Game 5 Report: Farrell's Pick, Knight's Poise Play to Record Crowd

The senior linebacker's big-time defensive play went a long way toward sealing the Homecoming victory in front of a record home crowd of 21,943.

The sophomore quarterback, making the fifth start of a young career that is progressing quite nicely, helped settle the offense down after a rough start and did his share, too.

Linebacker Ryan Farrell and quarterback Trevor Knight were two of many who helped deliver the UNH football team a 21-12 triumph over No. 19 William & Mary on a rainy Homecoming in Wildcat Stadium late afternoon on Saturday.

Head coach Sean McDonnell cited their play along with that of his offensive and defensive lines, kickers, running backs and others in the victory over a team that has given UNH major problems through the years.

The Wildcats have won two straight games and look to make it three on Saturday at Elon in a 3:30 game.

UNH returns home to play No. 7 James Madison on Saturday, Oct. 15. Tickets for the JMU game and other home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com, by calling 603-862-4000 or visiting the Whittemore Center Box Office.

Knight scored UNH's opening touchdown on a 28-yard run that featured a nice cutback on a keeper on a 4^th down with nine yards to go for a first down late in the second quarter.

He then led the offense on a pair of scoring drives early in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

"Trevor played very well," said offensive coordinator Ryan Carty. "I thought this was by far his best game, his most composed game. He looked really calm back there, settled down."

The offense went fumble on its second play, interception, fumble on the second play, punt in its first four possessions of the game.

McDonnell and his coaches were happy with the way the offense rebounded from the early troubles.

"I thought that was one of the best things that we did," Carty said. "For a team we claim is a young team they kind of grew up a little bit there. We had three turnovers and it didn't really faze them. I'm proud of the way they bounced back. We always preach it, but it was fun to see them doing that."

Knight's touchdown run, his second of the season, combined with Morgan Ellman's extra point kick gave UNH a 7-6 lead that it never relinquished.

He was looking for a first down on that 4^th and nine and found much more.

"I wasn't sure where I was to get the yard marker," Knight said. "I probably had the first down and they've been preaching to get out of bounds, but I just saw a little hole to get the cut back and I just tried hitting it."

A couple of key blocks by redshirt freshman tight end Justin Malone-Woods lent a hand, too.

Senior Dalton Crossan scored on a 1-yard run with 13:40 left in the fourth period to cap a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Ellman kicked the extra point and UNH had a 14-6 lead.

The Tribe looked to answer that, and possibly tie the game, with one quick strike from its own 13-yard line.

Enter Farrell.

William & Mary quarterback Steve Cluley had his tight end open behind the UNH defense on the first paly. Farrell went up and intercepted Cluley's pass.

"The interception by Ryan was huge," McDonnell said. "If he didn't pick that ball it was going for a touchdown about 80 yards the other way. They caught us in a coverage and he made a great, great pick. Super play for him."

Five plays later, Knight hit senior Anthony Pante all alone in the end zone and with another Ellman kick UNH's lead was up to 21-6.

William & Mary got the touchdown back, but the UNH defense stopped the two-point conversion pass and the Wildcats held on for the win.

NEXT UP: ELON AT A GLANCE

Elon fell to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the CAA with a 42-7 loss at home to No. 14 Villanova on Saturday.
The Phoenix stunned then-No. 8 William & Mary, 27-10, in their previous game, at William & Mary on Sept. 24.
Elon managed 130 yards of offense compared to Villanova's 557 yards.
Elon was 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the CAA last year.
The Phoenix are in their third year in the league. In 2014 they were 1-11 and 0-8.
Crossan rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-14 win over Elon last year in Durham.
In 2014, UNH won a 48-14 game at Elon.

HOME SWEET HOME: BACK TO WILDCAT STADIUM

UNH looks to keep its record perfect at Wildcat Stadium when James Madison University comes in on Oct. 15 for a game at noon.
The Wildcats have had crowds of 13,242 and 21,943 in their first two games in their new home.
Individual game and group tickets are available at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling 603-862-4000.
Other regular season home games are against Stony Brook on Oct. 29 at noon and against Albany on Nov. 12 at noon.

