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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Saturday, November 7
Durham, N.H.
3:00 PM
University of New Hampshire
vs
University of Richmond
Football Battles No. 5/7 Richmond on NBC Sports Network (Nov. 7; 3 pm)
11/4/2015 11:55:00 AM | Football
Saturday, Nov. 7 – 3 p.m. – Cowell Stadium – Durham, N.H. – Tickets • Promotions
UNH (4-4 overall, 2-3 CAA) vs. No. 5/7 Richmond (7-1, 5-0 CAA)
TV: NBC Sports Network
Video: NBS Sports Live Extra
Radio: Wildcat Sports Radio Network
SALUTE TO SERVICE DAY (Sponsored by Service Credit Union): All service members, both active and retired, of the United States military will be honored at Saturday's game as part of Salute to Service. Using the special promo code SALUTE15, military members can take advantage of a special ticket rate of just $15 online at www.unhwildcats.com.
As a thank-you for their service to our country, all military members are invited to Service Credit Union's gameday tent in Wildcat Village to enjoy free food and drinks, courtesy of SCU.
NATIONAL TV AUDIENCE: NBC Sports will have live coverage on Saturday of the game beginning at 3pm EST on NBC Sports Network. Fans can see it all in spectacular high definition via NBC Sports Live Extra online at NBCSports.com/LiveExtra, or through the Live Extra app on mobile, tablet and through the Apple TV or Roku connected TV devices.
#DUNGEONSIGNS: The athletic department is hosting a contest open to all UNH students to win a gift package worth over $200. Students, create a sign for television for your chance to win and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #DungeonSigns. The most creative sign including NBCSN and UNH will have the best chance of winning a prize. Finalists will be determined by Athletic Department staff and recognized on field at halftime plus you may have your sign shown on national television. For rules click here. The grand prize is a gift basket of gift cards including: Dunkin Donuts, Thirsty Moose Tap House, Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino's, UNH Dining and UNH fan gear valued at over $200.
QUICK HITTERS
The UNH football team has a 4-4 overall record with a 2-3 CAA conference record and 3-0 record at home, including 2-0 in home conference games.
The Wildcats ended a two-game losing streak last week with a 20-17 win against Rhode Island at Cowell Stadium.
Richmond comes to Durham ranked No. 5/7 in the nation. The Spiders are 7-1 overall with a seven-game winning streak since falling to Maryland in the season opener. Richmond is atop the CAA standings at 5-0 and has a 3-1 road record.
UNH has a 12-10 lifetime record, including 8-3 at home, against Richmond. The Wildcats have won four straight in the series – the last three games have been decided by a total of nine points.
The 'Cats prevailed 29-26 the last time these teams met (Sept. 20, 2014 at UR's Robins Stadium) and won 44-40 the last time these teams played at UNH's Cowell Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012.
The Spiders' most recent victory was Sept. 29, 2007 (45-38 at Richmond). The last time Richmond won in Durham was Oct. 14, 2000 (31-10); UNH has successfully defended home field four games since then.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell has a 6-4 record vs. Richmond.
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 8 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (164.63), No. 11 in rushing TDs (10), No. 10 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and No. 24 in kickoff returns (25.6 yards/return).
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 17 in the nation (third in the CAA) in sacks per game at 0.75; Shorey has a team-high six sacks in eight games.
Shorey was announced to the 2015 College Football Performance Awards FCS Defensive End/Defensive Tackle Award Watch list Nov. 4.
New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium has been called The Dungeon, a fittingly foreboding nickname for the opposition. In three home games this season, UNH is 3-0 and has outscored the opposition 114-45, including 45-3 in the first quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter.
Since the start of the 2007 season, the Wildcats are 45-5 at Cowell Stadium for an .900 win percentage.
UNH has won 10 consecutive CAA home games with a 4-0 record in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons and two wins this year.
New Hampshire has won eight consecutive November games with a split of 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road.
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. Richmond all-time series: New Hampshire has a 12-10 lifetime record, including 8-3 at home, against Richmond. The Wildcats have won four straight in the series – the last three games have been decided by a total of nine points. The 'Cats prevailed 29-26 the last time these teams met (Sept. 20, 2014 at UR's Robins Stadium) and won 44-40 the last time these teams played at UNH's Cowell Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell has a 6-4 record vs. UR.
The Spiders' most recent victory was Sept. 29, 2007 (45-38 at Richmond). The last time Richmond won in Durham was Oct. 14, 2000 (31-10); UNH has successfully defended home field four games since then.
Here is a game-by-game look at the series:
09/06/86 A Richmond 38 UNH 12
09/05/87 H Richmond 14 UNH 7
10/08/88 A Richmond 23 UNH 17 OT
10/21/89 H UNH 21 Richmond 7
10/06/90 A UNH 19 Richmond 0
10/12/91 H UNH 34 Richmond 0
10/10/92 A Richmond 15 UNH 7
09/18/93 H UNH 31 Richmond 20
11/05/94 A UNH 42 Richmond 14
11/04/95 A Richmond 7 UNH 3
11/02/96 H UNH 14 Richmond 13
10/10/98 H Richmond 22 UNH 13
[Coach Sean McDonnell: 6-4]
09/25/99 A Richmond 27 UNH 17
10/14/00 H Richmond 31 UNH 10
10/12/02 H UNH 20 Richmond 19
10/18/03 A Richmond 35 UNH 23
10/07/06 H UNH 27 Richmond 17
09/29/07 A Richmond 45 UNH 38
10/09/10 H UNH 17 Richmond 0
09/24/11 A UNH 45 Richmond 43
10/13/12 H UNH 44 Richmond 40
09/20/14 A UNH 29 Richmond 26
'Cats vs. Spiders – The Most Recent Matchup: In a battle of No. 7 UNH vs. No. 17 Richmond at Robins Stadium on Sept. 20, 2014, Nico Steriti scored on a two-yard rush with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Wildcats to a 29-26 victory.
