University of New Hampshire Athletics
Bill Burnham's No. 36 was the first football number retired by UNH.
Insider Report: Celebrating the 125th
11/1/2018 4:53:00 PM | Football, UNH Insider
DURHAM, N.H. – It all started 125 years ago Sunday.
On Nov. 4, 1893 – that's 1893, mind you – New Hampshire took its fledgling football team to Newmarket and came up just short in the debut game for the program, 10-0.
Brighter days were ahead.
The University of New Hampshire celebrates the 125th anniversary of football – those brighter days included – on Saturday with a game against No. 3 James Madison in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m.
T-shirts commemorating the occasion will be given to the first 1,000 fans and football alumni will be recognized during the game. The Dr. Pepper Tuition Toss will award a total of $10,000 to two UNH students who have already been chosen to compete for the funds.
Group and individual tickets are available by calling 603-862-4000 or by CLICKING HERE.
"One hundred, twenty-five years is a long time to be playing football and there's been a ton of great, great football players," said head coach Sean McDonnell. "But it's not just the good players: The Burnhams, the Azumahs, the Santoses, the Balls. All those guys. Evans. There are great people that have come through that were great teammates and a great part of a winning tradition and a winning culture that I think has been second to none in New England a lot of times."
UNH has posted a winning record in each of the past 14 seasons, the best such string in program history. Since game one, New Hampshire has an overall record of 585-473-55.
This year has been tougher and the Wildcats are out of the running for an FCS playoff berth and instead are looking to do a little damage to others as they close out the season.
They are 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association. James Madison is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the league and taking aim at another deep run in the playoffs. The Dukes won the NCAA Division I FCS national title in 2016 and fell in the title game to North Dakota State, 17-13, last season.
What would knocking off the Dukes mean?
"It would be a huge win," said junior defensive end Josh Kania. "They're a good team, they've always been a good team. That would really make a mark, just let everyone know that we're not going out quietly."
It's a tall task.
JMU is second in the league in scoring at 36.4 points per game, leads the league by a wide margin in scoring defense (9.8 points allowed with Delaware next at 20.4) and excels on special teams.
Sophomore D'Angelo Amos has returned three punts for touchdowns and classmate Jawon Hamilton returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score.
Senior Jimmy Moreland leads the league with four interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns.
James Madison's losses were to North Carolina State of the FBS, 24-13, and a rare league loss to Elon, 27-24, on Oct. 6.
UNH is coming off an everyone-contributes 34-0 win at Villanova. Coming into the season, the Wildcats had not pitched a regular season shutout since 2010. They got one with a 28-0 win over Holy Cross at home on Oct. 6 and now they have two in a season for the first time since 1976.
The defense was led by seniors Ryan Sosnak and Jae'Wuan Horton and sophomore Brian Carter up front, juniors Pop Lacey and Rick Ellison with sophomore Evan Horn at the safety spots and junior linebacker Quinlen Dean and senior Jared Kuehl at linebacker.
The offense got things started when redshirt freshman Carlos Washington, Jr., making his first start with junior Evan Gray sidelined with an injury, bolted 75 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage.
"The first gap, my first read, was closed," Washington said. "As I transitioned to my second read, I saw a gap between Noah (Robison) and, I believe, (Matt) Mascia, so I just stuck my foot, planted and hit the gap."
Next stop, the end zone.
Washington finished with 17 carries for 179 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Mascia was the guard and junior Robison the tackle on the right side. Junior Matt Matulis was the left guard and graduate student Cam Smith the left tackle with redshirt freshman Patrick Flynn at center.
"They got on people, stayed on blocks, finished blocks," McDonnell said. "I thought it was probably their best performance of the year."
More good news: sophomore Jack Carroll and junior Jeff Carter, offensive linemen who have been out with injuries, are expected to be available this weekend.
"That adds some depth and adds some competition at the position," McDonnell said. "You feel pretty good that you've weathered this and you're going into the last three games with kids that have played, kids that have played together and have done a good job against a pretty good defense. That's encouraging, very encouraging, to say the least."
On a day to celebrate history, the Wildcats will look to make a little more with an upset.
To McDonnell, who arrived at UNH as a player under head coach Bill Bowes in the mid-1970s, the program's history is all about the people.
"You go back through the players, through the coaches," McDonnell said. "I've been fortunate. I've touched something of this since 1974. I know that era pretty well and a couple of folks before. You go through the '50s and '60s and you listen to the guys that were on championship teams. Or you listen to the guys that played in meaningful games here. The experiences that all these guys got to share on the gridiron, or whatever you want to say, in Cowell Stadium, in Wildcat Stadium, is something special."
UP NEXT
TV TIME
OFFICIAL UNH GEAR
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
On Nov. 4, 1893 – that's 1893, mind you – New Hampshire took its fledgling football team to Newmarket and came up just short in the debut game for the program, 10-0.
