No. 1 Football Wins Program-Record 10th Straight, CAA Title Outright and Brice-Cowell Musket by Defeating Maine, 20-12

Saturday, November 22

Orono, ME

3:30 pm

University of New Hampshire

10-1

University of Maine

5-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

Maine

No. 1 Football Wins Program-Record 10th Straight, CAA Title Outright and Brice-Cowell Musket by Defeating Maine, 20-12

11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

ORONO, Maine - The No. 1 University of New Hampshire football team won the CAA conference title outright, retained the Brice-Cowell Musket and extended its win streak to a program-record10 games by defeating the University of Maine, 20-12, Saturday at Alfond Stadium.

UNH, which has won five straight and 12 of 13 in the series against Maine, improved to 10-1 overall and 8-0 in the CAA. The Wildcats became just the second team to complete the conference season undefeated since the CAA took the league banner in 2007. New Hampshire now awaits the NCAA FCS Championship tournament bracket announcement Sunday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. The bracket will be televised on ESPNU.

As a season ticket holder, you may purchase your same seats beginning Saturday night for all potential playoff games at home before tickets go on sale to the general public Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 12 p.m. Playoff ticket packages include all three potential games. You will be automatically refunded for any game that is not be played.

To purchase individual tickets to game 1, or additional tickets, call the Box Office at 603-862-4000 extension 5. The Box Office will be open Monday from 10am to 5p.m.

Ticket prices are $30 for chairback seats, $25 for bench seats, $20 for general admission adult tickets, and $10 for children 5-17 and senior citizens.

Maine's season ends at 5-6, 4-4.

Casey DeAndrade (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Cody Muller (Telford, Pa.) led UNH's stifling defense, which allowed season lows in first downs (12), passing yards (92) and total yards (179) in addition to recording five sacks and three turnovers. DeAndrade recovered two fumbles, whereas Muller tallied a team-high nine tackles, including two sacks. Brian Ciccone (Manchester, Mass.) also had two sacks while Robbie Zauck (Ocean City, N.J.) had four tackles, including a sack, and a forced fumble.

Maine's defense held the Wildcats' explosive offense, which was averaging 38.7 points per game, to season lows in passing yards (169) and total yards (287). The Black Bears also recorded three sacks six turnovers with three fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

UNH quarterback Sean Goldrich (West Haven, Conn.) completed 14 of 31 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, as well as a career-high three interceptions. He also had 12 carries for 26 yards and a TD. Jimmy Owens (West Deptford, N.J.) was UNH's leading rusher with 12 carries for 46 yards. R.J. Harris (Odenton, Md.) was the top receiver with five catches for 62 yards.

Maine's Drew Belcher finished 11 of 25 for 92 yards and one interception, and he had a game-high 20 rushes for 14 yards and a TD. Jerickson Fedrick was the team's top ground gainer with 42 yards on six carries. Jordan Dunn finished with four catches for 29 yards.

In the first quarter, the Black Bears capitalized on their first interception to take a 3-0 lead at 6:07. Maine drove from its 41 yard line to 1^st-and-goal at the UNH 6, but Ciccone recorded a sack on consecutive plays to force a 37-yard field goal by Sean Decloux.

After being held to 11 yards on eight plays in the first quarter, the Wildcats went 47 yards on the opening seven plays of the second quarter to take a 6-3 lead at 11:40; overall, the scoring drive was nine plays for 54 yards.

The second quarter opened with the 'Cats facing 3^rd-and-3 at the Maine 47, and Goldrich scrambled to his right before finding Nico Steriti (Toms River, N.J.) on the sideline for a 12-yard completion. Five plays later, the 'Cats faced 3^rd-and-14 but Goldrich pulled the ball down and ran for a 22-yard gain to set up 1^st-and-goal at the 5. On the next snap, Steriti cut to the left and powered his way into the end zone to give UNH a 6-3 lead at 11:40. Vailas' ensuing PAT pass attempt to Ciccone at the right sideline was incomplete.

