Colonial Clash

Colonial Clash
History
First meeting	Massachusetts 10, New Hampshire 4 (1897)
Last meeting	New Hampshire 27, Massachusetts 21 (2011)
Next meeting	None scheduled
Number of meetings	74
All-time series	UMass leads, 43–28–3
Largest victory	New Hampshire, 56–7 (1921)
Current streak	New Hampshire, 2
Longest UMass win streak	6 (1969–74, 1977–82)
Longest UNH win streak	4 (1953–56, 1994–97)
MVP Trophy:	Bill Knight Trophy

The Colonial Clash was an annual college football rivalry game played between University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) and University of New Hampshire. UMass has transitioned to the Football Bowl subdivision (FBS) of NCAA Division I, leaving the future of the rivalry in question. The two teams played each other first in 1897, and annually from the 1950s until UMass made the move to FBS in 2012. The rivalry was named The Colonial Clash beginning with the game in 2010. The MVP of the game is awarded the Bill Knight Trophy.

History

The first game played between the two schools took place on October 2, 1897, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Massachusetts won the game by a score of 10–4. At the time, UMass was known as Massachusetts Agricultural College and New Hampshire was officially New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. They had formed a loose association with other public colleges in New England such as present day UConn and Rhode Island for the purpose of scheduling football matchups between the schools.

The colleges continued to schedule matches intermittently through 1922. Massachusetts affiliated with the New England Conference in 1923, and the schools would not meet again on the gridiron until New Hampshire joined Massachusetts in the Yankee Conference in 1952. UMass and New Hampshire have met at least once a year every season since.

UMass leads the all-time series 43–27–3, though it has been decidedly more even within the past 30 years. From 1958 through 1989, UMass won 26 of the meetings, losing only six times, including only one instance of back-to-back losses to their rival (1975–76). The most successful run for New Hampshire occurred from 1990 to 2002, when the Wildcats won 10 matchups and lost only 3.

In April 2011, UMass announced plans to join the Mid-American Conference and move up to the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the country. UNH plans to remain in the Colonial Athletic Association of the Football Championship Subdivision. No more meetings are currently scheduled, leaving the future of the rivalry in doubt.

Year-by-year game results

Massachusetts victories

New Hampshire victories

Tie games

#	Date	Location	Massachusetts	Score
1	1897	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	10–4
2	1905	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	15–0
3	1906	Amherst, MA	Tie	0–0
4	1908	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	13–9
5	1909	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	17–0
6	1910	Durham, NH	Tie	0–0
7	1911	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	8–0
8	1912	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	21–3
9	1913	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	34–0
10	1919	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	9–7
11	1920	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	9–0
12	1921	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	56–7
13	1922	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	12–10
14	1952	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	26–13
15	1953	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	32–12
16	1954	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	32–12
17	1955	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	21–7
18	1956	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	28–7
19	1957	Durham, NH	Tie	7–7
20	1958	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	25–24
21	1959	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	19–6
22	1960	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	35–15
23	1961	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	9–7
24	1962	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	16–14
25	1963	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	48–2
26	1964	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	47–0
27	1965	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	46–0
28	1966	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	14–7
29	1967	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	14–13
30	1968	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	16–0
31	1969	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	48–7
32	1970	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	24–14
33	1971	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	38–20
34	1972	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	42–7
35	1973	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	28–7
36	1974	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	27–17
37	1975	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	14–11
38	1976	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	23–0

#	Date	Location	Massachusetts	Score
39	1977	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	19–6
40	1978	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	34–0
41	1979	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	29–0
42	1980	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	17–0
43	1981	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	20–9
44	1982	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	27–0
45	1983	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	35–10
46	1984	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	14–10
47	1985	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	21–17
48	1986	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	38–31
49	1987	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	17–10
50	1988	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	64–42
51	1989	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	34–28
52	1990	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	36–18
53	1991	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	35–28
54	1992	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	20–13
55	1993	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	15–13
56	1994	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	14–11
57	1995	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	32–29
58	1996	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	40–7
59	1997	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	28–10
60	1998	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	27–26
61	1999	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	34–19
62	2000	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	24–16
63	2001	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	35–24
64	2002	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	31–14
65	2003	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	44–30
66	2004	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	38–21
67	2005	Amherst, MA	New Hampshire	34–28
68	2006	Durham, NH	Massachusetts	28–20
69	2006*	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	24–17
70	2007	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	27–7
71	2008	Durham, NH	New Hampshire	52–21
72	2009	Amherst, MA	Massachusetts	23–17
73	2010	Foxboro, MA	New Hampshire	39–13
74	2011	Foxboro, MA	New Hampshire	27–21
Series: Massachusetts leads 43–28–3
* NCAA Playoff Quarterfinals

References

UMass Athletics Archive

External links

• Official website