McAllister's third TD came on a 1-yard run with 1:50 to play in the game. Quarterback Andrew Kukesh swept around right end for the two-point conversion, which finalized the scoring.

"I am not happy with how we played on offense, defense or special teams," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "We had momentum. We gave it away. With 1:50 to go we looked defeated. That disappointed me more than anything."

BG (6-1) took a 21-14 lead when quarterback Ryan Burgess scored on a 27-yard run with four minutes left in the third quarter and Clark Preston added his third PAT kick of the game.

Exeter (6-1) responded with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended when Kukesh connected with Andrew Monroe for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 10:13 to play in regulation. Sean Coleman's point-after kick hit the left upright, leaving BG with a 21-20 lead.

The Cardinals failed to get a first down and were forced to punt on their next possession. Exeter took over on its own 31-yard line with 8:02 to play and put together another 14-play scoring drive that gave Exeter a lead it wouldn't surrender.

"We really didn't have any long plays, we just kept drives going," McAllister said. "Everyone stepped up today."

BG moved the ball to its own 40-yard line on its final possession, but the Blue Hawks took over after a pass on a fourth-and-two play fell incomplete.

"We made some timely plays in both (fourth-quarter) drives," Exeter coach Bill Ball said. "I think that was the key today. To be honest with you we just ran our base offense. We wanted to play Exeter football."

McAllister gained a game-high 100 yards on 21 carries. He opened the scoring when he intercepted a Burgess pass and returned it 35 yards with 8:40 left in the first quarter. BG took a 14-7 lead on a 9-yard touchdown run by Matt Cyr and a 37-yard touchdown run by Pat Daley, but McAllister helped the Blue Hawks tie the game when he scored his second TD on a 3-yard run with 1:25 left in the first half.

If the Blue Hawks can avoid defeat in their next two games (at Goffstown and at Merrimack) they will have home-field advantage throughout the Division II playoffs.

"It doesn't really matter to me where we play, as long as we get to play them again," BG defensive lineman Tim Tuttle said. "We beat ourselves today."

BG had a 340-263 edge in net offense, but the Cardinals were held to 78 yards on 17 plays in the second half. Exeter ran 41 of its 66 plays in the final two quarters.

In what may have been the game's most surprising statistic, Kukesh completed more passes (six) than Burgess (five). Kukesh entered the contest with 15 completions in 23 pass attempts this season. His touchdown pass to Monroe was his sixth TD pass of the season.

"I'm happy with the win because I know the team we beat is well-coached and a good team," Ball said. "It was a good win."