UNH erased a 10-0 first-half deficit on a pair of short touchdown runs by Sean Goldrich to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. The Spiders responded with nine consecutive points to take a 19-14 lead at 1:52 of the third quarter. Goldrich scored on a one-yard plunge and the 'Cats converted the two-point conversion to go back on top, 22-19, at 10:59 of the fourth quarter. The see-saw battle continued as the home team answered with another TD to take a 26-22 lead with 6:31 to play.
With Andy Vailas at quarterback – Goldrich was injured on his previous go-ahead touchdown run – the Wildcats marched 75 yards on 15 plays for the game-winning score.
Some of the offensive stats were as close as the final score; UNH recorded a 25-23 edge in first downs and Richmond had a 469-461 edge in total offensive yards.
Goldrich was UNH's leading rusher with 12 carries for 87 yards. He also completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards.
National Numbers: New Hampshire's defense is No. 7 in sacks with 3.00 per game, which also leads all CAA Football teams. The 'Cats are also No. 7 in fourth-down conversion defense (26.7%).
On special teams, UNH is No. 5 in kickoff returns (25.26 yards per return) and No. 8 in blocked punts (two).
In other stats, the Wildcats are No. 13 in fumbles lost (three).
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 8 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (164.63), No. 11 in rushing TDs (10), No. 10 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and No. 24 in kickoff returns (25.6 yards/return).
Junior Casey DeAndrade is No. 10 in punt returns at 14.0 yards per return.
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 17 in the nation (third in the CAA) in sacks per game at 0.75; Shorey has a team-high six sacks in eight games.
Redshirt freshman Jared Kuehl is No. 7 in blocked kicks with two.
Dominant in The Dungeon: New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium has been called The Dungeon, a fittingly foreboding nickname for the opposition. In three games this season, UNH is 3-0 at home and has outscored the opposition 114-45, including 45-3 in the first quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter.
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 45-5 at Cowell Stadium for an .900 win percentage.
UNH has won 10 consecutive CAA home games with a 4-0 record in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons and two wins this year (vs. Elon and Rhode Island). 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.
The Breakdown – Home vs. The Road: Here is a breakdown of UNH's stats at Cowell Stadium (three games) and on the road (five games):
Home Road
Record 3-0 1-4
Scoring offense 38.0 15.4
Scoring defense 15.0 29.4
Offense ypg 426.0 262.8
Defense ypg 294.7 453.0
Turnover margin +6 -5
UNH's offensive stats leaders in The Dungeon are: Dalton Crossan with 50 carries for 328 yards, which calculates to 6.6 yards per carry and 109.3 rushing yards per game, and six TDs; Crossan also has a team-high 122 receiving yards (9 catches) and two TDs; Jordan Powell with 12 catches for 121 yards and two TDs; Jared Allison with nine receptions for 107 yards.
The defensive stats leaders are: Casey DeAndrade with 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception; Jullian Turner with 14 tackles, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery; and Cam Shorey with three sacks (nine tackles).
Second Half Shutdown: UNH's defense was dominant in last week's 20-17 victory against Rhode Island. The Wildcats shut out the Rams and limited them to three first downs and 29 yards of total offense. The visitors went 3-and-out on 3 of 5 second-half possessions.
New Hampshire held URI to 225 total offense in the game to mark the lowest total by an opponent this season.
Second Half Stimulus: New Hampshire's offense struggled in last week's opening half against Rhode Island with 76 yards (17 rushing, 59 passing) and one first down. In six possession, UNH had three 3-and-outs and also fumbled on the first play of another drive.
The Wildcats roared back in the second half with 20 points, 306 yards of offense (167 rush, 139 pass) and six first downs (6 of 9 conversions). The Wildcats scored on three of six possessions, did not have a 3-and-out, recorded two drives of 10+ plays. The 'Cats led 20-17 with 3:43 remaining and gained possession at the URI 40. UNH converted a pair of third downs and then ran three kneel-down plays to secure the victory.
November Reign: New Hampshire has won eight consecutive November games with a split of 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road, and that includes a 45-7 NCAA first round win against Lafayette in 2013. The last November loss for the Wildcats was Nov. 2, 2013 at William & Mary (17-0).
1,000 times two: A pair of UNH Wildcats eclipsed 1,000 career rushing yards in the Oct. 31 home game against Rhode Island. Junior running back Dalton Crossan entered the game with 981 career rushing yards and he surpassed the 1,000-yard milestone in the third quarter with a 10-yard run on 3rd-and-1 from the URI 45. Crossan enters Saturday's game vs. Richmond with 1,095 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards against the Rams. He entered that game with 956 yards and attained the 1,000-yard milestone on a 22-yard rush on 1st-and-10 from the URI early in the fourth quarter. Goldrich has 1,026 rushing yards.
Push Them Back: Junior defensive end Cam Shorey has recorded a tackle for loss every game, including a season-high 2.5 at Delaware. Shorey has a total of 10 tackles for a loss, including a team-high six sacks.
October Overview: UNH went 2-2 record in October with a 2-0 mark at home and 0-2 ledger on the road. The Wildcats opened the month with a 37-14 victory against Elon, had an open week, then lost consecutive road games to 24th-ranked William & Mary (34-18) and Delaware (31-14). before closing with a 20-17 victory on Halloween Here is a comparison of October stats to the overall numbers:
October Overall
Record 2-2 4-4
Scoring offense 22.3 23.9
Scoring defense 24.0 24.0
Offense ypg 311.0 324.0
Defense ypg 340.8 393.6
Turnover margin -1 +1
UNH's offensive leaders in October were Dalton Crossan with 68 carries for 387 yards and seven TDs (5.7 yards/carry and 96.8 yards/game); Crossan eclipsed 100 rushing yards 3 of 4 games; he also had 13 catches for 96 yards (7.4 per catch; 24.0 yards/game); Jordan Powell with 15 catches for 159 yards (10.6 yards/catch and 39.8 yards/game); and Jared Allison with 11 receptions for 88 yards (8.0 yards/catch and 22.0 yards/game).
