# 2017 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

The 2017 New Hampshire Wildcats football team represented the University of New Hampshire in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 19th-year head coach Sean McDonnell and played their home games at Wildcat Stadium. They were a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 9–5, 5–3 in CAA play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Central Connecticut and Central Arkansas before losing in the quarterfinals to South Dakota State.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Maine | No. 13 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH (Battle for the Brice–Cowell Musket) | CSL | W 24–23 | 15,854 |
| September 9 | 4:00 p.m. | at Georgia Southern* | No. 12 | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | ESPN3 | W 22–12 | 3,387 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | at Holy Cross* | No. 9 | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Charter TV3 | L 26–51 | 7,906 |
| September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Rhode Island | No. 15 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH | ESPN3 | W 28–14 | 22,135 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Bryant* | No. 15 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH | ESPN3 | W 45–17 | 7,951 |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at Stony Brook | No. 12 | Kenneth P. LaValle StadiumStony Brook, NY | Wolfievision | L 24–38 | 12,311 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | Towson | No. 18 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH | UNHAthletics via YouTube | W 40–17 | 10,522 |
| October 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 1 James Madison | No. 17 | Bridgeforth StadiumHarrisonburg, VA | MadiZone | L 0–21 | 25,298 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at William & Mary | No. 21 | Zable StadiumWilliamsburg, VA | TATV | W 35–16 | 5,426 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 7 Elon | No. 18 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH | FCS FSGO | W 16–6 | 7,294 |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | at Albany | No. 16 | Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey StadiumAlbany, NY | CSL | L 0–15 | 3,459 |
| November 25 | 2:00 p.m. | Central Connecticut* | No. 21 | Wildcat StadiumDurham, NH (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN3 | W 14–0 | 2,385 |
| December 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 3 Central Arkansas* | No. 21 | Estes StadiumConway, AR (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN3 | W 21–15 | 6,243 |
| December 9 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 6 South Dakota State* | No. 21 | Dana J. Dykhouse StadiumBrookings, SD (NCAA Division I Quarterfinal) | ESPN3 | L 14–56 | 5,583 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Maine

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Bears | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| No. 13 Wildcats | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |

### At Georgia Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Wildcats | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 12 |

### At Holy Cross

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 26 |
| Crusaders | 3 | 13 | 21 | 14 | 51 |

### Rhode Island

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 15 Wildcats | 8 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 28 |

### Bryant

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 15 Wildcats | 17 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 45 |

### At Stony Brook

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Wildcats | 6 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Seawolves | 9 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 38 |

### Towson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| No. 18 Wildcats | 7 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 40 |

### At James Madison

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 1 Dukes | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### At William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Tribe | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |

### Elon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Phoenix | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| No. 18 Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 16 |

### At Albany

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Danes | 0 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 15 |

### NCAA First Round—Central Connecticut

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Devils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 21 Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### NCAA Second Round—at Central Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| No. 3 Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 |

### NCAA Quarterfinal–at South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 6 Jackrabbits | 21 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 56 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 13 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 21 | |
| Coaches | 16 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 20 | |