For the third time in four seasons, the University of Maine’s football team is off to an 0-4 start.
Football Bowl Subdivision team Georgia Southern outscored the Football Championship Subdivision Black Bears 28-3 in the second half to pull away for a 45-17 victory at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. on Saturday night.
Georgia Southern improved to 2-2.
UMaine is now 4-29 all-time against schools in the FBS. FBS teams have more scholarships and resources than FCS schools.
UMaine quarterback Carter Peevy staked the Black Bears to a 7-0 lead with a 27-yard touchdown run on the first series of the game.
Safety Devin Vaught’s 76-yard interception return with 1:07 left in the first half pulled UMaine to 17-14 after Georgia Southern had scored 17 unanswered points on three-yard TD runs by O.J. Arnold and Dalen Cobb and Tripp Bryant’s 22-yard field goal.
Georgia Southern expanded the lead to 24-14 early in the second half when wide receiver Cobb tossed a 44-yard pass to Camden Brown to set up Weston Bryan’s one-yard touchdown run.
UMaine answered with a 33-yard field goal by Sean Tremblay but J.C. French IV threw a 25-yard TD pass to Cobb after setting it up with a 33-yard pass to Brown to give the hosts their biggest lead of the game at 31-17.
Running back Arnold threw a 12-yard TD pass to Brown after UMaine’s Scott Woods fumbled a punt and the Eagles recovered.
Jamarian Samuel capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run.
Georgia Southern had a 516-243 edge in total yards and went 9-for-15 on third down compared to UMaine’s 1-for-12.
French IV completed 19 of 31 passes for 253 yards and rushed for 42 yards on six carries. Arnold rushed for 85 yards on 13 carries and Brown caught six passes for 118 yards.
Peevy completed 12 of 21 passes for 83 yards before being replaced by Caden Drezek in the fourth quarter. Drezek completed six of 12 passes for 51 yards.
Sincere Baines rushed for 41 yards on seven carries and Nick Laughlin ran for 33 yards on six carries. Rashawn Marshall caught four passes for 25 yards and Baines had three catches for 11 yards.
UMaine linebacker Christian Thomas had a game-high 10 tackles.
UMaine will return to Coastal Athletic Association play when it hosts North Carolina A & T on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Morse Field in Alfond Stadium.
Georgia Southern will visit former CAA team James Madison (Va.) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. for a mutual Sun Belt Conference opener.
