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Silver Named to Phil Steele All-America 2nd Team; Ruiz Also Named All-CAA 1st Team
12/20/2024 4:32:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.H. – Senior defensive end and captain Josiah Silver (Hampton, Va.) of the 19th-ranked University of New Hampshire football team was named to the 2024 Phil Steele FCS All-America Second Team on Friday to highlight a total of 11 Wildcats who received a Phil Steele postseason award.
Silver, an All-America First Team selection by the AFCA, Associated Press and Stats Perform earlier this week, was joined on the Phil Steele All-CAA First Team by fellow senior defensive lineman Flex Ruiz (Orlando, Fla.).
Six Wildcats were named to the All-CAA Second Team: Kevin Gallic (Warren, N.J.), Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.), Seth Morgan (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Wande Owens (Cooksville, Md.), Logan Tomlinson (Manchester, Conn.) and Ryan Toscano (Bedford, N.H.).
There are two 'Cats on the Third Team – Sean Lehane (Milford, Mass.) and Dylan Poirier (North Kingstown, R.I.) – and Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa.) was named to the Fourth Team.
Silver ended the regular season ranked No. 3 in the nation in sacks per game (0.96) and 11th in tackles for loss (1.50); both those numbers ranked second in the CAA. He was UNH's leader in both sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (17.5), as well as quarterback hurries (four), and he ranked third in both solo tackles (32) and total tackles (58). Silver also had a forced fumble to his credit.
The captain was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14 in recognition of tying his career highs in both sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (5.0) in UNH's 17-10 win at Elon. He finished with seven total tackles.
For the season, he recorded a tackle for loss in 8 of 12 games and a sack in 6 of 12.
Nov. 2 at UAlbany, he finished with 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks, with six total tackles. One week earlier, Silver tied for the team lead with eight tackles at nationally-ranked Villanova with 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks (one of which was a strip-sack).
In the opener at UCF, Silver made six solo tackles and two assisted for eight total tackles, which included a team-high two tackles for loss. He made eight more tackles, including a sack, at Holy Cross.
Silver recorded his 200th career tackle with the last of his four tackles Sept. 14 against Stonehill. He ended his career as UNH's all-time sacks leader (37.5) as part of 64.0 tackles for loss and 238 total tackles.
Silver's other 2024 postseason awards include ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ECAC Team, CAA Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-CAA and All-New England Team. Silver was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the FCS national defensive player of the year, as well as a semifinalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, which honors the top defensive end among all levels of college football.
Ruiz, the bookend defensive end opposite Silver, ranked second on the team in both tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (9.5). He ranks No. 21 in the nation in sacks per game (0.73) and 22nd in tackles for loss per game (1.2); both those number rank fourth in the CAA.
Ruiz made a season-high five tackles against nationally-ranked Stony Brook and finished with four tackles five times. He recorded three tackles for loss each of the last two regular-season games vs. Stony Brook and at Maine, and matched his career high of three sacks against SBU. Ruiz had a tackle for loss in 9 of 13 games and at least a half-sack in 8 of 13, and that included 1.5 tackles for loss with a sack in the NCAA first round game.
Ruiz was a First Team All-CAA selection by the conference.
Gallic played in all 13 games and was UNH's exclusive long snapper on special teams – punts, field goals and PAT kicks – and was instrumental in the success of Wildcat kickers Lehane and Mazzie, both of whom received all-conference accolades from Phil Steele. The junior was credited with three tackles (one solo, two assisted).
Mazzie was a two-time CAA Special Teams Player of the Week recipient who made 18 of 23 field goal attempts and all 32 PAT attempts to lead UNH in scoring with 86 points. The junior made a career-high four field goals (42 yards, 35, 35, 31) in the Wildcats' 33-20 win against Monmouth. He kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal Oct. 4 at Harvard and made a total of three field goals that game.
Mazzie's 52-yarder is the second longest in program history as he became the first UNH kicker to make a field goal of 50+ yards since 2009.
Mazzie was named First Team All-CAA by the conference.
Morgan ended the season ranked No. 17 in the nation in completions per game (20.33) and 19th in passing touchdowns (22); he is second in the CAA in both those stats. The senior quarterback was named the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet recipient and CAA Football co-Offensive Player of the Week after his record-tying six-TD performance vs. Stonehill on Sept. 14.
