Dean Records Career-High 15 Tackles in 15-0 Loss at UAlbany

Saturday, November 18

Albany, N.Y.

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

7-4 , 5-3

Albany

4-7 , 2-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

UAlbany

Photo by: Bill Ziskin

11/18/2017 10:48:00 AM | Football

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – Linebackers Quinlen Dean (Greenbelt, Md.) and Jared Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H.) both recorded career highs in tackles with 15 and 12, respectively, but the No. 16/14 University of New Hampshire football team lost 15-0 loss in Saturday afternoon's regular-season finale against the University at Albany at Casey Stadium.

Dean increased his team-leading season total to 101 tackles with his personal benchmark of 15 tackles, which marked his fourth double-digit effort of the year, all in the past five games. Kuehl's stats also included two tackles for loss with one sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

UNH's defense recorded 10 tackles for loss, including three sacks, held UAlbany below 100 rushing yards (81) and 265 yards of total offense.

UNH is 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the CAA while UAlbany improved to 4-7, 2-6.

The Great Danes' defense limited New Hampshire to a season-low 122 total yards offense. With 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including eight sacks, UAlbany held UNH to minus-11 rushing yards.

WHAT'S NEXT
The NCAA Division I FCS Selection Show is Sunday, Nov. 19 (11 a.m.) on ESPNU. Watch to see if the Wildcats will make a 14^th consecutive trip to the NCAA playoffs.

GAME RECAP
1^st QUARTER

On UNH's second possession of the game, the Wildcats advanced into the red zone at the UA 19 but lost the ball on downs when they did not convert 4^th-and-7 from the 25.
The quarter ended with Albany facing 4^th-and-2 at the UNH 22.

2^nd QUARTER

After a false start to open the second quarter, Will Brunson completed a pass to Donovan McDonald and Jared Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H.) forced a fumble at the UNH 10, but UAlbany's Brad Harris recovered the fumble to extend the drive at the 14 yard line.
Four plays later, Ethan Stark's 27-yard field goal gave the home team a 3-0 lead at 12:52 and cap a 12-play, 65-yard drive that consumed 7 minutes, 12 seconds.
The Wildcats, who amassed 19 yards in the second quarter, attempted a fake punt on 4^th-and-8 from the UNH 47 but the Max Pedinoff (Newtown, Pa.) pass was incomplete to Nick Lubischer (Red Bank, N.J.).
UAlbany's drive began with 3:02 on the clock and the Great Danes advanced to the UNH 16 with 20 seconds on the clock, but Isiah Perkins (Williamstown, N.J.) intercepted Brunson's pass at the front-left pylon, cut across the field and was tackled out of bounds at the UA 48 with five seconds on the clock.
An unsportsmanlike penalty at the end of the play against the 'Cats moved the ball back to the UNH 37 and quarterback Trevor Knight (Amherst, N.H.) took a knee to end the half.

3^rd QUARTER

UNH's defense held the Great Danes to 3-and-out on the opening possession of the second half. On the ensuing Wildcats' possession, on 4^th-and-23 from the 23, the snap sailed over Pedinoff's head through the back of the end zone for a safety and 5-0 UAlbany lead at 9:57.
The Great Danes needed just three plays to score the first touchdown of the game, a 54-yard pass from Brunson to Austin Ellis to extend the advantage to 12-0 at 8:28.
After forcing Pedinoff to punt for the fifth time, UAlbany began its next drive at 5:04. On the final play of the quarter, Prince Smith, Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) dropped Brunson for a three-yard loss to set up 4^th-and-4 at the UNH 21.

4^th QUARTER

Stark's 38-yard field goal attempt into the wind sailed wide right to keep the score 12-0 at 14:55.
On the ensuing UNH possession, the Wildcats faced 4^th-and-4 from the UA 47 and Knight was sacked to give the ball back to the home team with 12:28 on the clock.
UAlbany's offense only advanced the ball 25 yards, but the Great Danes consumed 6:17 off the clock and extended the lead to 15-0 at 6:21 on Stark's 38-yard field goal.
The turning point on that scoring drive was when the Wildcats' D forced UAlbany to a 3-and-out, but New Hampshire was called for a personal foul – leaping the shield – on the punt to extend the drive to 1^st-and-10 at the UNH 31.
On the ensuing possession, UNH faced 2^nd-and-4 at the UA 40 but Knight was strip-sacked by Malachi and the Great Danes' Brian Dolce recovered the fumble to get the ball back at 5:17.
The Wildcats' defense forced another 3-and-out and UNH started its next possession at its 26-yard line with 4:47 to play. The Great Danes' defense recorded another turnover just two plays later with another strip-sack, this time with Isaiah Powell forcing the fumble and D. Timmons recovering.
The 'Cats got the ball back on downs at the UNH 20 with 2:08 remaining, but Knight was sacked for the eighth time in the game to set up 4^th-and-26 with just over a minute remaining. Gray took a handoff and was stopped short of the first down at the 16.

UNH NOTEBOOK

It was Perkins' team-leading fourth interception of the season. He did not have any return yards on his previous three INTs. Saturday's 52-yard INT return is the longest return of any kind by any Wildcat this season.
Evan Horn (Lebanon, Pa.) matched his career high of eight tackles. He made two stops behind the line of scrimmage, including a sack.
Neil O'Connor (Leominster, Mass.) led UNH in both receptions (nine) and receiving yards (88).
O'Connor jumped from No. 7 to a tie with David Ball at No. 3 on UNH's list of single-season superlatives for receptions with 87; Ball pulled in 87 catches in 2005.
O'Connor moved up the program's career list for receiving yards to No. 9 with 2,198.
Knight completed 18 of 31 passes for 133 yards. He is now No. 6 in single-season pass attempts (381), No. 7 in single-season completions (239), No. 7 in single-season passing yards (2,851), No. 8 in career pass attempts (719), No. 7 in career completions (428) and No. 9 in career passing yards (4,689).
Evan Gray (Centreville, Va.) was UNH's leading rusher with 13 carries for 47 yards.
Prior to today, UNH had not been shut out twice in a season since 1982.
This was the second time this year the Wildcats did not score first in a game; both times resulted in shutout losses.