UNH's defensive leaders were Casey DeAndrade with 33 tackles (8.3 per game); Hayden Knudson with 25 tackles (6.3/game); and Akil Anderson with 23 tackles (5.8/game).
All-Purpose Performer: Explosive junior running back Dalton Crossan is a versatile weapon and workhorse for the Wildcats. Crossan leads the team in rushes (122), rushing yards (644), receptions (30), kickoff returns (18), kickoff return yards (460) and all-purpose yards (1,317). He has led the team in both rushes and rushing yards all eight games, as well as in receptions four times.
Crossan recorded a career-high 226 all-purpose yards Oct. 31 vs. Rhode Island with a breakdown of 114 rushing yards, career-high 66 yards receiving and 46 yards on kickoff returns.
Crossan, who did not have 100 yards rushing in his first 24 games, has eclipsed that mark three of the last four games – 140 vs. Elon (Oct. 3), 109 at William & Mary (Oct. 17), 114 vs. URI (Oct. 31).
Crossan is averaging 80.5 rushing yards per game, 26.6 receiving yards per game and 164.6 all-purpose yards per game. He has scored 10 rushing TDs, including a season-long run of 52 yards vs. URI, and also caught two touchdown passes.
Crossan has recorded at least 100 all-purpose yards every game with a low of 122 (at Stony Brook) and high of 266 (vs. URI). In comparison, the rest of the Wildcats have 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 (1,095) and he ranks second in rushes (166), receptions (47) and receiving yards (385).
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.
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.
Back Under Center: Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich has played three games (all starts at William & Mary, at Delaware and vs. Rhode Island) since returning from an injury incurred the second week of the season (Sept. 12) at Colgate. In the three games, he has completed 51 of 94 passes (54.3%) for 481 yards (160.3 per game), three TDs and three INTs; those numbers calculate to a 101.39 passer efficiency rating. He has been sacked seven times in three games, but just once each of the last two games.
Since his return, Goldrich recorded his best passer rating of 128.85 vs. Rhode Island by completing 18 of 32 passes for 198 yards and two TDs, the latter two of which are season highs. He registered season highs in both rushes (nine) and rushing yards (70) against URI.
Goldrich missed three games – at Stony Brook, vs. Central Connecticut State, vs. Elon – while rehabilitating from a high ankle sprain.
In five games overall this season, Goldrich has completed 78 of 139 passes (56.1%) for 707 yards and four touchdowns; he also has 37 rushes for 124 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 (6,376) and attempts (878) as well as sixth in completions (531). He is also the Wildcats' active career leader in rushes (307) and rushing touchdowns (17).
In comparison, the three other UNH quarterbacks who have seen action this year have combined career stats of 80-for-136 for 743 yards, seven TDs and four INTs.
When Goldrich Starts: UNH has a 19-9 record (.679 win percentage) when Sean Goldrich is the starting quarterback. That includes 9-1 at home, 12-3 in CAA conference games and 5-0 in CAA conference home games.
It's Better to Receive: Junior tight end Jordan Powell leads the team with 271 receiving yards on 26 catches (10.4 yards per catch; 33.9 yards per game). Last week against Rhode Island, he had three catches for 41 yards, including a season-long of 20 yards. Powell 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 6 of 8 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; Allison matched his personal best of seven catches (for 34 yards and a TD) at Delaware on Oct. 24. Neither Kelly nor Lewis-Cenales caught a pass against the Blue Hens.
Last week, Allison hauled in three catches for 35 yards and Kelly caught two passes for 11 yards.
Allison has 22 catches for 184 yards and two TDs. He has been held without a catch twice this season but bounced back both times; he did not have a catch at Stony Brook (Sept. 19) but then had five receptions for 53 yards against Central Connecticut State; Allison also did not have a catch at William & Mary (Oct. 17), one week before his 7-catch, 34-yard effort at Delaware.
Lewis-Cenales recorded career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (58) Sept. 12 at Colgate; he has 11 catches for 116 yards this season.
Kelly has recorded a season high of two catches four times this year, including consecutive games against Elon and William & Mary; in seven games, Kelly has nine catches for 92 yards.
Freshman Amechie Walker, Jr., who has been in the starting lineup four times, ranks fourth on the team in receiving yards (157) on 14 catches for 11.2 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.
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan has 11 catches for 134 yards in seven games. He 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).
Junior Kyon Taylor caught the go-ahead five-yard TD with 5:46 remaining last Saturday vs. URI; he matched his career high of three receptions (for 12 yards) that game. Taylor made his 2015 season debut Oct. 24 at Delaware and led all 'Cats with 35 receiving yards (on three catches) with a long of 22. In 28 career games, Taylor has 20 receptions for 207 yards and two TDs.
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 with senior George Kallas stepping in at center.
Lauderdale started the first, third, sixth, seventh and eighth games; sophomore Will McInerny was the starting right tackle at Colgate and in back-to-back games vs. Central Connecticut and Elon.
The latest lineman to miss action is Morrill, who did not dress for the Delaware game. Sophomore Jake Kennedy made his first career start at left guard in place of Morrill, who returned to action in the second half of the Rhode Island game (Oct. 31).
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 7 of 8 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 second overall and first among safeties in tackles with 46 (21-25-46). Knudson tied for the team lead in tackles consecutive games at William & Mary (nine) and at Delaware (11).
