Resilient Defense Helps Umaine Hold Off Elon To Win Caa Football Championship

ORONO, Maine — Senior linebacker Sterling Sheffield swatted the arm of quarterback Daniel Thompson to deflect a pass on a fourth-down play at the 42-yard line with 1:04 remaining on Saturday afternoon to enable the University of Maine football team to hold on for a 27-26 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Elon at Alfond Stadium. The win sewed up the CAA championship and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the Black Bears. UMaine junior wide receiver Earnest Edwards became the first Black Bear in history to return two kickoffs for a touchdown in a game and a weary Black Bear defense came up with a number of clutch plays after the offense went dormant when starting quarterback Chris Ferguson re-injured his throwing shoulder in the second quarter. Drew Belcher scored on a one-yard run to open the scoring before Breylnd Cyphers answered with a two-run run later in the second period. Edwards returned the kickoff 95 yards to restore the seven-point lead but Skyler Davis closed out the half with his first of four field goals to cut the lead to 14-10. Kenny Doak and Davis exchanged field goals in the first 4:35 of the third period before Edwards returned a kickoff 93 yards for another score. A blocked punt set up Doak’s 19-yard field goal but Thompson, who was the backup to Jalen Greene to start the game, threw a 32-yard TD pass to Cole Taylor and Davis added two more field goals to make it 27-26. UMaine appeared to have the game won when Deshawn Stevens made an interception but he fumbled while trying to secure the ball and Elon regained possession with 2:04 left. The Phoenix could not muster another first down and UMaine ran out the clock after Sheffield’s clinching defensive play. Belcher’s touchdown run capped a 12-play, 85-yard drive following a fumble recovery by Jamehl Wiley after Erick Robertson pried the ball away from Greene at the UM 15-yard line. Three completions from Ferguson to Belcher went for 37 yards and picked up first downs with the last one, a five-yarder, carrying the ball down to the one. On the next play, Belcher lined up in the backfield and burst over the left side into the end zone. Later in the second quarter, Ferguson was scrambling and, as he was being wrapped up, he flipped an ill-advised pass that was intercepted by Connor Christiansen at the UM-46 yard line. Ferguson, who left the second half of the 28-9 win over Richmond a week ago after re-injuring his shoulder, was hurt on the play and didn’t return. Thompson came in to replace Greene at quarterback and orchestrated an eight-play drive that resulted in Cyphers’ TD run. He completed two of four passes for 23 yards with Bryson Daughtry catching one for nine yards and Matt Foster hauling in a 14-yarder. On third-and-goal at the 10, Shaquille St.