Game Notes: Football Returns South to Play Delaware (Oct. 24)

Saturday, October 24

Newark, Del.

3:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

University of Delaware

Tickets

Game Notes: Football Returns South to Play Delaware (Oct. 24)

10/20/2015 7:55:00 PM | Football

Saturday, Oct. 24 – 3:30 p.m. – Delaware Stadium – Newark, Delaware
UNH (3-3 overall, 1-2 CAA) at Delaware (2-4, 1-2 CAA)
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Radio: Wildcat Sports Radio Network

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The UNH football team has a 3-3 overall record with a 1-2 CAA conference record as well as a 1-3 road record. The Wildcats were defeated 34-28 by then-No. 24 College of William & Mary last Saturday at Zable Stadium.

New Hampshire no longer holds the nation's longest active streak of weeks being consecutively ranked. The Wildcats' mark ended at 162 weeks when they exited this week's STATS FCS Poll. The streak began Sept. 6, 2004, when UNH entered the poll at No. 19. The 'Cats were also No. 19 in the last poll of the streak on Oct. 12, 2015.

The Wildcats, who opened the 2015 season with three consecutive road games, have a 1-3 road record this year.

UNH has not lost consecutive CAA conference games since 2010, when the Wildcats were defeated on the road by both Rhode Island (28-25, Sept. 10) and Maine (16-13, OT; Oct. 2).

Delaware enters the weekend with a 2-4 overall record that includes 1-2 in the CAA and 2-1 at home. The Blue Hens are coming off an open week; they lost 20-0 at Rhode Island in their most recent game (Oct. 10). UD has lost 3 of 4; the one win was a 24-23 victory against nationally-ranked William & Mary.

New Hampshire has a 12-20 lifetime record, including 6-9 on the road, against Delaware.

In the most recent meeting (Nov. 15, 2014), UNH prevailed 43-14 at Cowell Stadium to mark the Wildcats' largest margin of victory against the Blue Hens.

The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings dating back to the 2004 season with an active streak of five consecutive regular-season wins.

The last time these teams met at Delaware Stadium was Dec. 10, 2010, when the Blue Hens were 16-3 victors in the NCAA quarterfinals. The most recent regular-season matchup in Newark , resulted in UNH's 52-49 victory on Sept. 30, 2006.

In the national stats, UNH's defense is No. 7 in sacks (3.33/game), No. 10 in fourth down conversion percentage and No. 12 in red zone defense. On special teams, kick return is No. 3 ( 27.05 yards/return) and punt return is No. 11 (16.80 yards/return).

Junior RB Dalton Crossan is No. 7 in rushing TDs (eight), No. 12 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and 13th in all-purpose yards (157.50). He has eclipsed 100 rushing yards each of the past two games (zero the first 24 games of his career).

Delaware's strength lies in the ground game – both offensively and defensively. The Blue Hens rank No. 12 in the nation in rushing offense (244.0 yards/game) and No. 17 in rushing defense (112.8 yards allowed/game). That is part of the reason why UD is No. 5 in the nation in time of possession (34:26).

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. Delaware All-Time Series: New Hampshire has a 12-20 lifetime record, including 6-9 on the road, against Delaware. In the most recent meeting (Nov. 15, 2014), UNH prevailed 43-14 at Cowell Stadium to mark the Wildcats' largest margin of victory against the Blue Hens.
The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings dating back to the 2004 season; the lone Blue Hens' win in that span was in the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals, 16-3, at Delaware Stadium. UNH won three consecutive games (2004-06-07) by a total of 11 points; one year earlier (2003), the Blue Hens prevailed by one point. In comparison, the 'Cats have won by scores of 34-14 (19 points) and 43-14 (29 points) the past two years at Cowell Stadium.
Prior to UNH's recent success the past decade, Delaware posted a 7-1 record vs. New Hampshire spanning the 1992-2003 seasons.
The Wildcats have a 6-5 edge in the Sean McDonnell era (1999-present) and that includes a 3-2 mark at Delaware Stadium. Here is a look at the all-time series:
Date H/A UNH UD Result
10/17/53 A 0 48 L
10/16/54 H 13 19 L
10/15/55 A 18 20 L
10/20/56 H 6 14 L
10/19/57 A 6 59 L
10/18/58 H 14 36 L
10/17/59 A 12 50 L
10/15/60 H 31 14 W
09/26/70 A 12 53 L
09/25/71 H 7 40 L
09/28/74 A 10 34 L
09/27/75 H 7 16 L
09/13/86 A 28 21 W
10/03/87 H 45 21 W
10/01/88 H 20 38 L
09/30/89 A 27 17 W
09/15/90 H 34 7 W
10/05/91 A 45 28 W
10/03/92 H 22 42 L
09/06/97 H 10 27 L
09/26/98 A 7 31 L
[Coach Sean McDonnell era]
11/06/99 H 10 14 L
11/04/00 A 45 44 W - OT
10/06/01 H 36 49 L
10/26/02 A 9 21 L
10/11/03 H 21 22 L
09/02/04 A 24 21 W
09/30/06 A 52 49 W
10/06/07 H 35 30 W
12/10/10 A 3 16 L - NCAA quarterfinal
09/29/12 H 34 14 W
11/15/14 H 43 14 W

