week. Last year, the Wildcats defeated both Lehigh University (45-27) and Stony Brook University (28-20) after an open week. Prior to the 2014 season, UNH had lost the previous four games following an open week.

In the national stats, UNH's defense is No. 2 in sacks, No. 7 in both red zone defense and fourth down conversion percentage, No. 10 in tackles for a loss, and No. 13 in fumble recoveries.

UNH's defense, which did not have an interception through four games, picked off five passes thrown by Elon quarterbacks Oct. 3. It was the highest number of INTs by the Wildcats since Oct. 9, 2010, when they tallied six, including a pick-six, in a 17-0 win against Richmond.

Dalton Crossan recorded career highs in carries (22), rushing yards (140) and rushing TDs (four) vs. Elon to become the first active Wildcat with a 100-yard rushing game. He was named CAA co-Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5.

Senior QB Sean Goldrich is projected to return to the starting lineup this week. He has been sidelined since incurring a high ankle sprain Sept. 12 at Colgate.

UNH has launched a stadium ticket campaign for the 2016 season. Reserve season tickets in the state-of-the-art stadium for a $25 deposit per seat. Visit www.unhstadium.com

UNH vs. William & Mary All-Time Series: UNH has a 4-14 lifetime record, including 1-9 on the road, against William & Mary. In last year's matchup, the No. 4/6 Wildcats roared past the No. 10/11 Tribe, 32-3; it marked W&M's lowest point total in the series.
In the most recent meeting at Zable Stadium (Williamsburg, Va.), the Tribe won 17-0 on Nov. 2, 2013; New Hampshire has not been shut out since that game. The 'Cats have lost six straight matchups at Zable Stadium since recording a 31-19 victory Oct. 24, 1998.

The Most Recent Matchup (Oct. 11, 2014): UNH built a 15-0 lead and outscored William & Mary 17-0 in the second half to record a 32-3 victory in a Homecoming game at Cowell Stadium.
The Wildcats outgained the Tribe, 402-217, including 126-105 rushing and 276-112 passing. UNH's offense converted 5 of 13 first downs (38.5%) and scored on all four trips into the red zone (three TDs, one FG). W&M's offense was 4 of 16 (25.0%) on third down conversions and kicked a field goal on its only red zone penetration.
New Hampshire's defense sacked Steve Cluley three times and had an interception. William & Mary forced two turnovers (both interceptions) and did not record a sack.
The Wildcats were led offensively by a quintet of seniors who graduated last spring. Quarterback Andy Vailas completed 25 of 36 passes for three TDs and also carried the ball six times for 21 yards. Running back Nico Steriti scored three touchdowns (one rush, two receiving) and Jimmy Owens led the ground game with 74 yards on 11 carries. R.J. Harris had five catches for 105 yards and Harold Spears caught four passes for 70 yards.
UNH's defense limited Cluley to 18 of 30 for 105 passing yards and Mikal Abdul-Saboor to 52 yards on 12 carries.

National Numbers: New Hampshire's defense is No. 2 in sacks with 4.00 per game, which also leads all CAA Football teams. The Wildcats rank 10th in tackles for a loss at 8.0 per game – once again, tops in the conference; the defense made 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage consecutive games at Stony Brook (Sept. 19) and Central Connecticut (Sept. 26).
UNH is No. 13 in the nation in fumble recoveries with six, including a season-high three against Central Connecticut State on Sept. 26.
The 'Cats are also one of the top red zone defenses at No. 7 in the nation (second in the CAA) – opponents score on 58.8% of their trips inside the 20 – and they are No. 7 in fourth-down conversion defense (25.0%).
On special teams, UNH is No. 5 in blocked punts (two) and No. 6 in blocked kicks (three) as well as No. 13 in net punting (38.6 yards).
In other stats, the Wildcats are No. 6 in fumbles lost (one), 15th in turnovers lost (five) and 10th in turnover margin (+1.20).
Redshirt freshman linebacker Jared Kuehl is No. 2 in the nation in blocked punts with two.
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 8 nationally in rushing TDs (seven), No. 9 in scoring (9.6 points/game) and 16th in all-purpose yards per game (151.80).
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 8 in the nation (second in the CAA) in sacks per game at 1.00; Shorey has a team-high five sacks.
Senior defensive tackle Jullian Turner is 13th in the nation in tackles for a loss with a CAA-best 1.6 per game.

