New Hampshire Football Report
Home / College / UNH rallies, beats Villanova

UNH rallies, beats Villanova

DURHAM – True freshman quarterback Max Brosmer (Roswell, Ga.) and the Wildcat defense sparked a fierce second-half rally to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 28-20 triumph over No. 11 Villanova on Saturday afternoon in Wildcat Stadium.

BOX SCORE

UNH has won five of its last six games and improved to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Villanova fell to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the league with its third straight loss.

“We adjusted at halftime,” UNH interim head coach Ricky Santos said. “Great job by the entire coaching staff of getting us back on track. Then the kids just played really, really inspired football in the second half. So proud of the fact we’re always going to play until the last whistle blows. That’s something we believe is who we are and it’s part of our DNA. There was no quit in our guys tonight and we found a way to get an awesome win against a really, really good opponent.”

UNH rallied from a 20-7 halftime deficit, shut Villanova down in the second half and also got its ground game and offense rolling.

Junior safety Evan Horn (Lebanon, Pa.) contributed a pair of interceptions, including one that stopped Villanova’s final rally. Redshirt freshman defensive back Randall Harris (Walled Lake, Mich.) also had a fourth quarter interception. Senior linebacker Michael Balsamo (Atkinson, N.H.) led the defense with 10 tackles.

Brosmer completed 25 of his 32 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. The completions, yardage and touchdown numbers were all career-bests. He was 10-for-10 passing for 132 yards and two scores in the second half.

The final two touchdown passes were to redshirt freshman running back Dylan Laube (Westhampton, N.Y.).

The first Brosmer to Laube scoring connection covered 31 yards and with a conversion kick by junior Jason Hughes (Atkinson, N.H.) put UNH up 21-20 with 5:34 left in the third period. The second went for 21 yards and set the final score with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Brosmer’s other TD pass was a 15-yarder to sophomore Brian Espanet (Hopedale, Mass.) that capped UNH’s first possession of the game.

Sophomore running back Carlos Washington Jr. (Fort Washington, Md.) broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run to open the second half scoring for UNH.

The defense, paced by a couple of stops by junior defensive tackle Elijah Lewis (New Castle, Del.) forced a three-and-out on Villanova’s first series to open the second half.

UNH marched down the field to Washington’s score.

The defense held again and the offense responded with the first Brosmer to Laube score and UNH was in front. Villanova came in averaging 203 rushing yards a game. UNH held the visitors to 90 rushing yards.

‘CAT NIPS

  • Laube had four catches for 60 yards. He was one of three Wildcats with at least 60 receiving yards.
  • Senior Malik Love (Alcoa, Tenn.) had a team-high seven catches for 60 yards. Espanet had four catches for 79 yards.
  • Washington had 14 carries for 62 yards and the score.
  • Senior Evan Gray (Centreville, Va.) had 14 carries for 66 yards.
  • UNH had 10 carries for a total of 7 yards in the first half and 23 carries for 115 yards in the second.
  • Laube had 124 all-purpose yards.
  • UNH had 398 yards of total offense, its third-best total this year, with 247 yards in the second half.
  • UNH had three takeaways.
  • Brosmer was intercepted late in the first half for UNH’s only turnover.
  • Sophomore defensive tackle Niko Kvietkus (Southington, Conn.) had seven tackles and one of UNH’s two sacks of quarterback Daniel Smith.
  • Senior cornerback Isiah Perkins (Williamstown, N.J.) and Lewis each had six tackles.
  • Sophomore Gunner Gibson (Hailey, Idaho) had UNH’s other sack.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login