The University of Maine football team would certainly have preferred to open its season with a victory Saturday at Montana.

Instead, on the heels of a 27-20 loss, coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears will turn their attention to the next opponent. Northern Colorado (1-0) visits Orono for a 6 p.m. game Saturday at Alfond Stadium.

It is UMaine’s only home game during the first five weeks of the 2004 season.

Sophomore quarterback Ron Whitcomb, who completed 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions at Montana, said UMaine can’t be sidetracked by the setback.

“I think win or loss this game has no effect on our season,” said Whitcomb, who completed nine straight passes from late in the second quarter through the first two minutes of the fourth.

“We’re going to play every week, each game. We still have to win the Atlantic 10, that’s priority No. 1,” said Whitcomb, referring to the NCAA automatic playoff berth that goes with the conference title.

Whitcomb, who was picked off only 10 times in 11 games last season, has thrown five interceptions in his last two outings, including three in the 2003 season finale at New Hampshire.

UMaine played a solid game against the Grizzlies, but was plagued by penalties and failed to demonstrate the ability to make plays in key situations. Even so, it’s a game the Bears will remember.

“It was very exciting,” said senior tailback Marcus Williams, who continued his pursuit of UMaine’s all-time rushing record Saturday with a solid 105-yard performance on 20 carries.

“I’m sure I can speak for my teammates and the coaching staff that that’s probably the loudest and the best atmosphere we’ve played in, at least since I’ve been here,” he said of Montana’s impressive facility and its partisan crowd of 23,228, the fifth largest in Washington-Grizzly Stadium history.

“I don’t think it fazed us at all,” Williams said of the scenario. “I think we fed off of it. I don’t think it had anything to do with the results during the game.”

Williams, who also caught four passes for 20 yards, could as early as this week become only the third Black Bear to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards. Now at 2,968, he needs 860 yards to pass career leader Lorenzo Bouier, who rushed for 3,828 yards from 1979-82.

Carl Smith (1988-91) is second on the charts with 3,820 yards.

Williams has rushed for 100 yards or more 14 times in 26 career starts at tailback.

Kicking streak snapped

UMaine senior place-kicker Mike Mellow had his streak of successful point-after-touchdown kicks snapped at 49 during Saturday’s game.

Montana’s Alan Saenz penetrated the Bears’ offensive line and blocked Mellow’s first PAT try in the second quarter, ending a streak that dated back to Oct. 26, 2002, against Hofstra.

Last fall, Mellow nailed all 38 of his PATs and converted seven of 14 field-goal attempts. He is now 80-for-83 (.964) on PATs in his UMaine career.

Mellow also punted well at 3,200 feet altitude, averaging 44.2 yards on his six kicks with a long of 64. He landed four inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Bears breaking in

UMaine’s season opener served as the varsity debut for at least 11 players, including five true freshmen.

Among the first-year players seeing their first game action for the Bears were tight end Mike Moran, defensive linemen Bryan Grier and Reggie Paramoure and special teams players Keien Williams and John Wormuth.

Redshirt freshmen who played in Montana were defensive tackle Bruno Dorismond, defensive end Patrick McCrossan, quarterback/holder Anthony Cotrone and special-teamers Jamaal Forman and Anthony Hicks. Sophomore Joe Vanidestine of Bangor debuted with some reps at free safety.