WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Tight end Derek Buttles caught a miraculous 23-yard touchdown pass with 2 minutes, 49 seconds left to lift the University of Maine to an improbable 21-17 victory Saturday against Monmouth at Kessler Field.

Trailing by three with less than three minutes left, Maine coach Jack Cosgrove elected to go for it on fourth-and-21 rather than attempt a 40-yard field goal into a driving rainstorm and 35 mph gusts, courtesy of Tropical Storm Hanna. What transpired next was simply remarkable.

Maine quarterback Adam Farkes was flushed from the pocket and rolled left. He thought about running before unleashing a Hail Mary pass just before crossing the line of scrimmage.

The ball bounced off the hands of Maine's Jared Turcotte and at least one Monmouth defender before settling into the grasp of an elated Buttles.

"It was good to be in the right spot at the right time," Buttles said.

Added Farkes: "I don't know what happened. It was a crazy play."

For Buttles, there was redemption in the reception. The redshirt freshman, with 48 seconds left in the third quarter, dropped what would have been his first career touchdown. It would have given Maine (1-1) a commanding 21-10 advantage.

Instead, Monmouth (0-2) took advantage of the break and marched 75 yards on 12 plays. David Sinisi, the Hawks' 200-pound senior running back, carried the ball 10 times for 70 yards on the drive, capped by a 1-yard plunge that put Monmouth up 17-14.

With the weather getting worse, Maine took over and had to go into the teeth of the wind. Farkes, who finished 17 for 27 for 207 yards and three TDs, somehow managed to complete passes of 26 yards to backup quarterback Michael Brusko and 32 to Buttles, giving Maine first-and-10 at the Monmouth 12.

But after a 2-yard gain by Jhamal Fluellen (26 carries, 118 yards), consecutive negative runs forced the Black Bears into a fourth-and-23 -- setting up the improbable winning play.

Cosgrove, who moved into first place in school history with 81 career wins, wasn't quite as excited early on. Maine failed to convert a 20-yard field goal after an impressive opening drive, highlighted by six straight Fluellen carries for 38 yards. The Black Bears fell into a malaise for the next 26 minutes.

Maine trailed 10-0 after Sinisi (29 carries, 183 yards) burst down the right sideline for a 33-yard score with 1:04 left in the first half. But Maine, which managed just two first downs to that point after its initial drive, started to find a groove in its two-minute offense.

Farkes completed four passes and had a key 14-yard run on a touchdown drive before Landis Williams made a 16-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left before the break. Brian Harvey's extra point made it 10-7.

"That opening drive took a lot of the wind out of us," Cosgrove said. "So it was good to see what we did at the end of the half. It was very, very important."

Merrimack 42, Husson 7: Kurt Leone threw for 334 in the first half to lead the Warriors past the Eagles in North Andover, Mass.

Leone finished with 362 yards passing. Chris Laham had 11 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown for Merrimack (1-0).

Winslow's Justin Lindie led Husson (0-1) with 84 yards on 16 carries, and scored the team's lone touchdown in the fourth quarter.