Brighter days were ahead.
The University of New Hampshire celebrates the 125th anniversary of football – those brighter days included – on Saturday with a game against No. 3 James Madison in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m.
T-shirts commemorating the occasion will be given to the first 1,000 fans and football alumni will be recognized during the game. The Dr. Pepper Tuition Toss will award a total of $10,000 to two UNH students who have already been chosen to compete for the funds.
Group and individual tickets are available by calling 603-862-4000 or by CLICKING HERE.
"One hundred, twenty-five years is a long time to be playing football and there's been a ton of great, great football players," said head coach Sean McDonnell. "But it's not just the good players: The Burnhams, the Azumahs, the Santoses, the Balls. All those guys. Evans. There are great people that have come through that were great teammates and a great part of a winning tradition and a winning culture that I think has been second to none in New England a lot of times."
UNH has posted a winning record in each of the past 14 seasons, the best such string in program history. Since game one, New Hampshire has an overall record of 585-473-55.
This year has been tougher and the Wildcats are out of the running for an FCS playoff berth and instead are looking to do a little damage to others as they close out the season.
They are 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association. James Madison is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the league and taking aim at another deep run in the playoffs. The Dukes won the NCAA Division I FCS national title in 2016 and fell in the title game to North Dakota State, 17-13, last season.
What would knocking off the Dukes mean?
"It would be a huge win," said junior defensive end Josh Kania. "They're a good team, they've always been a good team. That would really make a mark, just let everyone know that we're not going out quietly."
It's a tall task.
JMU is second in the league in scoring at 36.4 points per game, leads the league by a wide margin in scoring defense (9.8 points allowed with Delaware next at 20.4) and excels on special teams.
Sophomore D'Angelo Amos has returned three punts for touchdowns and classmate Jawon Hamilton returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score.
Senior Jimmy Moreland leads the league with four interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns.
James Madison's losses were to North Carolina State of the FBS, 24-13, and a rare league loss to Elon, 27-24, on Oct. 6.
UNH is coming off an everyone-contributes 34-0 win at Villanova. Coming into the season, the Wildcats had not pitched a regular season shutout since 2010. They got one with a 28-0 win over Holy Cross at home on Oct. 6 and now they have two in a season for the first time since 1976.
The defense was led by seniors Ryan Sosnak and Jae'Wuan Horton and sophomore Brian Carter up front, juniors Pop Lacey and Rick Ellison with sophomore Evan Horn at the safety spots and junior linebacker Quinlen Dean and senior Jared Kuehl at linebacker.
The offense got things started when redshirt freshman Carlos Washington, Jr., making his first start with junior Evan Gray sidelined with an injury, bolted 75 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage.
"The first gap, my first read, was closed," Washington said. "As I transitioned to my second read, I saw a gap between Noah (Robison) and, I believe, (Matt) Mascia, so I just stuck my foot, planted and hit the gap."
Next stop, the end zone.
Washington finished with 17 carries for 179 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Mascia was the guard and junior Robison the tackle on the right side. Junior Matt Matulis was the left guard and graduate student Cam Smith the left tackle with redshirt freshman Patrick Flynn at center.
"They got on people, stayed on blocks, finished blocks," McDonnell said. "I thought it was probably their best performance of the year."
More good news: sophomore Jack Carroll and junior Jeff Carter, offensive linemen who have been out with injuries, are expected to be available this weekend.
"That adds some depth and adds some competition at the position," McDonnell said. "You feel pretty good that you've weathered this and you're going into the last three games with kids that have played, kids that have played together and have done a good job against a pretty good defense. That's encouraging, very encouraging, to say the least."
On a day to celebrate history, the Wildcats will look to make a little more with an upset.
To McDonnell, who arrived at UNH as a player under head coach Bill Bowes in the mid-1970s, the program's history is all about the people.
"You go back through the players, through the coaches," McDonnell said. "I've been fortunate. I've touched something of this since 1974. I know that era pretty well and a couple of folks before. You go through the '50s and '60s and you listen to the guys that were on championship teams. Or you listen to the guys that played in meaningful games here. The experiences that all these guys got to share on the gridiron, or whatever you want to say, in Cowell Stadium, in Wildcat Stadium, is something special."
UP NEXT
- The Wildcats are down to three games left in the season.
- They play their final home game next Saturday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. against Albany in Wildcat Stadium.
- It will be a UNH Salutes/Military Appreciation Day contest.
- UNH wraps up the season with a game at Rhode Island on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
- Group and individual game tickets for all home games are available by calling 603-862-4000 or at .
TV TIME
- The James Madison game will be televised by Fox College Sports.
- The Albany game will be televised on NBC Sports Boston.
OFFICIAL UNH GEAR
- Check out www.unhshop.com for the latest in official UNH Wildcats' merchandise.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
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