Rowe was injured during the Sept. 19 game at Stony Brook University and missed three games before returning to action Oct. 24 at Delaware; he finished that game with four tackles, including one for a loss. Rowe has 30 tackles (16-14-30), two forced a fumbles (one each of the first two weeks) and also a blocked PAT in the opener at San Jose State.
Edmonds, who has started each of the last six games and 7 of 8, ranks second among safeties and fifth overall in total tackles with 33. 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 eight games played, has been credited with 24 tackles; he tied his career high of five tackles vs. CCSU.
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 six games.
Sophomore D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie has played in 6 of 8 games; he was a DNP at William & Mary and last week against Rhode Island. Drummond-Mayrie 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).
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 for FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team.
DeAndrade leads the team in tackles with 57 (39-18-57), including 5.5 for a loss. He also has a team-leading seven pass breakups as well as a fumble recovery and an interception. He has recorded 6+ tackles 6 of 8 games.
DeAndrade was UNH's top tackler four consecutive games – Central Connecticut State (six), Elon (six), William 7 Mary (nine) and Delaware (11). The 11 stops against Delaware matched his personal best established in the season opener at San Jose State.
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.
Senior Dougie Moss has started opposite DeAndrade 7 of 8 games, including each of the last five. Moss ranks third on the team in tackles with 40 (28-12-40). He made eight stops Oct. 17 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 26 tackles (21-5-26) in seven 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 has proven capable at the opposite end.
Turner has been impressive this season with nine of his 33 tackles recorded behind the line of scrimmage, including four sacks (one each of the first three games); he has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. Turner tallied a personal-best six tackles Sept. 12 at Colgate and made five stops three times - vs. Elon (Oct. 3), at Delaware (Oct. 24) and vs. URI (Oct. 31).
Shorey leads the team with six sacks and ranks No. 17 nationally with 0.75 sacks per game. He has sacked the quarterback in 5 of 8 games and recorded a personal-best two against Central Connecticut (Sept. 26). Shorey has 30 tackles (20-10-30), including a career-high seven at Delaware (Oct. 24), and one fumble recovery. He is the only 'Cat who has recorded a tackle for loss every game, including a season-high 2.5 at Delaware.
Armand was credited with a career-high five tackles (all assisted) at San Jose State and matched that total with 1-4-5 vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 31. Armand made four stops vs. Colgate. He has 23 tackles in eight games.
Horton, who did not play Week 2 at Colgate, made a career-high six tackles (2-4-6) last week vs. URI. He recorded four tackles against both San Jose State and Stony Brook. Horton 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 to rank third on the team in sacks (three).
Sophomore Mike Boryeskne, who did not play last Saturday against Rhode Island, 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 ranks third among all Wildcat defensive linemen with 28 tackles (15-13-28). 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.
Anderson – the team's top tackler in 2013 and 2014 – has had a relatively quiet 2015 season with 37 tackles, which ranks fourth on the squad; he recorded a season-high eight stops Oct. 24 at Delaware, and that came one week after a seven-tackle effort at William & Mary; Anderson made six stops Week 2 at Colgate. Chollette, who has been a DNP the last two games, has 27 tackles; he recorded a season-high eight tackles (3-5-8) at Colgate.
Junior Ryan Farrell recorded career highs in solo (four), assisted (five) and total tackles (9) last Saturday against the University of Rhode Island, which marked his second start in as many weeks. In eight games, Farrell has 25 tackles (12-13-25).
Special Teams: New Hampshire has a couple of dangerous returners in Casey DeAndrade and Dalton Crossan, which is why the Wildcats lead the CAA in both kickoff returns (25.3 yard average) and punt returns (13.4 yards average).
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 14.0 yards per return with 168 yards on 12 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 25.6 yards per return (18-460).
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 38.3 yards per punt. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20 a total of 11 times and recorded a career-long punt of 52 yards last Saturday vs. Rhode Island (but it went into the end zone for a touchback). In the season opener at San Jose State, Breda averaged 41.6 yards on nine punts, including a long of 51, 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 17 of 21 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 Richmond: The No. 5/7 University of Richmond Spiders enter the weekend on a seven-game win streak and overall record of 7-1 that includes 5-0 in the CAA and 3-1 on the road. Richmond is coming off last week's 38-31 victory at home against Albany in which the Spiders led 38-10 with nine minutes left in the third quarter. One week earlier (Oct. 24), UR knocked then-No. 3 James Madison off the list of unbeaten teams with a 59-49 road win.
Richmond is No. 9 in the nation in total offense (475.8 yards/game), No. 10 in time of possession (33:41) and No. 13 in scoring (37.9 points/game). On the defensive side of the ball, the Spiders are ninth in turnovers gained (19), including No. 2 in interceptions (14), but allow 26.4 points per game, which ranks ninth in the CAA.
Spiders To Watch: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Lauletta is among the national leaders in a number of statistics – No. 4 in yards per pass attempt (9.81), No. 7 in yards per completion (15.19), No. 9 in pass efficiency (163.1) and No. 14 in passing yards per game (277.3).
Junior wide receiver Brian Brown is No. 2 in the nation in receiving yards per game (125.1) and No. 9 in yards per reception (20.86), as well as 24th in receptions per game (6.0).
Senior running back Jacobi Green is No. 4 in the nation in rushing touchdowns (12), No. 9 in scoring (9.3 points/game), 15th in yards per carry (6.33) and 21st in rushing yards per game (97.4).
Senior wide receiver Reggie Diggs is another offensive weapon with 45 catches for 647 yards and four TDs.
Junior defensive back David Jones recorded four interceptions last week vs. Albany and has seven in eight games this season. He also ranks second on the team in tackles with 52.
Junior linebacker Omar Howard leads the squad with 77 tackles (43-34-77), including a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss.
