New Hampshire wins 22-12 in game moved because of Irma
O'Connor pulls down his 2nd TD grab
Neil O'Connor pours it on for New Hampshire with a great TD catch in the 2nd quarter.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Trevor Knight passed for two touchdowns, both to Neil O'Connor, and New Hampshire beat Georgia Southern 22-12 on Saturday in a game moved because of concerns about Hurricane Irma.
The game was originally to be played on Georgia Southern's home turf in Statesboro, Georgia, before it was decided to move it 350 miles west to Birmingham's 71,594-seat Legion Field, where fans were offered free admission. The game drew 3,387 fans.
The victory for the FCS Wildcats (2-0) snapped a seven-game losing streak to FBS teams.
Knight was 13-of-22 passing for 129 yards and ran for 55 more. O'Connor had 11 catches for 118 yards receiving.
The Eagles (0-2) lost a fumble at the UNH 30 on the game's opening drive and the Wildcats drove the other way, scoring on Knight's 10-yard pass to O'Connor. Evan Gray's 2-yard run for a score made it 15-0 later in the quarter. The Wildcats' final score came on an 18-yard pass to O'Connor in the third quarter for a 22-0 lead.
Eagles redshirt freshman quarterback Shai Werts ran for 124 yards on 31 carries and passed for 93 more. Georgia Southern has only eight seniors on its roster.
Georgia Southern safety Jay Bowdry was injured while making a tackle early in the third quarter and was strapped to a board and taken off the field in a cart. Bowdry, who was rolling around on the ground after the tackle, was taken to Grandview Medical Center for tests, according to a school spokesman.
Game Information
2024 Coastal Athletic Association Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 8-0 | 10-3 |
| Rhode Island | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Villanova | 6-2 | 10-4 |
| Delaware | 6-2 | 9-2 |
| New Hampshire | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| Stony Brook | 5-3 | 8-4 |
| Towson | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Elon | 5-3 | 6-6 |
| William & Mary | 4-4 | 7-5 |
| Monmouth | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| Maine | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| UAlbany | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Hampton | 2-6 | 5-7 |
| Campbell | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Bryant | 0-8 | 2-10 |
| North Carolina A&T | 0-8 | 1-11 |
2024 Sun Belt Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Georgia Southern | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| James Madison | 4-4 | 9-4 |
| Old Dominion | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Coastal Carolina | 3-5 | 6-6 |
| App State | 3-5 | 5-6 |
| Georgia State | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Texas State | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Arkansas State | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| South Alabama | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| UL Monroe | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Troy | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Southern Miss | 0-8 | 1-11 |
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