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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Santos Named ECAC FCS Coach of the Year
12/21/2022 12:38:00 PM | Football
Dylan Ruiz and Josiah Silver Named to All-ECAC Team
DANBURY, Conn. – University of New Hampshire football head coach Rick Santos was named the 2022 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division I FCS Coach of the Year on Wednesday. Sophomore defensive linemen Dylan Ruiz (Kissimmee, Fla.) and Josiah Silver (Hampton, Va.) were both selected to the All-ECAC Defense Team.
Santos was previously honored as the CAA Football Coach of the Year following the conclusion of the regular season. Both Ruiz and Silver were named to the CAA All-Conference First Team and New England Football Writers All-New England Team, as well as to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-American Team.
Silver has also garnered All-America Second Team recognition from the Associated Press and Phil Steele, as well as All-America Third Team by Stats Perform. Ruiz is an AP All-America Third Team honoree who was selected to the Ted Hendricks Award Watch List, which includes players from both FBS and FCS, as the top defensive lineman in the nation.
Santos, in his first year as head coach, led UNH to a 5-1 record at Wildcat Stadium, a 9-4 overall record, a share of the CAA championship with a 7-1 conference record, and an at-large selection to the NCAA Division I Championship.
In NCAA postseason play, 15th-ranked New Hampshire defeated 16th-ranked Fordham University, 52-42, in a first round game at Wildcat Stadium. One week later, UNH went on the road and was defeated by seventh-ranked College of the Holy Cross in the second round.
This season marked the most wins and first playoff appearance since 2017, as well as the first CAA title and most regular-season wins since 2014. The Wildcats were picked to finish ninth in this year's league preseason poll.
Ruiz is ranked No. 5 in the nation in sacks per game and is the CAA leader in that stat. He is the team leader in sacks and quarterback hurries, and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles. Ruiz ranks second on the team in both solo tackles and total tackles, as well as tackles for loss.
His season highlights included career highs of 11 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss at Maine; he was also credited with two QB hurries that game. Ruiz finished with a career-high three sacks at Towson.
In the NCAA second round at Holy Cross, he had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Ruiz recorded multiple tackles all 13 games, including seven with 5+ tackles, and had a sack in 8 of 13 games.
Silver is No. 18 in the national rankings in tackles for loss and 12th in blocked kicks. On the CAA leaderboard, Silver is fourth in tackles for loss per game and fifth in sacks per game.
Silver led UNH with 17.5 tackles for loss and ranked second in sacks, as well as third in tackles and tied for third in quarterback hurries. He blocked two punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown and the other resulted in a safety. Silver had 10 games with 4+ tackles and recorded at least one tackle for loss in 11 of 13 games.
Silver's season highlights included a season-high 3.5 tackles for loss vs. Stony Brook and 3.0 tackles for loss at nationally-ranked Richmond. He made a season-high seven tackles in the NCAA first round vs. Fordham and forced a fumble on the opening possession of the game. Silver went on to record six tackles, a fumble recovery, QB hurry and blocked punt in the second round at Holy Cross.
Now is the time for season ticket members to renew or upgrade your tickets to see the CAA co-champions in the 2023 season.
CLICK HERE to renew
CLICK HERE to upgrade
Santos was previously honored as the CAA Football Coach of the Year following the conclusion of the regular season. Both Ruiz and Silver were named to the CAA All-Conference First Team and New England Football Writers All-New England Team, as well as to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-American Team.
Silver has also garnered All-America Second Team recognition from the Associated Press and Phil Steele, as well as All-America Third Team by Stats Perform. Ruiz is an AP All-America Third Team honoree who was selected to the Ted Hendricks Award Watch List, which includes players from both FBS and FCS, as the top defensive lineman in the nation.
Santos, in his first year as head coach, led UNH to a 5-1 record at Wildcat Stadium, a 9-4 overall record, a share of the CAA championship with a 7-1 conference record, and an at-large selection to the NCAA Division I Championship.
In NCAA postseason play, 15th-ranked New Hampshire defeated 16th-ranked Fordham University, 52-42, in a first round game at Wildcat Stadium. One week later, UNH went on the road and was defeated by seventh-ranked College of the Holy Cross in the second round.
This season marked the most wins and first playoff appearance since 2017, as well as the first CAA title and most regular-season wins since 2014. The Wildcats were picked to finish ninth in this year's league preseason poll.
Ruiz is ranked No. 5 in the nation in sacks per game and is the CAA leader in that stat. He is the team leader in sacks and quarterback hurries, and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles. Ruiz ranks second on the team in both solo tackles and total tackles, as well as tackles for loss.
His season highlights included career highs of 11 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss at Maine; he was also credited with two QB hurries that game. Ruiz finished with a career-high three sacks at Towson.
In the NCAA second round at Holy Cross, he had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Ruiz recorded multiple tackles all 13 games, including seven with 5+ tackles, and had a sack in 8 of 13 games.
Silver is No. 18 in the national rankings in tackles for loss and 12th in blocked kicks. On the CAA leaderboard, Silver is fourth in tackles for loss per game and fifth in sacks per game.
Silver led UNH with 17.5 tackles for loss and ranked second in sacks, as well as third in tackles and tied for third in quarterback hurries. He blocked two punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown and the other resulted in a safety. Silver had 10 games with 4+ tackles and recorded at least one tackle for loss in 11 of 13 games.
Silver's season highlights included a season-high 3.5 tackles for loss vs. Stony Brook and 3.0 tackles for loss at nationally-ranked Richmond. He made a season-high seven tackles in the NCAA first round vs. Fordham and forced a fumble on the opening possession of the game. Silver went on to record six tackles, a fumble recovery, QB hurry and blocked punt in the second round at Holy Cross.
Now is the time for season ticket members to renew or upgrade your tickets to see the CAA co-champions in the 2023 season.
CLICK HERE to renew
CLICK HERE to upgrade
Players Mentioned
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