Not So Long Ago, But Still Rare: Dalton Crossan ran for four touchdowns – all in the first half – Oct. 3 against Elon. You don't have to go back too far to find the last time a UNH Wildcat had four rushing TDs in a game because Nico Steriti accomplished the feat in last year's NCAA second round 44-19 win against Fordham University; Steriti had a split of one TD in the first half and three in the second half.
Prior to that, however, it had been since Oct. 25, 2003 since the Wildcats had a player with four rushing touchdowns in a game. On that day, R.J. Harvey found the end zone on runs of 5, 77, 1 and 3 yards to lead New Hampshire to a 38-17 win at Hofstra University; three of his four scores came in the second half.

It had Been A while: The UNH defense, with no interceptions through four games, picked off five passes in Game 5 against Elon University on Oct. 3; the INTs were recorded by five players – Akil Anderson, Casey DeAndrade, D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie, Lamar Edmonds and Ryan Farrell.
The last time the Wildcats recorded as many as five interceptions in a game was Oct. 9, 2010, when they tallied six, including a pick-six, in a 17-0 win against Richmond.
New Hampshire was penalized 14 times for 115 yards vs. the Phoenix. The previous time the 'Cats had 100+ penalty yards in a game was Nov. 16, 2013 at Albany.

Back Under Center: Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich could return to the starting lineup this weekend at William & Mary. Goldrich incurred a high ankle sprain the second week of the season at Colgate University (Sept. 12) and did not play the next three games – at Stony Brook, vs. Central Connecticut State, vs. Elon.
In two games this season, Goldrich has completed 27 of 45 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown; he also has 13 rushes for 50 yards (both numbers rank third on the team). In his most recent game, the captain was 17 of 23 for 166 yards and one TD for a pass efficiency rating of 148.89.
Goldrich is on the UNH Top 10 career list in three offensive categories – fifth in passing yardage (5,895) and attempts (784) as well as sixth in completions (480). He is also the Wildcats' active career leader in rushes (283), rushing yards (952) and rushing touchdowns (17).
In comparison, the three other UNH quarterbacks who have seen action this year have combined career stats of 79-for-135 for 719 yards, seven TDs and four INTs.
Junior Adam Riese was the starting quarterback the past two games against Elon (Oct. 3) and Central Connecticut State (Sept. 26). In his first career start vs. CCSU, Riese led the Wildcats to four touchdowns and a field goal on eight possessions – all in the first half. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 188 yards and three TDs without an interception for a 189.16 efficiency rating.
Riese took every snap from center in UNH's 37-14 win against Elon and completed 22 of 32 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown; he was intercepted one.
In three games, Riese is 50 of 75 for 473 yards and five TDs with two INTs; for a 16.31 efficiency rating; all of those numbers are team highs. In 10 career games, Riese's numbers include 51 of 77 for 474 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

When Goldrich Starts: UNH has an 18-7 record (.720 win percentage) when Sean Goldrich is the starting quarterback. That includes 10-6 on the road, 11-1 in CAA conference games and 7-1 in CAA conference road games. The "one" in those conference games is a 17-0 loss at William & Mary on Nov. 2, 2013. Since then, the Wildcats have won six consecutive CAA games and that includes four on the road.

