Rally Leads Maine To Victory Over Delaware

ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine football team used big play after big play in the closing minutes of Saturday's contest with Delaware to pull out a 25-15 victory over the Blue Hens at Alfond Stadium in Orono. It marked the first Atlantic 10 Conference win for the Black Bears this season, who improved to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the league. Delaware dipped to 4-4 and an identical 1-4 mark in the A-10.

"Where to begin with everyone that stepped up and made plays for us late in the game," head coach Jack Cosgrove said. "Guys on offense made plays. Guys on defense made plays. We keep telling them to go all out and never quit hustling and good things will happen. This game proved that today."

The slew of big plays began at the 6:28 mark of the fourth quarter and the score tied at 13. Scoring 13 unanswered points to knot the score, Delaware drove down to the Maine 12-yard line. After a timeout, Blue Hen running back Danny Jones tried to run through a hole on the left side of his offensive line, but was stripped by Maine defensive lineman Bruno Dorismond (New Canaan, Conn.). Black Bear safety Joan Quezada (Union City, N.J.) jumped on the loose ball to end the drive for Delaware and give the football back to the Maine offense.

The offense didn't fail. Led by quarterback Ron Whitcomb (East Rochester, N.Y.), Maine went 88 yards in 10 plays in three minutes to go on top 19-13. Runs of 16 and 15 yards by Arel Gordon (Rochester, N.Y.) sparked the drive, as Whitcomb capped it when he hit Kevin McMahan (Rochester, N.Y.) on a six-yard touchdown pass with 3:28 left in the game.

Delaware got the ball on the ensuing possession, but on the first play of the drive quarterback Sonny Riccio was stripped by defensive end Patrick McCrossan (Sparta, N.J.). Dorismond came in and picked up the football and returned 29 yards to the Blue Hen one-yard line. Two plays later Maine running back and Delaware native Montell Owens (Wilmington, Del.) scored from a yard out for his second touchdown of the game and a 25-13 advantage.

"The defense came up big for us today and as an offense we didn't want to let them down," Owens said. "Those two fumbles energized us. I don't think just for today, but for the rest of the season."

Delaware recorded a meaningless safety in the final seconds, but it wasn't enough as the Black Bears celebrated their first conference win, which snapped a three-game losing streak overall. It was also the first win for Maine over Delaware since a 39-27 victory back in the 1998 season.

"We've had some close games with them the last few seasons which didn't go our way," Cosgrove said. "It was nice to have one go our way today. Give credit to our guys because they didn't quit."

Offensively, Owens rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while McMahan hauled in four passes for 70 yards and two scores. Whitcomb was 11-of-21 for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Senior linebacker and co-captain Jermaine Walker (Teaneck, N.J.) led the way defensively, as he registered a career-high 17 tackles. Linebacker John Wormuth (Childs, Pa.) and Quezada had nine and eight tackles, respectively, while Dorismond had three solo stops to go along with his fumble recovery.

Maine opened the scoring when McMahan caught a 47-yard touchdown pass to put the Black Bears on top, 6-0, with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter. Owens made it 13-0, Maine, with a one-yard run with 11:36 remaining in the first half.

Delaware got back into the game with 1:32 to go until halftime when Omar Cuff scored on a one-yard run to make it 13-7. Second-half field goals of 25 and 29 yards from Zach Hobby tied the game at 13-13 before the last-minute excitement began.

The Black Bears are on the road in Boston next Saturday, as they take on Northeastern at Parsons Field at 12:30 p.m. Northeastern (1-7 overall, 1-4 A-10) lost at Northwestern State, 14-12, Saturday afternoon in Natchitoches, La.