DURHAM — Remember ODU.

It has not become a widely known University of New Hampshire football battle cry and it's not a slogan the Wildcats are wearing on their t-shirts.

But it's a subject that comes up from time to time on the sidelines and on Saturday helped spur coach Sean McDonnell's team to a rousing 44-40 win over Richmond in front of a homecoming crowd of 12,834 in Cowell Stadium.

UNH improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association with a date at Maine up next on Saturday. Richmond, which matched UNH's records coming in but was unranked, fell to 4-3 and 2-2.

The Wildcats led 34-17 with less than nine minutes left in the third period before the Spiders ran off 23 straight points to grab a 40-34 lead less than five minutes into the fourth period.

“We all had a bitter taste in our mouth,” said junior running back Chris Setian, who helped spark UNH's winning rally. “We all remembered ODU and what happened there and we absolutely do not want that to happen again.”

Last month, UNH played at then No. 8-ranked Old Dominion and led by 13 at the half and 54-38 going into the fourth period, but could not hold on and fell, 64-61.

On Saturday, Richmond roared from behind and into the lead. UNH responded nicely.

“You've just got to stay the course,” said senior linebacker Alan Buzbee. “I thought we finished the game fairly well.”

Things were not going well for the Wildcats as the third period turned into the fourth.

The Spiders tied the game at 34-34 on a 4-yard pass from quarterback Michael Strauss, who had replaced the injured John Laub, to Stephen Barnette with 11:19 left in the game.

Cornerback Ayo Ogunniyi intercepted a pass by UNH's Andy Vailas two plays later. On Richmond's first play, senior running back Kendall Gaskins broke away for a 48-yard score to give his team a 40-34 lead, its first since 10-6. Lamar Edmunds blocked Remington Hinshaw's conversion kick.

The Wildcats, who had been having all kinds of problems moving the ball, got one first down but then had to punt.

Mike MacArthur, the junior from North Hampton, got off a 51-yard beauty and pinned Richmond on its own 1-yard line.

The defense held for three downs and forced a Richmond punt.

UNH took over on its own 49-yard line and redshirt freshman quarterback Sean Goldrich came on in relief of Vailas. On the second play, Setian broke a 35-yard run through the middle down to the 19.

The Wildcats used both their quarterbacks and on fourth-and-2, Vailas came in and picked up 3 yards to the Richmond 5 for the first down. Goldrich returned and handed off to Setian, who bulled his way to a 5-yard score.

“He made a good read and he's a very powerful runner,” McDonnell said.

Setian praised the offensive line for its blocking.

“All the credit goes to them,” he said. “There have been holes all year and that's them. They're five strong.”

MacArthur's conversion kick gave UNH a 41-40 lead with 2:57 left in the game.

A nice MacArthur kickoff and good coverage left Richmond starting its next possession on its own 11-yard line.

The Wildcats, helped by a dropped pass, held again and took over the ball on downs on the Richmond 16.

Four plays later, MacArthur's 27-yard field goal put UNH up 44-40 with 1:08 left.

The Spiders moved down the field far enough to try a desperation heave into the end zone from the New Hampshire 34 on the last play of the game, but the Wildcats knocked it down.

An ODU replay averted.

“In the back of your mind, it's always there and it's going to be there all year,” Setian said. “That kind of loss, any time a similar situation happens we've got to learn from those mistakes and I think that's what we did.”

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The Wildcats, who averaged 259.3 rushing yards coming in, had 263. Junior Nico Steriti carried 15 times for 122 yards and a touchdown and has hit the 100-yard mark in four of the last five games. ... Vailas completed 15 of his 26 passes for 188 yards and was intercepted once. ... Sophomore wide receiver R.J. Harris had five catches for 94 yards and two scores and senior Joey Orlando had four for 49 and a TD. ... Richmond collected 29 first downs and had 544 yards of total offense. ... UNH senior linebacker Matt Evans led all defenders with 16 tackles.