Box Score BOZEMAN, Mt. -- The University of Maine football team outscored #3 Montana State, 17-3 in the second half, but it was not enough to complete the comeback as the Black Bears fell on the road by a final of 41-24.
Carter Peevy finished the night 18-of-31 for 224 yards while finding
Montigo Moss and
Declan McKevitt for touchdowns. Moss completed the contest with five receptions for 47-yards while McKevitt added career-highs in receptions (3) and receiving yards (43).
Nick Laughlin contributed three catches for 34-yards.
Tavion Banks led Maine's rushing attack, averaging 9.3 yards per carry with eight rushes for 74-yards.
Trevin Ewing added a 19-yard rushing score.
Maine's 'Black Hole' defense was guided by
Kesean Dyson who turned in a game-high seven tackles with a sack and a forced fumble.
John Costanza registered six stops while four other Black Bears tallied five tackles.
Montana State jumped out to an early 14-0 edge on rushing scores of 79-yards and 40-yards from Scottre Humphrey and Adam Jones, respectively. The scores came on the Bobcats' first two possessions of the game.
After a blocked punt set the Bobcats up on Maine's 31, Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott would hit Ryan Lonergan two plays later for a 4-yard touchdown reception, extending the lead to 21-0 in the first.
Humphrey added his second rushing score of the half as he completed a six play, 62-yard drive with a six-yard score up the middle just four-seconds into the second quarter.
Jones added his second score of the half as he scampered in from 19-yards out, pushing the deficit to 35-0 midway through the second quarter.
Maine found the scoreboard as Peevy worked the ball through the air with a 31-yard completion down the sideline to Moss before hitting
Mason Gilbert up the middle for a gain of 25 to the Montana State 17. Seven plays later, Peevy floated a pass to the front corner of the end zone where Moss elevated over his defender and came down with the touchdown reception with 3:15 left in the half.
Montana State tacked on a 24-yard field goal from Myles Sansted to carry a 38-7 edge into the half.
Maine's defense opened the second half with a bang as Dyson's strip sack ended with an
Izaiah Henderson fumble recovery, setting Maine up at the Montana State 38-yard line. Three plays later, a nine-yard strike from Peevy to Laughlin advanced Maine to the Bobcat 23. After a four-yard rush moved the ball to the 19, Ewing would take the end-around to the house for the touchdown.
The Bobcats added another field goal from Sansted, this one from 31-yards, to push the score to 41-14 with 3:12 left in the third.
Maine continued to battle as the Black Bears' offense pieced together an eight play, 75-yard drive ending with Peevy's second touchdown of the evening. A defensive pass interference call started the drive before Banks slashed his way through the defense for a gain of 21. Peevy's 21-yard completion to Laughlin set Maine up at the MSU 17-yard line. A penalty moved Maine back to the MSU 22 as the game moved into the fourth quarter. Facing a 2nd and 25, McKevitt snuck out of the backfield and hooked down the sideline where Peevy found him on a completion to the three. McKevitt secured the catch and ran through his defender into the end zone for the score, cutting the deficit to 41-21 with 13:36 remaining in regulation.
The Black Bears return to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 when they host Monmouth at 3:30 p.m. in the CAA opener for each team.
-UMaine-
