(Game Statistics)
DURHAM, N.H. (11/26/05) – Ricky Santos completed 18-of-27 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and carried 14 times for a career-high 165 yards and one touchdown to lead top-ranked New Hampshire (11-1) to a 55-21 win over Colgate (8-4) in the opening round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
The Wildcats advance to the second round where they will play the winner of the Eastern Washington-Northern Iowa game next Saturday.
UNH’s high-powered offense had 605 yards of total offense – 353 rushing and 252 passing, while Colgate finished with 362 yards – 207 rushing and 155 passing.
Colgate’ Jordan Scott carried 33 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns for the Raiders. It was his third 200-yard performance of the season. On defense, senior linebacker Jared Nepa had a game-high 16 tackles including one quarterback sack, one fumble recovery and one fumble forced.
UNH opened the scoring on its second possession of the game when John McCoy, who rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns, capped a 63-yard drive with a five-yard run.
Perhaps the turning point in the game came with 46 seconds left in the opening quarter, when Michael Boyle raced back with a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown putting the Wildcats up 14-0.
UNH added three touchdowns in the second quarter for a 34-0 halftime lead.
Ricky Santos completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to David Ball with 6:27 left in the half, and then UNH scored twice in the final minute.
With 24 seconds left, McCoy scored his second TD on a seven-yard pass play, after Colgate was stopped on UNH 30 on fourth down. Santos scrambled 51 yards on the first play from scrimmage to set up the TD.
On the first play of the ensuing Colgate possession, Mike Saraceno was intercepted by Mark Rutberg at the Colgate 48 with 19 seconds remaining. Santos immediately found Ball down the middle for a 48-yard scoring strike.
UNH opened the second half with a TD drive capped by Santos’ eight-yard run for a 41-0 lead.
Colgate finally got on the scoreboard with 8:10 remaining in the third quarter, when Jordan Scott rushed two yards for his eighth TD of the season. Mike Rava added the extra point.
Scott scored again with 4:07 left in the third quarter on an 11-yard dash up the middle, and Rava added the extra point to cut the deficit to 41-14.
After Colgate was stopped deep in UNH territory the Wildcats drove 80 yards in three plays with McCoy scoring his third TD of the game on a 39-yard run.
Santos and Ball hooked up again early in the fourth quarter for their third TD of the game on an 18-yard strike making the score 55-14.
Colgate’s final score came on an 80-yard run by Scott with 9:23 left. Scott finished the season with 1,364 rushing yards, which is the sixth best total in school history.
GAME NOTES – Colgate’s defense came up with three turnovers – one interception by Josh Wurst and fumble recoveries by Nepa and Andrew Moore … Jeff Galletly made 11 tackles for the Raiders, and Cody Williams had a fumble forced … Saraceno completed 17-of-40 for 155 yards, and had four intercepted
