ORONO – The University of Maine football team is closing in on the end of its first week of spring workouts.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears, coming off a 5-6 season in 2005, are working to fill holes left by the likes of departing seniors Jermaine Walker, Kevin McMahan, Montell Owens, Ben Lazarski, Ryan Bird, Josh Radulski, and Jarrod Gomes.

The Bears, who began practice last Saturday, are gearing up for the first of three spring scrimmages. UMaine will scrimmage Saturday at 8:45 a.m. on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium in Orono.

Maine will hold the 15 practices allowed by the NCAA during the spring season. The Bears will wrap up the spring May 6 at 9 a.m. with the second annual Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage.