GAME NOTES: No. 20/23 Football Welcomes Elon For Homecoming (Oct. 3)

Saturday, October 3

Durham, N.H.

3:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

Elon University

GAME NOTES: No. 20/23 Football Welcomes Elon For Homecoming (Oct. 3)

9/30/2015 3:18:00 PM | Football

Elon (2-2, 1-0 CAA) at No. 20/23 UNH (2-2, 0-1 CAA)
Saturday, Oct. 3 – Cowell Stadium – Durham, N.H. – 3:30 pm

Television: American Sports Network (Click here to find listings) NESNPlus Tape Delay (7 p.m.) (Click here to find listings)
Play by play: Mike Gleason Analyst: Ken Durek
Radio: Wildcat Sports Radio Network
Play by play: Bob Lipman Analyst: Tim O'Sullivan

QUICK HITTERS
The No. 20/23 UNH football team enters the week with a 2-2 overall record that includes 1-0 at home and 0-1 in the CAA. The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses through four games.

The 'Cats own the nation's longest streak of Top 25 appearances with 160 in a row, a stretch that dates back to Sept. 13, 2004,

New Hampshire has a 1-0 lifetime record against Elon University. The programs met for the first time last October in North Carolina and the Wildcats returned home with a 48-14 victory.

Since the start of the 2007 season, the Wildcats have a 43-5 record at Cowell Stadium, dubbed The Dungeon.

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).

In the national stats, UNH's defense is No. 2 in fumble recoveries, No. 3 in sacks and No. 11 in red zone defense.

Junior quarterback Adam Riese will be UNH's starter for the second consecutive week. He made his first career start last week vs. Central Connecticut State; in eight possessions – all in the first half – Riese led the Wildcats to four touchdowns and a field goal.

Junior running back Dalton Crossan is a versatile weapon and workhorse for the Wildcats. Crossan leads the team in rushes (54), rushing yards (257), receptions (17), kickoff returns (nine), kickoff return yards (208) and all-purpose yards (582). Crossan is averaging 64.2 rushing yards per game, 29.2 receiving yards per game and 145.5 all-purpose yards per game.

UNH has won the coin toss 3 of 4 weeks. Last week marked the first time the Wildcats elected to receive the opening kickoff.

Last week vs. Central Connecticut State, UNH recorded season highs in rushes (46), rushing yards (235), passing yards (263), total offense (498) and time of possession (31:25). The 9.7 yards per pass and 6.8 yards per play also marked season highs. Defensively, the Wildcats tallied season highs in both sacks (seven) and turnovers (three).

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. (See page 6)

UNH vs. Elon all-time series: New Hampshire and Elon University squared off for the first time one year ago when the Wildcats traveled to Rhodes Stadium in Elon, N.C. and recorded a 48-14 victory in the Phoenix's first CAA Football conference game.

Date H/A UNH Elon Result
10/04/14 A 48 14 W

The Most Recent Matchup (Oct. 4, 2014): UNH scored 17 points in both the first and second quarters en route to a 48-point lead and 48-14 victory at Elon.
The Wildcats amassed 405 yards on offense (155 rush, 250 pass), converted 8 of 16 third downs and scored on 7 of 8 trips inside the red zone (including five TDs). After going 3-and-out on its first possession, UNH scored on the next four offensive possessions (three TDs, one FG).
Elon compiled 282 yards (77 rush, 205 pass) and actually ran two more offensive plays than the 'Cats (76-74). The Phoenix converted 7 of 19 third downs, were not successful on their only fourth down attempt and committed two turnovers (both interceptions).
Elon scored at 9:05 of the fourth quarter on a 10-play, 80-yard drive to avoid the shutout. They struck again at 3:28 on another 10-play drive, this one of 70 yards.
Reserves Donald Goodrich and Chris McCormick were UNH's top ground gainers. Goodrich finished with 10 carries for 54 yards and his first career TD, while McCormick had 46 yards on eight carries. Both those numbers are personal bests for Goodrich, who also tallied career highs in both receptions (three) and receiving yards (55).
McCormick completed 5 of 9 passes for 57 yards and a TD.
A total of 10 'Cats caught a pass and there were six different ball carriers.

National Numbers: New Hampshire's defense is No. 2 in the nation in fumble recoveries with a CAA-leading six, including a season-high three last Saturday against Central Connecticut State.
UNH is No. 3 in sacks with 4.25 per game, which also leads all CAA Football teams. The Wildcats rank 12th in tackles for a loss at 8.5 per game; the defense made 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage each of the last two games (Sept. 19 at Stony Brook and Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut).
The 'Cats are also one of the top red zone defenses at No. 11 in the nation (third in the CAA); opponents score on 57.1% of their trips inside the 20.
UNH is one of the most disciplined, and thereby least penalized, teams in the nation. The Wildcats rank No. 19 in fewest penalties per game (5.00) and No. 20 in fewest penalty yards per game (41.25). UNH, which had been in the top 10, dropped following last week's game vs. Central Connecticut State, when the 'Cats committed eight penalties for 71 yards.
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey and redshirt freshman defensive end Jae'Wuan Horton are tied at No. 9 in the nation in sacks per game at 1.00; Shorey has a team-high four sacks while Horton has snared the opposing quarterback three times.
Senior defensive tackle Jullian Turner is No. 21 in the nation and second in the CAA in tackles for a loss at 1.6 per game.
Junior running back Dalton Crossan is No. 17 with a conference-leading 145.50 all-purpose yards per 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.

Southpaw Signal Caller: Junior quarterback Adam Riese will be UNH's starter for the second consecutive week when the Wildcats kick off against Elon this Saturday. Riese made his first career start last week vs. Central Connecticut State; in eight possessions – all in the first half – Riese led the Wildcats to four touchdowns and a field goal.
This will mark just the second time this season that UNH has the same starting QB in consecutive weeks. Sean Goldrich was the starter in weeks 1 and 2, but was injured in that game at Colgate and has not returned to action. Chris McCormick was inserted into the starting lineup week 3 at Stony Brook, followed by Riese week 4 vs. CCSU and again week 5 vs. Elon.
In his first career start, Riese completed 14 of 21 passes for 188 yards and three TDs without an interception for a 189.16 efficiency rating; all those numbers marked personal bests. He also had three rushes for a career-high 27 yards.
Riese played the second and third quarters Sept. 12 at Stony Brook and completed 13 of 21 passes for 111 yards, his first career touchdown and an interception for a 112.50 rating; he was also sacked four times.
In two games, Riese is 28 of 43 for 310 yards, four TDs and one INT with a team-best efficiency rating of 151.72.
In nine career games, Riese's numbers include 29 of 45 for 311 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Redshirt freshman Trevor Knight made his collegiate debut Sept. 19 at Stony Brook. He played the fourth quarter and completed 5 of 14 passes for 56 yards and threw a late interception in the end zone that ended a 7-play, 67-yard drive. Last week vs. CCSU, Knight threw his first career TD pass and also scored his first rushing touchdown; in one quarter of action, he was 4-for-4 for 64 yards.
Knight is 9 of 18 for 120 yards, one TD and an INT in two games for a 113.22 efficiency rating.
McCormick is the only quarterback who . entered the Sept. 12 game at Colgate University at 9:24 of the third quarter. He immediately led the Wildcats on a 9-play, 42-yard drive that resulted in a 44-yard field goal by Christian Breda and gave UNH a 23-0 lead. McCormick also engineered a 7-play, 47-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that extended New Hampshire's lead to 26-8. Overall, he completed 4 of 10 passes for 27 yards and threw an interception; he also gained nine yards on one carry.
McCormick made his first career start Sept. 19 at Stony Brook. In one quarter of action, he went 2-for-5 for 11 yards. In four games this season, he is 6 of 19 for 38 yards.
Goldrich is on the UNH Top 10 career list in three offensive categories – fifth in passing yardage (5,895) and attempts (784) as well as sixth in completions (480). He is also the Wildcats' active career leader in rushes (283), rushing yards (952) and rushing touchdowns (17). Last year, he had 88 carries for 332 yards and nine TDs.
In comparison, the three other UNH quarterbacks who have seen action this year have combined career stats of 57-for-103 for 576 yards, six TDs and three INTs.

All-Purpose Performer: Explosive junior running back Dalton Crossan is a versatile weapon and workhorse for the Wildcats. Crossan leads the team in rushes (54), rushing yards (257), receptions (17), kickoff returns (nine), kickoff return yards (208) and all-purpose yards (582).
Crossan is averaging 64.2 rushing yards per game, 29.2 receiving yards per game and 145.5 all-purpose yards per game. He has scored three rushing TDs and also caught a touchdown pass.
Among active 'Cats, Crossan ranks second in career rushes (98) and rushing yards (708) as well as career receptions (34) and receiving yards (289).
Last week in just one half of action vs. Central Connecticut State, Crossan had 10 carries for 74 yards (33-yard TD), three catches for a career-high 58 yards (48-yard TD) and a 27-yard kickoff return for a total of 159 all-purpose yards.
Crossan recorded team and career highs in both carries (21) and rushing yards (96) Sept. 12 at Colgate. One week laster at Stony Brook, he had a team-high and personal best seven catches (for 23 yards).
Bolstered by three kickoff returns for 102 yards, Crossan recorded a season-high 163 all-purpose yards in the opener at San Jose State.

Bryant in the Backfield: Running back Trevon Bryant played as a true freshman last fall and had 17 carries for 70 yards and two catches for 19 yards.
Through four games this season, Bryant has already surpassed those numbers with 27 carries for 172 yards for an average of 6.4 yards per carry. He also has two catches for 24 yards, including a career-long 20-yard reception Sept. 19 at Stony Brook.
Bryant showed his explosive speed Sept. 12 at Colgate when he gained the left corner and raced down the left sideline for a 28-yard gain. He finished that game with personal bests in both rushes (10) and rushing yards (70).

It's Better to Receive: Junior tight end Jordan Powell has 112 receiving yards on 11 catches (10.2 yards per catch). He finished with a personal-best four catches for 32 yards, including a 10-yard TD, Sept. 26 vs. Central Connecticut. Powell recorded a career-high 33 receiving yards in the opener at San Jose State on three catches. One week later at Colgate University, Powell had three catches for 31 yards.
Seniors Jared Allison and freshman Amechie Walker, Jr. are two of the starting wideouts.
Allison has 11 catches for 96 yards, including a 12-yard TD at Colgate (Sept. 12); he did not have a catch at Stony Brook (Sept. 19) but bounced back last week vs. CCSU with season highs in both receptions (five) and yards (53).
Walker, Jr. ranks second on the team in receiving yards (112) on eight catches for a team-high 14.4 yards per catch. He had a breakout game last Saturday vs. Central Connecticut with two touchdowns on two catches, including a season long of 37; he finished with a career-high 56 yards. Walker, Jr. recorded his first career catch Sept. 12 at Colgate and finished the game with three catches for 25 yards.
Another top target is sophomore Aaron Lewis-Cenales. He recorded career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (58) Sept. 12 at Colgate; he has nine catches for 104 yards this season.
Redshirt freshman Rory Donovan had a breakout game Sept. 19 at Stony Brook with five catches for 46 yards, including a 17-yard TD reception for his first career score. Donovan subsequently made his first career start one week later against Central Connecticut State; he had one catch for 16 yards.

What's My Line: Heading into the season opener, UNH's offensive line had a solid foundation with junior Tad McNeely at center, junior Alexander Morrill at left guard and senior Austin Heter at left tackle. All three were starters last season with both McNeely and Morrill in the starting lineup since they were redshirt freshman.
On the right side of the line, juniors Andrew Lauderdale and Curtis Nealer solidified their starting role at tackle and guard, respectively.
Four weeks into the season, only 3 of 5 offensive lineman have started every game – Heter, Morrill and Nealer.
McNeely, who was a Preseason CAA All-Conference Team selection, incurred an injury in the second game of the season at Colgate (Sept. 12) and that has forced senior George Kallas to step in at center. Lauderdale has been in-and-out of the lineup; he did not play at Colgate, then returned to start one week later at Stony Brook; sophomore Will McInerny was the starting right tackle at Colgate and vs. Central Connecticut.

Senior Safeties: Four senior safeties solidify the secondary with Daniel Rowe and Hayden Knudson starting at two of the safety spots while Lamar Edmonds and Keith Parkinson have alternated starts this season; Edmonds was in the starting lineup the first and third weeks, whereas Parkinson got the start in Week 2.
Rowe was injured during the Sept. 19 game at Stony Brook University, however, and did not play in the home opener against Central Connecticut State. Knudson was also sidelined against the Blue Devils, which gave sophomore Nick Marino his first career start; Marino made the most of the opportunity by recording a personal-best five tackles (4-1-5).
Despite seeing limited time at Stony Brook, Rowe ranks second in tackles with 23 total. Rowe forced a fumble each of the first two weeks of the season and also blocked a PAT in the opener at San Jose State.
Knudson is third with 21 tackles.
Edmonds ranks third among safeties and seventh overall in total tackles with 18. Parkinson has been credited with 16 tackles; he tied his career high of five tackles last Saturday vs. CCSU.

