Max Brosmer had career highs in attemspts and completions but UNH fell in overtime Saturday at URI. (Photo courtesy of UNH Athletics)

KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior Max Brosmer (Roswel, Ga.) completed a career-best 41 passes for 456 yards while accounting for three touchdowns and senior Dylan Laube registered a career-best 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, but the 20th-ranked UNH football team dropped a 34-28 overtime heartbreaker to the University of Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium.

Ja’Den McKenzie’s fourth rushing touchdown of the game, a one-yard somersault leap on the last play of overtime, snapped URI’s two-game losing streak. The Rams improved to 5-4, 3-3 in the CAA. UNH, which saw its two-game winning streak halted, fell to 4-4, 2-3 CAA. Two of the Wildcats’ three conference defeats have come in overtime, and their four losses have come by a grand total of 16 points.

UNH possessed the ball first in OT but missed a 36-yard field goal try. On Rhode Island’s overtime possession, McKenzie rumbled 23 yards to the 1-yard line on a 2nd-and-9 rush before his game-winning leap on the next play.

McKenzie carried 15 times for 135 yards. Rhode Island quarterback Kasim Hill went 21 of 31 for 280 yards and a TD.

Brosmer’s eye-popping numbers were 41-for-61 (both career highs) for 456 yards and two TD passes. He was the Wildcats’ leading rusher with six carries for 31 yards, including a 20-yard TD rush.

Senior Randall Harris (Walled Lake, Mich.) equaled a career high with eight solo tackles, and sophomore Brendan Tighe (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in with a career-best seven tackles (six solo).

UNH scored the only points of the first quarter at 4:25 when Brosmer found Laube for a six-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead following the PAT from sophomore Nick Mazzie (Boxford, Mass.). The drive went for 64 yards on nine plays.

Rhode Island knotted the score, 7-7, by virtue of an 11-play, 80-yard drive punctuated by a 10-yard touchdown rush from McKenzie at 7:39 fo the second quarter.

The Wildcats moved back in front, 14-7, when Brosmer called his own number for a 20-yard scoring scamper with 4:20 to play in the half.

URI tied it 14-14 when Kahtero Summers (eight catches, 115 yards) hauled in a 44-yard scoring reception from Hill at 3:11.

Mazzie booted a 28-yard field as time expired in the first half to stake the Wildcats to a 17-14 lead. With the game clock inoperable, the kicking unit raced to the field just in time for Mazzie to split the uprights.

In the third quarter, Rhody drove down for the go-ahead touchdown on its opening possession of the second half for a 21-17 lead at 12:12. McKenzie capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a four-yard TD rush. He accounted for 31 yards on three carries during that drive.

For the second straight game, UNH special team used a fake to its advantage. Facing 4th-and-9 from the Ram 36, junior Sean Lehane (Miford, Mass.) faked a punt and dashed 18 yards to the 18.

That set up Mazzie’s 29-yard field goal that trimmed the deficit to 21-20 at 2:42.

In the fourth quarter McKenzie’s third TD was a one-yard score to cap an eight-play, 79-yard drive that built URI’s lead to its largest point, 28-20, at 13:52.

But the ‘Cats responded with an 11-play, 77-yard drive capped by Brosmer’s 13-yard TD pass to graduate student Logan Tomlinson (Manchester, Conn./three catches, 61 yards, TD) followed by a Brosmer-to-sophomore Caleb Burke (Johnstown, Pa./three catches, 33 yards) two-point conversion that tied the game, 28-28, at 9:06.

With 3:11 left, an apparent Pick-6 by Rhode Island’s Jarrett Martin was negated by a pass interference call.

UNH maintained possession and drove to the URI 32, but Mazzie’s 50-yard field goal try went slightly wide right with 58 seconds left.

Hill completed a 49-yard pass to John Erby (three catches, 72 yards) that set the Rams up 1st-and-goal at the Wildcat 8-yard line in the waning seconds.

Senior Charles Briscoe III (Bowie, Md.) then blocked Ty Groff’s 25-yard FG try on the last play of regulation to force overtime. It was Briscoe’s third block of the season and New Hampshire’s NCAA-leading 10th blocked kick of the season.