UNH's D.J. Linkins makes the game-winning TD catch vs. URI on Saturday in Durham. (Photo courtesy of Andre Lacey/UNH Athletics)

DURHAM – Sophomore Max Brosmer threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to freshman DJ Linkins with 17 seconds remaining to lift the 22nd-ranked University of New Hampshire football team to Saturday’s 31-28 victory against No. 21 University of Rhode Island at Wildcat Stadium.

Brosmer completed 31 of 43 passes for a career-high 316 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Joey Corcoran (Montreal, Quebec) had a team-leading eight catches for 71 yards and junior tight end Kyle Lepkowski (Adamstown, Md.) caught seven passes for a team-high 81 yards.

Junior running back Dylan Laube (Westhampton, N.Y.) led UNH’s rushing attack with 14 carries for 57 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run.

Sophomore defensive end Dylan Ruiz (Kissimmee, Fla.) had a strip-sack, three quarterback hurries and tied for second on the team with five tackles. Sophomore linebacker Ryan Toscano (Bedford, N.H.) led UNH with seven tackles, including one stop behind the line of scrimmage.

URI’s Kasim Hill threw for 222 yards and had 12 rushes for 43 yards with three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Ed Lee was the top target with nine receptions for 116 yards and a TD while Marques DeShields led the Rams with 77 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jake Fire led all players with 10 tackles.

UNH improved to 7-3 overall and 4-1 at home to stay in a tie atop the CAA standings at 6-1. URI is 6-4, 4-3.

Rhode Island struck first on Hill’s five-yard TD run on the first play of the second quarter to give the Rams a 7-0 lead at 14:56.

UNH marched 57 yards in 11 plays and redshirt freshman Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.) made a 30-yard field goal into the wind to lift the Wildcats within 7-3 at 3:49. Brosmer completed 5 of 6 passes for 60 yards on the drive.

The Rams took advantage of a short field – Mazzie’s low kickoff hit a URI player on the front line and the visitors recovered the ball at the UNH 47 – to extend the advantage to 14-3 at 1:53.

Brosmer engineered a hurry-up offense that scored a touchdown with seven seconds on the clock to lift UNH within 14-10. A deep pass over the middle to senior Sean Coyne (Portsmouth, R.I.) for 23 yards advanced the ball into URI territory at the 43. Three more completions and then a seven-yard run by Brosmer set up 1st-and-goal at the URI 4.

On third down, Brosmer found redshirt freshman Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa.) cutting across the middle at the URI 1 and he quickly turned upfield into the endzone for his first career touchdown.

n the opening drive of the second half, UNH drove 38 yards in 11 plays and Mazzie’s 40-yard field goal trimmed the deficit to 14-13 at 9:35.

The Rams responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Hill’s five-yard pass to Kahtero Summers to extend the lead to 21-13 at 3:49.

On the ensuing kickoff, Burke Griffin (Gig Harbor, Wash.) picked up a loose ball at the UNH 29 and rumbled for 17 yards to set up 1st-and-10 at the UNH 46.

Brosmer’s 20-yard completion to Lepkowski advanced the ‘Cats into the red zone (URI 13), and two plays later Laube bounced to the right side for a four-yard TD. UNH converted the 2-point PAT as Brosmer pulled the ball down and ran up the middle to tie the score, 21-21, with 34 seconds on the clock.

UNH’s defense forced the only turnover of the game on the Rams’ next possession as Hill tried to elude three Wildcats but Ruiz forced a fumble that was recovered by Bryce Shaw (Raynham, Mass.), and he advanced seven yards to set up first down at the URI 23.

Brosmer connected with Adam Deese (Belmont, Mass.) for a 19-yard gain that set up 1st-and-goal at the URI 6. Rhode Island’s defense stiffened, however, and Mazzie’s third field goal of the game – this time from 22 yards – gave UNH its first lead of the game, 24-21, at 10:46.

Hill led a 10-play, 68-yard TD drive capped by a 15-yard TD to Lee that put URI back in front, 28-24, at 7:07. The Rams converted all three third downs on the drive, including 3rd-and-goal for the touchdown.

The Wildcats began their game-winning drive from the UNH 11 with 2:21 on the clock and two timeouts. On 3rd-and-5 from the UNH 39, Corcoran’s 15-yard catch extended the drive at the URI 46. On the next play, a 19-yard pass to Lekpowski advanced the ball to the URI 27.

The Rams called time out with UNH facing 4th-and-9 at the URI 26 and 23 seconds on the clock. Brosmer dropped back, threw a pass from the right hashmark across the field to the front-left corner of the endzone, and Linkins reached up with both hands to pull down the TD catch. Mazzie’s PAT kick capped the 9-play, 89-yard drive that gave the Wildcats a 31-28 lead with 17 seconds to play.