ORONO, Maine – Down 14 midway through the third quarter, 12th-ranked Elon University football scored the final 13 points of the game but came up one point short on Saturday, Nov. 17, in a 27-26 road loss to No. 16 Maine. With the win, the Black Bears clinched the CAA Football regular-season title.
 
THE RUNDOWN
After Maine (8-3, 7-1 CAA Football) made it a 14-point game with a Kenny Doak field goal with 6:22 to play in the third quarter, Elon (6-4, 4-3 CAA Football) started its comeback late in the frame with Daniel Thompson taking the Phoenix 72 yards in four players with the cap a 32-yard completion to Cole Taylor in the corner of the end zone to come within seven with 1:51 to play in the third.
 
Though Elon fumbled on its next drive, Connor Christiansen opened the fourth quarter with his second interception of the game to start an 11-play, 78-yard drive that saw Skyler Davis connect on his third field goal of the day from 32 yards out to cut the lead to 27-23 with 10:23 to play.
 
With the defensive unit coming up with another stop on the ensuing Maine drive, Thompson again drove the Phoenix to the 29 before Davis hit a career high-tying 46-yard field goal to bring Elon within one at 27-26 with 4:33 to play.
 
After a Black Bear three-and-out, Elon got the ball back with 3:05 to play. On third-and-12, Thompson's pass was intercepted by Jaron Grayer, but Brelynd Cyphers ripped the ball free from Grayer and recovered to give Elon a new drive with exactly two minutes to play. Driving to the Maine 42, Elon's drive stalled out as Thompson's fourth-down pass was batted up at release and fell incomplete with 58 seconds to play to seal the Maine win.
 
Over the course of the first 30 minutes, a pair of Elon interceptions led to its first 10 points with Christiansen and Greg Liggs, Jr. each picking off passes. Following Christiansen's first interception of the day, Thompson took over the quarterbacking reins and drove Elon 46 yards to the house with Cyphers diving in from two yards out for the score.
 
Heading into halftime, Elon cut the Maine lead to four at 14-10 with a Davis 40-yard field goal. The score was setup by Liggs' interception of Isaiah Robinson and Thompson hitting Taylor 26 yards down field to put Elon on the Maine 23.
 
Maine's Earnes Edwards provided 14 of Maine's points on the day, returning two kickoffs after Elon scores in the second and third quarters. The Black Bears also blocked a punt in the third quarter that led to the field goal that put UMaine up 27-13.
 
STATISTICS
Rushing:
Elon: Brelynd Cyphers – 10 carries, 68 yards, 1 touchdown
UM: Ramo Jefferson – 25 carries, 130 yards
 
Passing:
Elon: Daniel Thompson – 18-43, 250 yards, 1 touchdown
UM: Chris Ferguson – 4-10, 51 yards
 
Receiving:
Elon: Cole Taylor – 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown
UM: Drew Belcher – 4 receptions, 46 yards
 
Defense:
Elon: Marcus Willoughby – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL
UM: Deshawn Stevens – 16 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks
 
NOTES
-Maine's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first half is the first returned on Elon since Oct. 21, 2017, in Elon's win at Rhode Island.
-Daniel Thompson's 49-yard completion to Bryson Daughtry in the third quarter is the third-longest pass of his career, only to the 56-yard completion against James Madison on Nov. 9, 2016, and a 54-yard completion on Oct. 10, 2015, against Richmond.
-Elon's 279 passing yards is the second-most in a game this season, only behind the 286 at James Madison on Oct. 6.
-With 50 pass attempts, it's the most in a game for the Phoenix this season.
 
UP NEXT
Elon will await the NCAA FCS Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 18, to find out its postseason fate. The show will air at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.