On Saturday, Sept. 15, the University of Maine Black Bears football team fell to the visiting Monmouth Hawks 51-22 to open up Coastal Athletic Association conference play. As a result, UMaine fell to a 1-2 record, now losing back-to-back games, while Monmouth won their first game of the year.
Maine won the coin toss and opted to defer, meaning Monmouth opened the game on offense. Led by fourth-year quarterback Derek Robertson, the Hawks offense was humming all game. Robertson spent four seasons at Maine, appearing in 21 games before transferring to Monmouth. In 2023, Robertson threw for 2,933 yards, the third most pass yards in a single season in Maine history.
Robertson’s return to Maine started strong during the first drive of the game. Fourth-year halfback Sone Ntoh punched in the first touchdown of the game with a 4-yard run up the middle, capping off a 16-play drive.
The Maine offense struggled to get anything going early, going three and out on their first two offensive possessions. Unfortunately for the Black Bears, Monmouth capitalized on the opportunities.
Robertson threw his first of four touchdown passes, this one to fourth-year tight end Jack Neri, then a second the next Monmouth drive to second-year tight end Marcus Middleton. The Hawks attempted a two-point conversion after Neri’s TD but were stopped at the goal line.
Down 20-0 with just under a minute left in the first quarter, Maine desperately needed a big-time play and that’s exactly what Trevin Ewing delivered. Back to return the kickoff, the third-year wide receiver weaved between Monmouth defenders and found the sideline, scoring a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown, the most electric play of the day. After successfully scoring the two-point conversion, the Black Bears trailed 20-8 going into the second quarter.
Despite Alfond Stadium’s newfound energy thanks to Ewing’s TD, the Maine offense could not capitalize on their newfound momentum. A second touchdown run by Ntoh extended Monmouth’s lead to 27-8, which it remained entering halftime.
Monmouth scored the first points of the second half, with Robertson connecting with second-year wide receiver Josh Derry for a 56-yard touchdown. UMaine fourth-year halfback Jaharie Martin got into the endzone on a 1-yard touchdown run, but second-year halfback Rodney Nelson quickly responded, scoring a 24-yard touchdown run to extend the Hawks lead to 41-15 going onto the final quarter of play.
A rushing touchdown by fourth-year halfback Joe Gillette cut the Monmouth lead to under 20 with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game, but the dream of a Black Bear comeback quickly ended. On the first play of Monmouth’s drive starting at their 6-yard line, Robertson found Derry, who broke away from his defender and scored a 96-yard touchdown, icing the game for the Hawks. Second-year kicker Michael Calton Jr. put the final nail in the coffin with a 42-yard field goal, scoring 51-22.
The Black Bear defense had no answer for Robertson and Derry, who were on the same page all game. Robertson had 390 yards on 22-of-36 passing, including four touchdown passes. Derry caught two of those touchdown passes to go along with seven catches for an absurd 227 yards, the most yards UMaine has allowed to a single player this season. For Maine, the offense never truly got going. Fourth-year quarterback Carter Peevy was 16-26 for 159 yards and Monmouth more than doubled Maine’s total yards.
UMaine will look to bounce back and end their mini-losing streak this Saturday as they travel to face the 1-2 Merrimack Warriors.
