ORONO – Nobody ever accused University of Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove of scheduling “patsies” for non-league games in recent years.

Even so, Cosgrove believes the only way his Black Bears can continue their climb toward status as a perennial national power is by challenging themselves even further.

UMaine, ranked No. 14 in the country, will attempt to take another step in that direction Saturday night when it entertains Division I-AA power and third-ranked Montana in its 6 p.m. season opener on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium.

Montana, along with Maine and Georgia Southern, are the only three teams to have reached the national quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons. The Bears are hoping a date with the Grizzlies can help them go even a step further.

“It’s a huge football game for this program,” Cosgrove said. “This is something that the state of Maine and the University of Maine need, to host games of this magnitude at our stadium.”

Cosgrove hopes entertaining national-caliber opponents such as Montana can help generate some excitement and momentum around the program.

“We felt like in scheduling this football game we brought a marquee name on a national basis to get this thing up and running and to get some folks in the Bangor community and on our campus excited about Maine football.”

The Bears’ 11th-year coach expressed disappointment at poor fan turnout each of the last two years in UMaine’s final home games, when the team was on the verge of solidifying the Atlantic 10 championship and an NCAA playoff spot.

Cosgrove is hoping fans across Maine will rally around the Bears as they go after a third straight conference title and a trip to the postseason.

Few UMaine players could be more excited, and probably a little bit nervous, about facing Montana than Ron Whitcomb. The redshirt freshman will be making his collegiate debut as the Bears’ starting quarterback.

“It’s everything you want out of a successful program,” Whitcomb said of Montana. However, he views UMaine’s ability to attract such a high-caliber team as a reflection on the program’s growth.

“Three years ago, we probably never would have thought of playing Montana,” Whitcomb said. “It’s kind of like a reward for all the hard work of the coaches and players over the past years, especially Jake [Eaton] and Stephen Cooper,” Whitcomb said.

The Bears are confident they can match up with the Grizzlies. And while UMaine might not have quite as impressive credentials, the program is striving to take the next step.

“It’s a good test to see where we’re at this year,” Whitcomb said. “I don’t think it’s going to make or break our season, whether we win or lose, because it’s a nonconference game. But it’s something we’re going to attack. We’re looking to beat Montana.”

Colby coach to be honored

Colby College women’s basketball head coach Patricia O’Brien will be honored along with the rest of the 1986 Salem State College national championship squad as part of the second induction class to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

The 1986 Salem State women’s basketball team will be honored at a banquet for the induction class Sept. 19 at the University of Rhode Island.

Salem State remains the only NCAA Division III women’s basketball team from New England to win a national title. The Vikings went 29-1 in 1985-86 and won the national title with an 89-85 victory over Bishop College.

O’Brien, who played off guard and small forward, scored 1,280 points in her four seasons and was inducted into the Salem State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.