Football Falls in Home Opener to No. 5 Delaware, 34-24

Thursday, September 2

Orono, ME

7:00 PM

University of Maine

0-1 , 0-1

#5 University of Delaware

1-0 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Delaware	7	10	10	7	34
Maine	0	24	0	0	24

Football Falls in Home Opener to No. 5 Delaware, 34-24

9/2/2021 11:21:00 PM | Football

Box Score

ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine football team scored 24 unanswered second-quarter points on Thursday night, but fifth-ranked Delaware responded by shutting out the Black Bears in the second half to post a season-opening 34-24 Colonial Athletic Association football victory on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium.

Coach Nick Charlton's Black Bears appeared poised to regain the lead during the closing seconds of the third quarter, but a fumble out of the end zone from the 2-yard line kept UMaine off the scoreboard and helped turn the momentum.

The Blue Hens tallied 17 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Black Bears for the second time this year. Delaware won 37-0 in a spring season meeting at Newark, Delaware.

Junior quarterback Joe Fagnano sparked the offense for UMaine, completing 24 of 41 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.

Michael Monios led the receiving corps with four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown, Andre Miller made four grabs for 49 yards and Zavier Scott had three receptions for 73 yards and a score.

Elijah Barnwell's 37 yards on 10 carries led the UMaine run game, which mustered only 48 yards. The Black Bears committed three turnovers, while the Blue Hens had none.

Ray Miller spearheaded the UMaine defense with a game-high 12 tackles, including 2 1/2 for a loss. Fofie Bazzie made eight stops, while Xavier Nurse and Jamehl Wiley posted seven each.

Delaware outgained UMaine 399-328 in total yardage behind the passing of quarterback Nolan Henderson, who went 14-for-29 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Gene Coleman II (5 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD) and Thyrick Pitts (5 rec., 116 yds, 1 TD) headed the receivers and Dejoun Lee sparked the ground attack with 16 carries for 59 yards).

Cory Reeder (interception) and Andrew Pawlowski paced the Delaware defense with seven tackles each.

The Blue Hens grabbed a 7-0 lead at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter when Henderson was flushed out of the pocket and ran untouched up the middle for a 21-yard touchdown. Ryan Coe added the PAT kick after a five-play, 46-yard drive.

Delaware added to its advantage early in the second quarter, having switched directions with the wind at its back. Coe booted a 33-yard field goal 84 seconds into the period to make it 10-0.

The visitors then converted a turnover into a quick score. On a third-and-11 play from the UMaine 30-yard line, Fagnano overthrew his target and safety Nic Ware intercepted the pass at the Delaware 45.

On the Blue Hens' next snap, Henderson stepped up in good protection and delivered a well-thrown ball to Coleman II, who sprinted the final 20 yards for a score. Coe's PAT made it 17-0 at 11:23 of the second period.

UMaine responded with its first sustained possession of the contest. Fagnano faked a pass to the left, then hit Michael Monios on a post pattern for a 28-yard touchdown hookup.

Jonny Messina's extra-point kick put the exclamation point on a six-play drive that covered 75 yards and trimmed the deficit to 17-7 with 8:29 to play in the first half.

The Black Bears used a defensive stand to set up another big scoring play late in the second quarter. On first down after a Delaware punt to the UMaine 41, Scott got himself wide open on a wheel route down the left side and Fagnano found him for a 59-yard touchdown play that energized the crowd.

Messina's PAT got UMaine back within 17-14 with 3:12 left.

The Black Bears made another defensive stand to set up a special teams score barely a minute later when Monios burst in and blocked a Tyler Pastula punt, which was recovered at the 4 and run into the end zone by Montigo Moss.

Messina converted another kick and UMaine had turned a 17-0 deficit into a 21-17 advantage with 2:07 remaining in the half.

It was the Black Bears' third touchdown in a span of 6 minutes, 22 seconds.

But UMaine wasn't done. The defense forced Delaware to punt for a fourth consecutive series and got the ball back one more time at its own 41.

The Black Bears moved 44 yards in eight plays to set up a 32-yard field goal by Messina with one tick left on the clock that staked them to a 24-17 lead.

Delaware tied things up on its first possession of the second half. After a pass interference penalty against the Black Bears, Henderson found Pitts over the middle. He pulled away from a would-be tackler and sped away from the defense to complete a 66-yard touchdown play.

Coe provided the PAT and the game was tied 24-all just 3 1/2 minutes into the second half.

The UMaine defense made a stand after a first-and-goal situation, but the Blue Hens regained a 27-24 lead on Coe's 20-yard field goal with 4:41 to play in the third quarter.

The Black Bears put together a sustained march to end the third quarter, moving inside the 5-yard line on a pass from Fagnano to Devin Young (6 catches, 24 yards). But young fumbled trying to stretch for the end zone and the ball went out of the end zone for a touchback on the final play of the quarter.

The Blue Hens made it hurt, putting together an eight-play drive that covered 77 yards. Khory Spruill finished it off with a 2-yard TD run and Coe made the PAT, putting the visitors on top 34-24 with 8:01 left.

Delaware dimmed UMaine's hopes only four plays later when a Fagnano pass went off the intended receiver's hands and was intercepted by linebacker Cory Reeder and returned to the Black Bears' 49.

UMaine returns to action on Sept. 11 with a 4 p.m. CAA game at James Madison.

-UMaine-