Albany, N.Y. -- The Black Bears' offense registered their highest point total of the season and the defense forced three turnovers as the University of Maine (4-5, 2-3 CAA) defeated UAlbany, 47-31, at Casey Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win, Maine's second in a row, was the Black Bears fifth-straight on the road against the Great Danes and also their fifth in as many games against UAlbany.

Maine finished with 426 total yards, its fifth time, and third consecutive outing, surpassing the 400 yard mark this season. Joe Fagnano finished his third career start 12-of-18 for 257-yards with four touchdowns to four different receivers. It is the second time in his last three games in which the freshman has thrown for four or more scores.

Earnest Edwards surpassed both Phil McGeoghan and Drew O'Connor on Maine's all-time receiving yards list to move into third all-time with 2,370-yards. Edwards, who finished with six catches for a game-high 134-yards, caught one of Fagnano's four touchdown passes. Edwards has now recorded a touchdown in 14 of his last 15 outings and registered the seventh, 100 yard receiving performance of his career. Andre Miller, Ori Jean-Charles and Shawn Bowman each added touchdown receptions. Jean-Charles also added an interception return for a score, giving him touchdowns on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

On the ground, Joe Fitzpatrick rushed for a game-high 77-yards on 13 carries while Emmanuel Reed added 11 carries for 50-yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Black Bears held their second opponent of the year under 100-yards rushing while forcing three turnovers, all three of which led to touchdowns. The Black Hole finished with 4.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Katley Joseph led the Black Bears with a career-high nine tackles while Taji Lowe and Adrian Otero each added eight stops. Kayon Whitaker finished with six tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1Q | With Maine facing a third and 13 from its own 25 on the first drive of the game, Fagnano found Edwards for a 50-yard catch and run along the Maine sideline. The reception set Maine up at the UAlbany 25. Two plays later, Fagnano gained 15 on a keeper to the UAlbany where the drive would stall. Kenny Doak's 19-yard field goal gave the Black Bears an early 3-0 advantage.

1Q | UAlbany was forced to punt on each of its first two drives. The Black Bears would take over at their own 15 with 1:28 left in the first quarter. A first down false start penalty backed Maine up to the 10. Deep in its own territory, Fagnano would rifle a pass outside to Miller who made a move down the sideline before sprinting 90-yards for the score. The completion broke Maine's all-time school record for longest completion, a record set previously two weeks prior when Fagnano hit Miller for an 87-yard connection at Liberty. Doak's point after gave Maine a 10-0 lead late in the first.

1Q | The Great Danes had an immediate answer when Jeff Undercuffler hit Juwan Green for a 64-yard touchdown strike on the first play of the ensuing drive.

2Q | UAlbany, which entered ranked second in the CAA in turnover margin, forced a Maine fumble. The Great Danes recovered at their own 30. Undercuffler and the offense marched 70-yards on seven plays, ending with a 10-yard touchdown from Undercuffle to Thomas Greaney. The score put the hosts on top, 13-10.

2Q | Fagnano and the offense settled in, beginning from the Maine 35 after the UAlbany kickoff trickled out of bounds for a penalty. A 10-yard reception by Young and a 13-yard catch by Edwards moved Maine to the UAlbany 42. The Black Bears then went back to the ground where Reed bounced outside for a gain of 30 down to the UAlbany 17. Maine kept driving, moving down the two where Fagnano lofted a pass to Bowman in the back of the end zone for the tight end's first career touchdown.

2Q | With 4:54 left in the half, UAlbany took over on its own eight after a 40-yard punt from Derek Deoul. On first down, Undercuffler fumbled the snap. Whitaker pounced on the ball, giving it back to the Black Bears on the eight. A seven yard rush from Fagnano put the ball on the one where Reed rushed in for six. Following the point after, Maine found itself leading by 10, 24-14, with 4:14 left in the half.

2Q | UAlbany closed to within three late in the first half when Undercuffler completed a 10 play, 69-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Oedekoven.

3Q | The Great Danes took the first drive of the second half down to the Maine 14. However, the Black Hole defense forced two incompletions before flushing Undercuffler from the pocket for a five yard rush. Dylan Burns' 27-yard field goal knotted things at 24-all.

3Q | The Black Bears were forced to punt, sending UAlbany back to its own six. The Black Hole dialed up an impressive pass rush as Charles Mitchell and the gang pressured Undercuffler, who was forced to flip a pass out to midfield. The officials ruled the play intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety giving Maine a 26-24 lead. The safety began Maine's stretch of 23 unanswered points.

3Q | Due to the safety, UAlbany was once again forced to kickoff. Young returned the ball 15-yards to the Maine 33 before Fagnano and the offense marched out to the UAlbany 43. From there, Fagnano lofted a ball to the goal line where Edwards elevated and won the battle with the defender in the air for the touchdown.

3Q | On the ensuring UAlbany drive, Undercuffler was picked off by Ori Jean-Charles, who returned the interception 47-yards for a touchdown. The interception return for a score was Maine's first defensive score of the year and its first interception return for a touchdown since Sept. 9, 2017.

3Q | The Great Danes turned it over on their next drive when Whitaker pressured Undercuffler off the edge, coming around the quarterback's blindside for a strip sack which was recovered by Jamehl Wiley. Fagnano and the offense started the drive from the UAlbany 21 when a second down pass to Edwards brought Maine to the UAlbany 1-yard line. After a loss of one, Fagnano rolled out before hitting Jean-Charles in the end zone for a score. With Doak tacking on the point after, Maine found itself with a 47-24 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

4Q | The lone score in the final quarter came when Undercuffler hooked up with Greaney for the duo's second score of the contest. The Black Hole would later stop UAlbany on a fourth and one attempt as the offense came on to run the clock out, securing Maine's 47-31 victory.

The Black Bears continue CAA action on the road next weekend when they travel to take on Elon. Kickoff on Nov. 9 at Elon is set for 2 p.m.

-UMaine-