Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Tafari Wall threw for a 62-yard touchdown in the opening quarter and ran one across the line in the 4th to power the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in a 16-0 decision against the University of New England in the football season-opener on Saturday afternoon (Sep. 4) at UNE Blue Storm Stadium.
Wall connected with James Duren streaking up the sideline for the catch and run score with 3:38 left in the 1st, and the extra point was missed to leave it at 6-0. That margin held all the way until 9:14 of the final stanza, when the Bears assembled a 10-play, 77-yard drive that Wall capped with a one-yard carry into the end zone.
The Nor'easters orchestrated a 14-play drive coming out of the halftime break, but it concluded with a missed field goal.
It was still a two-score game after Coast Guard added a field goal with 4:06 to go, however UNE's last two chances ended with turnovers.
Both sides produced 277 yards of total offense in the contest, and the Nor'easters held advantages in time of possession and first downs.
Wall finished with 19-for-30 accuracy and 262 yards through the air; Cody Fidler had 75 yards on four of those completions. Jared Colletti picked up 32 yards on the ground. Defensively, Connor Healy had 11 tackles and Michael Palermo posted 10 along with an interception.
For the Nor'easters, Jaymeson Maheux racked up 118 all-purpose yards, which included 61 on a team-best five receptions. Matthew Harkins and Connor Sirois split most of the snaps, throwing for 81 and 60 yards, respectively, and Sirois netted a squad-high 28 on the ground. Keegan Stanton-Meas topped all players with 12 tackles, and seven apiece came from Will Michaud, Antonio Giano, and David Hutchinson.
UNE makes a visit to Bridgewater State University next Saturday.