ORONO – Last season, having a punt blocked was a precursor of defeat and disaster for the University of Maine football team.

So, when Delaware’s Kenny Bailey broke through the Maine line and swatted Chris Binder’s punt late in the first half of Saturday’s Yankee Conference game at Alumni Field, the Black Bears’ karma became charged with negativity.

The blocked punt led to Delaware’s first touchdown and infused enthusiasm into the sagging Blue Hens, who already trailed 17-0. The defending league champions used the play as a takeoff point, fighting back for a 27-17 victory.

Few of the season-high 6,033 fans in attendance will remember how Maine shut down Delaware’s run game and forced them to throw. Instead, the lasting memories likely will include Bailey’s block and two devastating touchdown passes from Leo Hamlett to Eddie Conti.

Maine staggered the Hens with 17 first-quarter points, but couldn’t finish them off. Delaware held the Bears scoreless during the last 45 minutes, 29 seconds.

The Bears, who had a three-game winning streak snapped, slip to 3-2 overall, 2-2 in league play. Delaware improved to 3-1 and 1-1.

“It just was a couple of plays that really turned things around,” said Maine coach Jack Cosgrove.

“We did some real good thigns early in the game, then they picked up the momentum and, as I think a championship football team will do, got some confidence going.”

Bailey’s block, which was recovered at the 1-yard line, changed everything. Hamlett scored on the next play to cut Maine’s lead to 17-7 with 1:54 left in the half.

“That was a turning point,” Raymond said. “They said that they could get a guy up the middle and [I said] `God bless, go get ’em.’ ”

Three minutes earlier, Delaware had marched 78 yards on 16 plays only to have Darrick Brown block Leach’s 36-yard field goal attempt.

Delaware held in the second half, while the offense found a few openings in the Maine secondary.

After Binder missed a 39-yard field goal try into a gusty wind with 10:12 left in the third quarter, the Delaware offense finally came through. Hamlett sailed a long pass down the middle to Conti, who got behind Maine defenders Eric Lewis and Mike Harvey, to complete a 64-yard scoring play.

Maine still led 17-14.

“…That’s when they started to gain momentum,” said Bears safety Derek Carter. “There were two big plays they got us on.”

Maine appeared to have regained the emotional edge with 50 seconds left in the third, stopping the Hens on a risky 4th-and-1 play from their own 20-yard line. An illegal procedure penalty provided a reprieve, and Scott White lined a wind-aided, 82-yard punt that stopped on Maine’s 2-yard line.

The Hens held, then built on the momentum they had established. Facing a 3rd-and-23 from the Maine 30, Hamlett lofted a pass down the right sideline for Conti.

Maine’s Brown had Conti covered, but the wind held the ball up, enabling Conti to leap up and snare the ball at the goal line for the go-ahead score.

Maine, unable to move the ball consistently, tried to take advantage of the wind in the fourth. However, Geof Gardner blocked Binder’s 52-yard field goal attempt with 10:13 left, then Binder scuffed a 47-yard try with 5:36 to play.

“I think I was a little bit unfair there on the field goal tries,” Cosgrove said.

Delaware clinched it with a quick, 70-yard drive. Greg McGraw carried three times for 55 yards to set up John Key’s 8-yard TD run with 2:56 left.

In the first half, the Bears shut down the wing-T, and the offense capitalized on its scoring chances.

“First half, we had trouble moving the ball and we dumped all the pressure on the defense,” Raymond said.

Maine had bolted to an early lead, scoring on its first two possessions. Wide receiver John Tennett turned a short pass from Mickey Fein into a 52-yard touchdown with less than five minutes expired.

The Bears, with the wind at their backs, followed it up with a short drive that led to Binder’s 38-yard field goal at the 5:21 mark.

Maine caught the Hens napping on the ensuing kickoff, as Binder recovered his own on-side kick at the Maine 49. The Bears might have devastated Delaware with another score, but Dale Koscielski intercepted Fein three plays later.

Maine’s final TD of the contest came in the waning moments of the first quarter after a Delaware fumble on its own 29-yard line. Bob Jameson rambled 22 yards on the first play, then punched it in two plays later on a 2-yard run.

Binder’s kick made it 17-0.

Blue Hens 27, Black Bears 17

Delaware (3-1) 0 7 7 13 – 27

Maine (3-2) 17 0 0 0 – 17

M – Tennett 52 pass from Fein (Binder kick)

M – Binder 38 FG

M – Jameson 2 run (Binder kick)

D – Hamlett 1 run (Leach kick)

D – Conti 64 pass from Hamlett (Leach kick)

D – Conti 30 pass from Hamlett (kick blocked)

D – Key 8 run (Leach kick)

Delaware Maine

First downs 16 17 Rushing att. – yds 44-97 48-183 Passing cmp. – att. 11-22 14-35 Yards passing 214 211 Total yards 311 394 Intercepted by 2 0 Punts – avg. 5-41.4 7-28.4 Fumbles – lost 3-3 1-0 Penalties – yds 6-55 6-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Delaware: McGraw 7-75, Petraglia 7-23, Thompson 4-13, Coleman 4-13, Key 5-7, Hamlett 17-(-34); Maine: Jameson 26-125, Pam 17-49, Fein 5-9

PASSING – Delaware: Hamlett 11-22-2-214; Maine: Fein 14-35-1-211

RECEIVING – Delaware: Conti 9-196, Batts 2-18; Maine: Wright 6-71, Tennett 3-92, Jameson 2-24, Cole 1-11, Maury 1-7, Pam 1-6