BANGOR, Maine — The Husson University football team exploded for 27 points in the second quarter and never looked back, rolling past New England College 48-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Dr. John W. Winkin Sports Complex.
The Eagles controlled all phases of the game, piling up 437 yards of offense while holding the Pilgrims to just 66 total yards.
After a scoreless first quarter that saw Husson (2-4, 1-2 CNE) drive deep into Pilgrim (0-6, 0-3 CNE) territory twice, the Eagles broke through early in the second. Senior quarterback Max Clark capped a seven-play, 53-yard drive by connecting with graduate student Cam Holmes on a 12-yard touchdown strike with 11:51 remaining in the half to make it 7-0.
Following a quick defensive stop, Clark and the offense marched right back down the field. The senior found junior Jacob Lenz for a 16-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 13-0 midway through the second quarter. Just 25 seconds later, Husson's defense delivered a highlight-reel moment — sophomore Brayden Trombly jumped a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, igniting the Winkin Complex crowd and stretching the advantage to 20-0.
Before halftime, the Eagles added one more score, as graduate student Elijah Garnett powered in from five yards out to cap a seven-play, 43-yard drive and give Husson a 27-0 lead at the break.
Husson's offense stayed hot in the second half. On the Eagles' first possession of the third quarter, Garnett broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run — his second of the day — to extend the lead to 34-0. Later in the quarter, senior running back Jed Lober added a 16-yard touchdown to make it 41-0. The Eagles' final score came early in the fourth quarter when junior Logan Baird capped a 10-play, 54-yard drive with a 4-yard rushing touchdown.
Clark led the offense with 135 passing yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-25 passing, while the ground game dominated with 302 yards on 45 carries. Garnett's 173 yards paced the effort, and Lober added 68 more.
The Eagles' defense was equally impressive, forcing three interceptions and holding the Pilgrims to just 16 rushing yards. Senior linebacker Ryan Banister spearheaded the unit with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Junior linebacker Malcolm McKinnon added an interception and eight tackles, while junior Jahmye Tyson contributed a sack. junior Jeremiah Paul also picked off a pass, helping Husson post its first shutout of the season.
Senior kicker Garrett Martin was perfect on six extra points and averaged over 45 yards per kickoff, while Lenz added 35 yards on punt returns. Husson converted 9-of-12 third-down attempts and scored on all five of its red-zone trips.
Husson will look to build on its momentum when it heads to Biddeford for the fifth annual Lobster Trap Game against the University of New England at 1 p.m.
