CASTINE, Maine – Maine Maritime Academy football fell to Nichols College on Saturday afternoon, 54-28 in New England Football Conference action on Ritchie Field.

The Mariners combined for 389 yards of total offense. Quarterback Corey Creeger (Biddeford, Maine) led the Mariners with 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while defensively John Bennett (Chelsea, Maine) and Trenton J. Bouchard (Winslow, Maine) led the Mariners with seven tackles each. Bennett also added two interceptions for six yards and a broken up pass, while Bouchard added two broken up passes.

Neither team found the back of the endzone in the first quarter, but the Mariners scored early in the second quarter on a 26-yard run by James Ferrar (Cumberland, Maine) to give Maine Maritime a 6-0 lead.

Bennett picked up his first interception of the game on the Bison's next possession, setting up a 5-play, 59-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 31-yard touchdown run by Joshua Doolan (Fairfield, Maine). Creeger rushed for the two-point conversion giving the Mariners a 14-0 advantage.

The Bison responded on their next drive, when quarterback Chris Mullins rushed the ball 16 yards for the touchdown. Maine Maritime blocked the extra point, keeping the game at 14-6.

Nichols College tied things up on their next drive as Mullins connected with Brenden Massey for a 95-yard touchdown throw followed by a two-point conversion run by Mullins.

The Mariners retook the lead on their next drive, putting together a 5-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a Creeger two-yard rush and a Ferrar two-point conversion run to make it 22-14. Maine Maritime held onto that lead entering halftime.

Joshua Pierre-Charles opened up the scoring in the second half with a 41-yard touchdown run at 8:39 in the third quarter and Scott Dargan caught a 4-yard touchdown from Mullins to give the Bison a 28-22 lead with 4:02 remaining in the third.

Maine Maritime answered on their next possession, using a 14-yard run from Joshua Doolan and 12-yard carries from both Jacob Doolan (Fairfield, Maine) and Creeger to set up 14-yard touchdown carry for Creeger, his second touchdown of the game.

The Bison added 26 points in the final quarter to take the 54-28 victory.

Mullins ended the afternoon with 400 passing yards, including four touchdowns with Massey accounting for 146 of those yards and one touchdown. Pierre-Charles ended the afternoon with 102 rushing yards and a score.

Matt McEvilly led the Bison defensively with 11 tackles, Alex Swaby ended the afternoon with 10 solo tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Maxwell Garrant paired three fumble recoveries for 18 yards with two tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and four tackles.

Maine Maritime falls to 1-7 overall and 0-6 in the NEFC, while the Bison improve to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference. The Mariners will host Salve Regina for Senior Day next Saturday, November 12 at 12:00 pm.