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University of New Hampshire Athletics
The Wildcat defense will look to again swarm to the ball Saturday against Villanova. (Scott Greenwald photo)
Insider Report: Let Championship Month Commence
11/1/2019 11:28:00 AM | Football, UNH Insider
'Cats Kick Off Stretch Run vs. No. 11 Villanova at Home on Saturday
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire football team has November right where it wants it.
The Wildcats have always preached this is championship month. They come off a bye week and head back to action Saturday in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m. against No. 11 Villanova, primed to play for titles in a four-game gauntlet to the end of the regular season.
"That's always our goal in the first half, three-quarters of the season, to put ourselves in position to compete for a league championship this time of year and that's exactly what we've done," said interim head coach Ricky Santos. "We know that every single week is going to be a really, really big test and it's no different this week. Villanova is a very good football team that's capable of beating anybody in the country."
UNH celebrates STEM Day and the 150th anniversary of college football Saturday.
Group tickets featuring all-you-can-eat-barbecue seating in the Touchdown Tents adjacent to the south end zone and individual game tickets are available by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group tickets start at $9.
The Wildcats have a challenging road ahead.
After Villanova, they play at No. 2 James Madison on Saturday, Nov. 9 and at UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 16 before closing out the regular season at home against Maine on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. for Senior Day in the battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket.
UNH is 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
By winning out, the Wildcats assure themselves a spot back in the 24-team FCS Division I tournament. If they win three of the last four, they'll be in a good spot to claim an at-large berth in the tournament. UNH had its 14-year streak of making the playoffs snapped last season.
Villanova and James Madison are looking to earn top eight seeds in the FCS tournament. Albany and Maine are gunning for playoff berths as well. In fact, with a month to go in the regular season, 10 of the 12 CAA teams figure they can make the tournament with a strong finish.
Between them, UNH's final four opponents have a combined record of 22-11.
The only target that matters for the moment is Villanova, which also uses Wildcats as its mascot.
Villanova won its first six games and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the country before losing its last two games. The Pennsylvania Wildcats fell at James Madison, 38-24, on Oct. 12 and then gave up a big lead late and lost to Stony Brook, 36-35, at home last weekend.
The visitors have the second-best rush defense in the league, allowing 106.8 yards a game.
"They're big, they're physical, they have really good linemen up front," said UNH senior running back Evan Gray. "Their linebackers play really smart, downhill and physical."
UNH averages 159.7 rushing yards a game, which is fourth best in the league. But the numbers have dipped a bit in the last three games. In the team's last outing, a 16-10 loss at No. 24 Delaware on Oct. 19, the rushing game totaled 91 yards, the first time under 100 this year.
Senior lineman Matt Matulis has not played yet this season because of injury and Nick Velte, also a senior lineman, has been out since the first game and both are ready to go and could be in the rotation Saturday, Santos said.
Villanova at 37 points a game is second in the CAA in scoring to only James Madison at 38.9. Villanova averages a third-best 449.6 yards of offense a game, 203 on the ground and 246 passing.
Junior quarterback Daniel Smith has thrown 21 touchdown passes and been intercepted seven times. Villanova has allowed only eight sacks, which is best in the league. Smith has run for six touchdowns and last week was on the receiving end of a 68-yard touchdown option pass from wide receiver Jaaron Hayek.
"The quarterback's a very good player and he makes plays," said sophomore defensive tackle Niko Kvietkus. "He gets rid of the ball really quick. Up front we've got to get to him, get him off his spot. JMU did a pretty good job with that."
Bottom line, it's November. It's championship month.
"There can be few mistakes," Gray said of the lessons he has learned about November. "The games are all important. Mistakes are critical. You can't afford any kind of a lapse during a game."
HOME AGAIN
WILDCAT NOTES
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
The Wildcats have always preached this is championship month. They come off a bye week and head back to action Saturday in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m. against No. 11 Villanova, primed to play for titles in a four-game gauntlet to the end of the regular season.
"That's always our goal in the first half, three-quarters of the season, to put ourselves in position to compete for a league championship this time of year and that's exactly what we've done," said interim head coach Ricky Santos. "We know that every single week is going to be a really, really big test and it's no different this week. Villanova is a very good football team that's capable of beating anybody in the country."
UNH celebrates STEM Day and the 150th anniversary of college football Saturday.
Group tickets featuring all-you-can-eat-barbecue seating in the Touchdown Tents adjacent to the south end zone and individual game tickets are available by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group tickets start at $9.
The Wildcats have a challenging road ahead.
After Villanova, they play at No. 2 James Madison on Saturday, Nov. 9 and at UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 16 before closing out the regular season at home against Maine on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. for Senior Day in the battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket.
UNH is 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
By winning out, the Wildcats assure themselves a spot back in the 24-team FCS Division I tournament. If they win three of the last four, they'll be in a good spot to claim an at-large berth in the tournament. UNH had its 14-year streak of making the playoffs snapped last season.
