By Tiffany Williams –
DURHAM, N.H. — Stonehill outgained New Hampshire by 166 yards, controlled the football for more than 37 minutes and threw for 380 yards, but the Wildcats used explosive special-teams plays and three touchdowns from Joquez Smith to escape with a 42-35 victory Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.
New Hampshire improved to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while Stonehill fell to 1-2 and 1-0. The Wildcats led 14-7 after the first quarter, 21-14 at halftime and 35-21 entering the fourth before Stonehill twice pulled within one touchdown.
The game began with a jolt.
Stonehill won the toss and deferred, and Langdon Laws Jr. sent the opening kickoff to the New Hampshire 4. Ryan Ricketti took it from there, racing 96 yards for a touchdown just 13 seconds into the game. Lucas Glassburn added the extra point, and New Hampshire led 7-0 before either offense had taken the field.
Stonehill answered immediately.
After Alijah Turner returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the Stonehill 41, Jack O’Connell converted a third-and-seven with a 13-yard run. Facing fourth-and-three from the New Hampshire 36, O’Connell connected with Shane Eason for 33 yards to the 3.
Two plays later, Eason rushed left for a three-yard touchdown. Domenic Scalese converted the extra point, and Stonehill had tied the game 7-7 with 11:03 remaining.
New Hampshire went three-and-out on its first offensive possession, and Stonehill then constructed a marathon drive.
O’Connell connected with Jaylin Baker and Eason while also using his legs to move the chains. A 32-yard completion to Cole Clarke moved Stonehill to the New Hampshire 21. Eason later rushed seven yards to the 11, although a personal-foul penalty pushed Stonehill backward.
O’Connell recovered with a 12-yard run to the New Hampshire 14, but New Hampshire’s pass rush eventually forced a field-goal attempt. On fourth-and-13 from the 17, Scalese tried a 34-yard field goal.
Sean Webb blocked it.
Trevor Barry recovered the loose football at the New Hampshire 29 and raced 71 yards for a touchdown. Glassburn’s extra point with 1:37 remaining turned what could have been a Stonehill lead into a 14-7 New Hampshire advantage.
Stonehill refused to let the special-teams swing linger.
The Skyhawks started at their own 35 and immediately moved the chains with a nine-yard completion to Derek Varley and a 10-yard throw to Baker. The drive carried into the second quarter, where Adjatay Abegesah ran 12 yards before O’Connell was sacked.
O’Connell recovered with an 11-yard completion to Khalil Wilson. A New Hampshire holding penalty on fourth down kept the possession alive, and O’Connell made the Wildcats pay by finding Kevin Sheridan for a 16-yard touchdown.
Laws converted the extra point with 12:46 remaining, tying the game 14-14.
New Hampshire answered later in the quarter with its first offensive touchdown.
Starting at its own 18, Brooks Bentley found Ja’Carree Kelly for 26 yards on third-and-seven before connecting with Ty Carlson for another 26 yards to the Stonehill 23.
After an illegal forward pass penalty, Smith took over. On second-and-13 from the Stonehill 26, he burst through the middle and raced 26 yards for the touchdown.
Glassburn’s extra point with 5:55 remaining gave New Hampshire a 21-14 lead.
Stonehill moved into New Hampshire territory on its next possession, with O’Connell finding Turner for 21 yards, but three straight incompletions forced a punt.
The Skyhawks got the football back with 1:54 remaining and appeared to generate another opportunity when O’Connell found Clarke for 27 yards. The play ended in disaster when Barry forced Clarke to fumble and Phillip Harris recovered for New Hampshire at its own 44.
The Wildcats moved to the Stonehill 40 before punting, and New Hampshire carried its 21-14 advantage into halftime.
Stonehill received the second-half kickoff but was backed up to its own 8 by a personal-foul penalty. O’Connell completed a nine-yard pass to Torance Washington Jr., but Chris Campanelli later sacked him for a 12-yard loss, forcing a punt.
New Hampshire also punted, and Stonehill again failed to produce points. O’Connell broke a 19-yard run but was then sacked by Chief Ebana and later threw incomplete on third down.
The Wildcats took over at their own 34 with 8:37 remaining and finally began creating separation. Bentley opened the drive with a 32-yard completion to Kelly. Facing fourth-and-four from the Stonehill 28, he converted with a 19-yard completion to Ricketti.
New Hampshire reached the Stonehill 5, where Bentley found Carlson for a five-yard touchdown. Glassburn added the extra point with 6:33 remaining, extending the lead to 28-14.
Stonehill answered in just five plays.
