ATLANTA - Andy Vailas threw for four touchdowns, Nico Steriti scored three times and University of New Hampshire head football coach Sean McDonnell earned his 100^th career victory as the Wildcats defeated Georgia State, 44-21, on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

With their second straight win, UNH improves to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in the CAA. GSU falls to 0-5.

McDonnell, in his 14^th season, joins his former head coach, Bill Bowes (175 victories in 27 seasons), as the only UNH coaches to ever reach the century mark in career wins.

UNH snapped a 7-7 tie early in the second quarter by parlaying the game's first turnover into points. Jared Smith, applying backside pressure, blindsided GSU quarterback Ronnie Bell, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Cody Muller  at the Panthers' 21. Steriti then picked up 13 yards on a sweep around the right end before nabbing a Vailas pass on a shallow crossing route from right to left for an eight-yard TD - the first scoring reception of the sophomore's career and a 14-7 lead.

Special teams set up New Hampshire's next scoring drive. After a Smith sack forced GSU into a fourth-and-19 from its own 16, Hayden Knudson deflected Matt Hubbard's punt, resulting in a 24-yard kick that gave the 'Cats possession at the Panthers' 40. Steriti subsequently carried for 8 yards, Vailas connected on a 25-yard seam-route pass to Spears and Steriti scored his second touchdown of the game by reversing direction on a left-side rush, slamming on the brakes, cutting to his right and maneuvering his way for a seven-yard TD and a 21-7 advantage with 8:54 left in the second.

The lead ballooned to 28-7 just 26 seconds into the second half on a 5-yard TD pass from Vailas to Justin Mello. Moments earlier, UNH forced its third turnover of the game when Tre Williams got to Bell on a safety blitz, forcing an errant pass that was intercepted at the GSU 17 by Alan Buzbee, who returned the pick 12 yards.

The Wildcats would push the lead to 35-7 when Vailas tossed his fourth TD pass of the day to a fourth different receiver, Chris Setian, who hauled in a screen pass and raced a career-best 25 yards for a TD with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter.

Mike MacArthur tacked on a season-high 43-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining in the third to push the New Hampshire cushion to 38-7.

Georgia State received a brief spark on a 26-yard TD pass from Ben McLane to Emmanuel Ogbuehi that cut the deficit to 38-14 at 13:52 of the fourth quarter. 

But New Hampshire retaliated nine seconds later courtesy of a 63-yard kickoff return by Jared Allison, followed by Steriti's third TD of the contest, a 34-yard run jaunt for a 44-14 lead. 

The teams exchanged touchdowns on their initial possessions. First, UNH marched 68 yards on four plays, with a career-long 29-yard rush by R.J. Harris  setting the stage for a Vailas-to-Spears 26-yard TD pass.

GSU drew even, 7-7, when Bell found Albert Wilson for a 54-yard touchdown pass with 11:01 left in the opening quarter.