History Lesson: Delaware was No. 1 in the nation and defending national champion on Sept, 2, 2004, when the Wildcats recorded a 24-21 victory at Delaware Stadium. It marked UNH's first win against a No. 1-ranked team and ended the Blue Hens' streak of 10 consecutive home wins.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Ricky Santos (current UNH wide receivers coach) took over for injured Mike Granieri in the first half and completed 10 of 11 passes for 146 yards and a winning 44-yard TD pass to David Ball early in the fourth quarter.
That game-winning drive was on the heels of a go-ahead score led by UD backup quarterback Ryan Carty, who is now UNH's offensive coordinator and QB coach. Carty, who just entered the game, completed a 61-yard pass to David Boler to set up Bleiler's TD rush that gave Delaware a 21-17 lead at 13:56 of the fourth quarter.
Sean Devine, who is in his third year as Delaware's offensive coordinator, was on the UNH sidelines back in 2004 as offensive line coach under head coach Sean McDonnell. Devine had a 14-year stint on the UNH coaching staff; he served as defensive line coach (1995-2001), offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator (2002-06) and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach (2007-08) before taking a job at Boston College.

National Numbers: New Hampshire's defense is No. 7 in sacks with 3.33 per game, which also leads all CAA Football teams.
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. 12 in the nation (third in the CAA) – opponents score on 61.9% of their trips inside the 20 – and they are No. 10 in fourth-down conversion defense (28.6%).
On special teams, UNH is No. 3 in kickoff returns (27.05 per return), No. 11 in punt returns (11.60 per return), No. 6 in blocked punts (two) and No. 13 in blocked kicks (three).
In other stats, the Wildcats are No. 5 in fumbles lost (one).
Redshirt freshman linebacker Jared Kuehl is No. 4 in the nation in blocked punts with two.
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 7 nationally in rushing TDs (eight), No. 12 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and 13th in all-purpose yards per game (157.50).
Junior Casey DeAndrade is No. 6 in punt returns at 18.6 yards per return.
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 15 in the nation (third in the CAA) in sacks per game at 0.83; Shorey has a team-high five sacks in six games.

Return For More: New Hampshire's return units on special teams excelled at William & Mary as the Wildcats averaged 59.0 yards on two kickoff returns and 57.0 yards on two punt returns; three of the four longest returns were recorded in that game ; furthermore, the return teams did not commit a penalty.
In comparison, the Tribe averaged 18.5 yards/kickoff return and 3.0 yards/punt return.
Trevon Bryant fielded the game's opening kickoff just inside the goal line and returned it 65 yards to the W&M 35 yard-line.
On his first punt return of the game, Casey DeAndrade fielded the ball at the UNH 10, weaved his way through a myriad of Tribe defenders and broke free down the right side; he cut back toward the middle 10 yards from the W&M goal line to avoid the last defender and cut into the end zone for the TD.
It marked UNH's first punt return for a touchdown since Nov. 30, 2013, when Nick Cefalo scored on an 86-yard vs. Lafayette; The longest punt return in UNH history is 92 yards by Dave Wissman vs. UMass on Nov. 14, 1981.
With the Wildcats trailing 34-15 at 12:21 of the fourth quarter, Dalton Crossan attempted to ignite a comeback with a 54-yard kickoff return to give the 'Cats 1st-and-10 at the W&M 46. UNH drove to the Tribe 10 and kicked a 27-yard field goal to pull within 34-18 at 9:37.

