ORONO – On most Division I football teams, the majority of the freshmen can only dream about playing significant roles.

At the University of Maine, the coaching staff has become increasingly adept at recruiting players who can make a difference during their first college season.

A case in point was Saturday night’s season opener against Colgate.

Of UMaine’s 76 players, 31 (41 percent) are first-year players. In all, 16 saw action in UMaine’s 34-10 victory at Alfond Stadium.

And it wasn’t purely a case of mass substitutions late in the game.

“The first [offensive] play of the game, we’ve got three freshmen out there playing,” said UMaine junior quarterback Jake Eaton, trying to describe the unit’s struggles early in the game. “No excuses, but we’ve got a lot of young guys out there.”

Marcus Williams got the start at tailback, while wide receiver John Baumgartner, lineman Keith Ford, tight end Danny Fusco and fullback Kurt Bulwith all contributed on the offensive side. Frosh Mike Mellow handled the punting and kickoff chores, while classmate Chris DeVinney of South Portland did the place-kicking.

On defense, freshmen tackles Pat Pau and Mark Stetson saw playing time, as did linebacker Lofa Tatupu, son of former New England Patriots favorite Mosi Tatupu.

Several others played on UMaine’s punt and kickoff teams and kick return teams.

“Our staff does a great job evaluating players,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove. “Our coaches go out and find players that nobody else wants. That’s still the way we do our business here.”

Cosgrove pointed out, for example, that Williams hails from Amherst, Mass., home of Atlantic 10 rival the University of Massachusetts. Williams’ mother, Dr. Pam Marsh-Williams, is a dean at UMass.

“What’s he doing up here?” Cosgrove asked with a smile.

This year, with attrition and a few injuries, UMaine has needed to fast-forward a lot of the freshmen.

“These are young guys that have got talent and our guys have gone out and brought them up [to Orono],” Cosgrove said. “We have to raise our expectations of them. We told them when they were coming in that we needed them to play.”

The Bears also utilized the talents of several players who redshirted last season and are playing for the first time. They include center Mike Leconte of South Portland, defensive end Marcus Walton, wideout Ivi Nwosu, backup QB Jon Meczywor, and reserve tackles Mark Lehner and Mark Moehl.

Most importantly for UMaine, the freshmen’s contributions were instrumental in a victory.

“They’re great developmental things for young players,” Cosgrove said. “The win is going to do immense things for them.”

Cusano sustains concussion

UMaine junior free safety Dave Cusano sat out the second half of Saturday’s game against Colgate after sustaining a concussion.

Cusano, a 5-foot-9, 195-pounder who played cornerback and safety last season, made three tackles before the injury. His status for Saturday’s game at North Dakota State has not been determined.

Last season, Cusano missed two games with a concussion he suffered during a practice.

Bears riding home win streak

The UMaine football team has now won four straight home games, its longest streak since the Bears posted five consecutive victories covering the 1997 and ’98 seasons.

UMaine also won despite having trailed at halftime. The Bears had lost 10 in a row after being behind at intermission, dating back to Oct. 3, 1998.