All-Purpose Performer: Explosive junior running back Dalton Crossan is a versatile weapon and workhorse for the Wildcats. Crossan leads the team in rushes (76), rushing yards (397), receptions (19), kickoff returns (10), kickoff return yards (247) and all-purpose yards (759). He has led the team in both rushes and rushing yards all five games, as well as in receptions twice.
Crossan carried the ball a career-high 22 times for a personal-best 140 yards and four touchdowns – another career high – in New Hampshire's most recent game, a 37-14 win against Elon University on Oct. 3. Crossan did a majority of that damage in the first half with 12 rushes for 93 yards and four TDs.
Crossan is averaging 79.4 rushing yards per game, 23.0 receiving yards per game and 151.8 all-purpose yards per game. He has scored seven rushing TDs and also caught a touchdown pass.
Crossan has recorded at least 100 all-purpose yards every game with a low of 122 (at Stony Brook) and high of 177 (vs. Elon). In comparison, the rest of the team has recorded 100+ all-purpose yards just one time – Trevon Bryant with 117 vs. Central Connecticut State.
Among active 'Cats, Crossan ranks second in career rushes (120) and rushing yards (848) as well as career receptions (36) and receiving yards (287).
In just one half of action vs. Central Connecticut State on Sept. 26, Crossan had 10 carries for 74 yards (33-yard TD), three catches for a career-high 58 yards (48-yard TD) and a 27-yard kickoff return for a total of 159 all-purpose yards.
Crossan recorded team and career highs in both carries (21) and rushing yards (96) Sept. 12 at Colgate. One week later at Stony Brook, he had a team-high and personal-best seven catches (for 23 yards).

Bryant in the Backfield: Running back Trevon Bryant has 32 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns to rank second on the squad in all three stats. He is averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He also has three catches for 27 yards, including a career-long 20-yard reception Sept. 19 at Stony Brook.
Bryant showed his explosive speed Sept. 12 at Colgate when he gained the left corner and raced down the left sideline for a 28-yard gain. He finished that game with personal bests in both rushes (10) and rushing yards (70).

It's Better to Receive: Junior tight end Jordan Powell leads the team with 160 receiving yards on 16 catches (10.0 yards per catch). He tallied personal bests in both catches (five) and receiving yards (48) against Elon on Oct. 3; those numbers included a four-yard touchdown. Powell has produced consistent numbers with 3-5 catches and 30+ yards in four of five games. He caught four passes for 32 yards and a score Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut State.
Seniors Jared Allison and Mike Kelly and freshman Amechie Walker, Jr. are the starting wideouts. Allison has 12 catches for 115 yards, including a 12-yard TD at Colgate (Sept. 12); he did not have a catch at Stony Brook (Sept. 19) but bounced back the following week vs. CCSU with season highs in both receptions (five) and yards (53); Allison had one catch for 19 yards in the most recent gave vs. Elon.
Walker, Jr. ranks second on the team in receiving yards (140) on 11 catches for a team-high 12.7 yards per catch. He had a breakout game Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut with two touchdowns on two catches, including a season long of 37; he finished with a career-high 56 yards. Walker, Jr. recorded his first career catch Sept. 12 at Colgate and finished the game with three catches for 25 yards.
Another top target is sophomore Aaron Lewis-Cenales. He recorded career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (58) Sept. 12 at Colgate; he has 11 catches for 140 yards this season.
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan had a breakout game Sept. 19 at Stony Brook with five catches for 46 yards, including a 17-yard TD reception for his first career score. Donovan subsequently made his first career start one week later against Central Connecticut State; he had one catch for 16 yards.

What's My Line: Heading into the season opener, UNH's offensive line had a solid foundation with junior Tad McNeely at center, junior Alexander Morrill at left guard and senior Austin Heter at left tackle. All three were starters last season with both McNeely and Morrill in the starting lineup since they were redshirt freshman.
On the right side of the line, juniors Andrew Lauderdale and Curtis Nealer solidified their starting role at tackle and guard, respectively.
The blueprint changed quickly, however, when Lauderdale missed the second game and McNeely was injured in that game at Colgate – he has been sidelined since and senior George Kallas has stepped in at center.
Lauderdale started the first and third games; sophomore Will McInerny was the starting right tackle at Colgate and in back-to-back games vs. Central Connecticut and Elon.