Excellent Cornering Skills: Junior Casey DeAndrade has established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the CAA and is on the STATS Watch List as for FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team.
DeAndrade ascended to the top of UNH's tackles leaderboard (17-7-24) with last week's team-high six-tackle effort against Central Connecticut. He also has a team-leading five pass breakups as well as a fumble recovery. 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 started opposite DeAndrade the first two weeks of the season and made his third start of the season week 4 vs. CCSU. 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. He is tied for fifth on the team in total tackles (19).
Sophomore Patrick Mensah made his first career start Sept. 19 at Stony Brook and he recorded four tackles.

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 6.5 of his 17 tackles recorded behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks (one each of the first three games). He tallied a personal-best six tackles Sept. 12 at Colgate.
Armand was credited with a career-high five tackles (all assisted) at San Jose State and he made four stops vs. Colgate.
Shorey also made a career-best five stops vs. the Spartans and he registered one sack each of the first two games. He tallied a personal-best two sacks last Saturday vs. Central Connecticut to increase his team-leading total to four.
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. He leads all Wildcat defensive linemen – and is tied for fifth overall – with 19 tackles (9-10-19). He also recovered a fumble at Colgate.
Redshirt freshman Cyrus Boone has also been a disruptive part of the rotation. He recorded 2.5 sacks vs. CCSU, one of which was a strip-sack that led directly to a 15-yard fumble for a touchdown. Boone has four tackles for a loss this season as part of 13 total tackles.

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 is tied for the team lead in assisted tackles (12) and is tied for third in total tackles with 21; 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 14 tackles, six of which came in Week 2 at Colgate.

Special Teams: New Hampshire has a couple of dangerous returners in Casey DeAndrade and Dalton Crossan. DeAndrade doubled up on CAA First Team honors last season when he was named to not only the All-Conference team as a defensive back but as a punt returner as well. He led the league with an average return of 9.1 yards on 22 returns.
Crossan was slowed by a leg injury much of the 2014 season and returned late in the year primarily as a kickoff returner. His 32.4 yard average over 14 returns gave him a school record. As a redshirt freshman, Crossan averaged 23.7 yards per kickoff return, which placed him fifth in the CAA.
Crossan didn't lose a step in the offseason. In the 2015 opener at San Jose State, he had three kickoff returns for 102 yards (34.0 average), including a long of 57. For the season, he is averaging 23.1 yards per return (9-208).
Senior Christian Breda holds all of New Hampshire's kicking roles – kickoffs, placekicker and punter. In his first year punting, Breda is averaging 39.8 yards per punt. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20 six 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.
Breda has connected on 3 of 4 field goal attempts – as well as 8 of 10 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.

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.

Scouting Elon: Elon University has an overall record of 2-2 that includes 1-0 in the CAA and 1-1 on the road. The Phoenix, recorded their first conference win since joining the league a year ago by defeating Towson University, 17-13, last Saturday.
Elon fell behind 13-0 but the defense shut out the Tigers the last three quarters and the offense came back to produce 17 points, including 10 in the third quarter, to record the victory.
The Phoenix began the comeback in the first quarter when Connor Christiansen hit Tereak McCray from 35 yards. Towson fumbled the ball on the first play in the third quarter, and Elon's Jonathan Jackson got the ball back at the TU 26-yard line. Two plays later, Brandon Gentry carried the ball across the goal line from five yards out to put Phoenix ahead, 14-13. Late in the third, John Gallagher hit a 45-yard field goal to make the game 17-13.
Elon won despite being outgained 399-205 with a 248-72 disparity in rushing yards. The Phoenix were efficient in the Red Zone by scoring a touchdown on their only drive inside the 20; the defense limited Towson to one score on four trips inside the Red Zone.
Through four games, Elon has been outscored 44-7 in the first half and that includes 28-0 in the first half.
After falling 41-3 in the season opener at Wake Forest, Elon responded with a 21-13 win at Gardner Webb in triple overtime. Elon led 7-0 when GW scored with no time remaining in the game to force overtime. Both teams kicked field goals in the first two overtime periods. Elon started the third overtime with the ball and Christiansen made a deep pass to Corey Joyner for a 25-yard touchdown; Christiansen hit Doug Warrick for a two-point conversion. The Phoenix defense secured the victory with an interception on Gardner-Webb's 4th-and-11 play from the 26 yard line.
In the third game of the season vs. North Carolina A&T, Elon once again surrendered a late touchdown (5:22 left in the fourth quarter), but this time is was a go-ahead score and the Phoenix fell 14-7.