Two Is Better Than One: UNH converted a two-point conversion last weekend at William & Mary when, out of the shotgun formation, redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Knight rolled to his right and lobbed the ball over a defender to redshirt freshman tight end Matt Torrey in the front of the end zone. It marked the first career points for Torrey.
The Wildcats have converted 3 of 4 two-point PAT attempts this season. Knight is a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and two passes. Junior quarterback Chris McCormick missed a passing two-point PAT at Stony Brook.
In comparison, the opponents are 1 of 2 on two-point PATs this season; both were pass attempts. Colgate converted its pass play, whereas W&M's pass attempt failed.

Two Isn't Better Than One: Two is not better than one, however, when referencing consecutive losses. New Hampshire is looking to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time since the 2013 season, when the Wildcats lost consecutive road games to Lehigh (34-27; Sept. 28) and Towson (44-28; Oct. 5).
Also of note, UNH has not lost consecutive CAA conference games since 2010, when the Wildcats were defeated on the road by both Rhode Island (28-25, Sept. 10) and Maine (16-13, OT; Oct. 2).

A Long Way For Nothing: In the Oct. 17 game at William & Mary, UNH closed the first half with a 12-play, 65-yard drive of 2 minutes, 5 seconds but did not score any points as Sean Goldrich's pass to Matt Torrey fell incomplete as time expired. Then on their first possession of the second half, the Wildcats marched 73 yards on 13 plays in 5:48, but they once again came away without any points when Christian Breda missed a 22-yard field goal attempt from the right hashmarks wide left.
Those consecutive drives combined for 25 plays, 138 yards and 7 minutes, 53 seconds with zero points scored.

Back Under Center: Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich returned to the starting lineup last 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.
Goldrich completed 15 of 29 passes for 154 yards and two interceptions against the Tribe; he was also sacked five times for a loss of 33 yards.
In three games this season, Goldrich has completed 42 of 74 passes (56.8%) for 380 yards and one touchdown; he also has 21 rushes for 33 yards. In the Sept. 12 game at Colgate, 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 (6,049) and attempts (813) as well as sixth in completions (495). He is also the Wildcats' active career leader in rushes (291) 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 consecutive 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 four 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 18-8 record (.692 win percentage) when Sean Goldrich is the starting quarterback. That includes 10-7 on the road, 11-2 in CAA conference games and 7-2 in CAA conference road games. The "two" in those conference games are road games at William & Mary (17-0 on Nov. 2, 2013; 34-18 Oct. 17, 2015). Between those road games against the Tribe, the Wildcats won six consecutive CAA games and that included 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 (94), rushing yards (506), receptions (25), kickoff returns (11), kickoff return yards (301) and all-purpose yards (945). He has led the team in both rushes and rushing yards all six games, as well as in receptions three times.
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 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, who did not have 100 yards rushing in his first 24 games, eclipsed that mark for the second consecutive game with a 109-yard effort on 18 carries at 24th-ranked William & Mary.
Crossan is averaging 84.3 rushing yards per game, 23.0 receiving yards per game and 157.5 all-purpose yards per game. He has scored eight rushing TDs, including totes of 36 and 37 yards in consecutive games against Elon and W&M, 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 186 (at William & Mary). In comparison, the rest of the team has recorded 100+ all-purpose yards just twice – Trevon Bryant with 117 vs. Central Connecticut State and Casey DeAndrade with 114 at W&M.
Among active 'Cats, Crossan is atop the career leaderboard in rushing yards (957) and he ranks second in rushes (138), receptions (42) and receiving yards (310).
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.

Bryant in the Backfield: Running back Trevon Bryant has 36 carries for 204 yards and two touchdowns to rank second on the squad in all three stats. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also has three catches for 27 yards, including a career-long 20-yard reception Sept. 19 at Stony Brook.
Bryant opened the Oct. 17 game at William & Mary with a 64-yard kickoff return, the longest by a UNH Wildcat this season. He leads the team at 37.8 yards per kickoff return with four for 151 yards.
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 213 receiving yards on 21 catches (10.1 yards per catch). He recorded a personal-best five catches the second consecutive game at William & Mary and finished with a personal-best 53 receiving yards. One game earlier against Elon (Oct. 3), Powell had five catches for 48 yards; those numbers included a four-yard touchdown. Powell has produced consistent numbers with 3-5 catches and 30+ yards in 5 of 6 games. He caught four passes for 32 yards and a score Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut State.
Seniors Jared Allison and Mike Kelly and sophomore Aaron Lewis-Cenales are the starting wideouts; neither Allison nor Lewis-Cenales caught a pass last week at William & Mary; Kelly led all wideouts with two catches for 30 yards.
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 vs. Elon. Lewis-Cenales recorded career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (58) Sept. 12 at Colgate; he has 11 catches for 140 yards this season. Kelly has recorded a season high of two catches three time this year, including each of the last two games; in five games, Kelly has seven catches for 81 yards.
Freshman Amechie Walker, Jr., who has been in the starting lineup four times, 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.
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. Donovan hauled in a season long catch of 35 yards at William & Mary (Oct. 17).

