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SDSU 41, UNH 3

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Quarterback Chase Mason returned to the South Dakota State lineup after a long layoff and led the 14th-seeded Jackrabbits to touchdowns on their first four possessions en route to a 41-3 victory over New Hampshire Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs at a snowy Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
SDSU ended the day with a 425-192 advantage in total offense, including a 232-48 disparity in the passing department. Mason completed 16-of-20 passes for 230 yards and tied a career high with his three touchdown passes.
UNH running back Denzell Gibson rushed for 101 yards in the loss.
UNH quarterback Matt Vezza completed 10-of-22 passes for 48 yards and had nine carries for 34 yards. Junior tight end Peyton Strickland (Goffstown, N.H.) was the top target with three catches for 15 yards.Sophomore kicker Nick Reed  scored UNH’s only points on a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Senior defensive tackle Tim Bonagura led the Wildcats with a career-high eight tackles. Grad student Justice Akinmoladun, another defensive tackle, also recorded a career-high of seven tackles.

Sophomore cornerback Sean Webb (San Diego, Calif.) finished with an interception and three tackles.

UNH , which received an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney on the heels of a five-game winning streak, ends the season at 8-5 overall record that included 6-2 in CAA Football.SDSU, the No. 14 seed in the FCS playoffs, improved to 9-4 and advanced to the NCAA second round.

UNH NOTEBOOK
  • UNH received an at-large bid to advance to the FCS playoffs for the second consecutive year and third time in four years under head coach Rick Santos.
  • The Wildcats have a 15-19 all-time record in 19 NCAA FCS playoff appearances.
  • Reed extended his school record for field goals made in a season to 25.
  • Gibson eclipsed his previous career high of 90 rushing yards established at Bryant University on Nov. 15.
  • Webb has two career interceptions – the NCAA first round at SDSU and last week’s regular-season finale against the University of Maine.
  • Bonagura bested his previous high of four tackles that he recorded three times.
  • Akinmoladun surpassed his previous high of five tackles set Nov. 15 at Bryant.
  • UNH was 4-for-5 on fourth-down conversions.

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