O’Connell found Clarke for 23 yards and then Eason for 36 more, moving the Skyhawks from their own 35 to the New Hampshire 6 in only two completions.
On third-and-six, O’Connell connected with Baker for the six-yard touchdown. Laws’ extra point cut the deficit to 28-21 with 3:44 remaining.
New Hampshire needed only 1:26 to restore its two-touchdown lead.
Bentley opened with a 15-yard completion to Ricketti. Smith then ripped off a 22-yard run to the Stonehill 38. Two plays later, Smith took another handoff and broke free for a 34-yard touchdown.
Glassburn’s extra point made it 35-21 with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter.
Stonehill again refused to go away.
Wilson opened the next possession with an 11-yard run before O’Connell found him for a 38-yard completion to the New Hampshire 26. The drive carried into the fourth quarter.
O’Connell gained five yards before finding Baker deep on the right side for a 21-yard touchdown. Laws converted the extra point with 14:06 remaining, cutting New Hampshire’s lead to 35-28.
Once again, the Wildcats answered.
New Hampshire started at its own 35 and immediately benefited from a Stonehill pass-interference penalty. Smith ran for nine yards, and Bentley completed consecutive passes to Ryan Blagg for two and 22 yards.
Smith carried three straight times inside the Stonehill 11. His final rush covered three yards for his third touchdown of the night.
Glassburn’s extra point with 11:06 remaining gave New Hampshire a 42-28 advantage.
Stonehill responded with another impressive 75-yard drive.
O’Connell converted third-and-six with an 18-yard completion to Baker. He then found Baker again for five yards, scrambled eight yards for a first down and completed a nine-yard pass to Turner.
A New Hampshire pass-interference penalty moved Stonehill to the 16. O’Connell then hit Turner for three yards before scrambling eight yards to the 5.
The Skyhawks eventually faced third-and-six from the New Hampshire 6. O’Connell found Clarke for the touchdown with 5:41 remaining, and Laws’ extra point cut the deficit to 42-35.
New Hampshire tried to finish the game with the football.
Bentley converted third-and-nine with a 10-yard run. He later completed a 15-yard pass to Kelly, and a Stonehill roughing-the-passer penalty moved the Wildcats into Stonehill territory.
Myles Thomason rushed for 13 yards to the Stonehill 26 as New Hampshire continued bleeding the clock. Stonehill used its timeouts and eventually forced the Wildcats into fourth-and-nine from the 25.
Glassburn attempted a 42-yard field goal with 55 seconds remaining, but the kick was no good.
Stonehill had one final chance, needing 75 yards for a potential tying touchdown.
O’Connell’s first pass fell incomplete before he found Turner for five yards. On third-and-five, O’Connell ran for three yards, but a targeting penalty against Barry gave Stonehill 15 yards and an automatic first down.
O’Connell then connected with Washington for 23 yards to the New Hampshire 29, keeping the comeback alive. But two deep passes fell incomplete, and the clock expired before Stonehill could take another meaningful shot at the end zone.
New Hampshire survived, 42-35.
Stonehill finished with 514 yards of total offense compared with only 348 for New Hampshire. The Skyhawks produced 26 first downs, threw for 380 yards and controlled possession for 37:03. New Hampshire had only 17 first downs and held the football for 22:02.
The difference came in explosive plays and special teams. New Hampshire scored on Ricketti’s 96-yard opening kickoff return and Barry’s 71-yard return of a blocked field goal. Those two touchdowns accounted for 14 points without the Wildcats’ offense taking a snap.
Smith then supplied the offensive punch. He rushed 13 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards per carry. His scores covered 26, 34 and three yards.
Bentley completed 14 of 22 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Kelly led New Hampshire with five receptions for 78 yards, while Ricketti caught three passes for 47 and Carlson added two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.
O’Connell turned in a huge performance despite the loss. He completed 27 of 44 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, although New Hampshire sacked him five times. O’Connell also led Stonehill in rushing with 53 net yards on 17 attempts.
Clarke led Stonehill with 88 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches. Eason caught four passes for 77 yards and also scored the Skyhawks’ only rushing touchdown. Baker caught six passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns, while Wilson finished with 52 receiving yards.
Stonehill’s offense scored five touchdowns and piled up more than 500 yards, but New Hampshire’s special-teams touchdowns and Smith’s explosive rushing performance created a deficit the Skyhawks could never completely erase.
Stonehill pulled within seven three separate times after halftime, including with 5:41 remaining, and reached New Hampshire territory on its final possession. But the Wildcats survived the final push to finish off a 42-35 victory in Durham.