University of New Hampshire Athletics
Evan Gray, Dylan Laube and the 'Cats hope to get the Brice-Cowell Musket back on Saturday.
11/17/2019 5:46:00 PM | Football, UNH Insider
Maine Comes to Wildcat Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.
DURHAM, N.H. – Just off the bus from a long ride back from Albany, University of New Hampshire football team senior captain and running back Evan Gray summed up the week ahead and his final game as a Wildcat: "Last thing I can do here is bring the musket back here."
That's the Brice-Cowell Musket, the coveted prize that goes to the winner of the New Hampshire vs. Maine football game each year and has resided in the Black Bear locker room since August of 2018.
UNH and Maine square off Saturday, Nov. 23 in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m. in the final regular season game for both teams.
The Wildcats want the musket back.
Individual and group tickets, with options featuring all-you-can-eat barbecue seating in the Touchdown Tents adjacent to the south end zone of Wildcat Stadium, are available for the game by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group tickets start at $9. The Border Battle series against Maine in all sports this season is presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.
UNH's hopes of qualifying for the NCAA's Division I FCS tournament took a heavy hit with Saturday's 24-17 loss at the University at Albany.
Still, there is much on the line in the Maine game, which is back where it belongs at the end of the season after two years of being the first game of the year between the teams.
Among the many motivators: The musket, the chance to finishing with a record above .500, the opportunity to celebrate Senior Day in the proper winning fashion and the potential to grab a share of second place in the CAA.
And oh yes, there's the chance to mess up Maine's postseason ambitions, too.
UNH takes a 5-5 overall record and 4-3 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association into Saturday's game.
The Black Bears have won four straight games and are 6-5 overall and also 4-3 in the league. With a win, they're confident they will land an at-large spot in the 24-team FCS tournament.
The Wildcats need to shake off another close-but-not-quite-there loss as they prepare for Maine. They had their chances on Saturday, but came up short against the Great Danes.
"A lot of self-inflicted wounds," Gray said. "Played physical. Played with effort. But couldn't put it together. Our focus now is to finish the season out strong. It's disappointing, but we just have to move on."
Junior Jason Hughes nailed a 34-yard field goal with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17.
But Albany answered with a touchdown drive and a 32-yard scoring pass from redshirt freshman Jeff Undercuffler to Tyler Oedekoven for the 24-17 lead.
The Wildcats marched back the other way, but an interception of a Max Brosmer pass at the goal line ended their best threat.
The Undercuffler touchdown pass was his 32nd of the year, which leads all of FCS.
This week, the UNH defense will prepare to face an even younger – and just as productive - quarterback.
Maine starting quarterback Chris Ferguson, a junior, left the team's 24-17 loss at home against Richmond on Oct. 12 with a foot injury, which turned out to be season-ending.
The Black Bears dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the CAA with the defeat.
Enter true freshman Joe Fagnano, 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds.
Fagnano reported to Orono on a partial scholarship this summer and by the end of fall camp had earned a full ride and the backup job.
He completed 25 of his 37 passes for 445 yards and five touchdowns in his first start against Liberty, an FBS school. Maine lost that game, 59-44.
The Black Bears have not lost since.
Fagnano has completed 103 of his 153 passes (67.3 percent) for 1,652 yards with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
He and the Black Bears have done it in dramatic fashion, too.
After trailing 27-13 early in the fourth quarter Saturday against URI, Maine rallied for a couple of TDs to tie the score.
URI got a field goal with 1:49 left to go ahead 30-27.
Fagnano took over on his own 19-yard line and took the team down the field with first-down passes to four different players, capping it with an 11-yard scoring pass to Earnest Edwards for the win.
Fagnano and the Black Bears will be in Wildcat Stadium looking for a fifth straight win, a second straight trip to the FCS playoffs and hoping to take the musket back home with them.
The Wildcats have other plans.
NEXT UP
HOME AGAIN
QUOTABLE
"The defense played a good game. On offense, we were playing well. Self-inflicted wounds. We had two 15-yard penalties in the red zone on one play. Stuff like that is what killed us. Just not executing when we needed to."
Senior captain Evan Gray
UNH BY THE NUMBERS
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
That's the Brice-Cowell Musket, the coveted prize that goes to the winner of the New Hampshire vs. Maine football game each year and has resided in the Black Bear locker room since August of 2018.
UNH and Maine square off Saturday, Nov. 23 in Wildcat Stadium at 1 p.m. in the final regular season game for both teams.
The Wildcats want the musket back.
Individual and group tickets, with options featuring all-you-can-eat barbecue seating in the Touchdown Tents adjacent to the south end zone of Wildcat Stadium, are available for the game by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Group tickets start at $9. The Border Battle series against Maine in all sports this season is presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.
UNH's hopes of qualifying for the NCAA's Division I FCS tournament took a heavy hit with Saturday's 24-17 loss at the University at Albany.
Still, there is much on the line in the Maine game, which is back where it belongs at the end of the season after two years of being the first game of the year between the teams.
Among the many motivators: The musket, the chance to finishing with a record above .500, the opportunity to celebrate Senior Day in the proper winning fashion and the potential to grab a share of second place in the CAA.
And oh yes, there's the chance to mess up Maine's postseason ambitions, too.
UNH takes a 5-5 overall record and 4-3 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association into Saturday's game.
The Black Bears have won four straight games and are 6-5 overall and also 4-3 in the league. With a win, they're confident they will land an at-large spot in the 24-team FCS tournament.
The Wildcats need to shake off another close-but-not-quite-there loss as they prepare for Maine. They had their chances on Saturday, but came up short against the Great Danes.