Senior Safeties: Four senior safeties solidify the secondary with Daniel Rowe, Hayden Knudson, Lamar Edmonds and Keith Parkinson patrolling the secondary.
Rowe was injured during the Sept. 19 game at Stony Brook University and has not returned to action; despite playing less than three games, he is tied for third on the team in tackles with 23 (13-10-23). He forced a fumble each of the first two weeks of the season and also blocked a PAT in the opener at San Jose State.
Knudson has started 4 of 5 games this season – he did not play in the Sept. 26 home opener vs. Central Connecticut but returned to the starting lineup one week later vs. Elon. He is seventh overall and second among safeties in tackles with 21 (10-11-21).
Edmonds, who has started each of the last three games and 4 of 5, ranks third among safeties and eighth overall in total tackles with 18; he recorded his second career interception – a play that was featured on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays – Oct. 3 vs. Elon.
Parkinson, with one start in five games played, has been credited with 17 tackles; he tied his career high of five tackles vs. CCSU.
Sophomore Nick Marino has earned a start each of the last two games; in his first career start against CCSU, Marino made the most of the opportunity by recording a personal-best five tackles (4-1-5). He has nine tackles (7-2-9) in four games.
Sophomore D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie has played all five games and seen significant time as part of the rotation. He recorded his first career interception against Elon and has 14 tackles (5-9-14). Drummond-Mayrie tallied a personal-best six tackles (3-3-6) one week earlier against Central Connecticut.

Excellent Cornering Skills: Junior Casey DeAndrade has established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the CAA and is on the STATS Watch List as for FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team.
DeAndrade ascended to the top of UNH's tackles leaderboard with a team-high six-tackle effort against Central Connecticut and he enters the weekend still atop the list with 30 tackles (22-8-30). He also has a team-leading five pass breakups as well as a fumble recovery, an interception and 3.5 tackles for a loss, including one sack.
DeAndrade recorded four pass breakups Sept. 12 at Colgate and that included three consecutive plays midway through the fourth quarter in UNH territory with the 'Cats protecting a 23-8 lead. One week earlier at San Jose State, DeAndrade finished with personal bests in solo tackles (10) and total tackles (11). He has six tackles each of the last two games (vs. CCSU and Elon)
Senior Dougie Moss has started opposite DeAndrade 4 of 5 games, including each of the last two, and he climbed to second on the squad in tackles with 24 (17-7-24) after making five stops vs. Elon. Moss recorded career highs in total tackles (10) as well as both solo (six) and assisted (four) tackles in the opener at San Jose State.
Sophomore Patrick Mensah made his first career start Sept. 19 at Stony Brook and he recorded four tackles. He has 13 tackles (10-3-13) in four games.

In the Trenches: UNH's defensive line is led by senior captain Jullian Turner and classmate Rashid Armand in the middle as well as junior Cam Shorey on the outside. Redshirt freshman Jae'Wuan Horton and sophomore Mike Boryeskne have proven themselves capable at the opposite end.
Turner has been impressive this season with 8 of his 22 tackles recorded behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks (one each of the first three games); his is 13th in the nation in tackles for a loss per game. Turner tallied a personal-best six tackles Sept. 12 at Colgate and made five stops Oct. 3 vs. Elon.
Shorey leads the team with five sacks and ranks No. 8 nationally with 1.00 sacks per game. He sacked the quarterback in 4 of 5 games and recorded a personal-best two against Central Connecticut (Sept. 26). Shorey has 16 tackles (9-7-16) and one fumble recovery. He is the only 'Cat who has recorded a tackle for loss every game.
Armand was credited with a career-high five tackles (all assisted) at San Jose State and he made four stops vs. Colgate.
Horton, who did not play Week 2 at Colgate, recorded four tackles against both San Jose State and Stony Brook. He made three stops for a loss at SBU and that included two of the team's four sacks; he also forced a fumble on one of those sacks. Horton sacked the QB again Sept. 26 vs. CCSU and he is tied with Turner for second on the team in sacks (three).
Boryeskne recorded five tackles each of the first three games this season and was credited with four stops against both Central Connecticut. and Elon. He leads all Wildcat defensive linemen – and is tied for third overall – with 23 tackles (11-12-23). He also recovered a fumble at Colgate.

