Mcallister Leads Defense in 34-13 Win at #6 Monmouth

Saturday, November 8

West Long Branch, N.J.

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

6-4 , 4-2

Monmouth

8-2 , 5-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

Monmouth

Photo by: Katie Beaudrot

11/8/2025 7:08:00 PM | Football

Box Score

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Defensive end Jordan Mcallister (South Orange, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) (South Orange, N.J.) forced a career-high three fumbles with 3.5 sacks to lead a stifling defense in the University of New Hampshire football team's 34-13 victory against sixth-ranked Monmouth University at Kessler Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

UNH's defense forced four fumbles, recovered three, and finished with five sacks. The unit held the Monmouth offense to a season-low 13 points – 29 points below their season average – and shut the Hawks out in the second half. The Wildcats picked up their third consecutive win and ended the Hawks' six-game win streak.

Graduate student Justice Akinmoladun (Grandview, Mo./Grandview) (Grandview, Mo.), redshirt freshman Tim Bonagura (Freemont, N.H.), and redshirt freshman Matthew Sopp (Beverly, Mass.) each had their first career fumble recoveries. Graduate student Duncan Moreland (Beverly, Mass.) led the defense with eight tackles and also forced a fumble.

Sophomore kicker Nick Reed (Harrison, N.Y.) broke the school record of 18 field goals in a season when he converted from 31 yards late in the second quarter. With 49 seconds left in the first half, he connected on a 53-yard kick to set a new career long.

Offensively, redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Vezza (Elmhurst, Ill.) completed 16 of 25 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Vezza added 67 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Senior running back Myles Thomason (Montclair, N.J.) led the rushing attack with 95 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Denzell Gibson (Bellwood, Ill.) recorded his first career receiving touchdown and redshirt freshman Ryan Blagg (Westford, Mass.) hauled in the second of his career.

The offense dominated the time of possession battle, possessing the ball for 37:28. The unit outgained Monmouth by a margin of 383-304 yards.

Monmouth QB Frankie Weaver completed 20 of 30 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Rodney Nelson led the Hawks with 88 rushing yards, and TJ Speight led the receivers with 89 yards.

UNH improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in CAA Football, while Monmouth is now 8-2, 5-1.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Nov. 15 (12pm) at Bryant.
The next Wildcats' home game is the regular-season finale Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle against the University of Maine on Nov. 22 (1pm).
Buy tickets online at unhwildcats.com/tickets or e-mail unh.tickets@unh.edu or call (603) 862-4000.

FIRST QUARTER

The UNH defense came up with a big stop at the UNH 23 on 4^th down at 5:29 to keep the game deadlocked at 0-0.
Monmouth capitalized on a fumble recovery with a Jack Neri 10-yard touchdown reception to take a 7-0 lead at 3:24.

SECOND QUARTER

New Hampshire's defense made another stop on 4^th-and-2 at the UNH 38 when Akinmoladun stopped Nelson for a one-yard gain.
On UNH's next drive, the Wildcats got on the scoreboard following a five-play, 62-yard drive with a Vezza 13-yard rushing touchdown. Reed's PAT tied the score, 7-7, at 11:30.
At 2:50, Reed gave UNH its first lead of the game, 10-7, and broke the school record with a 31-yard field goal to mark his 19^th of the season – the most in a single season.
With 44 seconds on the clock, Reed set his career high on a 53-yard field goal, giving UNH a 13-7 lead.
Frankie Weaver completed a 19-yard pass to Josh Derry to tie the game with eight seconds left in the half, but the Hawks failed to convert on a fake 2-point PAT attempt.

THIRD QUARTER

UNH kept its first drive of the quarter alive on 4^th-and-4 at the UNH 31 on a fake punt with a 13-yard completion from redshirt freshman Josh Fillion (Quebec City, Quebec) to redshirt freshman Cohen Cook (Somers Point, N.J.). That 75-yard UNH drive ended with a 22-yard rushing touchdown from Thomason to give UNH a 20-13 lead at 8:37.
Mcallister's strip sack and Bonagura fumble recovery at 8:06 set up a three-play, 56 second drive resulting in Gibson's 27 yard receiving touchdown to give UNH a 27-13 lead.

FOURTH QUARTER

Mcallister forced his second strip sack of the game on Monmouth's first drive of the quarter, but the Hawks' offense recovered the loose ball. Later that drive, Moreland forced his team-leading fourth career fumble on a strip sack, and Sopp recovered his first career fumble at 9:57.
UNH followed the fumble recovery with a nine-play touchdown drive. Blagg hauled in a 12-yard pass from Vezza at 4:33 to take a 34-13 lead.

UNH NOTEBOOK

The 21-point victory was the Wildcats' largest of the season and marked the first time the defense shut an opponent out in the second half since Nov. 23, 2024.
The UNH defense held Monmouth's offense to its lowest point total of the season (previously 28).
UNH won the possession battle with a time of 37:28, and outrushed Monmouth by 127 yards.
Chase Wilson (Lake Chales, La.) had a team-high 67 receiving yards on two catches.
Reed surpassed the benchmark of 18 field goals in a season set by Tom Manning in 2009 and equaled last year by Nick Mazzie.
Mcallister forced his first three career fumbles and had a career-high 3.5 sacks.
Gibson's touchdown reception was the first of his career and he recorded a career-long 25-yard run in the fourth quarter.