No. 20 Wildcats Edged 34-28 in Overtime at Rhode Island

Saturday, October 28

Kingston, R.I.

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

4-4 , 2-3

Rhode Island

5-4 , 3-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Max Brosmer went 41-for-60 (both career highs) for 430 yards and two TDs

10/28/2023 5:13:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Brosmer throws career-high 41 completions & Laube makes career-best 13 receptions

KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior Max Brosmer (Roswell, Ga.) completed a career-best 41 passes for 430 yards while accounting for three touchdowns and senior Dylan Laube (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) registered a career-best 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, but the 20^th-ranked UNH football team dropped a 34-28 overtime heartbreaker to the University of Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium.

Ja'Den McKenzie's fourth rushing touchdown of the game, a one-yard somersault leap on the last play of overtime, snapped URI's two-game losing streak. The Rams improved to 5-4, 3-3 in the CAA. UNH, which saw its two-game winning streak halted, fell to 4-4, 2-3 CAA. Two of the Wildcats' three conference defeats have come in overtime, and their four losses have come by a grand total of 16 points.

UNH possessed the ball first in OT but missed a 36-yard field goal try. On Rhode Island's overtime possession, McKenzie rumbled 23 yards to the 1-yard line on a 2^nd-and-9 rush before his game-winning leap on the next play.

McKenzie carried 15 times for 135 yards. Rhode Island quarterback Kasim Hill went 21 of 31 for 280 yards and a TD.

Brosmer's eye-popping numbers were 41-for-60 (both career highs) for 430 yards and two TD passes. He was the Wildcats' leading rusher with six carries for 31 yards, including a 20-yard TD rush.

Senior Randall Harris (Walled Lake, Mich.) equaled a career high with eight solo tackles, and sophomore Brendan Tighe (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in with a career-best seven tackles (six solo).

FIRST QUARTER
•UNH scored the only points of the first quarter at 4:25 when Brosmer found Laube for a six-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead following the PAT from sophomore Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.). The drive went for 64 yards on nine plays.

SECOND QUARTER
•Rhode Island knotted the score, 7-7, by virtue of an 11-play, 80-yard drive punctuated by a 10-yard touchdown rush from McKenzie at 7:39.
•The Wildcats moved back in front, 14-7, when Brosmer called his own number for a 20-yard scoring scamper with 4:20 to play in the half.
•URI tied it 14-14 when Kahtero Summers (eight catches, 115 yards) hauled in a 44-yard scoring reception from Hill at 3:11.
•Mazzie booted a 28-yard field as time expired in the first half to stake the Wildcats to a 17-14 lead. With the game clock inoperable, the kicking unit raced to the field just in time for Mazzie to split the uprights.

THIRD QUARTER
•Rhody drove down for the go-ahead touchdown on its opening possession of the second half for a 21-17 lead at 12:12. McKenzie capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a four-yard TD rush. He accounted for 31 yards on three carries during that drive.
•For the second straight game, UNH special team used a fake to its advantage. Facing 4^th-and-9 from the Ram 36, junior Sean Lehane (Miford, Mass.) faked a punt and dashed 18 yards to the 18.
•That set up Mazzie's 29-yard field goal that trimmed the deficit to 21-20 at 2:42.

FOURTH QUARTER
•McKenzie's third TD was a one-yard score to cap an eight-play, 79-yard drive that built URI's lead to its largest point, 28-20, at 13:52.
•The 'Cats responded with an 11-play, 77-yard drive capped by Brosmer's 13-yard TD pass to graduate student Logan Tomlinson (Manchester, Conn./three catches, 61 yards, TD) followed by a Brosmer-to-sophomore Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa./three catches, 33 yards) two-point conversion that tied the game, 28-28, at 9:06.
•Rhody turned the ball over on downs at the UNH 49 when junior Dylan Ruiz (Orlando, Fla./five tackles, one sack) stuffed McKenzie for no gain on 4^th-and-1.
•The Rams defense then turned over the Wildcats on 4^th-and-1 from the URI 42 on an incomplete Brosmer pass intended for sophomore Joey Corcoran (Montreal, Quebec/four catches, 53 yards).
•With 3:11 left, an apparent Pick-6 by Rhode Island's Jarrett Martin was negated by a pass interference call.
•UNH maintained possession and drove to the URI 32, but Mazzie's 50-yard field goal try went slightly wide right with 58 seconds left.
•Hill completed a 49-yard pass to John Erby (three catches, 72 yards) that set the Rams up 1^st-and-goal at the Wildcat 8-yard line in the waning seconds.
•Senior Charles Briscoe III (Bowie, Md.) then blocked Ty Groff's 25-yard FG try on the last play of regulation to force overtime.
•It was Briscoe's third block of the season and New Hampshire's NCAA-leading 10^th blocked kick of the season.
•Brosmer moved up to No. 3 on UNH's all-time leaderboard in career passing yards.
•He started the day at No. 6 and jumped past No. 5 Sean Goldrich (7,536), No. 4 Ryan Day (7,670) and No. 3 Bob Jean (7,742).
•No. 2 is R.J. Toman (8,015) and No. 1 is Rick Santos (12,189).

UP NEXT

UNH hosts the battle of the CAA's Wildcats when Villanova visits for a 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. It will be Community Heroes Night, presented by Milton CAT, and Scout Day at Wildcat Stadium. For tickets, visit UNHWildcats.com or call 603-862-4000.
Fans are encouraged to donate new or lightly used coats for the 'Cats Cupboard Coat Drive to benefit UNH students in need.

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