Sideline to sideline: In UNH's defensive formation, the two middle linebackers cover the field sideline to sideline. Senior captain Akil Anderson and junior DeVaughn Chollette lead the Wildcats' linebacking crew.
Chollette leads the Wildcats in assisted tackles (13) and is tied for fifth in total tackles with 22; he recorded a season-high eight tackles (3-5-8) at Colgate. Anderson –the team's top tackler in 2013 and 2014 – has had a quiet start to the 2015 season with 17 tackles, six of which came in Week 2 at Colgate.

Special Teams: New Hampshire has a couple of dangerous returners in Casey DeAndrade and Dalton Crossan. DeAndrade doubled up on CAA First Team honors last season when he was named to not only the All-Conference team as a defensive back but as a punt returner as well. He led the league with an average return of 9.1 yards on 22 returns.
Crossan was slowed by a leg injury much of the 2014 season and returned late in the year primarily as a kickoff returner. His 32.4 yard average over 14 returns gave him a school record. As a redshirt freshman, Crossan averaged 23.7 yards per kickoff return, which placed him fifth in the CAA.
Crossan didn't lose a step in the offseason. In the 2015 opener at San Jose State, he had three kickoff returns for 102 yards (34.0 average), including a long of 57. For the season, he is averaging 24.7 yards per return (10-247).
Senior Christian Breda holds all of New Hampshire's kicking roles – kickoffs, placekicker and punter. In his first year punting, Breda is averaging 40.0 yards per punt. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20 seven times and recorded a career-long punt of 51 yards in the season opener at San Jose State; in that game, he averaged 41.6 yards on nine punts and had four inside the 20. Most recently against Elon, Breda averaged 40.7 yards on six punts with a long of 50.
Breda has connected on 4 of 5 field goal attempts – as well as 12 of 15 PATs – this season. He made 2 of 3 field goals on a rainy night at Colgate. After drilling the right upright on a 24-yard attempt, he later connected on a career-long 44 yarder and also made a 35-yard attempt. Breda was perfect vs. CCSU with a 24-yard field goal and five PATs. He connected on a 26-yard FG and made 4 of 5 PATs against Elon.

Scouting William & Mary: The College of William & Mary comes into this game ranked No. 24 in the FCS with an overall record of 3-2, CAA conference record of 2-1 and 1-0 mark at home. They are currently sitting in third in the CAA standings, two spots ahead of the Wildcats.
Last week, the Tribe took down No. 14 Villanova, 38-16, on the road. After falling behind 10-3 in the first quarter, W&M scored 35 consecutive points, 28 of which came in the second quarter, to run away with the game. The game turned midway through the second quarter with Villanova trailing 17-10 and facing 4th-and-13 at the W&M 26. DeAndre Houston-Carson intercepted Zach Bednarczyk's pass and raced to the end zone for a 94-yard return that extended the Tribe's lead to 24-10.
Running back Kendell Anderson led the way with 154 yards and three touchdowns, including a 71-yard scoring scamper. Steve Cluley completed 16 of 28 passes for 267 yards and a TD; the top target was Christian Reeves with four catches for 126 yards, including a 53-yard TD. Also of note, punter Hunter Windmuller averaged 50 yards on four punts with a long of 61 and two kicks inside the 20.
The Tribe, which is averaging 29.0 points per game, has had a strong rushing attack this season, averaging 192.2 yards per game on the ground and 1.4 touchdowns per game. This is not to knock their passing game, which has averaged 223 yards per game and 1.6 touchdowns per game. In the red zone, William & Mary has converted for a touchdown 31% of the time (5-for-16).
Defensively, they have allowed 16.4 points per game. The team has seven interceptions and has not recovered any fumbles so far this season. On third down, they have been able to get off of the field 57% of the time. Opponents have scored on 67% of their red zone trips with a TD half of those 12 times.
W&M has outscored the opposition 145-82 with sizable advantages in both the second (55-21) and fourth (36-16) quarters.

