Maine running back Joe Fitzpatrick lunges past a defender on his way to the end zone in the fourth quarter against UNH on August 31, 2018. Maine won the game 35-7. Photo courtesy of Anthony Delmonaco. (click to enlarge)
ORONO, Me- The University of Maine football team wanted a statement game to begin their 2018 season. Coming in with an eight game losing streak against their rivals from the University of New Hampshire Thursday night, that statement was made loud and clear. Sophomore quarterback Chris Ferguson threw for a pair of touchdowns and the defense had six sacks, as Maine built a big halftime lead and cruised to a convincing 35-7 win over the #9 Wildcats in front of 6,597 fans at Alfond Stadium. The Black Bears claim back the Brice-Cowell Musket by winning the annual game, something they haven’t had since a 16-13 win over UNH back in 2010.
Maine opened it up after a scoreless first quarter when Ferguson hit receiver Micah Wright for a six yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. The 12 play 88 yard drive made it 7-0. 5:30 minutes later, a snap on a UNH punt sailed over the punters head and into the endzone where he was touched by several Black Bear defenders for a safety to make it 9-0. After the ball was given back to Maine on the safety punt, the Bears went 78 yards in seven plays in just 3:10, culminating with a reverse run of 17 yards by receiver Earnest Edwards to make it 16-0. Senior wideout Wright said on the win over their rival, “This is indescribable. I have been waiting for this moment since I got here when I was a freshman. I have been thinking of this since last November, it is literally a dream come true, I can’t even describe it”. The dagger was just before the half when UNH had pinned Maine down to their own one yard line with 2:15 to go before halftime. In just eight plays the Bears marched down the field, set up by a huge 49 yard run by freshman running back Ramon Jefferson to get the ball to the UNH 11. “I have seen him do that in practice. The line did a good job, and he is a playmaker and made a play”, said Ferguson about Jefferson. With 10 seconds left, Ferguson found Edwards for an 11 yard score. The extra point was no good and Maine led 22-0 at intermission. “Two minute drill that was exciting to see, especially finishing the drive in the endzone. Going to the half with that kind of momentum was big”, added Ferguson. Maine (1-0, 1-0 CAA) had a 276-45 total yards disparity in that first half.
The second half was much of the same. The Bears got scoring on a trick play in the third quarter, when Edwards faked a sweep run and pitched the ball back to former quarterback and now tightend Drew Belcher who fired downfield and Jaquan Blair went up and grabbed it for a 52 yard score to up the lead to 29-0. UNH (0-1, 0-1) finally broke the shutout when backup quarterback Christian Lupoli found Carlos Washington out of the backfield, and he scampered 62 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcat senior starting quarterback Trevor Knight had left the game with a right shoulder injury in the second quarter. Maine finally finished off the scoring with 2:04 to play when North Yarmouth and former Chevrus running back Joe Fitzpatrick leaped over a defender on his way to a 14 yard touchdown run. Fitzpatrick said about the play, “Thought I was in the air for too long. The line played excellent tonight, and also the receivers and tightends blocking and that showed in the run game. As for that run I didn’t know I had it in me. I have done it in practice, but never in a game”.
The total yardage ended up as 450-116 including a whopping 224 to -7 in the rushing department. Ferguson completed 21-31 for 199 yards and the two touchdowns. Fitzpatrick had the one score and rushed 17 times for 76 yards, while Jefferson had 12 rushes for 74 yards. Blair had 70 yards receiving on three catches, including the big 52 yard catch from Belcher. Wright had four receptions and 55 yards, while Edwards also had four for 54 yards. The defense came up huge. Charles Mitchell and Sterling Sheffield combined for 4.5 sacks on the evening. Mitchell had 2.5, while Sheffield had 2.0. Sheffield made two huge sacks in the first quarter to gain momentum for the defense, both were 10 yard losses and drive stoppers. Both also had four total tackles. Deshawn Stevens led the way with eight total tackles and a half a sack. Lupoli was 5-13 passing for UNH, for 98 yards and a touchdown. Evan Gray rushed seven times for 38 yards, and Washington made a pair of catches for 75 yards and the lone 62 yard score. Quinien Dean led the defense for the visitors with 11 total tackles and a half a sack.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell commented on his teams performance after the game, “That football team was a pretty good football team (Maine), with 1. a bunch of talented kids on the offensive side of the ball, and 2. defensively they picked up right where they left off last year. Played downhill, attacked, well prepared team, well coached. They did everything better than the University of New Hampshire today, and hats off to them. Joe has his team ready, they wanted this one, they deserve everything they got tonight”. When asked about the injury to his starting quarterback, McDonnell added, “He is hurting. Landed on his collarbone. At first we thought it may of been a broken collarbone, but it looks like it’s an AC sprain something to do with rotator cuff, it’s hurting him pretty good right now”. Coach Joe Haraysmiak also commented on his teams game, “Just so proud of them. Total team effort. We talked before the game it was just about us. We just had to control us, be accountable, believe in each other, and play a disciplined game and these guys did that. I talked about our culture changing before the game and we are in a good spot, and I am just so proud of the team it is all about them. They did everything, they are the hardest working group I have ever been around, and I am just the lucky one to be their coach”.
Maine hits the road next Satuday at 6:30 pm when they face FBS opponent Western Kentucky. The game can be seen live on ESPN Plus.
Members of the University of Maine football team celebrate with the Brice-Cowell Musket, after defeating rival UNH 35-7 in their annual rivalry game Thursday, August 30, 2018. Photo courtesy of Anthony Delmonaco. (click to enlarge)
UNH 0 0 0 7- 7
UME 0 22 7 6- 35
Total yards- Maine 450 UNH 116
First Downs- Maine 24 UNH 9
Time of Possession- Maine 36:01 UNH 23:59