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, third and sixth 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 defensive backfield with Daniel Rowe, Hayden Knudson, Lamar Edmonds and Keith Parkinson patrolling the secondary.
Knudson has started 5 of 6 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 third overall and first among safeties in tackles with 30 (14-16-30). Knudson tied for the team lead with nine tackles at William & Mary (Oct. 17), and that total matched his season high established in the season opener at San Jose State.
Edmonds, who has started each of the last four games and 5 of 6, ranks second among safeties and sixth overall in total tackles with 26. He tallied his 100th career tackle with the last of eight tackles Oct. 17 at William & Mary; the eight stops matched his career high. Edmonds recorded his second career interception – a play that was featured on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays – Oct. 3 vs. Elon.
Parkinson, with one start in six games played, has been credited with 19 tackles; he tied his career high of five tackles vs. CCSU.
Rowe was injured during the Sept. 19 game at Stony Brook University and has not returned to action; he has 23 tackles (13-10-23), forced a fumble each of the first two weeks of the season and also blocked a PAT in the opener at San Jose State.
Sophomore Nick Marino started consecutive games against Central Connecticut State and Elon; 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 played each of the first five games of the season. He recorded his first career interception against Elon and tallied a personal-best six tackles (3-3-6) one week earlier against Central Connecticut. He has 14 tackles (5-9-14) in five games.

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 has been UNH's top tackler each of the past three games following a nine-tackle effort at William & Mary (Oct. 17); prior to that game vs. the Tribe, he led the 'Cats with six tackles against both Elon and Central Connecticut State. Through six games, DeAndrade leads the team in tackles with 39 (28-11-39), including 4.5 for a loss. He also has a team-leading seven pass breakups as well as a fumble recovery and an interception.
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).
Senior Dougie Moss has started opposite DeAndrade 5 of 6 games, including each of the last three. Moss ranks second on the team in tackles with 32 (23-9-32). He made eight stops last week at William & Mary. 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 made a career-high seven tackles (6-1-7) Oct. 17 at William & Mary and has 20 tackles (16-4-20) in five 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 23 tackles recorded behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks (one each of the first three games). 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. 15 nationally with 0.83 sacks per game. He has sacked the quarterback in 4 of 6 games and recorded a personal-best two against Central Connecticut (Sept. 26). Shorey has 19 tackles (11-8-19) 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. He has 17 tackles in six games.
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 Central Connecticut, Elon and William & Mary. He leads all Wildcat defensive linemen – and is tied for fourth overall – with 27 tackles (15-12-27). 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 (16) and is tied for fourth in total tackles with 27; 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 24 tackles, seven of which he recorded last week at William & Mary; Anderson made six stops 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.
DeAndrade had an electrifying 90-yard punt return for a touchdown Oct. 17 at William & Mary. He is averaging 18.6 yards per return with 149 yards on eight 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 on 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 27.4 yards per return (11-301).
Senior Christian Breda held all of New Hampshire's kicking roles – kickoffs, placekicker and punter – until Morgan Ellman took the position of kickoffs the sixth game of the season at William & Mary.
In his first year punting, Breda is averaging 38.8 yards per punt. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20 nine 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. In the Oct. 3 game against Elon, Breda averaged 40.7 yards on six punts with a long of 50.
Breda has connected on 5 of 7 field goal attempts – as well as 13 of 16 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. Most recently, he missed a 22-yard attempt and was good from 27 yards at W&M.