QUOTEBOARD

"I thought we had some physicality in the offensive and defensive lines. Early in the game defensively we did a good job and later in the game offensively. I thought our offensive line did a real good job. We've had a tough time against this team over the years, especially running the football against them. We knew we had to be able to run the ball. Conditions didn't give us a great opportunity to do anything else. Our guys buckled it up up front. Tad McNeely, Curtis Nealer, Andrew Lauderdale and Dayne Herron did a really good of creating holes for Dalton (Crossan), I thought he ran real hard."
                                                                                                                               Sean McDonnell

"I thought our guys did a really good job. On the kick we wanted to keep the ball away from (DeVonte) Dedmon. We pooch kicked it two or three times. Morgan Ellman did a nice job there. We connected on all our extra points. Max Pedinoff did a great job punting. He got roughed up and got injured a little bit at the end of the last one, but he did a great job of getting it off. We told them we had to win something in the special teams and I thought we did that with our kicking.
                                                                                                                                  Sean McDonnell

"We love to run the ball. I think we can definitely run the ball against anybody with the offensive line we've got and the way the running backs, all of us, me Trevon, Donald, all of us, Trevor, too, is running, making plays with his feet. . . . I think we can do that. I think we can throw the ball. I think that's what we had to do today and I think we did a great job of getting it done."
                                                                                                                                Dalton Crossan

"I thought a couple of times he pulled the ball down and ran, especially when it was raining, as opposed to trying to fit one in. Especially after the first pick he threw, which I thought was a good read. But it was wet and he threw it kind of hard and the ball went through one of our guy's hands. Those are the things I think he learned well throughout the game and we talked on the headset about going through his reads and putting those things in your head. To win in those kinds of conditions with a young quarterback and a young offense and young skilled group is really just a product of the offense line being big up front. They did a great job tonight."
                                                                         Offensive coordinator Ryan Carty on Trevor Knight



UNH BY THE NUMBERS

The Wildcats evened their record at 3-2 for the season. They are 2-0 in the CAA.
UNH rolled up 252 yards on the ground.
The Wildcats are fourth in the CAA at 201.6 rushing yards per game.
The 252 yards are UNH's second-best total this season.
William & Mary had 235 yards of total offense.
The previous low total for an opponent this season was 395 by Rhode Island.
The 235 is lowest for an opponent since Rhode Island had 225 on Oct. 31, 2015.
Dalton Crossan rushed 27 times for 98 yards and a score.
Crossan ranks fifth in the CAA at 93.4 rushing yards per game.
He had 150 all-purpose yards Saturday and is first in all-purpose yards a game at 155.4.
Knight completed 13 of his 23 passes for 118 yards and one score.
Senior Casey DeAndrade's first-period interception was his second of the season and eighth of his career.
Junior Max Pedinoff averaged 47.7 yards on his three punts.
Sophomore Neil O'Connor caught four passes for 38 yards.
Redshirt freshman Malik Love had four catches for 33 yards.
Junior safety D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie led UNH with seven tackles.
Senior linebacker DeVaughn Chollette and redshirt freshman safety Michael Balsamo had five tackles each.
Freshman cornerback Prince Smith, Jr., junior defensive tackle Rick Holt and sophomore linebacker Jared Kuehl each had a sack.
Smith, Jr. leads the CAA in passes defended with six pass breakups and two interceptions.
Freshman safety Pop Lacey broke up two passes.
UNH converted seven of its 16 third-down plays and for the second week in a row three of its four fourth down plays.

WILDCAT NOTES

UNH, James Madison, Villanova atop CAA standings with 2-0 league records.
Albany and Stony Brook are 1-0.
True freshman Elijah Lewis saw his first action of the season at defensive tackle.
Wide receiver Kieran Presley was one of the Wildcats who missed the game because of injury.

Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu

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