Black Bears take time to revel in win UM ranked 8th after victory over Bulldogs

The University of Maine football team, fresh off Saturday’s stunning 9-7 victory over Southeastern Conference and Division I-A program Mississippi State, finds itself in a position to savor the upset for a few days.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears do not have a game scheduled Saturday, which means they have nearly two weeks to prepare for their October 2 Atlantic 10 opener at Delaware.

“It’s a great confidence-booster, great for our momentum going into Delaware,” said senior tailback Marcus Williams.

UMaine will have a relatively normal week of practice, working on fundamentals while getting healthy and rested in preparation for what promises to be a grueling conference schedule.

Cosgrove said he has been inundated with congratulatory phone messages and e-mails from friends, fans, supporters and former players. He estimated having received more than 50 e-mails Sunday and another 100-plus on Monday.

“There were a lot of names from out of the woodwork, a lot of phone calls from former players,” Cosgrove said. “The impression I’m getting is, a lot of guys are sticking their chests out at having been Black Bears.”

Cosgrove admitted the timing of this year’s schedule has worked out well, with the exception of the opening loss at Montana.

Saturday’s win has helped UMaine establish an identity and a plan for the rest of the season. The MSU game plan called for playing together, being persistent and having courage.

“I thought they played smart, they played aggressively and they played with confidence,” Cosgrove said. “I think that’s what courage is.”

Even before the reality of the win over Mississippi State had a chance to sink in, UMaine players were talking about their next game and their goals for the season.

“Regardless of how this game went, our season starts at Delaware, so we’re going to really kind of gear up for what’s most important in our lives because if you don’t win the conference, you’re not going to the playoffs,” said sophomore quarterback Ron Whitcomb.

“Delaware is on our mind and that’s what we’re getting ready for,” he said.

Bears earn more respect

UMaine, which was ranked 15th in last week’s media poll conducted by The Sports Network, has moved up to No. 8 in the Division I-AA rankings. The Bears even picked up two first-place votes.

UMaine is among seven A-10 teams ranked in the top 25 this week. Delaware leads the way at No. 4, followed by Maine (8), New Hampshire (14), Massachusetts (16), Northeastern (18) and James Madison (24).

UMaine even picked up a bit of national recognition Sunday night.

The Bears earned kudos on ESPN where they were recognized as part of Chris Berman’s Top 10 Plays of the Week.

Berman selected Ron Whitcomb’s game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass to a diving Kevin McMahan as the No. 9 play in all of sports last week.

I-A game still part of plan

UMaine athletic director Patrick Nero and Cosgrove both have said playing a Division I-A opponent is likely to become the rule rather than the exception.

While Nero wasn’t willing to discuss the possibilities for next season, it is believed UMaine is talking with several I-A schools about playing a game next year.

What remains to be seen is how the upset of MSU might affect UMaine’s ability to schedule future I-A opponents, especially some of the lower-echelon teams with which the Bears should be more competitive.

“We don’t have it booked. It’s going to be tough,” a smiling Nero said Saturday night.