University of New Hampshire Athletics
Niko Kvietkus caused it and Oleh Manzyk returned a fumble that set up a UNH score vs. UAlbany.
3/24/2021 2:15:00 PM | Football, UNH Insider
Lots to Build on for McDonnell's Team
DURHAM, N.H. – The waiting is the hardest part.
Actually, there are a bunch of difficult parts. There's not being able to hang out in the locker room before and after practice or games. Not getting to be with your buddies in the cafeteria. Having to communicate through Zoom meetings. There's not knowing from one week to the next whether you're going to be allowed to practice or, worst yet, play a game.
"The unknown, just the unknown," said University of New Hampshire football coach Sean McDonnell on Wednesday during his weekly Zoom press conference.
By dinner time this coming Saturday, UNH should have played three games in an already oddly historic season, the first ever begun in the month of March. Instead, the Wildcats will have played one game, an opener on a frigid night that they lost to UAlbany.
They hope to be able to play their next game at Rhode Island on Saturday, April 3 and follow that with a home game against Stony Brook on Saturday, April 10.
UNH had a scheduled off week on March 13 and then had a pair of games postponed, at home against Delaware last Saturday and the other at Villanova this Saturday. Both games were called off because of COVID-19 protocols in the UNH program.
"Obviously, it stinks," said Evan Horn, a senior safety and team captain along with senior defensive end Brian Carter. "You want to play. We got a taste of playing a game for the first time in a long time and we let that one slip away. We're dying to get back out there. Missing games stinks. We've just got to continue with what we're doing to get guys back and finish out the season."
There are positives to build on from the opener.
As far as football goes, the Wildcats have not been allowed to do a whole lot for a while now. They've had positive tests for COVID-19 and with contact tracing and all else that comes with it, the program has been shut down.
The goal is to get back to practice and take on Rhode Island.
In the meantime, Carter has been able to get some work done on his final project for his masters in secondary education that he plans to combine with his undergraduate degree in health and physical education and one day perhaps be a high school athletics director.
Fact of the matter is, the starts and stops of this season have become a bit par for the course during the pandemic.
"This is kind of the new normal," Carter said. "Now you figure out what comes next. We got hit with the initial brunt of it last year when they canceled spring ball. You do online workouts and talk all summer about being prepared in case there's a season in the fall. You work like you're going to have a season and when you find out you don't, that's tough. But at the end of the day you have to keep your head up and prepare for spring and we made it to spring and now we get hit with this. This hit us like everything else hit us. But we've still got to be ready."
Their years in the program for the older guys, their years listening to coach McDonnell stress about dealing with sudden change, come in handy now, Carter said.
This is sudden change on a grand scale, a step up from an interception or a fumble forcing the defense back onto the field in what might be a precarious position.
This is testing going the wrong way and practices and games being called off.
"My whole time here there's been talk of sudden change," Carter said. "Personally, I feel it's easier for me to deal with quick change now. We've practiced this. Not that this has been the scenario. But we've had to switch the mindset to get it done before. I definitely see the reasoning behind the way he does it and why he has us practice the way he does. Just be ready to go, man."
The Wildcats had their chances to win their opener late and if they had they would be sitting these weeks at 1-0 instead of at 0-1 and that would be a much nicer feeling.
But they did come away with a number of positives. The defense got pressure on the Albany quarterback and stopped the run and tackled well. Zedane Williams blocked a punt and J.J. Jerome covered the ball in the end zone for a special teams' touchdown. Quarterback Max Brosmer connected with Sean Coyne for a couple of scoring passes. Several young players, among them safety Noah Stansbury and defensive end Josiah Silver, stepped up and played well.
There's plenty to build on.
"We're just looking forward to playing some games," said Horn, who has a degree in business and will have a masters in sports studies when he finishes up in the fall.
THE SPRING SCHEDULE
THE FALL SCHEDULE
NEXT UP
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
CONNECT WITH THE WILDCATS
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Actually, there are a bunch of difficult parts. There's not being able to hang out in the locker room before and after practice or games. Not getting to be with your buddies in the cafeteria. Having to communicate through Zoom meetings. There's not knowing from one week to the next whether you're going to be allowed to practice or, worst yet, play a game.
"The unknown, just the unknown," said University of New Hampshire football coach Sean McDonnell on Wednesday during his weekly Zoom press conference.
By dinner time this coming Saturday, UNH should have played three games in an already oddly historic season, the first ever begun in the month of March. Instead, the Wildcats will have played one game, an opener on a frigid night that they lost to UAlbany.
They hope to be able to play their next game at Rhode Island on Saturday, April 3 and follow that with a home game against Stony Brook on Saturday, April 10.
