UMaine wins 2nd in a row Key defensive play holds off Huskies

BROOKLINE, Mass. – A week earlier, the defense forced two fourth-quarter fumbles to help rally the University of Maine past Delaware.

Saturday afternoon, the Black Bears’ defensive unit stopped Northeastern twice in the last 41/2 minutes to preserve a 14-10 Atlantic 10 football victory at sunny, warm Parsons Field.

Freshman cornerback Lamir Whetstone broke up Anthony Orio’s pass to the end zone with 37 seconds left, sending UMaine (4-5 overall, 2-4 A-10) to its second straight win and its first of the season on the road.

“It was fourth down, so we all just got back and said if it got thrown up, just bat it down, don’t even try to catch it,” Whetstone said. “I batted it kind of up, but somebody else [Joan Quezada] batted it down.”

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Bears scored on their first two possessions and made the points stand up with another strong defensive effort despite playing without starting cornerback Daren Stone (foot injury).

“Our defense stood up and made some big stands,” Cosgrove said. “We got a great win again.”

Versatile wide receiver Arel Gordon was a workhorse for UMaine. The elusive junior caught a career-best 11 passes for 90 yards and picked up 46 rushing yards on 11 carries.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder made a handful of determined runs to fuel a fourth-quarter possession during which the Bears threatened to put the game away.

“There’s three or four plays where he could have easily gotten tackled by one person,” said UMaine quarterback Ron Whitcomb. “Instead, he’s running over the first two and then getting the first down.”

The 13-play, 57-yard march ended at the NU 8 with 4:36 to play when safety Richard Onrah broke up a pass to the end zone. The Bears used up five minutes, 19 seconds and left NU with poor field position.

“It was a game of who wanted it and who was going to get it done late in the game,” said Whitcomb, who completed 21 of 33 passes for 178 yards and was intercepted once.

“That drive we had we didn’t capitalize, but I think it really made it tough for them to come back.”

Senior linebacker Jermaine Walker spearheaded a hard-hitting performance for the Bears with 13 tackles. He and nose tackle Mike DeVito combined for a fourth-down sack of Orio with 2:18 remaining that gave UMaine the ball at the NU 31.

The Bears again failed to convert, placing the pressure back on the defense with 1:52 left. Orio completed three passes to move Northeastern (1-8, 1-5 A-10) from its own 26 to the UM 28 with 45 seconds left, but Whetstone’s play clinched it.

“We were out there saying, if this team doesn’t score right now, we’re definitely going to win the game,” Walker said. “That was what we were just feeding off the whole drive.”

The Bears put 14 quick points on the scoreboard, opening the game with a 13-play, 71-yard march that featured an excellent run-pass blend. Whitcomb completed five of six throws for 49 yards, and Montell Owens capped the march with a 4-yard run at the 9:01 mark.

It was the first time all season UMaine had scored on its first possession of a half.

After a quick stop, the Bears rambled 46 yards on seven straight runs. Owens’ 19-yard jaunt was the big gainer, then Whitcomb snuck into the end zone from a yard out on a fourth-down play.

Matt Voliva’s second PAT made it 14-0 with 4:44 to play in the first quarter.

“I thought there was a lot more of that coming,” Cosgrove said. “Credit Northeastern … they made the stops, they made it tough on us to run the football.

NU carried the play the rest of the half. Aided by two 15-yard penalties on the ensuing kickoff, the Huskies moved in for Miro Kesic’s 23-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the quarter.

NU then put together a 55-yard scoring drive late in the second quarter, sparked by the tough running of Maurice Murray (17 carries, 66 yards). Orio’s 2-yard option run with 53 seconds left and Kesic’s PAT cut the Bears’ lead to 14-10 at halftime.