Third-string quarterback Ted Hefter threw a tiebreaking 30-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Christian 43 seconds into the fourth quarter to help William & Mary upset the mistake-prone University of Maine 27-20 at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., on Saturday afternoon.
William & Mary improved to 3-4 overall, 2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. UMaine (4-3, 3-1 CAA), ranked No. 16 in the Football Championship Subdivision, had won the last four meetings between the two teams.
UMaine junior wide receiver Earnest Edwards racked up 326 all-purpose yards on nine receptions for 196 yards, four kickoff returns for 126 yards and a 4-yard run.
But Black Bears sophomore quarterback Chris Ferguson was intercepted three times with two of them leading to 10 William & Mary points.
The Black Bears were penalized 13 times for 130 yards only a week after they were called for 16 penalties for 197 yards in a 38-36 win at Rhode Island.
Two dropped passes in the fourth quarter also proved costly.
The game couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Black Bears as senior linebacker Sterling Sheffield recovered a high shotgun snap in the end zone snap on the first play of the game, staking them to a 7-0 lead.
But backup quarterback Dean Rotger, playing in place of the injured Shon Williams, tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Nick Muse to tie it after he had thrown a 56-yard pass to Chris Conlan to set it up.
The Black Bears regained the lead 10-7 with 1:35 left in the first period on Kenny Doak’s 25-yard field goal.
Early in the second quarter, UMaine marched to the W&M 16-yard line but, on a third-and-12 play, Arman Jones intercepted a Ferguson pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown.
The Black Bears recaptured the lead with a 10-play, 82-yard drive capped by Ramon Jefferson’s 24-yard scoring scamper. A 28-yard pass from Ferguson to Edwards on a third-and-10 play and a seven-yard run by Drew Belcher on fourth-and-two extended the drive.
The Black Bears took a 17-14 lead into the intermission.
William & Mary drew even midway through the third period when a 43-yard pass from Hefter to 6-foot-5 tight end Muse paved the way for Kris Hooper’s 36-yard field goal with 5:31 left in the third period.
On the ensuing drive, UMaine marched down to the W&M 16. However, Jefferson’s run on third-and-2 was stuffed by the defense and Jefferson picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the aftermath.
Instead of having a 33-yard field-goal attempt, Doak tried a 48-yarder and it fell short.
William & Mary took over at its 31 and launched what proved to be the game-winning, eight-play, 69-yard drive.
Hefter threw a 10-yard pass to Owen Wright on a third-and-1 play at the W&M 45 and hooked up on a 12-yarder to Tyler Klaus on a third-and-7 at the UM 42 before he connected on the 30-yard TD pass to Christian on the next play.
On the next series, Josh Dulaney stepped in front of Edwards, intercepted Ferguson’s pass and returned it 12 yards to the UM 31. Hooper’s 37-yard field goal made it 27-17 with 10:17 remaining.
Edwards returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards to the UM 43 and the Black Bears moved the ball down to the WM 23 after 6-yard pass from Ferguson to Edwards on a fourth-and-10 at midfield extended the drive.
On third-and-10 at the WM 23, Belcher dropped a well-placed pass by Ferguson at the 6-yard line and UMaine settled for Doak’s 40-yard field goal with 6:47 left.
The Black Bears had two more chances to tie it.
Micah Wright’s 13-yard punt return set them up at the WM 45 but Bill Murray sacked Ferguson on a third-and-6 play to force a punt. Derek Deoul pinned the Tribe at the 1-yard line.
The Tribe’s Will Michael eventually punted to the W&M 36 where UMaine took over with 2:36 remaining. After an incompletion, Ferguson threw a 2-yard pass to Belcher.
On third-and-8, Edwards dropped a pass and was shaken up on the play. Ferguson’s fourth-down pass was tipped and intercepted by Isaiah Laster to sew up the win.
Hefter, who came on late in the second quarter, finished 12-for-27 passing for 170 yards and a touchdown. Muse caught eight passes for 107 yards.
UMaine held William & Mary to 33 rushing yards.
Ferguson completed 26 of 46 passes for 278 yards including five for 27 yards by Belcher. Jefferson (14 carries, 80 yards) was the game’s leading rusher.
UMaine outgained William & Mary 347-268.
Dulaney paced the William & Mary defense with nine tackles and Nate Atkins was in on eight. Murray had three tackles for loss including two sacks.
Taji Lowe paced UMaine with a game-high 11 tackles and he forced and recovered a fumble at the UM 3-yard line with 35 seconds left in the first half. Deshawn Stevens made 10 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and Darrius Hart posted seven tackles.
UMaine hosts Albany for homecoming next Saturday at 1 p.m.