ORONO – The coveted job as the starting quarterback at the University of Maine is up for grabs.

Ron Whitcomb, one of three Black Bears competing for the position, may have taken the first serious step Saturday toward becoming Jake Eaton’s successor. The talented freshman turned in an efficient effort during the annual Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage on Morse Field.

Whitcomb completed six of eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown and he also rushed seven times for 39 yards as coach Jack Cosgrove’s team wrapped up its spring season at windy, chilly Alfond Stadium.

“Really it was my first time playing at the collegiate level under the spotlight,” Whitcomb said. “It was real intense. I was pretty excited. Once I hit the field, all the nervousness left.”

Cosgrove said the coaching staff won’t select a starter until UMaine is well into preseason training camp in August.

“We weren’t looking to make a decision off this scrimmage,” Cosgrove said. “We were just looking to get an evaluation and take a step toward finalizing that evaluation. This is not something we want to rush into.”

That’s fine with Whitcomb, who wants nothing more than a fair shot at winning the job.

“They feel all three of us have the physical and mental capabilities to start,” Whitcomb said. ‘Whoever they feel is playing the best is going to get the job.”

The QB spot has been open since December, when the Bears lost to Georgia Southern in the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Sophomore Chris Legree was the backup in 2002. He led UMaine to victory at Richmond after Eaton suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first half.

However, Legree injured his shoulder in the same game and was sidelined thereafter. That opened the door for junior Jon Meczywor, who led the Bears to two wins, one of them a playoff victory at Appalachian State.

The nod will eventually go to the player who demonstrates the best combination of leadership, passing accuracy, running skills and sound, consistent decision-making.

“I think we’ve got two talented kids there [Meczywor, Legree] and Ronny Whitcomb made an impact this spring on us that earned him recognition and the playing time that he got in this scrimmage and previous scrimmages.”

Whitcomb took 34 reps in the scrimmage, which was a combination of 78 plays, along with punting and field-goal drills. He had runs of 7, 8 and 10 yards.

Whitcomb hooked up with sophomore wideout Ryan Waller for a 33-yard touchdown pass on a post pattern. It was one of only two TDs for the offense, the other coming on an 11-yard run by sophomore tailback Montell Owens (24 carries, 49 yards).

Owens was the only tailback available as junior starter Marcus Williams was out with a slight knee injury and backup Junior Onyi Momah is coming off shoulder surgery. The other returnee, junior James Henry, has been moved to free safety.

Meczywor ran 24 plays, completing five of 13 passes for 44 yards. Legree took 20 reps, making good on four of seven throws for 23 yards with an interception.

Among the receivers, Waller made four catches for 49 yards while Kevin McMahan had four receptions for 35 yards and Steve Williams had four for 25.

On defense, freshman inside linebacker Matt King led the way with eight tackles, while sophomore cornerback Clinton Brown had a good outing, forcing a fumble to thwart a scoring threat and making an interception in the end zone on another.

Strong safety Jermaine Walker and inside backer Agean Robinson made their presence felt with six tackles each.

The defense was without some key players, including strong safety Brandon McGowan (knee) and cornerback Devon Goree (shoulder).