UNH runs over Northeastern
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
DURHAM -- It was a day when the University of New Hampshire offense could seemingly do whatever it wanted, and it looked like what UNH wanted to do most was run the football.
The Wildcats gained 281 yards on the ground Saturday and pounded out a 48-21 victory over Northeastern.
Senior running back Chad Kackert rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns (15 and 22 yards) on 17 carries. The Wildcats also received a 64-yard TD run from Sean Jellison (Souhegan).
UNH's other TDs came on a 27-yard pass from quarterback R.J. Toman to tight end Scott Sicko, a 44-yard pass from backup quarterback Kevin Decker to Mickey Mangieri and a 7-yard run by Shawn Sweeney (Plymouth). Tom Manning added field goals from 30 and 23 yards.
"We've been needing to do that (run the ball)," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. "(Kackert) did a great job today. Probably his best game of the year for us."
"The credit really goes to the offensive line," Toman added. "You saw how easy it was for these guys to hit the holes and get out into the open field. They did a great job.
"(Running the ball) takes a lot of pressure off. They can't pin their ears back and bring the house on you. Plus you can hit 'em with play action. It's a huge benefit to be able to successfully run the ball and make them respect the run. You can do a lot of things off that."
UNH, which led 34-7 after three quarters, raised its record to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Northeastern dropped to 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the league.
"We have to tackle better -- without a doubt," Northeastern linebacker Jason Vega said. "That kid Kackert was running the ball hard today. You gotta give credit to him, but we also have to tackle when we're there."
The Wildcats took control by outscoring Northeastern 21-0 in the second quarter and carried a 28-7 lead into halftime. It was 34-7 entering the fourth.
"Offensively they have some folks that can explode on you," Northeastern coach Rocky Hager said. "They're a good football team. I don't know what else to say other than they're well-rounded."
EXTRA POINTS
- Northeastern had a significant edge in time of possession (36:53-23:07).
- UNH will play Rhode Island at Cowell Stadium on Saturday (noon).
-
Northeastern starting quarterback Alex Dulski suffered a wrist injury in the second quarter and did not return. Hager said X-rays were negative, but Dulski couldn't grip the football.
- Sicko had seven receptions for 96 yards.
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
UNH--Kackert 15 run (Manning kick), 7:07.
NU--Clarke 2 pass from Dulski (Johnson kick), 1:57.
Second Quarter
UNH--Kackert 22 run (Manning kick), 12:16.
UNH--Jellison 64 run (Manning kick), 10:42.
UNH--Sicko 27 pass from Toman (Manning kick), 6:52.
Third Quarter
UNH--Manning FG, 30, 6:46.
UNH--Manning FG, 23, 2:24.
Fourth Quarter
NU--Batts 28 pass from Carroll (Johnson kick), 9:03.
UNH--Mangieri 44 pass from Decker (Manning kick), 8:55.
NU--Griffin 9 run (Johnson kick), 4:41.
UNH--Sweeney 7 run (Manning kick), 3:22.
