The Wildcats are hoping that a Homecoming crowd, like this one earlier this season, helps them out on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of UNH Athletics)

DURHAM – The University of New Hampshire defense had settled down some when senior safety Pop Bush shot the gap and totally flipped Western Michigan running back Sean Tyler for a 5-yard loss to put an exclamation point on the turnaround.

“That’s kind of my job,” Bush said. “When things aren’t going right or it looks down, I’m going to pick people up with my actions, so I don’t have to do a lot of yelling.”

Now don’t get the wrong idea. Bush is one of four UNH captains along with receiver Brian Espanet, offensive tackle Patrick Flynn and defensive tackle Niko Kvietkus and has embraced the role and is doing a lot more talking on the field and sidelines these days in the past.

But when push comes to hit, he’s still as ready as ever to let his play speak for him.

Which brings us to this week and Saturday’s critical Colonial Athletic Association and Homecoming game against Stony Brook in Wildcat Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

The Wildcats have a 3-2 overall record and are one of just three teams in the CAA that are undefeated going into the weekend. Delaware is also 3-0 and Elon is 2-0. Stony Brook is 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the league, but has played a tough schedule and given teams fits in most of its games.

“They’ve had one of the best defenses in the league over the last decade and they’re extremely well coached,” UNH coach Rick Santos said. “They want nothing more than to spoil our Homecoming festivities. We know that to be true.”

Bush and the Wildcats are coming off a two-week road-trip that offered dramatically mixed results.

Whether the Stony Brook contest plays out more like the game two weeks ago at Towson or more like at Western Michigan, will go a long way towards determining where the season goes from here.

UNH started fast and did most everything well on offense, defense and special teams in a 37-14 win at Towson.

tepping up a level to their FBS game at Western Michigan last week, a rough beginning and problems with holding onto the ball on offense led to a 44-7 loss.

Santos and Espanet said the Wildcats have responded well to the loss in practice this week.

“I thought yesterday was one of our best practices all year,” said Espanet, who noted that the players were angry after the loss because they felt there were small details in execution that added up and led to the lopsided score.

There were plenty of positives to build off from the Western Michigan game, including the way the defense played in the second half, Santos said.

The Towson and Western Michigan games could not have had more drastically different starts.

UNH jumped on Towson early and led 24-0 before the Tigers scored. Western Michigan led 28-0 before quarterback Max Brosmer connected with running back Dylan Laube for a 26-yard TD in the second quarter.

“We’ve got to start off right,” Bush said. “We’ve got to get our minds right from the start. You don’t need to be punched in the mouth to be able to be good. Do that coming out of the gate. We’ve got to be consistent with that.”

Bush, like Santos, likes where the team is at heading into Game 6.

“I think we’re in a great spot,” Bush said. “You get a 3-0 start and you just want to keep building on that.”

Said Santos: “You find a way to win this game, find a way to go to 4-2 and 4-0 in the conference . . . We win this game, we’re right back on track exactly where we want to go. We still control our own destiny in the conference, which is ultimately our goal at the beginning of the year.”

Santos and his players are excited about the Homecoming test.

“It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere,” Santos said. “I think the crowd is going to be electric. You’re back home where historically you play well.”

The coach called it a “legacy game,” a chance to play in front of, and for, the Wildcats who have come before them.

“This is such a huge opportunity for us,” he said. “But again, there’s going to be so much around this game. I talked to the guys early this week about this being Homecoming and all the distractions. We have to let all that stuff go.”

What’s ahead

The Wildcats do not leave the state again to play until November.

They are at Dartmouth next Saturday, Oct. 15 for a 1:30 game.

They return to Wildcat Stadium to face Elon in a Family Weekend game on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.

UNH is off on Saturday, Oct. 29.

The Wildcats play at Richmond on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 3:30; face Rhode Island at home on Saturday, Nov. 12 for Senior Day at 1 p.m.; and close out the regular season at Maine on Saturday, Nov. 19 at noon.

GAME NOTES

Stony Brook has lost to Rhode Island, 35-14; at UMass, 20-3, and at Richmond, 51-7; and to William & Mary 27-10 last week…

William & Mary is currently ranked No. 16 and Richmond is No. 23 and Rhode Island is receiving votes and just outside the Top 25 in the STATS Perform FCS poll…

The Seawolves led William & Mary 10-6 at halftime and were tied 14-14 with Rhode Island at the half…

Running back Ty Son Lawton, who has been out since sustaining an injury against UMass, is expected to play. He rushed for just over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs last season…

UNH lost four turnovers with two interceptions and two fumbles against Western Michigan…

Laube is No. 2 in the country and leads the CAA in all-purpose yards at 180.4 yards per game…

Sophomore Sean Lehane averaged 48.6 yards on seven punts against Western Michigan…

Sophomore defensive ends Josiah Silver and Dylan Ruiz are tied for second in the CAA with 4.5 quarterback sacks each. The Wildcats as a defense are tied for first with William & Mary with 16 sacks.