ORONO, Maine -- The No. 7 University of Maine football team got off to a hot start on opening night, scoring touchdowns on its first six possessions to help seal its sixth consecutive home victory with a 42-14 win over visiting Sacred Heart. Chris Ferguson tossed for a career-best 423 yards and three touchdowns as the offense racked up 582 total yards on Friday evening at Alfond Stadium.

Ferguson's career night was the most passing yards by a Black Bear quarterback since Chris Treister threw for 468 against Rhode Island in 2009. Ferguson was highly efficient, completing his first 11 passes, before ending the night 23-for-29 with three touchdowns.

Jaquan Blair was the favorite target for the junior quarterback, matching a career-high with seven receptions for a career-best 140 yards and a touchdown. Devin Young added four catches and a score with a career-high 104 yards as the Black Bears finished with two, 100+ yard receivers for the first time since Arel Gordon and Christian Pereira did so against New Hampshire in 2004.

Emmnauel Reed, in his first outing with the Black Bears, rushed for two scores and 62-yards while Elijah Brooks chipped in 11 carries for 57 yards. In all, Maine's rushing attacked surpassed the century mark with 151 yards on the ground.

The Black Hole, led by Jaron Grayer's eight stops, limited Sacred Heart to 207 total yards.

Maine tallied 21 points in the first and second quarters, racking up 42 points in the first half for the second straight home game after also totaling the amount in the first half of the NCAA Second Round playoff game against Jacksonville State in 2018.

A 45-yard strike from Ferguson to Earnest Edwards set Maine up in the red zone before Ferguson again found Edwards, this time for an eight yard score on Maine's first possession.

A three-and-out returned the ball back to Maine where Ferguson again went to work, finding Young for a 42-yard connection before Reed rushed in for his first touchdown as a Black Bear.

Another three-and-out, the third in as many possessions forced by the Black Hole to start the game, forced a Pioneer punt. Ferguson found Blair up the seem where the senior receiver juggled a tipped ball before sprinting 68-yards to the Sacred Heart four. Joe Fitzpatrick finished the drive with a four yard rushing touchdown to give Maine a 21-0 lead with 1:07 left in the first quarter.

Sacred Heart's Logan Marchi would rush in from 1-yard out to put the Pioneers on the scoreboard late in the first quarter.

The Black Bears finished the first quarter with 290 total yards of offense while holding Sacred Heart to just 60.

Maine wasted no time adding to the score in the second quarter as Ferguson completed a seven play, 82-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Young to regain a 21-point cushion.

The lead grew to 35-7 with 8:12 left in the half when Reed's rush straight up the middle for one yard gave the senior transfer his second score of the half.

The Black Bears kept their foot on the throttle. Another three-and-out forced by the Black Hole returned the ball to Ferguson and the offense with 6:08 left in the second quarter. Tight end target Shawn Bowman brought in a pair of 15-yard receptions to help set the Black Bears up at the Sacred Heart 14. With just 34-seconds left in the half, Ferguson rifled a pass across the middle to Blair for the touchdown as Maine entered the half with a 42-7 advantage.

At the half, the Black Bears held a 487-65 advantage in total yards including 404 passing yards and three touchdowns from Ferguson.

The only scoring in the second half came with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter as Eli Terry rushed in from a yard out to cut the Maine lead to 42-14.

Maine cruised the rest of the way, kneeling it out to move to 1-0 on the season with a 42-14 victory.

The Black Bears return to action on Saturday, Sept. 7 when they travel to take on Georgia Southern live on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.

-UMaine-