'Cats Retain Musket with 24-23 Win Over Maine

Thursday, August 31

Durham, N.H.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

1-0 , 1-0

Maine

0-1 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

MAINE

New Hampshire

Photo by: Gil Talbot

8/31/2017 4:40:00 PM | Football

Box Score Video Highlights Press Conference Video

Record Opening Night Crowd Watches UNH Prevail

DURHAM, N.H. – Junior quarterback Trevor Knight (Amherst, N.H.) threw a pair of touchdown passes and the defense came up with a couple of interceptions in the fourth quarter to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 24-23 win over Maine in front of a home opener record crowd of 15,854 in Wildcat Stadium on Thursday night.

The Wildcats won their eighth straight game against Maine and retained the Brice-Cowell Musket that goes to the winner of the series. UNH has won 15 of its last 16 games against the Black Bears.

UNH starts the season 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Maine is 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the league.

Knight connected with junior receiver Rory Donovan (Canton, Mass.) for an 11-yard TD with 13:41 left in the fourth quarter for the winning score. Morgan Ellman (Scotch Plains, N.J.) kicked the conversion to give UNH a 24-17 lead.

Knight completed 19 of his 30 passes for 158 yards and the two scores and had one interception. He also was UNH's leading rusher with 21 carries for 79 yards.

The Black Bears answered with a Chris Ferguson to Jason Simonovich 4-yard scoring pass with 9:07 left in the game. But Kenny Doak's conversion kick was wide to leave it at 24-23.

Sophomore safety Rick Ellison (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) intercepted a Ferguson pass with 6:27 left in the fourth quarter and sophomore linebacker Quinlen Dean (Greenbelt, Md.) intercepted another with 25 seconds left to seal it.

COMING UP

The Wildcats play at Georgia Southern, an FBS team, on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. and are at Holy Cross on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.
UNH returns home to play Rhode Island for Homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m. and plays Bryant at home on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m.
Season tickets, individual and group tickets for all UNH home games are available by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000.

1^st QUARTER

The Wildcats drove down the field on their first possession to a 12-yard Knight to Nick Lorden (Milford, N.H.) touchdown with 11:12 to play in the quarter.
Senior Max Pedinoff (Newtown, Pa.) kicked the extra point.
Maine answered with a Chris Ferguson to Jaleel Reed 4-yard TD pass to tie it 7-7 with 7:21 to go.
Junior Neil O'Connor (Leominster, Mass.) hit Malik Love (Alcoa, Tenn.) with a receiver option pass that covered 60 yards with 33 seconds left in the period to put the 'Cats up, 14-7.

2^ND QUARTER

Maine's Kenny Doak kicked a 35-yard field goal with 8:31 left in the second period to cut the lead to 14-7.
UNH pushed it back to 17-10 on Pedinoff's 26-yard field goal with 3:14 left in the half.

3^RD QUARTER

Ferguson completed a 33-yard pass to Reed with 5:11 left in the period to tie it 17-17.

4^TH QUARTER

Knight and Donovan put UNH back in front, 24-17, with a 11-yard TD pass play 1:19 into the fourth quarter.
The scoring drive took 14 plays and covered 75 yards and six minutes and 25 seconds.
Maine got the TD back on a Ferguson to Simonovich 4-yard scoring pass. The missed conversion kick left it 24-23.
Ellison and Dean helped clinch it with their interceptions.

'CAT NIPS

UNH sophomore Evan Gray (Centreville, Va.) had 18 carries for 74 yards.
Donovan had six catches for 45 yards.
Love caught five passes for 96 yards.
O'Connor had four catches for 42 yards. He also had 81 yards in kickoff returns.
UNH had 383 yards of total offense and Maine had 352.
Maine had 10 penalties for 90 yards and UNH had six for 62.
Sophomore cornerback Prince Smith, Jr., Dean and junior linebacker Jared Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H.) each had seven tackles.
Junior Rick Holt (Portsmouth, N.H.) had UNH's lone quarterback sack.
It was a key play on Maine's next to last play, setting up the Dean interception.

TEAM STATS
Rushing: MAINE 31-113. UNH 44-164.
Passing: MAINE 23-44-2. UNH 20-31-218-1 3 TDs.
Total Offense: MAINE 75-352. UNH 75-383.
1^st Downs: MAINE- 19. UNH 23.
Time of Possession: MAINE 27:42. UNH 32:18.
Penalties: MAINE 10-90. UNH 6-62.
Turnovers: MAINE 2. UNH 2.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: MAINE – Josh Mack 27-103. UNH – Knight 21-79.
Receiving: MAINE – Jared Osumah 6-72. UNH – Donovan 6-45 1 TD.
Passing: MAINE – Chris Ferguson 23-44-2-239, 3 TDs. UNH – Knight 19-30-1-158, 2 TDs.
Tackles: MAINE – Jaron Grayer 9-1-10. UNH – Smith, Jr. 7-0-7, Dean 5-2-7, Kuehl 4-3-7.