Tribe To Watch: Junior quarterback Steve Cluley has completed 81 of 137 passes (59.1%) for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns; he has been intercepted just once. He has been sacked 10 times in five games.
Junior running back Kendell Anderson is the top ground gainer with 81 carries for 531 yards and five TDs. Senior Mikal Abdul-Saboor has 68 rushes for 318 yards and two scores.
Sophomore wide receiver DeVonte Dedman leads the team in receptions (21) and receiving TDs (three); he is second in receiving yards with 261. Senior WR Christian Reeves has a team-high 263 yards on 12 catches to average 21.9 yards per catch; he has caught two TDs.
Senior safety DeAndre Houston-Carson is the top tackler with 43 (8.6 per game) and he also has a team-best two interceptions; his other stats include a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Junior linebacker Stephen Lubnow ranks second in tackles (29).
Senior defensive tackle Tyler Claytor leads the Tribe with three sacks.
On special teams, junior punter Hunter Windmuller is averaging 47.7 yards per punt; nine of his 14 punts have been at least 50 yards.

Sack Exchange: UNH's defense is No. 2 in the nation in sacks per game at 4.00. New Hampshire recorded three sacks each of the first two games of the 2015 season and upped that total to four sacks the third game at Stony Brook followed by a season-high eight vs. Central Connecticut. The two sacks vs. Elon (Oct. 3) marked the only time this season the 'Cats did not sack the quarterback at least three times in a game.
Last year, the Wildcats ranked 15th in the nation in sacks per game (2.79) as they recorded 3+ sacks five times in 14 games.

Anti-Air Defense: New Hampshire's defense held the opponent to less than 200 passing yards for the third consecutive week when the Wildcats limited Central Connecticut State to 117 yards, the lowest total by an opponent this season. Stony Brook passed for 169 yards one week earlier and Colgate totaled 195 passing yards on Sept. 12.
Elon ended the streak with 244 passing yards (by completing 23 of 52 pass attempts) on Oct. 3.
No quarterback has thrown for more than one touchdown in a game against this Wildcats' defense. UNH did allow two passing touchdowns by Stony Brook, but both QBs threw for one TD pass.

IN the (Red) Zone: UNH has scored on 16 of 19 (84.2%) trips inside the red zone this season with 12 touchdowns and four field goals; that means the Wildcats score a TD 63.2% of the time they cross the 20. New Hampshire converted all five scoring chances into points Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut with three TDs (one rush, two pass) and two field goals. Most recently (Oct. 3) vs. Elon, the 'Cats scored on 5 of 6 trips with four TDs (three rush, one pass) and a field goal.
In comparison, the opponents have scored on 10 of 17 (58.8%) trips into the red zone. Colgate was just 1 of 4 as the Wildcats forced the Raiders to lose the ball on downs three times, and CCSU did not score on its only trip across the 20.

Conference Call: In two CAA conference games, UNH has been outscored 45-43. One notable advantage – in favor of the opposition – is third down conversion; UNH is 7 of 30 (23.3%) while opponents are 12 of 33 (36.4%); the 'Cats have converted 5 of 10 fourth downs, however, in comparison to 1 of 3 for the opposition.
Dalton Crossan is averaging 90.0 rushing yards per game (36 carries, 180 yards) with four touchdowns. He also has a team-high nine catches (for 32 yards).
Junior quarterback Adam Riese is 35 of 53 for 274 yards, two TDs and two INTs; those numbers calculate to a .660 completion percentage, 137.0 passing yards per game and a 114.37 passer efficiency rating.
Junior tight end Jordan Powell leads the team in receiving yards with 64 on six catches; that is 10.7 yards/catch and 32.0 yards/game
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan has seven catches for 62 yards.
The defense has been balanced with Casey DeAndrade leading the 'Cat pack with 10 tackles. Jullian Turner, Mike Boryeskne and Dougie Moss follow with nine tackles apiece; Turner has tallied four tackles for a loss, including one sack.