Phoenix to Watch: Redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Christiansen made his debut off the bench in the season opener at Wake Forest and has started each of the last three games. Christiansen has completed 58 of 100 passes for 450 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. He also leads the team in both rushes (41) and rushing yards (112); last week, however, Christiansen had 11 carries for minus-7 yards (that included three sacks for a loss of 20 yards).
Sophomore running back Brandon Gentry is the next top ground gainer with 79 yards on 26 carries. In last week's 14-7 win vs. Towson, Gentry was tops on the team in rushes (14) and rushing yards (48).
Freshman Corey Joyner is the top target with 14 catches for 111 yards and two TDs. Sophomore Tre Lennon is second in receptions (12) and third in yards (84) while freshman Tereak McCray is third in receptions (11) and second in yards (107).
Junior linebackers Corey Mitchell and John Silas are the top tacklers with 46 apiece. Silas is second on the squad in both tackles for a loss (4.5) and sacks (3.5), and last week he had a game-high 16 tackles. Mitchell also recorded double digits in tackles vs. Towson with 12.
Senior defensive lineman Rob Sullivan has made a team-leading 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and that includes 4.0 sacks.

Balanced Play Calling: Through four games, UNH has established balanced play calling with 132 runs and 137 passes. (Note: These numbers reflect the number of run plays called vs. pass plays called, not the number of rushes vs. number of pass attempts; in college, QBs are "credited" with a rush when they are sacked but it is a pass play, which accounts for the disparity.)

IN the (Red) Zone: UNH has scored on 11 of 13 (84.6%) trips inside the Red Zone this season with eight touchdowns and three field goals. New Hampshire converted all five scoring chances into points last week vs. Central Connecticut with three TDs (one rush, two pass) and two field goals. At Colgate (Sept. 12), the Wildcats converted 4 of 5 possessions into points with three TDs (two rush, one pass) and a field goal; the only pointless possession was on a missed 24-yard FG attempt.
In comparison, the opponents have scored on 8 of 14 (57.1%) trips inside the 20. Colgate was just 1 of 4 as the Wildcats forced the Raiders to lose the ball on downs three times.

Sack Exchange: UNH's defense recorded three sacks each of the first two games of the 2015 season and upped that total to four sacks Week 3 at Stony Brook followed by a season-high eight Week 4 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.

Defense Gets Offensive: UNH's defense scored its first 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).

Unbalanced Scoring: The Wildcats have outscored the opposition 32-27 in the first quarter and 47-23 in the second (79-50 in the first half), but the 'Cats have been outscored 31-11 in the third and 15-12 in the fourth (46-23 in the second half).

Valuing Possession: Through four games, UNH is +2 in turnover margin. Last week vs. Central Connecticut, the Wildcats were +3 with three fumble recoveries and no turnovers committed.
It marked the first time this season New Hampshire won the turnover battle. 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.

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

CCSU Bedeviled by New Hampshire: The No. 21/24 Wildcats roared out to a 25-0 first quarter lead en route to a 57-14 victory against Central Connecticut State University in the Sept. 26 home opener at Cowell Stadium.
UNH recorded season highs in rushes (46), rushing yards (235), passing yards (263), total offense (498) and time of possession (31:25). The 9.7 yards per pass and 6.8 yards per play also marked season highs.
Defensively, the Wildcats tallied season highs in both sacks (eight) and turnovers (three).

Notable Numbers vs. the Blue Devils: Junior quarterback Adam Riese recorded career highs in completions (14), attempts (21), passing yards (188) and passing TDs (three).
Junior tight end Jordan Powell recorded a career-high four catches (for 32 yards).
Junior kicker Morgan Ellman recorded his first career points when he made a 20-yard field goal at 5:46 of the fourth quarter.
Sophomore safety D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie tallied a personal-best six tackles.
Sophomore defensive back Nick Marino made a career-high five tackles in his first career start.
Senior safety Keith Parkinson tied his personal best of five tackles.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Reisert made a career-high five tackles, which included his first career sack; he also forced a fumble.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Jared Kuehl had a career-high four tackles and also blocked a punt.
Junior defensive end Cam Shorey had a personal-best two sacks.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Cyrus Boone was credited with a career-high 2.5 sacks, one of which resulted in a forced fumble and UNH touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Antonio Natale finished with a career-high two tackles, including his first career sack.
Redshirt freshman Ryan Sosnak tallied his first career sack.

