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Football:Blizzard-like conditions don't stop UNH in victory over Maine

By Staff Reports

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Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Updated: Sunday, September 6, 2009

Trailing 24-21 with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the No. 11 UNH football team scored with 3:27 remaining and held on to capture a 28-24 win over the University of Maine on Saturday afternoon at a cold, snow-covered Alfond Stadium.

The Wildcats captured the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) North Division Regular Season title and the Brice-Cowell Musket.

The game-winning touchdown came on a 22-yard strike from R.J. Toman to Mike Boyle at 3:27 in the fourth quarter, which gave the Wildcats a 28-24 lead that they never relinquished. The score proved to be the only tally of the quarter as the Black Bears had a pair of chances with the football in the final three minutes, but both drives were foiled by interceptions by Terrence Klein.

UNH improves to 9-2, its best regular-season finish since 2005 (11-2), and captures the CAA North title with a 6-2 mark. The Wildcats retain possession of the coveted Brice-Cowell Musket, awarded to the winner of the UNH-Maine game, for the six-straight year. All-and-all, New Hampshire holds the Granite Bowl (via a win over Dartmouth), the Bill Knight Award (via a win over Massachusetts) and the Brice-Cowell Musket.

Chad Kackert had 12 carries for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Boyle and Toman connected twice for the other two UNH scored. Toman finished 6-of-12 for 127 yards and two TD passes despite the cold and snowy conditions, while Boyle was the team's leading receiver with three catches for 55 yards.

Maine's Michael Brusko was 6-of-15 for 98 yards and a pair of late interceptions, but was the team's leading rusher with 18 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Jhamal Fluellen had 14 rushes for 33 yards and a score, while Pushaun Brown had 16 yards and a score.

New Hampshire won the opening coin toss and proceeded to march down field and as Kackert scored on a 46-yard run at 12:57 to complete a five-play 64-yard drive that was all on the ground. Tom Bishop converted the point-after attempt to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.

The Black Bears took advantage of a pair of UNH turnovers to score 10 unanswered for a 10-7 lead at the end of the first. The first score was setup by a Kackert fumble at the 39. Maine engineered a six-play 39-yard drive that end with a 3-yard touchdown run by Brown at 5:23. Jordan Waxman made the extra point to tie it 7-7. The following UNH possession ended with a Bishop punt, which was blocked and recovered by Maine at the 15-yard line.

The Black Bears would gain two yards before Waxman made a 30-yard field goal at 1:05 to make it 10-7.

The Wildcats scored just 42 seconds into the second quarter to regain the lead on an 18-yard run by Kackert. Bishop converted the PAT to make it 14-10 at half time.

In a 21-point third quarter, it was the Black Bears that struck first with nearly a 10-minute drive that was nine plays 62 yards, included a fake punt and ended with a two-yard TD run on a quarterback keeper by Brusko. Waxman's kick gave UM a 17-14 lead at 9:57. UNH made quick work to regain the lead on a five-play 78-yard drive that including a 35-yard bomb to Chris Jeannot and concluded with a 29-yard TD strike from Toman to Boyle at 8:16.

In addition to Klein's two interceptions for the Wildcat defense, senior Matt Parent finished with a team-high 12 tackles, while Dino Vasso and Maurice Duper had nine and eight tackles, respectively.

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