ORONO, Maine (AP) Freddie Brock had a rushing and receiving touchdown, Elijah Barnwell added a score on the ground, and Maine beat Merrimack 31-26 on Saturday in the first meeting between the two teams.

Brock caught a pass out of the backfield and raced for a 51-yard scored to give Maine a 29-20 lead early in the third quarter.

Ray Miller intercepted a fourth-quarter pass for Maine's fourth takeaway, and the Black Bears forced a turnover on downs with 3:15 remaining before running out the clock.

Derek Robertson was 11-of-23 passing for Maine (1-2). Brock rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries and he caught two passes for 64 yards. Barnwell rushed for 78 yards on 17 carries.

Westin Elliott passed for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice for Merrimack (2-1).

Maine is 14-2 all-time against the Northeast Conference and has won 10 straight home games against NEC programs.

---

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. Sign up for the AP's college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.