ORONO – Football teaches its participants how to deal with adversity. Still, nothing could have prepared the University of Maine football team to handle the death last Monday of assistant coach Jeff Cole.

After a week spent grieving and then honoring the 30-year-old cancer victim, the Black Bears mustered enough energy Saturday to win on the field.

The 19th-ranked Black Bears scored 21 unanswered second-half points, including Manauris Arias’ 54-yard interception return, on their way to a 35-26 Atlantic 10 Homecoming victory over Northeastern in front of 8,057 fans at Alfond Stadium.

“I was worried. I was concerned,” admitted UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove. “We talked about it. We addressed it. We honored [Cole] throughout the course of the whole week…

“I have to say that our players responded, got a win here today,” he added.

The 4-3 Bears, now 2-2 in A-10 play, struggled to contain the Huskies’ potent passing attack, allowing 353 yards through the air. They bailed themselves out with two interceptions, two blocked field goals and a fumble recovery, along with some timely offensive execution.

“At the times we need to do something, we did it – offensively, defensively and on special teams,” Cosgrove said. “That shows your measure of character, to respond in situations of the game when things are on the line.”

UMaine demonstrated good offensive balance. Senior tailback Marcus Williams gained 137 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown and caught three passes for 31 yards.

Sophomore quarterback Ron Whitcomb completed 18 of 26 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Ten Bears caught at least one pass, led by Christian Pereira (three catches, 55 yards, two TDs).

Trailing 17-14 late in the third, the Bears snapped out of a prolonged offensive funk after having allowed sacks on four of its previous five plays.

UMaine regained the lead with a 59-yard drive covering five plays as Whitcomb found a double-covered Pereira for a TD on a 33-yard post pattern.

The Huskies (3-4, 2-2 A-10) reached the UM 29 on their next possession, but Brandon McGowan blocked a 47-yard field-goal try by Miro Kesic 10 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The hosts cashed in four plays later when Williams picked his way through traffic before sprinting for a 27-yard score. The PAT made it 28-17 with 13:14 remaining.

Two plays into NU’s ensuing series, Arias stepped in front of a Shawn Brady throw at his own 46-yard line and raced down the home sideline 54 yards for the clinching TD.

“That was the biggest play of the game, I think,” Cosgrove said. “It really changed everything about the game when Manauris got the pick and ran it back.”

The Huskies scored twice more on Kesic’s 27-yard field goal and a 49-yard TD strike from Brady (28-for-43, 353 yds., 1 TD) to Cory Parks (10 rec., 168 yds., 1 TD) with 6:31 left.

UMaine ran out the clock, aided by Devon Goree’s interception and a running-into-the-kicker penalty.

Safety Daren Stone led UMaine with 15 tackles and McGowan posted 10. Liam Ezekiel had 14 for Northeastern.

The Bears led throughout the first half and took the momentum into halftime. After calling three straight timeouts to “freeze” Kesic, UMaine tackle Pat Pa’u broke through and blocked a 34-yard field-goal attempt during the final seconds of the first half.

The play sent UMaine into the locker room ahead 14-10.

The Bears had taken a 7-0 lead with an 84-yard scoring drive as Ivi Nwosu took a short toss from Whitcomb and scooted 14 yards for a touchdown at the 10:58 mark.

The Huskies answered with a 71-yard march and Kesic’s 32-yard field goal with 4:54 left.

UMaine scored again when Pereira, tightly defended by NU’s Louvans Charlot, made a brilliant one-handed grab of a Whitcomb pass for a 19-yard TD.

“First you think, how did he hold onto that?” Whitcomb said. “That’s the best catch I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Pereira said he didn’t run his route exactly as planned.

“Ron threw the ball to where I should have been,” Pereira said. “Based on where the defender was lined up, I kind of came a little flat across, so I put [Whitcomb] in a bad situation so I had to make up for it.”

Northeastern scored five minutes later when Brady snuck in from a yard out with 8:26 left, making it 14-10.

BLACK BEARS 35, HUSKIES 36

Northeastern (3-4) 3 7 7 9 – 26

Maine (4-3) 7 7 7 14 – 35

UM – Nwosu 14 pass from Whitcomb (Mellow kick)

NU – Kesic 32 field goal

UM – Pereira 19 pass from Whitcomb (Mellow kick)

NU – Brady 1 run (Kesick kick)

NU – Brady 1 run (Kesic kick)

UM – Pereira 33 pass from Whitcomb (Mellow kick)

UM – M. Williams 27 run (Mellow kick)

UM – Arias 54 interception return (Mellow kick)

NU – Kesic 27 field goal

NU – Parks 49 pass from Brady (pass failed)

Northeastern Maine

First downs 28 18

Rushing att.-yards 35-119 39-160

Passing comp.-att. 28-43 18-26

Passing yards 353 173

Total yards 472 333

Punts-avg. 4-32.0 7-37.3

Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0

Intercepted by 0 2

Penalties-yards 8-73 11-109

Rushing

Northeastern: West 26-108, Thomas 1-18, Parks 1-0, Brady 7-(-7); Maine: M. Williams 22-137, K. Williams 8-36, Gordon 1-10, Team 1-(-1), Whitcomb 7-(-22)

Passing

Northeastern: Brady 28-43-2-353; Maine: Whitcomb 18-26-0-173

Receiving

Northeastern: Parks 10-168, Lawlor 6-72, Mitchell 5-51, Thomas 4-43, West 2-2, Graham 1-17; Maine: Pereira 3-55, M. Williams 3-31, Ry. Waller 3-25, Nwosu 2-19, Gordon 2-14, Radulski 1-13, K. Henry 1-9, Ababio 1-3, Ro. Waller 1-2, McMahan 1-2

A-8,057