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UNH earns home playoff game

DURHAM – The news the University of New Hampshire football program received Sunday was all good.

Not only did the Wildcats find out they are part of the 24-team FCS playoff field, they also learned they will open the playoffs at home. UNH (8-4) will play the University of Tennessee Martin (8-4) Saturday at Wildcat Stadium. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

FCS PLAYOFF BRACKET

UNH is in the FCS playoff field for the 18th time. Only Montana (28) and Eastern Kentucky (23) have made more FCS playoff appearances.

The Wildcats were 4-4 following a 14-6 loss at Villanova, but won their last four regular season games.

“(Making the playoffs) has always been the goal since I got here,” said UNH wide receiver Logan Tomlinson, who began his college career at Division III Wesleyan. “The history of this program and the reputation this program has … playoffs have almost been commonplace. To get a home game – it’s very rewarding.

“When we were 4-4 we knew we had to win out to have a chance to get in. If we handled business throughout the end of the regular season we knew we’d give ourselves a good opportunity with the resume we had. The biggest thing, and one of the things I’m most proud of about this team, is our resilience.”

The playoff field includes 10 automatic qualifiers, and the top eight seeds received a first-round bye. UNH and UT Martin were both at-large selections. The Wildcats are the No. 16 seed.

UT Martin went 6-2 in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference. This is the third time the Skyhawks have qualified for the playoffs. They beat Missouri State and then lost at Montana State in 2021, and lost at Southern Illinois in 2006.

UT Martin has won seven of its last eight games. Among FCS teams, the Skyhawks rank fourth in passes intercepted (18), fifth in defensive touchdowns (four), fifth in rushing defense (87.7 ypg), seventh in third down conversion percentage (.304) and 15th in turnovers gained (23). UT Martin averaged 31.8 points per game during the regular season. 

The UNH-UT Martin winner will play at top-seeded Montana State in the second round.           

“I felt like after what we did the last month, our resume, the teams that we had lost to and the way they finished the season, we put enough on there for the playoff committee to select us,” UNH coach Rick Santos said. “So I felt great about being in the field. Wasn’t quite sure if we had done enough to have a playoff game at home, but it’s right where we want to be. It’s a good seed for us and we’re excited about this matchup.”

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