University of New Hampshire Athletics
The end of practice on Wednesday.
3/4/2021 6:07:00 PM | Football, UNH Insider
UNH Kicks Off Spring Season vs. Albany on NBC Sports Boston
DURHAM, N.H. – They're back. He's back.
Try this number on for size: 468. That will be the number of days since the University of New Hampshire football team last played a game when the Wildcats, ranked No. 14 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, take on No. 13 UAlbany on Friday night at 7 in Wildcat Stadium on NBC Sports Boston.
HOW TO FIND NBC SPORTS BOSTON
Here's another number: 846. That's how many days it will have been on Friday night since UNH coach Sean McDonnell has led his team into Wildcat Stadium.
The game is the first of six – all of them Colonial Athletic Association league contests - scheduled for the regular season. The next is Saturday, March 20 against Delaware, also at home. All three home games will be televised on NBC Sports Boston and the coach is excited about that. No fans will be allowed in the stadium on Friday night due to COVID-19 regulations.
Sixteen teams will take part in the FCS playoffs upon the completion of the regular season.
In their most recent home game under McDonnell, the Wildcats knocked off Albany, 24-10, for their third straight win on Nov. 10, 2018. The victory was a bright light in an overall tough season that ended with a loss at Rhode Island the next weekend.
McDonnell sat out the 2019 season as he battled bladder cancer. The Wildcats bounced back with a 6-5 record under interim head coach Ricky Santos that season and just missed returning to the FCS playoffs.
McDonnell took the reins again a year ago on March 1, shortly before spring practice and later the fall of 2020 season were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now he and the Wildcats are back and rarin' to go.
"It's been a roller coaster," McDonnell said during his weekly press conference on Zoom on Wednesday. "It's within reach, it's really within arm's grasp. Friday night, 7 o'clock, we're teeing it up with Albany. There's going to be no better place to be than Durham."
McDonnell has long preached playing with a sense of urgency and a "next-game-is-the-only-thing-that-matters" approach. This truncated spring season plays perfectly into his messaging.
"It's a six-game season," he said. "There's no opportunity to ease into something. We've got to be good. It's got to be good Friday night."
The Wildcats plan to continue the 2019 push and look to get into the playoff hunt and ideally start a new streak of FCS tournament appearances – they put together a remarkable run of 14 straight years in the playoffs from 2004-2017.
Senior safety Evan Horn is back to lead from the back on defense and the unit should be strong up front with ends Brian Carter, a senior, and Gunner Gibson, a junior, and tackles Elijah Lewis, a senior, and Niko Kvietkus, a junior.
McDonnell is excited to see how much sophomore quarterback Max Brosmer has progressed after starting as a true freshman in 2019 and the offense also features a pair of productive running backs in Carlos Washington, Jr. and sophomore Dylan Laube.
"I think they're two very good football players and they're going to be able to share the task and give us a great one-two punch," McDonnell said.
Albany presents a tough challenge out of the gate. The Great Danes finished 9-5 and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2019. Their 24-17 win over UNH in Albany on Nov. 17 helped keep the Wildcats out of the tournament and propel Albany into it.
Jeff Undercluffer, a 6-foot-5 and 235-pound quarterback, threw 41 touchdown passes as a redshirt freshman in 2019 to lead all of FCS and he was intercepted 10 times. Karl Mofor, 5-foot-9 and 229 pounds, led the CAA with 1,290 rushing yards and had 10 rushing touchdowns.
The Wildcats – players and coaches - are ready to finally get a season going.
"It's definitely exciting, trying to find ways to keep myself calm," Washington said. "It's been a long time coming."
Longer still for the head coach.
"He's the same guy, definitely," Washington said. "But obviously he's way excited. He didn't get a chance to coach us last year. He's been on us. We're all excited to be back together."
McDonnell admitted he was getting a bit anxious with game day approaching.