UNH (4-4 overall, 2-3 CAA) vs. No. 5/7 Richmond (7-1, 5-0 CAA)
TV: NBC Sports Network
Video: NBS Sports Live Extra
Radio: Wildcat Sports Radio Network
SALUTE TO SERVICE DAY (Sponsored by Service Credit Union): All service members, both active and retired, of the United States military will be honored at Saturday's game as part of Salute to Service. Using the special promo code SALUTE15, military members can take advantage of a special ticket rate of just $15 online at www.unhwildcats.com.
As a thank-you for their service to our country, all military members are invited to Service Credit Union's gameday tent in Wildcat Village to enjoy free food and drinks, courtesy of SCU.
NATIONAL TV AUDIENCE: NBC Sports will have live coverage on Saturday of the game beginning at 3pm EST on NBC Sports Network. Fans can see it all in spectacular high definition via NBC Sports Live Extra online at NBCSports.com/LiveExtra, or through the Live Extra app on mobile, tablet and through the Apple TV or Roku connected TV devices.
#DUNGEONSIGNS: The athletic department is hosting a contest open to all UNH students to win a gift package worth over $200. Students, create a sign for television for your chance to win and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #DungeonSigns. The most creative sign including NBCSN and UNH will have the best chance of winning a prize. Finalists will be determined by Athletic Department staff and recognized on field at halftime plus you may have your sign shown on national television. For rules click here. The grand prize is a gift basket of gift cards including: Dunkin Donuts, Thirsty Moose Tap House, Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino's, UNH Dining and UNH fan gear valued at over $200.
QUICK HITTERS
The UNH football team has a 4-4 overall record with a 2-3 CAA conference record and 3-0 record at home, including 2-0 in home conference games.
The Wildcats ended a two-game losing streak last week with a 20-17 win against Rhode Island at Cowell Stadium.
Richmond comes to Durham ranked No. 5/7 in the nation. The Spiders are 7-1 overall with a seven-game winning streak since falling to Maryland in the season opener. Richmond is atop the CAA standings at 5-0 and has a 3-1 road record.
UNH has a 12-10 lifetime record, including 8-3 at home, against Richmond. The Wildcats have won four straight in the series – the last three games have been decided by a total of nine points.
The 'Cats prevailed 29-26 the last time these teams met (Sept. 20, 2014 at UR's Robins Stadium) and won 44-40 the last time these teams played at UNH's Cowell Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012.
The Spiders' most recent victory was Sept. 29, 2007 (45-38 at Richmond). The last time Richmond won in Durham was Oct. 14, 2000 (31-10); UNH has successfully defended home field four games since then.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell has a 6-4 record vs. Richmond.
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 8 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (164.63), No. 11 in rushing TDs (10), No. 10 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and No. 24 in kickoff returns (25.6 yards/return).
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 17 in the nation (third in the CAA) in sacks per game at 0.75; Shorey has a team-high six sacks in eight games.
Shorey was announced to the 2015 College Football Performance Awards FCS Defensive End/Defensive Tackle Award Watch list Nov. 4.
New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium has been called The Dungeon, a fittingly foreboding nickname for the opposition. In three home games this season, UNH is 3-0 and has outscored the opposition 114-45, including 45-3 in the first quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter.
Since the start of the 2007 season, the Wildcats are 45-5 at Cowell Stadium for an .900 win percentage.
UNH has won 10 consecutive CAA home games with a 4-0 record in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons and two wins this year.
New Hampshire has won eight consecutive November games with a split of 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road.
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. Richmond all-time series: New Hampshire has a 12-10 lifetime record, including 8-3 at home, against Richmond. The Wildcats have won four straight in the series – the last three games have been decided by a total of nine points. The 'Cats prevailed 29-26 the last time these teams met (Sept. 20, 2014 at UR's Robins Stadium) and won 44-40 the last time these teams played at UNH's Cowell Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell has a 6-4 record vs. UR.
The Spiders' most recent victory was Sept. 29, 2007 (45-38 at Richmond). The last time Richmond won in Durham was Oct. 14, 2000 (31-10); UNH has successfully defended home field four games since then.
Here is a game-by-game look at the series:
09/06/86 A Richmond 38 UNH 12
09/05/87 H Richmond 14 UNH 7
10/08/88 A Richmond 23 UNH 17 OT
10/21/89 H UNH 21 Richmond 7
10/06/90 A UNH 19 Richmond 0
10/12/91 H UNH 34 Richmond 0
10/10/92 A Richmond 15 UNH 7
09/18/93 H UNH 31 Richmond 20
11/05/94 A UNH 42 Richmond 14
11/04/95 A Richmond 7 UNH 3
11/02/96 H UNH 14 Richmond 13
10/10/98 H Richmond 22 UNH 13
[Coach Sean McDonnell: 6-4]
09/25/99 A Richmond 27 UNH 17
10/14/00 H Richmond 31 UNH 10
10/12/02 H UNH 20 Richmond 19
10/18/03 A Richmond 35 UNH 23
10/07/06 H UNH 27 Richmond 17
09/29/07 A Richmond 45 UNH 38
10/09/10 H UNH 17 Richmond 0
09/24/11 A UNH 45 Richmond 43
10/13/12 H UNH 44 Richmond 40
09/20/14 A UNH 29 Richmond 26
'Cats vs. Spiders – The Most Recent Matchup: In a battle of No. 7 UNH vs. No. 17 Richmond at Robins Stadium on Sept. 20, 2014, Nico Steriti scored on a two-yard rush with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Wildcats to a 29-26 victory.
UNH erased a 10-0 first-half deficit on a pair of short touchdown runs by Sean Goldrich to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. The Spiders responded with nine consecutive points to take a 19-14 lead at 1:52 of the third quarter. Goldrich scored on a one-yard plunge and the 'Cats converted the two-point conversion to go back on top, 22-19, at 10:59 of the fourth quarter. The see-saw battle continued as the home team answered with another TD to take a 26-22 lead with 6:31 to play.
