ORONO – The University of New Hampshire football team needed to beat the University of Maine to sew up a Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth. The Wildcats’ performance Saturday certainly proved they are worthy of a spot.
The Wildcats spotted the Black Bears a 9-0 first-quarter lead but rattled off 20 unanswered points and went on to post a 27-9 victory which also earned them the Brice-Cowell Musket, which is awarded annually to the winner of the game.
UNH is now 8-4 overall and wound up 6-2 in the Coastal Athletic Association. It was UNH’s fourth straight win and third in a row over UMaine.
UMaine concluded a 5-7 season with a 3-5 conference record.
The Wildcats took the lead for good with touchdowns 27 seconds apart spanning the second and third quarters to make it 14-9.
Two second-half field goals by Nick Mazzie expanded the lead and UMaine’s attempt to get back into the game in the fourth quarter failed when wide receiver Montigo Moss’ potential touchdown pass to running back Tavion Banks bounced off Banks’ shoulder pads and then Joey Bryson clanged a 29-yard field goal attempt off the left upright.
UNH quarterback Seth Morgan added an insurance TD late on a seven-yard run after UMaine turned the ball over on downs deep in its own territory.
The Wildcats began their comeback with a 13-play 81-yard drive to close out the half.
Denzell Gibson plunged into the end zone from the one-yard line on fourth-and-goal with 11 seconds left.
UNH received the second-half kickoff and, on its first play from scrimmage, Caleb Mead burst up the middle and raced 57 yard for a TD.
The Black Bears took a 9-0 lead on Bryson’s 39-yard field goal and Moss’ 8-yard TD reception from Carter Peevy.
The Black Bears had to settle for Bryson’s field goal on their second possession after moving the ball to the UNH-15 yard line.
Peevy’s 17-yard run and his 12-yard pass to Moss set them up at the 15 but UNH defensive end Flex Ruiz sacked Peevy for a 15-yard loss.
An 11-yard pass from Peevy to Joe Gillette gave Bryson a more manageable field goal attempt.
On UNH’s next possession, Morgan was under intense pressure and made an ill-advised pass that was intercepted by free safety Devin Vaught at the UNH-16 yard line.
Banks extended the short drive by picking up a first down on fourth-and-one at the UNH-7 and Moss made a highlight reel one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone to make it 9-0 with 40 seconds left in the first period.
The Black Bears went for the two-point conversion but an Anthony Harris pass fell incomplete.
The Black Bears blocked a field goal attempt and had the ball at midfield.
But they couldn’t move the ball and the Wildcats strung together a scoring drive to close out the half.