"Thursday night there will be a lot of butterflies, I'll tell you that," he said.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
CONNECT WITH THE WILDCATS
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Try this number on for size: 468. That will be the number of days since the University of New Hampshire football team last played a game when the Wildcats, ranked No. 14 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, take on No. 13 UAlbany on Friday night at 7 in Wildcat Stadium on NBC Sports Boston.
HOW TO FIND NBC SPORTS BOSTON
Here's another number: 846. That's how many days it will have been on Friday night since UNH coach Sean McDonnell has led his team into Wildcat Stadium.
The game is the first of six – all of them Colonial Athletic Association league contests - scheduled for the regular season. The next is Saturday, March 20 against Delaware, also at home. All three home games will be televised on NBC Sports Boston and the coach is excited about that. No fans will be allowed in the stadium on Friday night due to COVID-19 regulations.
Sixteen teams will take part in the FCS playoffs upon the completion of the regular season.
In their most recent home game under McDonnell, the Wildcats knocked off Albany, 24-10, for their third straight win on Nov. 10, 2018. The victory was a bright light in an overall tough season that ended with a loss at Rhode Island the next weekend.
McDonnell sat out the 2019 season as he battled bladder cancer. The Wildcats bounced back with a 6-5 record under interim head coach Ricky Santos that season and just missed returning to the FCS playoffs.
McDonnell took the reins again a year ago on March 1, shortly before spring practice and later the fall of 2020 season were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now he and the Wildcats are back and rarin' to go.
"It's been a roller coaster," McDonnell said during his weekly press conference on Zoom on Wednesday. "It's within reach, it's really within arm's grasp. Friday night, 7 o'clock, we're teeing it up with Albany. There's going to be no better place to be than Durham."
McDonnell has long preached playing with a sense of urgency and a "next-game-is-the-only-thing-that-matters" approach. This truncated spring season plays perfectly into his messaging.
"It's a six-game season," he said. "There's no opportunity to ease into something. We've got to be good. It's got to be good Friday night."
The Wildcats plan to continue the 2019 push and look to get into the playoff hunt and ideally start a new streak of FCS tournament appearances – they put together a remarkable run of 14 straight years in the playoffs from 2004-2017.
Senior safety Evan Horn is back to lead from the back on defense and the unit should be strong up front with ends Brian Carter, a senior, and Gunner Gibson, a junior, and tackles Elijah Lewis, a senior, and Niko Kvietkus, a junior.
McDonnell is excited to see how much sophomore quarterback Max Brosmer has progressed after starting as a true freshman in 2019 and the offense also features a pair of productive running backs in Carlos Washington, Jr. and sophomore Dylan Laube.
"I think they're two very good football players and they're going to be able to share the task and give us a great one-two punch," McDonnell said.
Albany presents a tough challenge out of the gate. The Great Danes finished 9-5 and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2019. Their 24-17 win over UNH in Albany on Nov. 17 helped keep the Wildcats out of the tournament and propel Albany into it.
Jeff Undercluffer, a 6-foot-5 and 235-pound quarterback, threw 41 touchdown passes as a redshirt freshman in 2019 to lead all of FCS and he was intercepted 10 times. Karl Mofor, 5-foot-9 and 229 pounds, led the CAA with 1,290 rushing yards and had 10 rushing touchdowns.
The Wildcats – players and coaches - are ready to finally get a season going.
"It's definitely exciting, trying to find ways to keep myself calm," Washington said. "It's been a long time coming."
Longer still for the head coach.
"He's the same guy, definitely," Washington said. "But obviously he's way excited. He didn't get a chance to coach us last year. He's been on us. We're all excited to be back together."
McDonnell admitted he was getting a bit anxious with game day approaching.
"Thursday night there will be a lot of butterflies, I'll tell you that," he said.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
- UNH's three home games during the spring will be 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
- 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.
- Information on UNH football Fall 2021 season tickets and virtual spring memberships is available at www.unhwildcats.com and by calling 603-862-4000.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
Players Mentioned
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DE
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