The Hampton University Pirates scored the final 21 points of the game on Saturday afternoon, rallying back to defeat the Maine Black Bears 42-35 in Coastal Athletic Association football action on Senior Day at Alfond Stadium in Orono.
Maine never did trail until late in the contest. After both teams scored a pair of touchdowns each over the first 19 minutes of game action, Derek Robertson tossed his third and fourth touchdowns of the opening 30 minutes of 49-yards to Jamie Lamson and 1-yard to Cooper Heisey to give the Black Bears a 28-14 halftime lead. Hampton (5-4, 3-3 Coastal Athletic Association) scored to cut it to 28-21 on the first possession of the second half, but Maine answered back when Robertson hit Rohan Jones for a 9-yard score. That would be the last score for the hosts however. A 40-yard TD pass from Chris Zellous to Romon Copeland sliced the HU deficit to seven at 35-28 late in the third quarter, before tying it with 8:49 left to play on a 7-yard scoring run by Elijah Burris. Black Bears running back Tristen Kenan fumbled with 5:49 to go, that was recovered by the defense and would lead to the game winning score. Burris scored on another 7-yard run with 1:48 remaining for the first lead of the afternoon for the Pirates. Maine had one more opportunity, picking up one first down and driving near midfield but ultimately on a 4th down play from their own 48-yard line Robertson threw an incomplete pass and Hampton was able to run out the clock.
Robertson had another solid day in the loss, going 28-46 passing for 349 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Kenan had 16 rush attempts for 88 yards, but the one costly lost fumble. He also had five catches for 66 yards. Lamson had a career-high in receiving yards, finishing with eight receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. Michael Monios also added six catches for 46 yards. Xavier Holmes and Izaiah Henderson had six total tackles each. Holmes also had one tackle for a loss and one sack. Zellous only attempted 16 passes in the win for Hampton (7-16, 86 yards, 1 TD). Burris carried 14 times for 173 yards and four touchdowns. The Black Bears (2-8, 1-6 in conference play), and losers of three straight, get a week off before ending their season in a battle for the Brice Cowell Musket at UNH in Durham on Saturday, November 18 at 1 p.m.
Recap by Chris Lessner/Photos by Anthony DelMonaco
