UNH upended by UAlbany, 28-14, in Season Opener

Friday, August 28

Albany, N.Y.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

0-1 , 0-1

UAlbany

1-0 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
New Hampshire	7	0	7	0	14
UAlbany	7	14	7	0	28

UNH defense celebrates an interception by Darren Burton II at UAlbany (8-28-26)

Photo by: Katie Beaudrot

8/28/2026 11:32:00 PM | Football

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senior quarterback Brooks Bentley (Venice, Fla.) threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns but the University of New Hampshire football team was upended 28-14 by UAlbany at Bob Ford Field at Tom and Mary Casey Stadium on Friday night.

Senior wide receiver Ja'Carree Kelly (Gainesville, Fla.) was the top target with 123 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, on six catches. Grad student Myles Thomason (Montclair, N.J.) had a team-high 53 rushing yards and pulled in a four-yard TD pass.

Sophomore linebacker Trevor Barry (Elma, N.Y.) led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles and sophomore safety Cohen Cook (Somers Point, N.J.) made 10 stops. Grad student Darren Burton II (Newark, N.J.) recorded an interception.

UAlbany was led offensively by Joey Koch (seven rushes, 144 yards, one TD), Kai Colón (15 rushes, 90 yards; 57 passing yards) and Rahshan La Mons (19 rushes, 62 yards, TD). The Great Danes finished with 374 rushing yards on an average of 7.1 yards per carry.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 5 at Syracuse University.
The Wildcats' home opener is Sept. 12 vs. Stonehill fot 603 Day and Youth Sports Day.
Buy tickets online at unhwildcats.com/tickets or e-mail unh.tickets@unh.edu or call (603) 862-4000.
Click here for a full look at the UNH Football Promotional Calendar.

FIRST QUARTER

On the first possession of the game, Burton II intercepted Colón's pass at the UAlbany 45 to give the ball to the Wildcats.
UNH took advantage of a Great Danes' personal foul on a 37-yard field goal attempt that extended the drive. Bentley lofted a pass to the left flat corralled by Thomason at the 8-yard line and he ran into the end zone at 8:07 for the first score of the season. Lucas Glassburn (Windermere, Fla.) kicked the PAT to give the 'Cats a 7-0 lead.
UAlbany replied with a seven-play, 78-yard touchdown drive capped by La Mons' one-yard run to tie the score, 7-7, at 4:13.

SECOND QUARTER

The Great Danes marched 85 yards on 14 plays to take a 14-7 lead on a drive that consumed 10:06 and ended with Aidan Semo's one-yard run at 6:05.
The Great Danes' next drive started with a 79-yard run by Koch and he scored on a three-yard scamper to push the advantage to 21-7 at 2:21.

THIRD QUARTER

It took UNH only two plays to cover 74 yards in 37 seconds to trim the deficit to 21-14 at 14:21 of the third quarter. Thomason ran around the left end for a 29-yard gain to the UAlbany 45, then Bentley connected with Kelly in stride down the middle of the field for a 45-yard touchdown.
UNH's defense forced a 3-and-out to keep momentum in the Wildcats' favor. On the next possession, UNH kept the offense on the field facing 4^th-and-7 at the UA 38. Bentley was flushed from the pocket and he was stopped for a four-yard gain.
Semo scored on an eight-yard keeper up the middle to extend the home team's advantage to 28-14 at 8:31.
New Hampshire's defense stopped UAlbany on 4^th-and-3 at the UNH 27 to give the ball to the 'Cats at 2:20.

FOURTH QUARTER

UNH faced 3^rd-and-goal from the UA 3 on the first play of the fourth quarter, which marked the first play of the game for sophomore QB Tommy McLeish (Norfolk, Mass.). After scrambling in the pocket, he lofted a pass into the middle of the end zone that was intercepted by Dillon Dunathan to end the Wildcats' scoring threat.
UNH got the ball back at 11:05. The drive had a promising start with Thomas' 11-yard run, but the 'Cats did not get another first down and were forced to punt.
UAlbany's drive started at 9:34 and consumed 5 minutes, 29 seconds on nine plays before punting from the UNH 45.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Barry finished with 10+ tackles for the third time in his career. He previously finished with 10 tackles against both Rhode Island and NC Central.
This was Cook's second career game with double-digit tackles; he made 12 stops vs. William & Mary.
Burton II recorded his third career interception – first at UNH.
Bentley, who did not have a pass attempt his first year as a Wildcat in 2025, threw his first two touchdowns in a UNH uniform.
He surpassed 4,000 career passing yards and is at 4,116.
Kelly, a transfer from Delaware, scored his first TD as a Wildcat.
Glassburn, a transfer from Temple, scored his first points as a 'Cat with two PAT kicks.
Matt Guidebeck (North Reading, Mass.) averaged 43.6 yards on five punts with a long of 50 yards.
McLeish completed 1 of 3 attempts for five yards.

GoCatsTravel
Whenever or wherever you travel to cheer the Wildcats, book your hotel at GoCatsTravel.com — it is the same rate as anywhere else, and 50 percent of proceeds go back to Wildcat Athletics. Pick your team, book your stay.