The University of Maine’s football team had its chances to upset Football Bowl Subdivision team Florida International University but the Panthers made some crucial defensive plays and held on for a 14-12 victory over the Black Bears in Miami on Saturday night.
UMaine had a golden opportunity to take a 15-14 lead with 4:41 left in the third period.
UMaine had marched down to the FIU 6-yard line but head coach Jordan Stevens decided to try to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-three situation instead of kicking a short field goal, and true freshman running Tristen Kenan was stopped for a 1-yard gain by D’Verik Daniel.
UMaine had another opportunity in the waning minutes of the game.
UMaine moved down to the FIU 34-yard line but quarterback Derek Robertson was sacked on a third-and-seven by Jordan Guerad to take the Black Bears out of field goal range and his desperate fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
FIU ran out the clock to even its record at 1-1.
It was UMaine’s opener and its first loss in three games against FIU.
UMaine, a Football Championship Subdivision team, is now 4-26 against Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
True freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins from Miami threw touchdown passes of 19 and 62 yards to redshirt junior wide receiver Kris Mitchell for the Panthers.
Jenkins’ 19-yard hookup with Mitchell came on the Panthers’ second possession of the game to give them a 7-0 lead. It capped an eight-play 75-yard drive that featured runs of 14 and 17 yards by Jenkins and a 31-yard pass to Mitchell.
UMaine’s Cody Williams kicked a 48-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 late in the first period after Robertson had tossed a 25-yard pass to Montigo Moss earlier in the drive.
Williams made it 7-6 with a 28-yarder with 2:04 left in the half.
But, just 17 seconds later, Jenkins found a wide-open Mitchell behind the UMaine secondary for a 62-yard TD that proved to be the game-winner.
It came on a third-and-three play.
The Black Bears sliced the lead to 14-12 with 9:05 left in the third period when Kenan dashed into the end zone from 5 yards out.
But Robertson’s two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.
Jenkins completed 15 of 30 passes for 284 yards and Mitchell had nine catches for 201 yards. Dean Patterson had five receptions for 78 yards.
Donovan Manuel’s game-high 14 tackles and Daniel’s 11 paced the defense.
UMaine’s Kenan rushed for a game-high 155 yards on 24 carries, the most for a freshman since Ramon Jefferson ran for 186 yards in a game in 2018. He also caught three passes for 26 yards. John Gay rushed for 82 more yards on 11 carries.
UMaine starting running back Tavion Banks missed the game due to a shoulder injury.
Robertson completed 20 of 42 passes for 209 yards. Jamie Lamson hauled in a career high five passes for 34 yards. Moss and Cooper Heisey each had three catches.
Linebacker Darius McKenzie had a career-high six tackles and safety Robby Riobe had five as did lineman Izaiah Henderson. Henderson, John Costanza and Vince Thomas each had sacks for UMaine, which held FIU to just 20 rushing yards.
UMaine, which received a $250,000 guarantee from FIU, will travel to take on North Dakota State in the Fargodome next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. North Dakota State has won nine of the last 12 Football Championship Subdivision titles.