In 12 games played, Morgan had a 130.4 QB rating by completing 244 of 384 pass attempts for 2,382 yards and 22 TDs. The 244 completions ranks 10th on UNH's list of single-season superlatives.
In his first home game as a Wildcat, Morgan tied the school record of six touchdown passes in a game as he led UNH to victory against Stonehill. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 387 yards -- including three passes of 50+ yards -- in just three quarters of play for a 247.7 QB rating.
In Game 4 vs. Bryant, Morgan finished with a 208.6 QB rating by completing 23 of 30 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns. After being sidelined for one game, Morgan returned to action Nov. 2 at UAlbany and was a highly-efficient 13 of 20 for 208 yards and three TDs for a 201.9 rating..
Morgan was named Second Team All-CAA and to the All-New England Team in 2024.
Owens ranked second on the team in total tackles (111) and No. 5 in the CAA in tackles per game (8.5). His stats included a team-high 59 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He recorded 10+ tackles in a game six times and was the team's top tackler in 6 of 13 games.
Owens received two weekly awards in recognition of his 10-tackle effort that also included a pick-6 in UNH's 31-14 win at UAlbany (Nov. 2). One week later vs. Monmouth, he had eight tackles, forced fumble and then recovered a fumble on another play.
In his UNH debut, Owens made a career-high 14 tackles with six solo stops and eight assisted at UCF. He also led the Wildcats with 10 tackles at Holy Cross and tied for the team lead with nine stops against Bryant.
He once again was the top 'Cat with nine tackles at Harvard and 10 at Elon. Owens finished with 10 tackles Oct. 19 against Rhode Island and ended his collegiate career with 10 tackles in the FCS first round game against UT Martin..
Owens was a First Team All-CAA, All-ECAC Team and All-New England Team honoree in 2024.
Tomlinson ended the UNH season ranked No. 14 in the nation in receptions per game (6.2) and 18th in TD receptions (nine). He was UNH's leader in receptions (80), receiving yards (826) and TD receptions. The 80 receptions ranks No. 7 on UNH's list of single-season superlatives.
The grad student wide receiver and captain scored a touchdown in 8 of 13 games, had eight games of 5+ catches and nine games of 50+ receiving yards, including back-to-back games of seven catches for 106 yards and a TD vs. Bryant and 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown at Harvard.
Tomlinson's season highs included 10 catches (at Harvard), 106 yards (vs. Bryant) and two TDs (at Holy Cross). In the Nov. 9 win vs. Monmouth, he led the team in both catches (nine) and receiving yards (104) with a five-yard TD catch.
Tomlinson was the top 'Cat 10 times in receptions and six times in receiving yards. He was an All-New England Team and Second Team All-CAA selection in '24.
Toscano was UNH's top tackler for the third consecutive year with 118 this season. His 77 assisted tackles were also a team high and he ranked second with 41 solo stops. The grad student ranked second in both tackles for loss (7.0) and sacks (4.0). Toscano's other stats included three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Toscano was the Wildcats' leading tackler in 6 of 13 games, including each of the last four with 57 tackles in that span. The linebacker capped his career with a personal-best 18 tackles in the NCAA first round game to best his previous high of 17 established two games earlier against nationally-ranked Stony Brook. In between, Toscano made 11 stops in the regular-season finale at Maine.
Including each of the last four games, Toscano recorded 10+ tackles six times and that included 10 in the opener at FBS school UCF. He made a tackle for loss in 7 of 13 games.
Toscano was a Second Team All-CAA honoree by the conference.
Lehane is ranked No. 10 in the nation and second in the CAA conference with a UNH single-season record average of 44.8 yards per punt. The senior punter effectively changed field position with 16 punts of 50+ yards, including a season long of 68.
Lehane punted a career-high 10 times in the opener at UCF with an average of 44.6 yards, including a long of 59. He bested those numbers Game 2 at Holy Cross with an average of 54.5 yards per punt and a long of 68.
Oct. 12 at Elon, he averaged 47.9 yards on seven punts with two of 50+ yards, including a long of 55. He pinned the Phoenix inside the 20 twice..