"A lot of self-inflicted wounds," Gray said. "Played physical. Played with effort. But couldn't put it together. Our focus now is to finish the season out strong. It's disappointing, but we just have to move on."
Junior Jason Hughes nailed a 34-yard field goal with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17.
But Albany answered with a touchdown drive and a 32-yard scoring pass from redshirt freshman Jeff Undercuffler to Tyler Oedekoven for the 24-17 lead.
The Wildcats marched back the other way, but an interception of a Max Brosmer pass at the goal line ended their best threat.
The Undercuffler touchdown pass was his 32nd of the year, which leads all of FCS.
This week, the UNH defense will prepare to face an even younger – and just as productive - quarterback.
Maine starting quarterback Chris Ferguson, a junior, left the team's 24-17 loss at home against Richmond on Oct. 12 with a foot injury, which turned out to be season-ending.
The Black Bears dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the CAA with the defeat.
Enter true freshman Joe Fagnano, 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds.
Fagnano reported to Orono on a partial scholarship this summer and by the end of fall camp had earned a full ride and the backup job.
He completed 25 of his 37 passes for 445 yards and five touchdowns in his first start against Liberty, an FBS school. Maine lost that game, 59-44.
The Black Bears have not lost since.
Fagnano has completed 103 of his 153 passes (67.3 percent) for 1,652 yards with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
He and the Black Bears have done it in dramatic fashion, too.
After trailing 27-13 early in the fourth quarter Saturday against URI, Maine rallied for a couple of TDs to tie the score.
URI got a field goal with 1:49 left to go ahead 30-27.
Fagnano took over on his own 19-yard line and took the team down the field with first-down passes to four different players, capping it with an 11-yard scoring pass to Earnest Edwards for the win.
Fagnano and the Black Bears will be in Wildcat Stadium looking for a fifth straight win, a second straight trip to the FCS playoffs and hoping to take the musket back home with them.
The Wildcats have other plans.
NEXT UP
- Maine rallied late to beat Rhode Island, 34-30, Saturday at home.
- The win kept Maine in the running for a berth in the FCS tournament.
- Maine averages 31 points a game and has scored at least 31 points in each of Joe Fagnano's five starts.
- Edwards has 45 catches for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns.
- The Black Bears are allowing 29.5 points a game, which is 11th in the league.
- Maine is 11th in the league in turnover margin at minus-seven.
- The Black Bears beat UNH, 35-7, in the 2018 season opener in Orono.
- The Brice-Cowell Musket had stayed in Durham for seven years straight prior to that.
- The Wildcats won the last time the teams played in Durham, 24-23, on Aug. 31, 2017.
HOME AGAIN
- UNH plays its final regular season home game Saturday against Maine at 1 p.m.
- The Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket also marks Senior Day for the Wildcats.
- Individual and group tickets, with options including all you-can-eat-barbecue seating in the Touchdown Tents, are available for the Maine game at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling 603-862-4000.
- Group tickets start at $9.
- All UNH Border Battles against Maine this year are presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.
- Buffalo Wild Wings steps up to make sure Wildcat fans have the ultimate place to watch the games, eat wings, and get rewarded at select New Hampshire restaurants when the Wildcats win.
- Visit UNHWildcats.com/borderbattle for details and participating locations.
- Service Credit Union is conducting a Be The Roar scarf giveaway for the first 1,000 fans.
QUOTABLE
"The defense played a good game. On offense, we were playing well. Self-inflicted wounds. We had two 15-yard penalties in the red zone on one play. Stuff like that is what killed us. Just not executing when we needed to."
Senior captain Evan Gray
UNH BY THE NUMBERS
- James Madison has clinched the CAA title with a 7-0 record in league play.
- Albany is in second place at 5-2.
- New Hampshire, Maine, Towson, Richmond and Villanova are all 4-3.
- Villanova is 8-3 overall.
- Albany and Towson are each 7-4.
- Richmond is 5-6.
- Albany had 288 yards of offense Saturday.
- The Great Danes entered the game averaging 400 yards and 32 points per game.
- Junior safety Evan Horn had a pair of fumble recoveries against Albany.
- UNH had 248 yards of offense, including 106 yards rushing.
- Sophomore defensive tackle Niko Kvietkus had 1.5 quarterback sacks.
- He leads the team with 5.5 sacks.
- Prince Smith Jr. led the team with eight tackles.
- Senior linebacker Cam Brusko and junior defensive tackle Elijah Lewis each had a sack.
- Evan Gray on a 1-yard run and Brosmer on a 14-yard run had the UNH touchdowns.
- It was the third rushing TD of the year for each of them.
- Gray has 94 carries for 592 yards.
- Sophomore Carlos Washington Jr. has 132 carries for 591 yards.
- Brosmer completed 19 of his 32 passes for 142 yards and had two interceptions against Albany.
- He had a career-high 47 yards rushing.
- Hughes has made his last seven field goal attempts.
- He is 14 for 17 for the season.
- His 1.4 field goals per game is second-best in the league.
- His field goal percentage of 82.4 is also ranked second.
- Redshirt freshman Dylan Laube had a career-high nine catches for 70 yards.
- He's third in the league in all-purpose yards at 132.6 per game.
- The 14 field goals by Hughes are the most for a Wildcat since Mike MacArthur was 15-for-20 in 2013.
- UNH's record for a season is 18 by Tom Manning in 2009.
- Ricky Santos was named UNH's interim head coach when Sean McDonnell announced on Aug. 26 he was taking a leave of absence to deal with health issues.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
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