With Andy Vailas at quarterback – Goldrich was injured on his previous go-ahead touchdown run – the Wildcats marched 75 yards on 15 plays for the game-winning score.
Some of the offensive stats were as close as the final score; UNH recorded a 25-23 edge in first downs and Richmond had a 469-461 edge in total offensive yards.
Goldrich was UNH's leading rusher with 12 carries for 87 yards. He also completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards.
National Numbers: New Hampshire's defense is No. 7 in sacks with 3.00 per game, which also leads all CAA Football teams. The 'Cats are also No. 7 in fourth-down conversion defense (26.7%).
On special teams, UNH is No. 5 in kickoff returns (25.26 yards per return) and No. 8 in blocked punts (two).
In other stats, the Wildcats are No. 13 in fumbles lost (three).
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 8 nationally in all-purpose yards per game (164.63), No. 11 in rushing TDs (10), No. 10 in scoring (9.0 points/game) and No. 24 in kickoff returns (25.6 yards/return).
Junior Casey DeAndrade is No. 10 in punt returns at 14.0 yards per return.
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey is No. 17 in the nation (third in the CAA) in sacks per game at 0.75; Shorey has a team-high six sacks in eight games.
Redshirt freshman Jared Kuehl is No. 7 in blocked kicks with two.
Dominant in The Dungeon: New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium has been called The Dungeon, a fittingly foreboding nickname for the opposition. In three games this season, UNH is 3-0 at home and has outscored the opposition 114-45, including 45-3 in the first quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter.
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 45-5 at Cowell Stadium for an .900 win percentage.
UNH has won 10 consecutive CAA home games with a 4-0 record in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons and two wins this year (vs. Elon and Rhode Island). 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.
The Breakdown – Home vs. The Road: Here is a breakdown of UNH's stats at Cowell Stadium (three games) and on the road (five games):
Home Road
Record 3-0 1-4
Scoring offense 38.0 15.4
Scoring defense 15.0 29.4
Offense ypg 426.0 262.8
Defense ypg 294.7 453.0
Turnover margin +6 -5
UNH's offensive stats leaders in The Dungeon are: Dalton Crossan with 50 carries for 328 yards, which calculates to 6.6 yards per carry and 109.3 rushing yards per game, and six TDs; Crossan also has a team-high 122 receiving yards (9 catches) and two TDs; Jordan Powell with 12 catches for 121 yards and two TDs; Jared Allison with nine receptions for 107 yards.
The defensive stats leaders are: Casey DeAndrade with 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception; Jullian Turner with 14 tackles, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery; and Cam Shorey with three sacks (nine tackles).
Second Half Shutdown: UNH's defense was dominant in last week's 20-17 victory against Rhode Island. The Wildcats shut out the Rams and limited them to three first downs and 29 yards of total offense. The visitors went 3-and-out on 3 of 5 second-half possessions.
New Hampshire held URI to 225 total offense in the game to mark the lowest total by an opponent this season.
Second Half Stimulus: New Hampshire's offense struggled in last week's opening half against Rhode Island with 76 yards (17 rushing, 59 passing) and one first down. In six possession, UNH had three 3-and-outs and also fumbled on the first play of another drive.
The Wildcats roared back in the second half with 20 points, 306 yards of offense (167 rush, 139 pass) and six first downs (6 of 9 conversions). The Wildcats scored on three of six possessions, did not have a 3-and-out, recorded two drives of 10+ plays. The 'Cats led 20-17 with 3:43 remaining and gained possession at the URI 40. UNH converted a pair of third downs and then ran three kneel-down plays to secure the victory.
November Reign: New Hampshire has won eight consecutive November games with a split of 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road, and that includes a 45-7 NCAA first round win against Lafayette in 2013. The last November loss for the Wildcats was Nov. 2, 2013 at William & Mary (17-0).
1,000 times two: A pair of UNH Wildcats eclipsed 1,000 career rushing yards in the Oct. 31 home game against Rhode Island. Junior running back Dalton Crossan entered the game with 981 career rushing yards and he surpassed the 1,000-yard milestone in the third quarter with a 10-yard run on 3rd-and-1 from the URI 45. Crossan enters Saturday's game vs. Richmond with 1,095 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards against the Rams. He entered that game with 956 yards and attained the 1,000-yard milestone on a 22-yard rush on 1st-and-10 from the URI early in the fourth quarter. Goldrich has 1,026 rushing yards.
Push Them Back: Junior defensive end Cam Shorey has recorded a tackle for loss every game, including a season-high 2.5 at Delaware. Shorey has a total of 10 tackles for a loss, including a team-high six sacks.
October Overview: UNH went 2-2 record in October with a 2-0 mark at home and 0-2 ledger on the road. The Wildcats opened the month with a 37-14 victory against Elon, had an open week, then lost consecutive road games to 24th-ranked William & Mary (34-18) and Delaware (31-14). before closing with a 20-17 victory on Halloween Here is a comparison of October stats to the overall numbers:
October Overall
Record 2-2 4-4
Scoring offense 22.3 23.9
Scoring defense 24.0 24.0
Offense ypg 311.0 324.0
Defense ypg 340.8 393.6
Turnover margin -1 +1
UNH's offensive leaders in October were Dalton Crossan with 68 carries for 387 yards and seven TDs (5.7 yards/carry and 96.8 yards/game); Crossan eclipsed 100 rushing yards 3 of 4 games; he also had 13 catches for 96 yards (7.4 per catch; 24.0 yards/game); Jordan Powell with 15 catches for 159 yards (10.6 yards/catch and 39.8 yards/game); and Jared Allison with 11 receptions for 88 yards (8.0 yards/catch and 22.0 yards/game).