Lehane was named to the All-New England Team and Third Team All-CAA in 2024.
Poirier anchored UNH's offensive line as the starting center all 13 games. The senior's blocking led the Wildcats to the third-best pass completion percentage in the CAA (64.1%) and, in the red zone, 24 touchdowns with 36 scores overall in 45 trips inside the opponents' 20 yard line.
Poirier was Third Team All-CAA by the conference.
Burke, who started in 9 of 12 games played, ranked second on the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (711) and TD catches (six). The junior wide receiver also had five punt returns for 28 yards and one rush for nine yards to rank third with 748 all-purpose yards.
Burke led UNH in receiving yards five times and in receptions twice.
In a three-game span vs. Stonehill, Bryant and Harvard, Burke recorded 17 catches for 377 yards and five touchdowns for averages of 22.2 yards per catch and 125.7 yards per game. He pulled in three catches of 50+ yards, as well as one for 49 yards, in those three games.
Burke had a breakout game vs. Stonehill by recording his first career 100+ yard receiving game (134) and first game with multiple TDs (two). He had two catches of 50+ yards with 53- and 68-yard touchdowns.
He followed that with six catches for a career-high 151 yards, including a long of 59 and two touchdowns against Bryant on Sept. 21.
The No. 19/24 UNH football team won the last four games of the regular season to earn an at-large invitation and 16th seed in the FCS playoffs, where the Wildcats lost in the first round to No. 23/20 UT Martin.
UNH's 2025 schedule was announced earlier in December. Season Ticket Memberships, including the Service Credit Union Victory Club, for the 2025 season can be renewed online by CLICKING HERE.
UNH Football Fans who want to become a season ticket member can complete an interest form HERE.
Plans start as low as $110 and include special benefits such as invites to exclusive events, complimentary tickets to UNH sporting events, first right to special events such as NCAA Playoffs, and presale opportunities to Family Weekend and Homecoming.
Guarantee your access to a season-long tailgate Boulder Field parking pass by buying two or more reserved or box season memberships.
Group and Hospitality tickets are also on sale. Fill out our group interest form located HERE and one of our ticket representatives will reach out to review seat locations and pricing information.
For questions regarding tickets, please call 603-862-4000 or email unh.tickets@unh.edu.
Silver, an All-America First Team selection by the AFCA, Associated Press and Stats Perform earlier this week, was joined on the Phil Steele All-CAA First Team by fellow senior defensive lineman Flex Ruiz (Orlando, Fla.).
Six Wildcats were named to the All-CAA Second Team: Kevin Gallic (Warren, N.J.), Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.), Seth Morgan (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Wande Owens (Cooksville, Md.), Logan Tomlinson (Manchester, Conn.) and Ryan Toscano (Bedford, N.H.).
There are two 'Cats on the Third Team – Sean Lehane (Milford, Mass.) and Dylan Poirier (North Kingstown, R.I.) – and Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa.) was named to the Fourth Team.
Silver ended the regular season ranked No. 3 in the nation in sacks per game (0.96) and 11th in tackles for loss (1.50); both those numbers ranked second in the CAA. He was UNH's leader in both sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (17.5), as well as quarterback hurries (four), and he ranked third in both solo tackles (32) and total tackles (58). Silver also had a forced fumble to his credit.
The captain was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14 in recognition of tying his career highs in both sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (5.0) in UNH's 17-10 win at Elon. He finished with seven total tackles.
For the season, he recorded a tackle for loss in 8 of 12 games and a sack in 6 of 12.
Nov. 2 at UAlbany, he finished with 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks, with six total tackles. One week earlier, Silver tied for the team lead with eight tackles at nationally-ranked Villanova with 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks (one of which was a strip-sack).
In the opener at UCF, Silver made six solo tackles and two assisted for eight total tackles, which included a team-high two tackles for loss. He made eight more tackles, including a sack, at Holy Cross.
Silver recorded his 200th career tackle with the last of his four tackles Sept. 14 against Stonehill. He ended his career as UNH's all-time sacks leader (37.5) as part of 64.0 tackles for loss and 238 total tackles.
