ORONO — The University of Maine’s football team had forced just two turnovers in its first four games, all losses.
But the Black Bears forced three in last Saturday’s 31-24 win over Hampton and three more on Saturday, leading to 21 points and keying UMaine’s 38-28 homecoming victory over Monmouth University at Alfond Stadium.
UMaine is 2-4 overall and 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association while first-year CAA member Monmouth fell to 4-3 and 2-2 after having its four-game winning streak snapped. UMaine has won six homecoming games in a row.
UMaine quarterback Joe Fagnano completed 14 of 23 passes for 181 yards including a nine-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Bowman and a 14-yarder to Montigo Moss.
Freddie Brock ran 33 yards for a TD and Elijah Barnwell had a one-yard score. Cornerback Buggs Brown returned an interception for a 39-yard TD.
Kobay White caught six passes for 115 yards.
Cole Baker kicked an important 35-yard field goal.
The game got off to an auspicious start for UMaine as the one of the Football Championship Subdivision’s most prolific offenses took the opening kickoff and marched 85 yards on just seven plays to take a 7-0 lead.
But the Hawks wouldn’t score again until their last drive of the half.
The Hawks were never even in a third-down situation on their first drive as Tucker hauled in a 17-yard TD pass from Tony Muskett to cap the drive.
But the UMaine defense tightened up after that and forced two turnovers that led to 14 points as UMaine built a 21-7 lead.
But an unnecessary roughness penalty on a kickoff return with 1:25 left in the half gave the Hawks good field position at the Monmouth 43-yard line and it took Monmouth just four plays to capitalize as Turkett hooked up with Dymere Miller on a 31-yard TD pass with 55 seconds left in the half.
Smalls had set up UMaine’s first TD when he recovered a Turkett fumble which was forced by Khairi Manns at the Monmouth 22-yard line.
Fagnano floated a nine-yard touchdown pass to Bowman in the left corner of the end zone to tie the game with 4:07 left in the first period.
UMaine took a 14-7 lead when the Black Bears marched 73 yards on seven plays and Brock finished off the drive with a nifty 33-yard run.
Brock broke a couple of tackles en route to the end zone.
That came with 3:09 left in the half and Brown expanded the lead 1:35 later when he stepped in front of the intended receiver and returned Turkett’s pass 39 yards for a TD.
Leading 21-14, the Black Bears wasted little time expanding the lead after receiving the second-half kickoff.
A 77-yard pass from Fagnano to White set up Barnwell’s one-yard TD run.
On the ensuing kickoff, Monmouth’s Makhi Green fumbled the ball and Vince Thomas recovered for UMaine at the Monmouth 14.
Three plays later, Moss hauled in a 14-yard pass from Fagnano in the corner of the end zone to make it 35-14.
