Durham, N.H. -- The University of Maine football team captured the coveted Brice-Cowell musket after rattling off 26 unanswered points to earn a 33-20 victory at New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon.

The win, Maine's first at New Hampshire since 2001, propelled Maine to a final overall record of 6-5 as the Black Bears concluded their season by winning five of their final six games.

Maine's defense forced a season-high four turnovers while holding New Hampshire to just 16 rush yards, and 95 total yards, in the second half. The Black Bears registered four interceptions in the contest, two from freshman Kahzir Brown, equaling its highest single-game interception total since also notching four in a 2018 quarterfinal meeting at Weber State. Ray Miller paced Maine with 11 tackles, marking his fourth consecutive game with double-figure tackle totals.

The Black Bears rushed for 164-yards behind Elijah Barnwell's career-high 111 yards on the ground while Freddie Brock added 76-yards on 12 carries with a touchdown. The score marking Brock's sixth-straight game in which he found the end zone.

Joe Fagnano finished the win 21-of-34 for 249 yards and two touchdowns, finding Shawn Bowman and Andre Miller for scores. Miller concluded his collegiate career with an impressive showing as he recorded eight catches for 136 yards and a score.

Jonny Messina matched a career-high with four field goals, his longest being a 37-yard hit.

The Wildcats struck first, completing a 98-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Herion to Nick Lorden with 7:30 left in the first quarter.

The Wildcats threatened again in the first with a 30-yard field goal attempt. However, Adrian Otero was able to bust through the line, extending out to block the try.

New Hampshire extended its lead to 13-0 just 1:14 into the second quarter. Herion completed his second touchdown pass of the half, this one finding Carlos Washington Jr. for a 4-yard score. The Wildcats point after try would be no good.

The Black Bears found the scoring column with 11:59 left in the first half. Facing a third and 19, Fagnano found Miller for a 22-yard strike and a Maine first down to the New Hampshire 29. On the next play, Brock exploded up the middle, dashing in for the touchdown; his sixth in as many games. Messina tacked on the extra point, cutting the UNH lead to 13-7.

New Hampshire had the answer, taking the ensuing drive 75-yards and ending with Herion's third touchdown of the half on a 10-yard pass to Brian Espanet.

The Black Bears reeled off 26 unanswered points, taking their first lead of the game early in the third quarter.

Maine would take advantage of a New Hampshire penalty when the Wildcats' kickoff trickled out of bounds. Beginning the drive on the Maine 40, Fagnano found Young for a 20-yard gain before Brock slashed his way through a crowd to the UNH 15. The drive would stall, but Maine would still cash in on a Johnny Messina 34-yard field goal.

After the Black Hole forced a three-and-out, Maine would take over on its own 46. Fagnano and the offense moved down the field quickly as the quarterback hit Montigo Moss for a 14-yard strike to the UNH 16 before finding Shawn Bowman find open in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The score cut the deficit to three, 20-17, with 4:07 on the clock.

Messina would hit his second field goal of the half, this one coming from 37-yards out as time expired, sending the game into the half tied at 20-all.

The Black Hole came up with the first turnover of the game when Brown laid out on the UNH sideline to make his second interception of the season. The turnover gave Maine the ball in UNH territory as the Black Bears immediately turned the takeaway into points. Fagnano found Andre Miller down the seam for a 30-yard touchdown, the 14th of Miller's career.

Maine came up with another takeaway on the ensuing drive as it was Brown again with the interception, this one coming at the Maine 35. Maine would come away with three points off the turnover as Messina knocked through his third field goal of the game, this one from 34-yards, to extend Maine's lead to 30-20 late in the third quarter.

Another interception, the fourth of the day from Maine, coming from Shakur Smalls led to Messina' fourth field goal of the afternoon. Messina, who matched his career-high with the fourth make, hit from 34-yards out, extending the lead to 33-20 with 6:05 on the clock in the fourth.

The Black Bears would stop New Hampshire on fourth down late in the fourth, turning them over on downs and moving into victory formation to capture their first victory at New Hampshire since 2001, 33-20.

-UMaine-