Silver's other 2024 postseason awards include ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ECAC Team, CAA Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-CAA and All-New England Team. Silver was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the FCS national defensive player of the year, as well as a semifinalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, which honors the top defensive end among all levels of college football.
Ruiz, the bookend defensive end opposite Silver, ranked second on the team in both tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (9.5). He ranks No. 21 in the nation in sacks per game (0.73) and 22nd in tackles for loss per game (1.2); both those number rank fourth in the CAA.
Ruiz made a season-high five tackles against nationally-ranked Stony Brook and finished with four tackles five times. He recorded three tackles for loss each of the last two regular-season games vs. Stony Brook and at Maine, and matched his career high of three sacks against SBU. Ruiz had a tackle for loss in 9 of 13 games and at least a half-sack in 8 of 13, and that included 1.5 tackles for loss with a sack in the NCAA first round game.
Ruiz was a First Team All-CAA selection by the conference.
Gallic played in all 13 games and was UNH's exclusive long snapper on special teams – punts, field goals and PAT kicks – and was instrumental in the success of Wildcat kickers Lehane and Mazzie, both of whom received all-conference accolades from Phil Steele. The junior was credited with three tackles (one solo, two assisted).
Mazzie was a two-time CAA Special Teams Player of the Week recipient who made 18 of 23 field goal attempts and all 32 PAT attempts to lead UNH in scoring with 86 points. The junior made a career-high four field goals (42 yards, 35, 35, 31) in the Wildcats' 33-20 win against Monmouth. He kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal Oct. 4 at Harvard and made a total of three field goals that game.
Mazzie's 52-yarder is the second longest in program history as he became the first UNH kicker to make a field goal of 50+ yards since 2009.
Mazzie was named First Team All-CAA by the conference.
Morgan ended the season ranked No. 17 in the nation in completions per game (20.33) and 19th in passing touchdowns (22); he is second in the CAA in both those stats. The senior quarterback was named the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet recipient and CAA Football co-Offensive Player of the Week after his record-tying six-TD performance vs. Stonehill on Sept. 14.
In 12 games played, Morgan had a 130.4 QB rating by completing 244 of 384 pass attempts for 2,382 yards and 22 TDs. The 244 completions ranks 10th on UNH's list of single-season superlatives.
In his first home game as a Wildcat, Morgan tied the school record of six touchdown passes in a game as he led UNH to victory against Stonehill. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 387 yards -- including three passes of 50+ yards -- in just three quarters of play for a 247.7 QB rating.
In Game 4 vs. Bryant, Morgan finished with a 208.6 QB rating by completing 23 of 30 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns. After being sidelined for one game, Morgan returned to action Nov. 2 at UAlbany and was a highly-efficient 13 of 20 for 208 yards and three TDs for a 201.9 rating..
Morgan was named Second Team All-CAA and to the All-New England Team in 2024.
Owens ranked second on the team in total tackles (111) and No. 5 in the CAA in tackles per game (8.5). His stats included a team-high 59 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He recorded 10+ tackles in a game six times and was the team's top tackler in 6 of 13 games.
Owens received two weekly awards in recognition of his 10-tackle effort that also included a pick-6 in UNH's 31-14 win at UAlbany (Nov. 2). One week later vs. Monmouth, he had eight tackles, forced fumble and then recovered a fumble on another play.
In his UNH debut, Owens made a career-high 14 tackles with six solo stops and eight assisted at UCF. He also led the Wildcats with 10 tackles at Holy Cross and tied for the team lead with nine stops against Bryant.
He once again was the top 'Cat with nine tackles at Harvard and 10 at Elon. Owens finished with 10 tackles Oct. 19 against Rhode Island and ended his collegiate career with 10 tackles in the FCS first round game against UT Martin..
Owens was a First Team All-CAA, All-ECAC Team and All-New England Team honoree in 2024.
Tomlinson ended the UNH season ranked No. 14 in the nation in receptions per game (6.2) and 18th in TD receptions (nine). He was UNH's leader in receptions (80), receiving yards (826) and TD receptions. The 80 receptions ranks No. 7 on UNH's list of single-season superlatives.