Scouting Delaware: The University of Delaware football team is currently 2-4 overall, including 1-2 in the CAA and 1-1 against nationally-ranked teams. Home games seem to rule in the Blue Hens' favor, as they are 2-1 at Delaware Stadium, including a 24-23 victory against nationally-ranked William & Mary on Oct. 3, and 0-3 away from home.
Delaware had an open week last week following a 20-0 loss at the University of Rhode Island on Oct. 10. The Blue Hens recorded a 283-239 edge in total offense yards, but URI converted three turnovers (all interceptions) into 10 points and that included a pick-six.
The Blue Hens kicked off the month of October with an exciting and close win against W&M. The Tribe was ahead 23-14 in the fourth quarter, but UD closed within 23-21 with 6:41 remaining and redshirt freshman kicker Frank Raggo hit a 29-yard field goal on the last play of the game for the win.
Delaware ranks ninth in the 12-team CAA in scoring offense at 15.3 points per game. In other stats, UD is second in rushing offense (244.0 yards/game) and last in passing offense (75.2 yards/game); also of note, Delaware leads the league in time of possession (34:26).
Defensively, the Blue Hens are sixth in scoring (23.5 points allowed/game), first in rushing defense (112.8 yards allowed/game) and 11th in pass defense (230.7 yards allowed/game).
UD has been outscored 141-92 overall and that includes 43-7 in the third quarter.

Blue Hens To Watch: Redshirt freshman running back Thomas Jefferson has been Delaware's top offensive weapon this season. He has 514 rushing yards on 84 attempts for averages of 85.7 yards/game and 6.1 yards/carry; he also has three rushing TDs. Jefferson led the Blue Hens to the upset win vs. William & Mary with career highs in rushes (28) and rushing yards (174). One week earlier, he had 22 carries for 163 yards and two TDs against FBS school North Carolina.
Sophomore RB Kareem Williams is the next top ground gainer with 82 carries for 392 yards and one TD; that calculates to 78.4 yards/game and 4.8 yards/carry.
Joe Walker, another redshirt freshman, has started 5 of 6 games this season and completed 41 of 100 passes for 369 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. He also has 67 carries for 281 yards.
Sophomore wide receiver Diante Cherry is the top target with 14 catches for 162 yards in four games; he did not play in consecutive games vs. UNC and W&M. Cherry returned to action at URI and had one catch for 16 yards. His biggest numbers came week three against Villanova with eight catches for 78 yards.
Tre Brown is the only Blue Hen with at least one catch every game this season. He ranks third on the team in receptions (nine) and fourth in yards (68).
Sophomore linebacker Charles Bell is the top tackler with 51 (19-32-51). He also has 2.5 tackles for a loss, including 1.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble.
Sophomore corner back Justin Watson leads a group of six players in the 20-29 range with 29 tackles. He also has a team-high five pass breakups.
Senior defensive end David Tinsley is atop the team leaderboard in both tackles for a loss (5.5) and sacks (3.0).

Sack Exchange: UNH's defense entered the Oct. 17 game at William & Mary ranked No. 2 in the nation in sacks per game at 4.00, but the Wildcats did not record a sack against the Tribe and they are currently No. 7.
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.
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, but the 'Cats started a new streak by limiting William & Mary to 145 passing yards Oct. 17.
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 17 of 22 (77.3%) trips inside the red zone this season with 12 touchdowns and five field goals; that means the Wildcats score a TD 54.5% of the time they cross the 20. Last week, the 'Cats converted 1 of 3 opportunities into points with a 27-yards field goal, missed field goal (22 yards) and end of first half (incomplete 5-yard pass play as time expired).
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. One week later 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 13 of 21 (61.9%) 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. Last week, W&M scored on 3 of 4 trips in the red zone with three TDs (all rush); the Tribe also crossed the 20 on the last drive of the game and held possession to secure the 34-18 victory.

Conference Call: New Hampshire ranks fourth in the CAA in scoring offense with 26.2 points per game; in other offense stats, UNH is sixth in rushing (169.3 yards per game), eighth in passing (168.5 yards/game) and sixth in total offense (337.8 yards/game).
On defense, the Wildcats are seventh in scoring (24.0 points allowed/game), 11th in rushing (212.8 yards allowed/game) and seventh in passing (215.3 yards allowed/game) and 10th in total defense (428.2 yards allowed/game).
On special teams, UNH leads the CAA in both kickoff returns (27.1 per return) and punt returns (16.8 per return).
In three CAA conference games, UNH has been outscored 79-61. One notable advantage – in favor of the opposition – is third down conversion; UNH is 12 of 44 (27.3%) while opponents are 17 of 46 (37.0%); the 'Cats have converted 5 of 10 fourth downs, however, in comparison to 2 of 5 for the opposition.
Dalton Crossan is averaging 96.3 rushing yards per game (54 carries, 289 yards) with five touchdowns. He also has a team-high 15 catches (for 55 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 117 on 11 catches; that is 10.6 yards/catch and 39.0 yards/game.
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan has eight catches for 97 yards (1.1 yards/catch and 32.2 per game).
The defense has been balanced with Casey DeAndrade leading the 'Cat pack with 19 tackles. Dougie Moss (17), Hayden Knudson (15) and Patrick Mensah (14) are next. Jullian Turner has tallied four tackles for a loss, including one sack.

