The undefeated University of Delaware broke open a close game with touchdowns 1:32 apart in the fourth quarter beat the University of Maine 44-21 in Newark, Delaware on Saturday afternoon.
Zach Marker’s four-yard touchdown pass to Jake Thaw with 6:48 left following a pass in interference call on UMaine extended Delaware’s lead to 30-21 and, just 1:32 later, linebacker Ty Davis returned an interception 34 yards to all but sew up the win.
Quincy Watson’s three-yard run in the final minute closed out the scoring.
Delaware, which can’t participate in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs because it is elevating to the Football Bowl Subdivision next season and has more than the 63 scholarships allowed in the FCS, improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Coastal Athletic Association. UMaine fell to 3-3 and 1-2.
It didn’t take the Blue Hens long to dent the scoreboard.
On their first possession, Marker threw a short pass to Phil Lutz at the Delaware 49-yard line and Lutz did the rest, racing into the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown just 1:52 into the game.
UMaine answered with an eight-play, 60-yard drive capped by Jaharee Martin’s one-yard run with 28 seconds left in the first period.
Peevy completed four of five passes for 53 yards including a 28-yarder to Irefin and two to Cooper Heisey including a five-yarder in a third-and-three situation at the Delaware nine-yard line.
Delaware regained the lead courtesy of a UMaine turnover.
Nick Karika forced a Brian Santana-Fis fumble and Nic Ware recovered it at the Maine-15 yard line.
Five plays later, Marker found Thaw from six yards out to make it 13-7.
Devin Vaught blocked Nate Reed’s extra-point kick.
The Black Bears answered late in the first half when Carter Peevy threw a 19-yard TD pass to Montigo Moss with 3:06 left. Joey Bryson’s extra point kick gave UMaine a 14-13 lead which it took into the intermission.
Reed’s 23-yard field goal with 6:37 left in the third period gave the Blue Hens the lead for good and Jo’Nathan Silver’s 40-yard TD scamper 5:11 later expanded the lead to 23-24.
The Black Bears fought back to within two on Tavion Banks’ one-yard TD run with 12:00 left in the game but that was as close as the Black Bears were to get.