The grad student wide receiver and captain scored a touchdown in 8 of 13 games, had eight games of 5+ catches and nine games of 50+ receiving yards, including back-to-back games of seven catches for 106 yards and a TD vs. Bryant and 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown at Harvard.
Tomlinson's season highs included 10 catches (at Harvard), 106 yards (vs. Bryant) and two TDs (at Holy Cross). In the Nov. 9 win vs. Monmouth, he led the team in both catches (nine) and receiving yards (104) with a five-yard TD catch.
Tomlinson was the top 'Cat 10 times in receptions and six times in receiving yards. He was an All-New England Team and Second Team All-CAA selection in '24.
Toscano was UNH's top tackler for the third consecutive year with 118 this season. His 77 assisted tackles were also a team high and he ranked second with 41 solo stops. The grad student ranked second in both tackles for loss (7.0) and sacks (4.0). Toscano's other stats included three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Toscano was the Wildcats' leading tackler in 6 of 13 games, including each of the last four with 57 tackles in that span. The linebacker capped his career with a personal-best 18 tackles in the NCAA first round game to best his previous high of 17 established two games earlier against nationally-ranked Stony Brook. In between, Toscano made 11 stops in the regular-season finale at Maine.
Including each of the last four games, Toscano recorded 10+ tackles six times and that included 10 in the opener at FBS school UCF. He made a tackle for loss in 7 of 13 games.
Toscano was a Second Team All-CAA honoree by the conference.
Lehane is ranked No. 10 in the nation and second in the CAA conference with a UNH single-season record average of 44.8 yards per punt. The senior punter effectively changed field position with 16 punts of 50+ yards, including a season long of 68.
Lehane punted a career-high 10 times in the opener at UCF with an average of 44.6 yards, including a long of 59. He bested those numbers Game 2 at Holy Cross with an average of 54.5 yards per punt and a long of 68.
Oct. 12 at Elon, he averaged 47.9 yards on seven punts with two of 50+ yards, including a long of 55. He pinned the Phoenix inside the 20 twice..
Lehane was named to the All-New England Team and Third Team All-CAA in 2024.
Poirier anchored UNH's offensive line as the starting center all 13 games. The senior's blocking led the Wildcats to the third-best pass completion percentage in the CAA (64.1%) and, in the red zone, 24 touchdowns with 36 scores overall in 45 trips inside the opponents' 20 yard line.
Poirier was Third Team All-CAA by the conference.
Burke, who started in 9 of 12 games played, ranked second on the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (711) and TD catches (six). The junior wide receiver also had five punt returns for 28 yards and one rush for nine yards to rank third with 748 all-purpose yards.
Burke led UNH in receiving yards five times and in receptions twice.
In a three-game span vs. Stonehill, Bryant and Harvard, Burke recorded 17 catches for 377 yards and five touchdowns for averages of 22.2 yards per catch and 125.7 yards per game. He pulled in three catches of 50+ yards, as well as one for 49 yards, in those three games.
Burke had a breakout game vs. Stonehill by recording his first career 100+ yard receiving game (134) and first game with multiple TDs (two). He had two catches of 50+ yards with 53- and 68-yard touchdowns.
He followed that with six catches for a career-high 151 yards, including a long of 59 and two touchdowns against Bryant on Sept. 21.
The No. 19/24 UNH football team won the last four games of the regular season to earn an at-large invitation and 16th seed in the FCS playoffs, where the Wildcats lost in the first round to No. 23/20 UT Martin.
UNH's 2025 schedule was announced earlier in December. Season Ticket Memberships, including the Service Credit Union Victory Club, for the 2025 season can be renewed online by CLICKING HERE.
UNH Football Fans who want to become a season ticket member can complete an interest form HERE.
Plans start as low as $110 and include special benefits such as invites to exclusive events, complimentary tickets to UNH sporting events, first right to special events such as NCAA Playoffs, and presale opportunities to Family Weekend and Homecoming.
Guarantee your access to a season-long tailgate Boulder Field parking pass by buying two or more reserved or box season memberships.
Group and Hospitality tickets are also on sale. Fill out our group interest form located HERE and one of our ticket representatives will reach out to review seat locations and pricing information.
For questions regarding tickets, please call 603-862-4000 or email unh.tickets@unh.edu.
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