Unbalanced Scoring: The Wildcats have outscored the opposition 52-27 in the first quarter and 61-30 in the second (113-57 in the first half), but the 'Cats have been outscored 38-14 in the third and 15-12 in the fourth (53-26 in the second half).

Valuing Possession: Through five games, UNH is +6 in turnover margin. A big reason for that advantage is a +4 margin Oct. 3 vs. Elon University, when the Wildcats intercepted five passes and were intercepted once.
The previous week vs. Central Connecticut, the Wildcats were +3 with three fumble recoveries and no turnovers committed. The CCSU game marked the first time this season New Hampshire won the turnover battle.
The 'Cats are 2-0 when winning the turnover battle, 1-1 when it's tied and 0-1 when committing more turnovers.
Neither team committed a turnover in the season opener at San Jose State, then in the game at Colgate both teams turned the ball over once.
UNH and Stony Brook combined for five turnovers with the Wildcats throwing two interceptions and losing one fumble and recovering two Seawolves' fumbles; the Seawolves are the only team to win the turnover battle vs. the 'Cats.

Another Wildcat First Down: New Hampshire has extended drives 23 times on 73 third downs (31.5%). The Wildcats have excelled at accomplishing that feat in the second quarter at 10-for-18 (55.6%), but has struggled in the third quarter at 2-for-17 (11.8%).
In comparison, opponents are 30-for-78 (38.5%) on third down conversions overall and are 40% or better in 3 of 4 quarters; the best conversion rate is also in the second quarter at 10 of 22 (45.5%), while the lowest is the first quarter at 3 of 16 (18.8%).

First Half 40: The Wildcats scored 46 first-half points Sept. 26 against Central Connecticut State University with 25 in the first quarter and 21 in the second.
The previous time UNH scored 40 points in a half was Sept. 14, 2013, when the 'Cats put up 40 in the first half vs. Colgate University en route to a 53-23 victory.
The 46 points in a half vs. CCSU marked the highest total by New Hampshire in any half since October 15, 2005, when the Wildcats posted 47 first-half points at the University of Rhode Island; the 'Cats prevailed 53-9.

Defense Gets Offensive: UNH's defense scored its first – and only – points of the season Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut State University when junior linebacker Ryan Farrell picked up a fumble at the CCSU 15 yard line and carried the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. The score extended the Wildcats' lead to 25-0 at 1:03 of the first quarter.
The last time UNH returned a fumble for a TD was Oct. 12, 2013, when Cam Shorey had a 44-yard fumble recovery vs. Rhode Island.
Prior to Farrell's touchdown, the last time New Hampshire's defense scored any points was a 55-yard interception return for a TD by Steven Thames at Elon (Oct. 4, 2014).

Wildcat Debuts: Six players made their UNH debut Sept. 26 against Central Connecticut State. Junior wide receiver Garette Craig – a transfer from Mesa Community College – carried the ball twice for 26 yards, including a long of 19. Redshirt freshman corner back Ismail Asongwed was credited with three tackles (1-2-3) and safety Jason Martinez, another redshirt freshman, recovered a fumble. Two other redshirt freshmen – Nick Derocher (tight end) and Dayne Herron (offensive line), and sophomore wide receiver Chris Redding also entered the game.