UNH's defense, which kept the 'Cats close in the opening 15 minutes by limiting Maine to 51 yards and three points despite a pair of New Hampshire turnovers, immediately got the ball back. Zauck stripped Damarr Aultman at the Maine 42 and DeAndrade returned the fumble 14 yards to give the Wildcats 1^st-and-10 at the 28 with 11:17 remaining in the second quarter.

Goldrich connected with Spears for a 25-yard gain to set up 1^st-and-goal at the UM 3. After a false start moved the ball back to the 8, a seven-yard pass from Goldrich to Spears set up 4^th-and-1, and the Black Bears stopped Steriti for no gain to keep the score 6-3 at 8:43.

New Hampshire forced a 3-and-out and DeAndrade downed Jeff Ondish's punt at the Maine 41. On the next play, Goldrich lofted a pass over the defense and Jimmy Giansante (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) made a leaping catch in the end zone for a 41-yard score. On the PAT from the left hashmark, Goldrich lined a pass to Harris on an out pattern to the right sideline to increase the lead to 14-3 at 6:57.

A staunch Wildcats' defense once again did not yield a first down, but then Vailas fumbled to give the ball back to the Black Bears at the UNH 47 with 3:56 on the clock. Maine was called for holding on first down, Matt Kaplan (Franklin, N.H.) made a tackle for a loss of one and another on a one-yard gain, and then Cam Shorey (Calais, Maine) jarred the ball out of a scrambling Belcher's hands and DeAndrade once again recovered the loose ball.

On first down from the Maine 45, a personal foul against the defense set up UNH 1^st-and-10 at the 28. A Jimmy Owens (West Deptford, N.J.) three-yard run converted a 4^th-and-1 and, on the next play, defensive pass interference in the end zone gave the Wildcats 1^st-and-goal at the Maine 2. Goldrich's next pass was batted high in the air at the line of scrimmage by Randy Samuels, however, and teammate Cabrinni Gonclaves came down with the ball to squelch UNH's scoring opportunity and send the teams into halftime with the 'Cats leading 14-3.

The third quarter began with an 85-yard kickoff return by Dalton Crossan (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) to give New Hampshire 1^st-and-goal at the UM 10, but Maine made its third goal-line stand of the game and the 23-yard field goal attempt by Christian Breda (Needham, Mass.) sailed wide right at 13:24.

Goldrich's third interception of the game, this time on another ball deflected high at the line of scrimmage and caught by Austin Brown, gave Maine possession at the UNH 26. Belcher's 6-yard completion to Jordan Dunn converted a 3^rd-and-5 – the Black Bears had not recorded a first down since their second possession of the game. They could not get a second consecutive first down, and Decloux made a 28-yards field goal to trim the deficit to 14-6 at 7:24 of the third quarter.

New Hampshire responded with a 15-play, 79-yards drive that consumed 5:15 off the clock and extended the advantage to 20-6 with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter. UNH converted three third downs on the drive, including pass plays of Goldrich-to-Harris for 18 and 29 yards, to set up 1^st-and-goal at the 4. Owens was stopped short of the goal line on third down, but Goldrich then outraced the defense to the left pylon for the TD.

Maine's Randy Samuels sacked Goldrich and forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Darius Green at the UNH 44 at 9:46 of the fourth quarter. Fedrick extended the Black Bears' drive with a four-yard run on 4^th-and-1, and on the next play Belcher scored on a one-yard keeper up the middle to lift the home team within 20-12 at 6:25. Decloux missed the PAT wide left to keep the margin at eight.

UM forced a three-and-out, but the Black Bears were flagged for a running-into-the-kicker personal foul to keep possession with New Hampshire, 1^st-and-10 with 5:00 on the clock at the Maine 48. UNH gained just three yards on the next three plays and once again was forced to punt.

Brad Prasky (Groton, Mass.), whose first two punts were 51 yards each, landed the ball inside the UM 5 and it rolled out of bounds at the 1 with 2:40 to play.

Belcher completed three passes to Dunn to advance the ball to the 25, and then Pelcher ran for four yards on 4^th-and-1 to keep the comeback hopes alive. Two plays later, Nick Cefalo (Basking Ridge, N.J.) intercepted the ball and slid down at the UM 26 with 1:00 on the clock to secure the victory.