Vezza Throws Career-High Five Touchdowns in 42-14 Win at Bryant

Saturday, November 15

Smithfield, R.I.

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

7-4 , 5-2

Bryant

3-8 , 1-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

Bryant

Photo by: Katie Beaudrot

Vezza Throws Career-High Five Touchdowns in 42-14 Win at Bryant

11/15/2025 6:08:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore quarterback Matt Vezza (Elmhurst, Ill.) threw for career highs of five touchdowns and 328 yards as the offense scored a season-high 42 points in the University of New Hampshire football team's 42-14 victory against Bryant University at Beirne Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

UNH's offense was highlighted by multiple career highs in the win. In addition to the passing yards and TDs, Vezza completed a career-high 27 passes, highlighted by a career-long 73-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa.) in the second quarter. Burke set a career high of nine catches and reached a milestone of 2,000 career all-purpose yards (2,041). He finished the game with 134 receiving yards to increase his career total to 1,980.

Senior wide receiver Casey McKinney (Germantown, Md.) set a UNH career-high with 78 yards and matched his UNH personal best of four catches. His first UNH touchdown came on the Wildcats' first drive of the game. Junior tight end Peyton Strickland (Goffstown, N.H.) hauled in a career-high two touchdowns and matched a high with his three receptions.

UNH had its first 70+ yard pass completion since Sept. 9, 2023, and first individual with five or more touchdown passes since Sept. 14, 2024. Running back Denzell Gibson's (Bellwood, Ill.) 45-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter was the longest UNH run of the season and his career. Gibson toted the ball 10 times for a game-high 90 yards.

Defensively, redshirt freshman linebacker Trevor Barry (Elma, N.Y.) had a team-high six tackles. Graduate student defensive tackle Justice Akinmoladun (Grandview, Mo.) made five tackles with a personal-best two tackles for loss. Graduate student Brendan Tighe (Lowell, Mass.) added an interception to increase his active team-leading career most to five.

Bryant QB Ridge Docekal completed 16 of 30 passes and was intercepted once. Elijah Elliott led the Bulldogs with 60 rushing yards. Aldrich Doe and Kaden Hamilton co-led the receiving game with 36 yards each.

UNH extended its winning streak to four game to improve to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in CAA Football, while Bryant is now 3-8, 1-6.

UP NEXT

The Wildcats' return to action at home in the regular-season finale Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle against the University of Maine on Nov. 22 (1pm). The winning team is awarded the Brice-Cowell Musket.

CLICK HERE to buy tickets online or e-mail unh.tickets@unh.edu or call (603) 862-4000.

FIRST QUARTER

Jordan Mcallister (South Orange, N.J.), the reigning CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week, picked up where he left off, making a 3-yard tackle for loss on Bryant's opening drive to force a Bulldogs' 3-and-out.
UNH got on the scoreboard following a five-play, 61-yard opening drive. Vezza went 2-2 for 47 yards on the drive, capped off with a 35-yard touchdown pass to McKinney at 10:09. The PAT kick by Nick Reed (Harrison, N.Y.) gave the 'Cats a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats' defense forced another 3-and-out, setting up the offense on the Bryant 40 following a punt. The UNH offense scored six plays later at 6:12, when Vezza connected with Strickland on a 5-yard pass as the tight end extended the ball to touch the right pylon before hitting the ground. Reed's PAT made it 14-0.

SECOND QUARTER

Bryant opened the quarter with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Elliott at 14:55 to close within 14-7.
UNH responded two plays later with the team's longest play of the season, a 72-yard touchdown pass play from Vezza to Burke on a short completion and long run after catch that gave the 'Cats a 21-7 lead at 13:55.
At 7:18, Vezza connected with Strickland with a 19-yard pass down the middle for his career-high second touchdown reception, which capped off an 8-play, 71-yard drive and extended the lead to 28-7.
Vezza opened the game with completions on 12 of 13 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns on the first four UNH drives.
Tighe closed out the half, making his team-leading fifth career interception on a Hail Mary pass at the UNH 1 as time expired.

THIRD QUARTER

The Wildcat offense came out of the halftime break with a 15-play, 84-yard drive, capped off with Chase Wilson (Lake Charles, La.) catching Vezza's fifth touchdown pass of the game on a 5-yard out route to the right side to push the margin to 35-7 at 6:39.
UNH dominated the time of possession battle in the quarter, possessing the ball for 11:21.

FOURTH QUARTER

Barry ended Bryant's opening drive of the quarter with an open-field tackle on Doe to force a turnover on downs at the UNH 43.
Bryant capitalized on a UNH turnover with an Elijah Elliott 1-yard rushing touchdown at 6:04.
On the third play of the ensuing New Hampshire drive at 4:17, Gibson burst through the middle for a 45-yard touchdown for a 42-14 lead.
UNH forced a Bryant punt at 1:35, allowing the 'Cats to kneel out the clock.

UNH NOTEBOOK

The 28-point victory was the Wildcats' largest of the season and marked a season high of 42 points for UNH.
The UNH offense had its longest pass (72 yards: Vezza to Burke) and rush (45 yards: Gibson) of the season.
UNH possessed the ball for 35:03, only punted once, and threw for 192 more yards than Bryant.
This marked the first game since Sept. 9, 2023, that the UNH offense had a 70+ yard pass competition and it was the first time with an individual with 5+ touchdown passes since Sept. 14, 2024.
It was New Hampshire's longest play since Max Brosmer connected with Dylan Laube for 71 yards on September 9, 2023, at Central Michigan.
Vezza set career-highs of 328 yards, 27 completions, and 5 touchdowns, as well as threw a career-long 73-yard pass.
He the first Wildcat to throw for 5+ TD passes in a game since Seth Morgan did so with six on September 14, 2024.
Burke amassed a milestone of 2,000 career all-purpose yards. He is 20 yards shy of 2,000 career receiving yards and caught a career-high nine passes.
McKinney had a UNH career-high of 78 yards and caught his first TD at UNH.
Strickland had a career-high two TDs and tied a career-high of two receptions.
Akinmoladun tallied a career-high two tackles for loss and added to his team-leading 16 career tackles for loss (eight with UNH).
Redshirt freshman wide receiver DaMontre Patterson (Wynnewood, Okla.) had a career-high two catches and 24 yards.