Dominant in The Dungeon: New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium has been called The Dungeon, a fittingly foreboding nickname for the opposition. The Wildcats demonstrated that in the Sept. 26 home opener against Central Connecticut State with a 57-14 victory in which they rolled out to a 25-0 first-quarter lead.
UNH had an 8-1 record at The Dungeon last year as part of a program-record 14-game win streak that included a perfect 6-0 mark in the 2013 season. The streak ended with a 21-18 loss to Illinois State University in the Dec. 20, 2014 NCAA semifinal game.
In the 14-game win streak at The Dungeon, the Wildcats outscored the opposition 571 to 253 (40.8 points/game to 18.1 points/game) with eight games of 40+ points, including three 50+ efforts (59 vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 12, 2013).
Since the start of the 2007 season, the Wildcats are 43-5 at Cowell Stadium for an .896 win percentage.
UNH has won eight consecutive CAA home games with a 4-0 record in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The most recent conference home loss was Nov. 17, 2012 (64-35 to Towson University).
New Hampshire has also had tremendous success at home against non-conference teams the past decade-plus (2005-15) with a 20-2 record that included 16 consecutive wins. Prior to the 21-18 2014 NCAA playoff loss to ISU, the last time a non-conference team left Cowell Stadium as the victor was Dec. 3, 2005, when Northern Iowa escaped with a 24-21 win in an NCAA quarterfinal win.
The last time UNH lost a regular-season home game to a non-conference opponent was Nov. 11, 2000 (38-35 to Gardner-Webb). Since then, the 'Cats have won 19 consecutive regular-season home games against non-conference foes.

Coach Mac Turns 200: The UNH football team played its 200th game in the 17-year tenure of head coach Sean McDonnell on Sept. 3, 2015 at San Jose State University (43-13 loss). Coach Mac has a career record of 128-75 (.631 win percentage).

Inside the CAA Win Streak: New Hampshire's streak of consecutive CAA conference wins ended at 11 games with a 31-6 loss at Stony Brook University on Sept. 19. (Overall, UNH recorded 12 straight wins against CAA teams, including a 41-27 win at No. 8 Maine in the 2013 NCAA second round.) UNH went 5-0 on the road and defeated five nationally-ranked teams during the 11-game win streak.
The 'Cats ran the table last year with an 8-0 CAA conference record after closing the 2013 season with three straight league wins. The win streak began Nov. 9, 2013 with a 33-17 against 22nd-ranked James Madison University.
To quantify New Hampshire's dominance during this stretch, the Wildcats outscored the opposition 384 (34.9 ppg) to 167 (15.2 ppg) and trailed just three times – 10-0 at Richmond, 14-0 (2014) vs. Stony Brook (2014) and 3-0 vs. Maine (2014).
Prior to this year's loss at Stony Brook, the most recent loss to a CAA opponent was Nov. 2, 2013, when the Wildcats were upended 17-0 at William & Mary.

Game 1 11/09/13 at UNH 33, (#22) James Madison 17
Game 2 11/16/13 UNH 37, at Albany 20
Game 3 11/23/13 at UNH 24, (#4) Maine 3
Game 4 09/20/14 UNH 29, at (#17) Richmond 26
Game 5 10/04/14 UNH 48, at Elon 14
Game 6 10/11/14 at UNH 32, (#10) William & Mary 3
Game 7 10/25/14 at UNH 28, Stony Brook 20
Game 8 11/01/14 at UNH 49, (#23) Albany 24
Game 9 11/08/14 UNH 41, at Rhode Island 14
Game 10 11/15/15 at UNH 43, Delaware 14
Game 11 11/22/14 UNH 20, at Maine 12

Elon Torched By UNH: The No. 20/23 Wildcats scored three first-quarter touchdowns en route to a 34-0 lead and 37-14 victory against the Elon University Phoenix in the Oct. 3 Homecoming game at Cowell Stadium.
The Wildcats' defense, which had no interceptions through four games, picked off five passes against the Phoenix. Senior safety Lamar Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) ended Elon's third possession of the game with an interception that was featured as No. 7 on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day.

Notable Numbers vs. the Phoenix: Junior running back Dalton Crossan recorded career highs in rushes (22), rushing yards (140) and touchdowns (four). He scored four first-half rushing touchdowns, averaged 6.4 yards per carry and eclipsed 100 yards for the first time as a Wildcat as part of 177 all-purpose yards.
Junior TE Jordan Powell recorded career highs in both catches (five) and receiving yards (48). His four-yard TD reception gave the 'Cats a 14-0 lead at 7:34 of the first quarter.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Jared Kuehl blocked a punt and recorded two tackles.
Junior QB Adam Riese played the entire game. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one TD and one interception.