UNH's defensive leaders were Casey DeAndrade with 33 tackles (8.3 per game); Hayden Knudson with 25 tackles (6.3/game); and Akil Anderson with 23 tackles (5.8/game).
All-Purpose Performer: Explosive junior running back Dalton Crossan is a versatile weapon and workhorse for the Wildcats. Crossan leads the team in rushes (122), rushing yards (644), receptions (30), kickoff returns (18), kickoff return yards (460) and all-purpose yards (1,317). He has led the team in both rushes and rushing yards all eight games, as well as in receptions four times.
Crossan recorded a career-high 226 all-purpose yards Oct. 31 vs. Rhode Island with a breakdown of 114 rushing yards, career-high 66 yards receiving and 46 yards on kickoff returns.
Crossan, who did not have 100 yards rushing in his first 24 games, has eclipsed that mark three of the last four games – 140 vs. Elon (Oct. 3), 109 at William & Mary (Oct. 17), 114 vs. URI (Oct. 31).
Crossan is averaging 80.5 rushing yards per game, 26.6 receiving yards per game and 164.6 all-purpose yards per game. He has scored 10 rushing TDs, including a season-long run of 52 yards vs. URI, and also caught two touchdown passes.
Crossan has recorded at least 100 all-purpose yards every game with a low of 122 (at Stony Brook) and high of 266 (vs. URI). In comparison, the rest of the Wildcats have 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 (1,095) and he ranks second in rushes (166), receptions (47) and receiving yards (385).
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.
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.
Back Under Center: Senior quarterback Sean Goldrich has played three games (all starts at William & Mary, at Delaware and vs. Rhode Island) since returning from an injury incurred the second week of the season (Sept. 12) at Colgate. In the three games, he has completed 51 of 94 passes (54.3%) for 481 yards (160.3 per game), three TDs and three INTs; those numbers calculate to a 101.39 passer efficiency rating. He has been sacked seven times in three games, but just once each of the last two games.
Since his return, Goldrich recorded his best passer rating of 128.85 vs. Rhode Island by completing 18 of 32 passes for 198 yards and two TDs, the latter two of which are season highs. He registered season highs in both rushes (nine) and rushing yards (70) against URI.
Goldrich missed three games – at Stony Brook, vs. Central Connecticut State, vs. Elon – while rehabilitating from a high ankle sprain.
In five games overall this season, Goldrich has completed 78 of 139 passes (56.1%) for 707 yards and four touchdowns; he also has 37 rushes for 124 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 (6,376) and attempts (878) as well as sixth in completions (531). He is also the Wildcats' active career leader in rushes (307) and rushing touchdowns (17).
In comparison, the three other UNH quarterbacks who have seen action this year have combined career stats of 80-for-136 for 743 yards, seven TDs and four INTs.
When Goldrich Starts: UNH has a 19-9 record (.679 win percentage) when Sean Goldrich is the starting quarterback. That includes 9-1 at home, 12-3 in CAA conference games and 5-0 in CAA conference home games.
It's Better to Receive: Junior tight end Jordan Powell leads the team with 271 receiving yards on 26 catches (10.4 yards per catch; 33.9 yards per game). Last week against Rhode Island, he had three catches for 41 yards, including a season-long of 20 yards. Powell 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 6 of 8 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; Allison matched his personal best of seven catches (for 34 yards and a TD) at Delaware on Oct. 24. Neither Kelly nor Lewis-Cenales caught a pass against the Blue Hens.
Last week, Allison hauled in three catches for 35 yards and Kelly caught two passes for 11 yards.
Allison has 22 catches for 184 yards and two TDs. He has been held without a catch twice this season but bounced back both times; he did not have a catch at Stony Brook (Sept. 19) but then had five receptions for 53 yards against Central Connecticut State; Allison also did not have a catch at William & Mary (Oct. 17), one week before his 7-catch, 34-yard effort at Delaware.
Lewis-Cenales recorded career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (58) Sept. 12 at Colgate; he has 11 catches for 116 yards this season.
Kelly has recorded a season high of two catches four times this year, including consecutive games against Elon and William & Mary; in seven games, Kelly has nine catches for 92 yards.
Freshman Amechie Walker, Jr., who has been in the starting lineup four times, ranks fourth on the team in receiving yards (157) on 14 catches for 11.2 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.
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan has 11 catches for 134 yards in seven games. He 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).
Junior Kyon Taylor caught the go-ahead five-yard TD with 5:46 remaining last Saturday vs. URI; he matched his career high of three receptions (for 12 yards) that game. Taylor made his 2015 season debut Oct. 24 at Delaware and led all 'Cats with 35 receiving yards (on three catches) with a long of 22. In 28 career games, Taylor has 20 receptions for 207 yards and two TDs.
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 with senior George Kallas stepping in at center.
Lauderdale started the first, third, sixth, seventh and eighth games; sophomore Will McInerny was the starting right tackle at Colgate and in back-to-back games vs. Central Connecticut and Elon.
The latest lineman to miss action is Morrill, who did not dress for the Delaware game. Sophomore Jake Kennedy made his first career start at left guard in place of Morrill, who returned to action in the second half of the Rhode Island game (Oct. 31).
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 7 of 8 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 second overall and first among safeties in tackles with 46 (21-25-46). Knudson tied for the team lead in tackles consecutive games at William & Mary (nine) and at Delaware (11).
Rowe was injured during the Sept. 19 game at Stony Brook University and missed three games before returning to action Oct. 24 at Delaware; he finished that game with four tackles, including one for a loss. Rowe has 30 tackles (16-14-30), two forced a fumbles (one each of the first two weeks) and also a blocked PAT in the opener at San Jose State.