UNH Upended at Stony Brook: The No. 13/13 Wildcats surrendered 21 consecutive points as Stony Brook pulled away for a 31-6 victory at LaValle Stadium on Sept. 19.
UNH closed within 10-6 when Adam Riese connected with Rory Donovan on a 17-yard pass play with 11 seconds left in the first half; it was a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
SBU returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards, however, and the one second on the clock was enough for the Seawolves to score on a 24-yard TD pass to take a 17-6 lead into the locker room.
The Wildcats recorded more first downs (18-17), but that is misleading because Stony Brook averaged 5.6 yards per play from scrimmage (in comparison to UNH's 3.6) and the Seawolves averaged 62 yards per kickoff return (UNH: 14.2) as well as 12.7 yards per punt return.
In the absence of first-string QB Sean Goldrich, three UNH quarterbacks combined to completed 20 of 40 passes for 178 yards, one TD and two interceptions.
Junior RB Dalton Crossan led the 'Cats in rushes (14), rushing yards (40) and receptions (seven). Donovan finished with five catches for a team-high 46 yards.
Defensively, Hayden Knudson and Kevin McNally recorded a team-high six tackles. Jae'Wuan Horton recorded three tackles for a loss, including two sacks; he forced a fumble on one of those sacks.

'Cats Claw Colgate: No. 12/15 UNH scored a pair of touchdowns late in the second quarter to build a 20-0 lead en route to a 26-8 victory against Colgate University at Andy Kerr Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The Wildcats recorded 218 rushing yards and 193 passing yards for 411 total yards of offense. The Raiders finished with 336 total yards (141 rush, 195 pass).
Sean Goldrich threw his first –and only – TD pass of the season with a 12-yard strike to Jared Allison at 1:13 of the second quarter. It marked Allison's first receiving touchdown since the 2013 season (Oct. 19 vs. Villanova; 24 games between TD receptions).

Career Highs vs. the Raiders: Dalton Crossan led UNH's balanced offense at Colgate with a career-high 96 rushing yards on a personal-best 21 carries; he established his previous high of nine carries in the season opener at San Jose State.
Trevon Bryant also recorded career highs in both carries (10) and rushing yards (70) with a career-long 28-yard rush.
Aaron Lewis-Cenales finished with four catches for 58 yards, both career highs.
Jullian Turner recorded career highs in both assisted (four) and total tackles (six).
Mike Boryeskne finished with a line of 2-3-5 tackles for the second consecutive week.
Cyrus Boone made four stops (1-3-4) in his second career game.
Kyle Reisert recorded his first career tackle and ended the game with 1-1-2.
Neil O'Connor recorded his first career catch – for two yards.

Milestone Made in Hamilton: Sean Goldrich attempted 23 passes at Colgate to increase his career total to 784 and climb to No. 5 on UNH's all-time leaderboard. He supplanted Mike Granieri, who finished with 764 pass attempts.

West Coast Recap: The No. 9/7 UNH football team was defeated 43-13 by FBS opponent San Jose State University at Spartan Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 3.
SJSU scored a touchdown on three of its first four possessions and held UNH to a pair of three-and-outs in the first quarter to build a 20-0 lead, and the home team took a 26-7 lead into halftime with a 464-50 advantage in total yards, 22-2 disparity in first downs and 22:19 in time of possession.
Dalton Crossan compiled 163 all-purpose yards (47 rush, 14 catch, 102 kickoff return) and that included a 26-yard TD run. Trevon Bryant had seven carries for 30 yards, including his first career TD on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Powell was the top Wildcat in receiving yards with 33 on three catches.
Sean Goldrich completed 10 of 22 passes for 60 yards.
Three 'Cats recorded double-digit tackles. Daniel Rowe led the way with a career-high 13 stops followed by Casey DeAndrade (11) and Dougie Moss (10), both of whom also finished with career highs. Rowe also forced a fumble and blocked a PAT kick.

New Hampshire Selected Third In CAA Preseason Poll: UNH, defending CAA champions by virtue of last year's 8-0 unblemished conference record, received five of a possible 24 first-place votes and was selected third overall in the 2015 CAA Football Preseason Poll that was released July 28. Here is the complete poll:
School (First-Place Votes)
1. Villanova (14)
2. James Madison (5)
3. New Hampshire (5)
4. William & Mary
5. Richmond
6. Delaware
7. Maine
8. Stony Brook
9. Towson
10. Albany
11. Rhode Island
12. Elon