Villanova and James Madison are looking to earn top eight seeds in the FCS tournament. Albany and Maine are gunning for playoff berths as well. In fact, with a month to go in the regular season, 10 of the 12 CAA teams figure they can make the tournament with a strong finish.
Between them, UNH's final four opponents have a combined record of 22-11.
The only target that matters for the moment is Villanova, which also uses Wildcats as its mascot.
Villanova won its first six games and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the country before losing its last two games. The Pennsylvania Wildcats fell at James Madison, 38-24, on Oct. 12 and then gave up a big lead late and lost to Stony Brook, 36-35, at home last weekend.
The visitors have the second-best rush defense in the league, allowing 106.8 yards a game.
"They're big, they're physical, they have really good linemen up front," said UNH senior running back Evan Gray. "Their linebackers play really smart, downhill and physical."
UNH averages 159.7 rushing yards a game, which is fourth best in the league. But the numbers have dipped a bit in the last three games. In the team's last outing, a 16-10 loss at No. 24 Delaware on Oct. 19, the rushing game totaled 91 yards, the first time under 100 this year.
Senior lineman Matt Matulis has not played yet this season because of injury and Nick Velte, also a senior lineman, has been out since the first game and both are ready to go and could be in the rotation Saturday, Santos said.
Villanova at 37 points a game is second in the CAA in scoring to only James Madison at 38.9. Villanova averages a third-best 449.6 yards of offense a game, 203 on the ground and 246 passing.
Junior quarterback Daniel Smith has thrown 21 touchdown passes and been intercepted seven times. Villanova has allowed only eight sacks, which is best in the league. Smith has run for six touchdowns and last week was on the receiving end of a 68-yard touchdown option pass from wide receiver Jaaron Hayek.
"The quarterback's a very good player and he makes plays," said sophomore defensive tackle Niko Kvietkus. "He gets rid of the ball really quick. Up front we've got to get to him, get him off his spot. JMU did a pretty good job with that."
Bottom line, it's November. It's championship month.
"There can be few mistakes," Gray said of the lessons he has learned about November. "The games are all important. Mistakes are critical. You can't afford any kind of a lapse during a game."
HOME AGAIN
- The Wildcats face Villanova at 1 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium for STEM Day.
- Group tickets, including the all-you-can-eat barbecue end zone seating in the Touchdown Tents, for the Villanova game and tickets for all UNH home games are available by calling 603-862-4000 or at www.unhwildcats.com.
- Group tickets start at $9.
- STEM Day UNH also will celebrate college football's 150th anniversary.
- Kids can participate a pregame science, technology, engineering and math fair.
- Winners of the 'Cats Got the Mouse mousetrap car race will be recognized at halftime.
- The Villanova game is one of two remaining regular season home games.
- The Wildcats play Maine on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. for Senior Day in the battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket.
- Tickets for the Touchdown Tents are available for the Maine game as well.
- The Border Battle of UNH vs. Maine is presented this year by Buffalo Wild Wings.
- Buffalo Wild Wings steps up to make sure Wildcat fans have the ultimate place to watch the games, eat wings, and get rewarded at select New Hampshire restaurants when the Wildcats win.
- Visit UNHWildcats.com/borderbattle for details and participating locations.
WILDCAT NOTES
- James Madison has the best record in the CAA at 5-0.
- UNH, Albany and Richmond are all 3-1 in the league.
- Villanova, Elon and Stony Brook are 3-2 in league play.
- Delaware is 2-2 in the CAA.
- Towson and Maine are 1-3.
- UNH beat Villanova, 34-0, on the road last year on Oct. 27.
- Carlos Washington Jr. had 17 carries for a career high 179 yards in that game.
- He scored on runs of 75 and 16 yards.
- Villanova led Stony Brook, 35-20 with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter last week.
- The Seawolves took advantage of a couple of turnovers and rallied for a 36-35 win.
- Villanova running back Justin Covington was averaging 121.2 yards a game rushing through six games before suffering a season-ending injury.
- Gray is fourth in the CAA in yards per game at 71.7.
- He has 70 carries for 501 yards, an average of 7.1 yards per rush.
- Washington is 10th in the league at 60.7 yards per game.
- He has 96 carries for 425 yards, 4.4 per carry.
- UNH freshman quarterback Max Brosmer has completed 103 of his 192 passes for 1,207 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.
- Junior Jason Hughes is 12 for 15 in field goals to lead the league with 1.71 field goals per game.
- His 12 field goals are the most by a UNH kicker since Mike MacArthur went 15-for-20 in 2013.
- Senior cornerback Prince Smith, Jr. picked off consecutive Pat Kehoe passes in the second quarter against Delaware in UNH's last game.
- Smith leads UNH with three interceptions this season and in career picks with 11.
- Santos was named interim head coach before the season when Sean McDonnell took a leave of absence to deal with health issues.
- Santos was the quarterbacks coach at Columbia the last three seasons.
- A former UNH assistant coach, he rejoined the Wildcats last winter as associate head coach and quarterbacks coach.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
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