The University of Maine football team’s slim playoff hopes were shattered in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon.
The Black Bears squandered a pair of 13-point leads, and Cole Baker missed a go-ahead 46-yard field goal with one minute remaining as previously winless Stony Brook rallied for a 28-27 victory on Homecoming at LaValle Stadium.
Stony Brook is now 1-6 overall and 1-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association while UMaine is 2-5 and 2-2.
Stony Brook snapped UMaine’s four-game CAA road winning streak dating back to last season and won its 13th Homecoming game in 16 tries under head coach Chuck Priore.
The Black Bears took a 7-0 over the Seawolves lead before rattling off the next 20 points to take a 20-7 lead into the intermission.
Fagnano threw two touchdown passes and completed 16 of 23 passes for 208 yards in the first half while Cole Baker kicked field goals of 45 and 33 yards.
Ross Tallarico’s two-yard run capped a nine play-75 yard drive following the opening kickoff to give Stony Brook a 7-0 lead.
Baker cut the lead to 7-3 with his 45-yard field goal. The field goal was set up by a 30-yard scramble by Fagnano.
UMaine took a 10-7 lead when Fagnano threw a 13-yard strike to Kobay White three plays after he had extended the drive by running for a first down on a third-and-10 play.
UMaine extended the lead with 2:44 left in the half when Fagnano found a wide open Bowman for a 42-yard TD.
The Black Bears had a four-yard TD pass from Fagnano to Montigo Moss pass nullified by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty, but the Black Bears did salvage three points on Baker’s 33-yard field goal with 14 seconds left.
Stony Brook freshman quarterback Charlie McKee, making just his second career start, keyed the second-half rally.
He threw a 10-yard TD pass to R.J. Lamarre in the third quarter to cut the UMaine lead to 20-14.
UMaine answered quickly as Elijah Barnwell’s 12-yard run restored the 13-point cushion.
But McKee tossed a one-yard TD pass to Tyler Devera late in the third period to cut it top 27-21 and his seven-yarder to Khalil Newton with 2:44 left in regulation won it as Newton made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the left corner of the end zone.
McKee’s 35-yard pass to Damien Caffrey was the key play on the drive. That was Caffrey’s only catch.
UMaine moved the ball down the field, but Baker missed the field goal.
McKee completed 18 of 21 passes for 249 yards and three TDs. Devera caught four passes for 50 yards and Shawn Harris Jr. had three for 40 yards. Jayden Cook carried the ball 26 times for 92 yards.
Fagnano finished with 28 completions on 45 passes for 314 yards. He also carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards. White caught seven passes for 51 yards and Bowman caught six for 30 yards. Barnwell carried the ball eight times for 42 yards.
Reidgee Dimanche’s game-high 12 tackles and Shamel Lazarus’ 10 paced the Stony Brook defense while Adrian Otero, Robby Riobe and Shakur Smalls had eight apiece for UMaine.
UMaine will host Richmond on Saturday at 1 while Stony Brook will visit Albany.
