If you like watching good defense, then you’re probably going to enjoy Saturday’s FCS playoff game between the University of New Hampshire and the University of Tennessee Martin.
UNH completed the regular season ranked third among Coastal Athletic Association teams in points allowed per game (20.9), and UT Martin enters Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup ranked among the top 10 FCS teams nationally in rushing defense (87.7 ypg), third-down defense (30.4 percent), interceptions (18) and defensive touchdowns (four). Six UT Martin defensive players were Big South/Ohio Valley Conference First Team all-conference selections.
“This is going to be the most stout, physical team, pound for pound, man for man, that we’ve faced all year,” UNH coach Rick Santos said. “Defensively, their front seven does a really good job of stopping the run, top 10 in the country, No. 1 in their conference. They create a ton of turnovers.”
UNH will be at home Saturday. The Wildcats are 4-1 in Durham this season.
UNH (8-4) was 4-4 following a loss at Villanova on Oct. 26 but has won four in a row with a formula that includes stingy defense and an opportunistic offense. The Wildcats limited their opponents to 73 points in those four wins, 30 of which came in a 31-30 triumph over Stony Brook.
“The offensive numbers certainly aren’t gaudy, but they’re extremely efficient,” Santos said. “Seth (quarterback Seth Morgan) has played some high-level ball since he came back from his injury. It’s really just about situational football for us. We’ve been much better on third down, in the red zone and then making sure that we’re efficient enough on the ground where we can move the chains. It’s kept our defense fresh.”
Stopping the run will be the No. 1 challenge for the UNH defense Saturday. The Skyhawks (8-4) average 164.9 yards rushing per game. Running back Patrick Smith led the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference in rushing with 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns on 193 carries this season. Smith, who spent three seasons at Vanderbilt, averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 93.5 yards per game.
UNH is allowing 137.6 yards on the ground per game. Central Florida’s RJ Harvey (142) and Rhode Island’s Malik Grant (127) are the only running backs who ran for at least 100 yards against the Wildcats this season.
“They want to run the ball,” UNH defensive back Jonathan Collins said. “If we can stop the run game and force them to pass, I think that’ll play into our hands a little bit better. If we stop the run, I think we’ll be successful on Saturday for sure.”
UT Martin quarterback Kinkead Dent is a University of Mississippi transfer who completed 58.6% of his passes this season. He has thrown for 2,092 yards and 19 touchdown passes. Dent has also run for 272 yards and six touchdowns.
UNH has a 16-20 record in postseason games, including a 15-17 record in FCS playoff games. Saturday’s winner will play at Montana State (12-0) on Dec. 7.
“It’s a good blend of some talent from that part of the country and some transfers as well,” Santos said. “We just have to embrace the moment. There’s a reason why we’re here. We have the feeling that for 60 minutes we can beat anybody in the country and that’s the goal. Just lock in, play our best brand of ball and find a way to get this done.”