UNH had a scheduled off week on March 13 and then had a pair of games postponed, at home against Delaware last Saturday and the other at Villanova this Saturday. Both games were called off because of COVID-19 protocols in the UNH program.
"Obviously, it stinks," said Evan Horn, a senior safety and team captain along with senior defensive end Brian Carter. "You want to play. We got a taste of playing a game for the first time in a long time and we let that one slip away. We're dying to get back out there. Missing games stinks. We've just got to continue with what we're doing to get guys back and finish out the season."
There are positives to build on from the opener.
As far as football goes, the Wildcats have not been allowed to do a whole lot for a while now. They've had positive tests for COVID-19 and with contact tracing and all else that comes with it, the program has been shut down.
The goal is to get back to practice and take on Rhode Island.
In the meantime, Carter has been able to get some work done on his final project for his masters in secondary education that he plans to combine with his undergraduate degree in health and physical education and one day perhaps be a high school athletics director.
Fact of the matter is, the starts and stops of this season have become a bit par for the course during the pandemic.
"This is kind of the new normal," Carter said. "Now you figure out what comes next. We got hit with the initial brunt of it last year when they canceled spring ball. You do online workouts and talk all summer about being prepared in case there's a season in the fall. You work like you're going to have a season and when you find out you don't, that's tough. But at the end of the day you have to keep your head up and prepare for spring and we made it to spring and now we get hit with this. This hit us like everything else hit us. But we've still got to be ready."
Their years in the program for the older guys, their years listening to coach McDonnell stress about dealing with sudden change, come in handy now, Carter said.
This is sudden change on a grand scale, a step up from an interception or a fumble forcing the defense back onto the field in what might be a precarious position.
This is testing going the wrong way and practices and games being called off.
"My whole time here there's been talk of sudden change," Carter said. "Personally, I feel it's easier for me to deal with quick change now. We've practiced this. Not that this has been the scenario. But we've had to switch the mindset to get it done before. I definitely see the reasoning behind the way he does it and why he has us practice the way he does. Just be ready to go, man."
The Wildcats had their chances to win their opener late and if they had they would be sitting these weeks at 1-0 instead of at 0-1 and that would be a much nicer feeling.
But they did come away with a number of positives. The defense got pressure on the Albany quarterback and stopped the run and tackled well. Zedane Williams blocked a punt and J.J. Jerome covered the ball in the end zone for a special teams' touchdown. Quarterback Max Brosmer connected with Sean Coyne for a couple of scoring passes. Several young players, among them safety Noah Stansbury and defensive end Josiah Silver, stepped up and played well.
There's plenty to build on.
"We're just looking forward to playing some games," said Horn, who has a degree in business and will have a masters in sports studies when he finishes up in the fall.
THE SPRING SCHEDULE
- UNH has three regular season games remaining on its Spring schedule.
- The Wildcats are scheduled to play at Rhode Island on Saturday, April 3 at 1 p.m.
- They face Stony Brook at home in Wildcat Stadium on Saturday, April 10 at noon.
- UNH closes out the regular season with its Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket contest at Maine on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m.
- Sixteen teams will participate in the FCS tournament at the end of the season.
- UNH's games at home against Delaware on Saturday, March 20 and at Villanova on Saturday, March 27, were postponed.
THE FALL SCHEDULE
- The Wildcats open their 11-game 2021 fall season with a CAA game at Stony Brook on Sept. 4.
- They play their first home game against Towson on September 11.
NEXT UP
- UNH plays at Rhode Island, which moved into the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week at No. 18.
- The Rams have won their first two games, both in overtime and on the road against Top 25 teams.
- They opened the season with a 40-37 OT win at No. 6 Villanova on March 13.
- They followed that with a 17-10 win at No. 18 UAlbany last Saturday.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
- UNH's home games during the spring are on NBC Sports Boston.
- All games will be available on FloFootball.
- They games will also be on the radio over the Wildcat Sports Network.
CONNECT WITH THE WILDCATS
- Information on UNH football Fall 2021 season tickets and virtual spring memberships is available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling 603-862-4000.
- Wildcat virtual spring memberships offer a chance for fans to engage with the team.
- Virtual spring memberships include virtual huddles on gamedays, question-and-answer sessions with Wildcat coaches, the opportunity to be selected as the Dunkin' Fan of the Game, raffles and more.
- Raffle prizes include an autographed jersey and a VIP gameday experience for Homecoming in the Fall 2021 season, including seats in the Service Credit Union Victory Club.
- UNH football season ticket members who have already renewed for the fall are automatically enrolled in the virtual spring membership.
- Other fall season ticket members can become virtual spring members with a $25 deposit on their Fall 2021 season tickets.
- The Wildcat virtual spring memberships costs $50 for all other fans.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
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