The University of Maine’s football team was heavy underdogs against fifth-ranked Villanova in Saturday’s Coastal Athletic Association game at Morse Field in Alfond Stadium.
Villanova was the preseason favorite to win the conference in the coaches poll and was 5-1 coming into the game, with its only loss coming at the hands of Football Bowl Subdivision team Maryland.
But this was UMaine’s Homecoming game and, in recent years, the Black Bears don’t lose on Homecoming.
That trend continued as the Black Bears stunned Villanova 35-7 for its eighth straight Homecoming win.
Graduate student quarterback Carter Peevy threw three touchdown passes and the Black Bears forced four turnovers and registered seven sacks as UMaine improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
The four victories equal the total number of wins over the previous two seasons combined.
A 55-yard touchdown pass from Peevy to Joe Gillette opened the scoring just 3:15 into the game and Mason Gilbert added a two-point conversion run on a trick play.
Latrell Couchman forced a Devin Smith fumble on the ensuing kickoff and UMaine kicker Joey Bryson recovered the fumble at the Villanova 24-yard line.
Peevy tossed an 18-yard TD pass to Moe Irefin two plays later to make it 15-0.
The special teams produced the third touchdown with just 57 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
John Costanza blocked Ethan Gettman’s 50-yard field goal attempt and Devin Vaught scooped up the loose ball and scampered 70 yards for the TD.
On Villanova’s next possession, Xavier Holmes sacked Wildcat quarterback Connor Watkins and forced a fumble, which he also recovered at the Villanova 9-yard line.
Three plays later, Brian Santana-Fis plunged into the end zone from the 1-yard line to expand the lead to 28-0 at the half.
The Black Bears all but sewed up the win with a 12-play, 81-yard drive that was capped by Peevy’s 5-yard pass to Montigo Moss.
Villanova back-up quarterback Tanner Maddocks scored a TD on a 7-yard run with 1:50 left in the game.
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens was elated with the victory.
“Number one, we got off to a fast start. We got some key turnovers and were able to build off that,” said Stevens, who added that it was important for his team to start well in the second half because a number of college football teams have been able to erase large deficits in the second half.
The long drive to open the second half was just what the Black Bears needed.
“We stayed on the gas. The drive to start the second half took eight minutes off the clock so, right then, you knew the possessions were going to be limited for them. And we were able to control the clock in the second half and put the game away,” Stevens said.
He said he was really proud of his team to play as well as they did against such a high-caliber program.
“They played a complete game. They did a really nice job of ball security. We had just the one turnover. These guys really did a tremendous job and are continuing to grow and get better,” Stevens said.
Peevy completed 16 of 18 passes for 173 yards and the three touchdowns.
“Going into it, we knew the challenge we had ahead of us,” Peevy said. “Coach Stevens said they were a really good football team but we knew we had chances to make plays based on what they were doing and what we had installed.”
“Maine did a lot right and we did a lot wrong,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. “I tip my hat to coach Stevens, his staff and his team. Sometimes when things go wrong, maybe [Maine] is causing them to go wrong. They earned what they were getting. With all the miscues early on, we gave them short fields but they made the plays.”
Moss led all receivers with five catches for 44 yards. Gillette had four for 81 yards. Santana-Fis had a game-high 56 rushing yards on 11 carries and Tavion Banks had 45 on 10 carries.
Linebacker Couchman had eight tackles and tackle Izaiah Henderson had seven, including two sacks. Christian Thomas and Holmes had six tackles each and Holmes had one and a half sacks.
Stevens said his team has made “big strides” since the start of the season.
Watkins, who threw four TD passes against UMaine in a win in Orono two years ago, completed just 14 of 31 passes for 117 yards and he was intercepted twice.
Lucas Kopecky had four catches for 43 yards and Jaylan Sanchez had three for 36 yards.
David Avit, who entered the game averaging 7.5 yards per carry, had just 39 yards on 10 carries.
Safety Ethan Potter’s game-high 10 tackles paced Villanova’s defense.
UMaine will travel to Rhode Island for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday while Villanova will entertain New Hampshire at 3:30.