Edmonds, who has started each of the last six games and 7 of 8, ranks second among safeties and fifth overall in total tackles with 33. 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 eight games played, has been credited with 24 tackles; he tied his career high of five tackles vs. CCSU.
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 six games.
Sophomore D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie has played in 6 of 8 games; he was a DNP at William & Mary and last week against Rhode Island. Drummond-Mayrie 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).
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 for FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team.
DeAndrade leads the team in tackles with 57 (39-18-57), including 5.5 for a loss. He also has a team-leading seven pass breakups as well as a fumble recovery and an interception. He has recorded 6+ tackles 6 of 8 games.
DeAndrade was UNH's top tackler four consecutive games – Central Connecticut State (six), Elon (six), William 7 Mary (nine) and Delaware (11). The 11 stops against Delaware matched his personal best established in the season opener at San Jose State.
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.
Senior Dougie Moss has started opposite DeAndrade 7 of 8 games, including each of the last five. Moss ranks third on the team in tackles with 40 (28-12-40). He made eight stops Oct. 17 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 26 tackles (21-5-26) in seven 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 has proven capable at the opposite end.
Turner has been impressive this season with nine of his 33 tackles recorded behind the line of scrimmage, including four sacks (one each of the first three games); he has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. Turner tallied a personal-best six tackles Sept. 12 at Colgate and made five stops three times - vs. Elon (Oct. 3), at Delaware (Oct. 24) and vs. URI (Oct. 31).
Shorey leads the team with six sacks and ranks No. 17 nationally with 0.75 sacks per game. He has sacked the quarterback in 5 of 8 games and recorded a personal-best two against Central Connecticut (Sept. 26). Shorey has 30 tackles (20-10-30), including a career-high seven at Delaware (Oct. 24), and one fumble recovery. He is the only 'Cat who has recorded a tackle for loss every game, including a season-high 2.5 at Delaware.
Armand was credited with a career-high five tackles (all assisted) at San Jose State and matched that total with 1-4-5 vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 31. Armand made four stops vs. Colgate. He has 23 tackles in eight games.
Horton, who did not play Week 2 at Colgate, made a career-high six tackles (2-4-6) last week vs. URI. He recorded four tackles against both San Jose State and Stony Brook. Horton 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 to rank third on the team in sacks (three).
Sophomore Mike Boryeskne, who did not play last Saturday against Rhode Island, 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 ranks third among all Wildcat defensive linemen with 28 tackles (15-13-28). 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.
Anderson – the team's top tackler in 2013 and 2014 – has had a relatively quiet 2015 season with 37 tackles, which ranks fourth on the squad; he recorded a season-high eight stops Oct. 24 at Delaware, and that came one week after a seven-tackle effort at William & Mary; Anderson made six stops Week 2 at Colgate. Chollette, who has been a DNP the last two games, has 27 tackles; he recorded a season-high eight tackles (3-5-8) at Colgate.
Junior Ryan Farrell recorded career highs in solo (four), assisted (five) and total tackles (9) last Saturday against the University of Rhode Island, which marked his second start in as many weeks. In eight games, Farrell has 25 tackles (12-13-25).
Special Teams: New Hampshire has a couple of dangerous returners in Casey DeAndrade and Dalton Crossan, which is why the Wildcats lead the CAA in both kickoff returns (25.3 yard average) and punt returns (13.4 yards average).
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 14.0 yards per return with 168 yards on 12 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 25.6 yards per return (18-460).
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 38.3 yards per punt. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20 a total of 11 times and recorded a career-long punt of 52 yards last Saturday vs. Rhode Island (but it went into the end zone for a touchback). In the season opener at San Jose State, Breda averaged 41.6 yards on nine punts, including a long of 51, 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 17 of 21 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 Richmond: The No. 5/7 University of Richmond Spiders enter the weekend on a seven-game win streak and overall record of 7-1 that includes 5-0 in the CAA and 3-1 on the road. Richmond is coming off last week's 38-31 victory at home against Albany in which the Spiders led 38-10 with nine minutes left in the third quarter. One week earlier (Oct. 24), UR knocked then-No. 3 James Madison off the list of unbeaten teams with a 59-49 road win.
Richmond is No. 9 in the nation in total offense (475.8 yards/game), No. 10 in time of possession (33:41) and No. 13 in scoring (37.9 points/game). On the defensive side of the ball, the Spiders are ninth in turnovers gained (19), including No. 2 in interceptions (14), but allow 26.4 points per game, which ranks ninth in the CAA.
Spiders To Watch: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Lauletta is among the national leaders in a number of statistics – No. 4 in yards per pass attempt (9.81), No. 7 in yards per completion (15.19), No. 9 in pass efficiency (163.1) and No. 14 in passing yards per game (277.3).
Junior wide receiver Brian Brown is No. 2 in the nation in receiving yards per game (125.1) and No. 9 in yards per reception (20.86), as well as 24th in receptions per game (6.0).
Senior running back Jacobi Green is No. 4 in the nation in rushing touchdowns (12), No. 9 in scoring (9.3 points/game), 15th in yards per carry (6.33) and 21st in rushing yards per game (97.4).
Senior wide receiver Reggie Diggs is another offensive weapon with 45 catches for 647 yards and four TDs.
Junior defensive back David Jones recorded four interceptions last week vs. Albany and has seven in eight games this season. He also ranks second on the team in tackles with 52.
Junior linebacker Omar Howard leads the squad with 77 tackles (43-34-77), including a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss.
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/ FootballUNH Football vs Holy Cross Highlights 9-6-25
Sunday, September 07
UNH Football vs Stony Brook Highlights 11-16-24
Sunday, November 17
UNH Football vs Monmouth Highlights 11-9-24
Saturday, November 09
UNH Football vs Rhode Island Highlights 10-19-24
Sunday, October 20