DURHAM, N.H. (AP) Randall Harris intercepted a pair of passes and his 25-yard pick-6 with 4:07 left sent New Hampshire past Monmouth 31-21 in a Colonial Athletic Association season opener Thursday night.

The Wildcats' defense intercepted Monmouth quarterback Tony Muskett three times.

Muskett threw a 19-yard score to Alex Bryant with 9:25 left in the third quarter for a 21-17 Hawks lead. In the fourth, New Hampshire seized control with a five-play, 72-yard drive that ended when Dylan Laube scored on a 7-yard run with 6:20 to go. Harris' interception and scored occurred on Monmouth's ensuing drive to seal it.

Max Brosmer threw for 272 yards for the Wildcats with 121 yards goings to receiver Kyle Lepkowski. Muskett finished with 281 yards passing.

New Hampshire coach Rick Santos succeeds Sean McDonnell, who retired last December following 23 years at the helm. A Wildcat alum, Santos was a record-setting Wildcat quarterback from 2004-07 and was inducted into the UNH Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. He served as interim coach in 2019.

It was the first-ever matchup between the two schools. Monmouth, in its first year of CAA play, was formerly a member of the Big South Conference.

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