On The Road Again: UNH hits the road for the fifth time in seven games when the Wildcats travel to play Delaware this Saturday. It also marks the third time the 'Cats travel by plane to their destination; they flew across the country to San Jose State for the Sept. 3 season opener, and last week UNH journeyed south to William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.).
New Hampshire has a 1-3 road record, including 0-2 in the CAA, this season with a 26-8 win at Colgate University on Sept. 12. UNH has been outscored 116-63 in those four games, and that includes 30-3 in the third quarter and 22-12 in the fourth. Offensively, the opponents are averaging 477.5 yards per game in comparison to UNH's 282.8.

Unbalanced Scoring: The Wildcats have outscored the opposition 59-34 in the first quarter and 69-44 in the second (128-78 in the first half), but the 'Cats have been outscored 44-14 in the third and 22-15 in the fourth (66-29 in the second half).

Valuing Possession: Through six games, UNH is +4 in turnover margin; last weekend, the Wildcats were -2 as the defense did not record a turnover and the offense had two interceptions. 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 0-2 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.

Another Wildcat First Down: New Hampshire has extended drives 28 times on 87 third downs (32.2%). The Wildcats have excelled at accomplishing that feat in the second quarter at 13-for-24 (54.2%), but has struggled in the third quarter at 3-for-20 (15.0%).
In comparison, opponents are 35-for-91 (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 11 of 25 (44.0%), while the lowest is the first quarter at 5 of 20 (20.0%).

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.

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. Crossan and Steriti accomplished the feat in a span of eight games.
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.

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

William & Mary Gets Special Win vs. UNH: No. 24 William & Mary capitalized on UNH's special teams miscues to record a 34-18 victory at Zable Stadium on Oct. 17. The No. 19/20 Wildcats trailed 21-15 midway through the third quarter when they missed a 22-yard field goal that would have trimmed the deficit to three points.
On New Hampshire's next possession, Christian Breda mishandled a snap at the goal line and punted a bounding ball to the 17 yard line, which set up the Tribe's 10-yard TD drive that extended the margin to 27-15 with 19 seconds to play in the third.
On the Wildcats' ensuing drive, Breda' punt was blocked to give W&M 1st-and-10 at the UNH 30. One play later, the Tribe scored a touchdown to build a 34-15 lead with 12:21 remaining in regulation.
UNH's special teams gave the 'Cats a 7-0 lead at 10:40 of the first quarter when Casey DeAndrade had a 90-yard TD punt return. After the Tribe leveled the score at 7-7, the Wildcats regained the lead, 15-7, on Dalton Crossan's 37-yard TD run. William & Mary scored two TDs to go in front, 21-15. New Hampshire drove to the W&M 10 with five seconds remaining, but went into halftime trailing by that six-point margin when a pass from Sean Goldrich to Matt Torrey fell incomplete.
The Tribe amassed 325 rushing yards on 49 attempts for a 6.6 average, and the home team recorded a 470-281 edge in total offense; part of that differential can be attributed to UNH's significant advantage of 232-83 in special team return yards.

'Cat Nips from Williamsburg: Junior running back Dalton Crossan eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the second consecutive week with 18 carries for 109 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown run that marked the longest carry by a Wildcat this season. • Crossan finished with a season-high 186 all-purpose yards that included a 54-yard kickoff return. He led the team with six catches for 23 yards.
Junior defensive back Casey DeAndrade recorded a game-high nine tackles, including one for a loss, and two pass breakups. He also had a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Junior tight end Jordan Powell matched his career high of five catches for a personal best of 53 receiving yards.
Senior safety Lamar Edmonds tied his personal best of eight tackles, the last of which marked the 100th of his career.
Sophomore defensive back Patrick Mensah recorded a career-high seven tackles.