Late Turnovers Give #13 Maine 32-21 Win Over Football

Nov. 12, 2011

ORONO, Maine - Three late UMass turnovers accounted for three scores as No. 13 Maine held off the visiting UMass football team, 32-21, on Saturday afternoon at Morse Field. Raymond Pendagast earned his first career start at quarterback and played admirably in the loss. UMass will return home for the season finale next Saturday against James Madison. Kick-off is slated for 1 PM at McGuirk Stadium.

Jonathan Hernandez rushed for 91 yards to go over 1,000 for the season, while Julian Talley had 107 yards to hit 2,000 for his career. Pendagast was 19-of-31 for 237 yards and a touchdown.

The game started slowly with Maine taking a 3-0 lead on a Brian Harvey field goal with 7:09 left in the first quarter.

The second quarter saw UMass (5-5) take a 14-10 lead after touchdowns by Jesse Julmiste and Hernandez.

Julmiste's touchdown with 9:21 remaining in the second quarter marked the first career touchdown pass for Pendagast and capped a 65-yard drive. A 31-yard scamper by Alan Williams set up the score putting the Minutemen inside Maine territory. Three plays later, UMass took its first lead of the game.

Maine (8-2, 6-1 CAA) responded with a touchdown of its own as Pushaun Brown's 12-yard rush made it a 10-7 lead for the Black Bears at the 7:30 mark of the second.

Hernandez put the Minutemen back up 14-10 with 16 seconds left before halftime. His two yard touchdown plunge capped a 24-yard drive that was set-up by a Maine punt being blocked by Julmiste.

It looked as if UMass had given itself a strong cushion when Shane Vivieros returned a Warren Smith interception 26 yards for a touchdown putting the Minutemen up 21-10 just 72 seconds into the third quarter.

Thanks to a 40-yard pass from Smith to Damarr Aultman to start its drive with 5:34 left in the third quarter, the Black Bears received a 30-yard Harvey field goal to pull within eight.

UMass looked to have another scoring drive being put together following the Maine field goal, but Troy Russell returned a Pendagast fumble 60-yards to make the score 21-19.

The Black Bears continued to gain momentum in the fourth quarter putting together a 15-play, 58-yard drive that put Maine down to the UMass 13 yard line, but Harvey missed a 29-yard field goal turning the ball over on downs.

On second and 11, Pendagast was intercepted by Arron Achey at the UMass 28. Achey returned the ball to the 14-yard line and three plays later, the Black Bears were up 25-21 with 3:26 to go.

The Minutemen had three possessions after that, but were unable to find a hurry-up score. Maine went ahead 32-21 after recovering a fumble in the endzone after UMass was forced to start on the one-yard line.

Scoreboard

Next Event

Team Stats

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics