Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
BIDDEFORD, Maine. – Robert Inniss Jr. (Windham, Maine) made a 38-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift the University of New England football team to its first victory in program history, 44-42 over Curry at UNE Blue Storm Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Nor'easters (1-3, 1-1 CCC) entered the fourth quarter with a 41-35 lead. Curry opened the period with a 14-play, 80-yard drive finishing with a 25-yard touchdown catch by Zach Levy to take a 42-41 advantage.
Following a three-and-out by the Nor'easters, the Colonels tried to run down the clock, forcing UNE to use all three of its remaining timeouts. The Nor'easters made a stop on third down to force a punt with 2:29 to play.
The UNE drive began at its own 12, but Brian Peters (Darien, Conn.) quickly drove the offense down the field with help from Ryan Gaboury (Cumberland, R.I.). The two connected on a huge 3-and-15 conversion that put the Nor'easters at midfield with just over a minute to play. Peters completed passes to Jack Mahoney (Hudson, N.H.) and Alex Huff (Boston, Mass.) to put UNE in range for the winning kick.
Curry (2-4, 0-2) scored on the opening drive of the game, but a bad snap on a punt later in the first gave UNE the ball deep in Colonels territory. Devon Charles (Vernon, Conn.) put the Nor'easters on the board with his first of two touchdowns on the afternoon. Curry added another score late in the quarter to lead 14-7, its final lead until the fourth quarter.
Peters and Gaboury were in sync all day as the receiver caught three touchdowns, including a 41-yard score, in the second quarter alone. He finished with 10 catches for 192 yards in the win. The Nor'easters led 28-21 at halftime.
The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Mahoney rushed in from 39-yards out while Charles had another three-yard score. Inniss Jr. missed the extra-point on the Mahoney touchdown which nearly proved costly.
UNE outgained Curry on the ground with a season-high 145 yards to 124. Mahoney finished with 80 yards on 12 carries. Peters was an efficient 25-for-33 with 302 yards and three scores. The Nor'easters had 447 total yards, nearly double its best effort this season
Keegan Stanton-Meas (Portland, Maine) led the defense once again with 13 tackles (8 solo) and a sack. DJ James (Turner, Maine) and Kuomar Fitzgerald (West Orange, N.J.) added 11 stops each. Joe Curit (Biddeford, Maine) finished with six tackles and an interception, his second of the season.
The Nor'easters return to action next Saturday at home in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matchup against Endicott. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.