Costly penalties and turnovers cost the University of Maine Black Bears in a Saturday afternoon football battle at Wildcat Stadium in Durham, NH, as the University of New Hampshire Wildcats took the annual Border War and Battle of the Brice-Cowell Musket with a 28-10 win.
Maine (6-6, 4-4 CAA) had a realistic chance with a win Saturday to return to the FCS playoffs, but that went past the boards. UNH (6-5, 5-3) still has a slim chance to make it pending results of other Saturday CAA action. The Black Bears started the game with a turnover right out of the gates. Black Bears quarterback Joe Fagnano passed to Devin Young in the flat and Young was stripped and UNH recovered at the Maine 35. The Wildcats turned that in to a Max Brosmer 35 yard touchdown pass to Dylan Laube to make it 7-0 32 seconds in. Maine came right back though helped by two personal foul calls against UNH. Fagnano though he had tied it with a 14 yard QB keeper, but an illegal formation brought that score back. Fagnano would find Earnest Edwards for a 16 yard score two plays later to tie it 7-7.
The score remained tied until the 6:38 mark of the second quarter when Evan Gray finished off an 11 play, 72 yard UNH drive with a four yard TD run to make it 14-7 Wildcats. The hosts had another golden chance to increase the lead late in the half led by backup quarterback Bret Edwards who replaced Brosmer who was hurt on the previous series. A 15 yard pass to Malik Love, a Gray 15 yard run, and two Maine penalties set them up deep in Black Bears territory. On 3rd down and 5 from the 17 though Edwards was hit by Adrian Otero and fumbled. Otero recovered at his own 13 in the waining seconds of the half and the scoring chance for UNH was thwarted as they settled for a 14-7 lead at the break.
Neither team could manage any points in the third quarter. Brosmer returned as the starter for UNH at quarterback. Emmanuel Reed had a nice 20 yard run on the first Maine possession of the second half but he fumbled on a hit by Evan Horn and the Wildcats Niko Kvierkus recovered at the UNH 34. UNH also had a drive to the Maine 15 but Brosmer was intercepted by Shaquille St. Lot at the 2 yard line to keep it a seven point game.
Early in the fourth quarter the Black Bears got to midfield after a 37 yard run by Edwards but then got no closer than the 45 and were forced to punt. The Wildcats went three and out and then after some very good punts all day, UNH punter Jason Hughes shanked one off the side of his foot that only went 19 yards and stayed on the hosts side of the field out of bounds at the 39. Fagnano connected on the first play to tightend Daniel Rymer to the UNH 24. But just a short run by Young, a pair of incompletions, and a false start penalty forced a 45 yard field goal by Kenny Doak that was good to cut it to 14-10 with 7:55 to play. Maine got it right back after another UNH three and out, and after one first down Fagnano threw two incompletions and then took a nine yard sack on 3rd down at the Wildcat 43. Derek Deoul pinned the Wildcats back at their own 8 yard line with the punt but a 92 yard drive would all but end this game. The key play was a 36 yard completion from Brosmer to Love on 1st down out to the 44, and then runs of 34 and 13 yards by Laube. Brosmer hit Gunner Gibson for a 4 yard touchdown with just 1:48 to go to make it 21-10. UNH added yet another score 12 seconds later when Fagnano was hit by Josh Kania on the first offensive play after the touchdown and fumbled. Prince Smith scooped up the loose ball and took it 30 yards to end the scoring on the day. UNH reclaims the rivalry Musket after Maine had stripped it away with a 35-7 pounding of the Wildcats in Orono in the season opener on August 30 of last year.
Fagnano finished the day 18-31 passing for 183 yards, with one touchdown and was sacked five times. He also added 29 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Edwards led the run game with 44 yards on four carries, and Reed added 39 on six runs. Jaquan Blair made eight receptions for 91 yards, while Edwards added four for 60 yards and a touchdown. Edwards the senior in his last career game became the all-time wide receiving yards leader in school history in the second quarter of the loss. He ends with 2,641 yards surpassing Sergio Hebra who was the leader at 2,612. Two defensive seniors Taji Lowe and Joshua Huffman had nine and eight tackles respectively to lead the way. Both teams were penalized heavily in the game as Maine had 10 for 95 yards, and UNH had 8 for 85. The Bears and Wildcats also had three turnovers a piece.
Important contributors to the team in their time with the Black Bears that will be leaving with graduation include Edwards, Blair, Joe Fitzpatrick, Huffman, Lowe, Kayon Whitaker, Alejandro Oregon, Manny Patterson, and Deoul.
Maine wide receiver Earnest Edwards celebrates a touchdown in a game earlier this season in Orono. Edwards became the all-time leader in receiving yards at UMaine on Saturday in the final game of his career at Durham, NH in a 28-10 loss to UNH. Photo courtesy of Anthony DelMonaco
Box Score
UME 7 0 0 3- 10
UNH 7 7 0 14- 28
Total yards- Maine 313 UNH 383
First downs- Maine 18 UNH 23
Third downs- Maine 2-11 UNH 5-15
Turnovers- Maine 3 UNH 3
Time of possession- Maine 25:06 UNH 34:54
