DURHAM, N.H. – Junior safety Evan Horn (Lebanon, Pa.) directed a tremendous defensive effort to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 28-10 over bitter rival Maine in the Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket on Saturday afternoon in front of a Senior Day crowd of 10,061 in Wildcat Stadium.
Horn registered a career-high 11 tackles, led the team with two quarterback sacks and had one of UNH's four forced fumbles, three of them recovered by the Wildcats.
The Wildcats improved to 6-5 overall and at 5-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association clinched a share of third place in the league. They also kept their alive their chances of grabbing an at-large bid to the NCAA FCS Division I tournament. The 24-team field for the playoffs will be announced Sunday at 12:30.
UNH snapped Maine's winning streak at four games and spoiled its chances of getting a playoff spot. The Black Bears finish 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the CAA.
The defense shut down a Maine offense that had averaged 38 points a game over the last five games and 31 points a game for the season.
Gunner Gibson's 4-yard TD reception gave UNH a 20-10 lead
Sophomore defensive end Gunner Gibson (Hailey, Idaho) also contributed to the offense. He lined up as a receiver and scored on a 4-yard pass from freshman quarterback Max Brosmer (Roswell, Ga.). Maine had cut UNH's lead to 14-10 with a field goal with 7:55 to play in the fourth quarter and after an exchange of punts the Wildcats drove to the Gibson score, the first of his career to seal the game with 1:48 to play.
Gibson also had six tackles, including a tackle for a loss, and a quarterback hurry.
Prince Smith Jr.'s 30-yard fumble recovery for TD sealed the victory
Senior cornerback Prince Smith Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored on a 30-yard fumble return to close out the scoring with 1:36 left in the game. Another senior, defensive end Josh Kania (Milton, Ga.) forced the fumble that Smith returned. Smith had six tackles and also forced a fumble.
Senior cornerback Isiah Perkins (Williamstown, N.J.) also forced a fumble.
Brosmer completed 24 of his 34 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Malik Love made 11 receptions for 115 yards
Senior Malik Love (Alcoa, Tenn.) had a season-high 11 catches for a season-high 115 yards.
The triumph avenged a 35-7 loss at Maine in last season's opening game. Before last year, UNH had held the Brice-Cowell Musket in its locker room since 2011. Now it's back.
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The 24-team field for the FCS tournament will be announced Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
UNH's 2020 schedule was announced this week.
The Wildcats begin the season with their FBS game at Kansas on Sept. 5, 2020.
Their home and Colonial Athletic Associations opener is against Richmond on Sept. 12.
BORDER BATTLE
UNH's win over Maine on Saturday pays off in the Border Battle in all sports between the teams this year, 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.
Perkins forced a fumble by Devin Young on Maine's first play of the game and sophomore safety Pop Bush (Nocatee, Fla.) recovered on the Maine 35-yard line.
Three plays later Brosmer connected with redshirt freshman Dylan Laube (Westhampton, N.Y.) for a 35-yard TD pass.
Maine answered with a drive that led to a 16-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Joe Fagnano to senior Earnest Edwards for 7-7.
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Evan Gray bulls in for a 4-yard TD rush in second quarter
2ND QUARTER
Senior Evan Gray (Centreville, Va.) scored on a 4-yard run with 6:28 left in the quarter.
Junior Jason Hughes (Atkinson, N.H.) again kicked the conversion and it was 14-7.
3RD QUARTER
The teams played a scoreless third period.
Hughes helped the defense keep Maine pinned in its own end with successive punts that were downed at the Maine 1 and 2-yard lines late in the third and early in the fourth quarters.
4th QUARTER
Kenny Doak kicked a 45-yard field goal to cut UNH's lead to 14-10 with 7:55 left in the quarter.
Gibson scored on the pass from Brosmer with 1:48 left for 21-10.
Smith scored on Maine's next play when Kania sacked Fagnano and forced the fumble.
'CAT NIPS
Love upped his team-leading totals to 48 catches for 542 yards.
Sophomore Brian Espanet (Hopedale, Mass.) had four catches for 43 yards.
Laube led UNH in rushing with nine carries for 61 yards and also had two catches for 45 yards and the score.
UNH had 383 yards of total offense.
The Wildcats averaged 332 yards coming in.
UNH held the Black Bears to 313 yards of total offense.
They averaged 435 yards coming into the game.
Maine led the league at 307 yards passing a game.
They had 183 yards passing Saturday.
The defense's total of four takeaways on the four fumbles was its second-best of the season.
The Wildcats had five takeaways in a win over Elon.
Hughes averaged 41 yards on seven punts and had four inside the 20-yard line.
Ricky Santos was named interim head coach of the Wildcats when Sean McDonnell announced shortly before the season began that he was taking a leave of absence for medical reasons.
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