Practice’s end a kick for the Black Bears UM offensive line seeking uniformity as opener looms

ORONO – With the first scrimmage of 2006 drawing to a close Monday evening, Jack Cosgrove knelt on the Morse Field AstroTurf and began shouting at the members of the PAT and kick-block units.

“This has to be automatic – automatic,” Cosgrove yelled to the kick team.

The University of Maine football team had committed numerous penalties and a handful of turnovers during the scrimmage, so the veteran coach wanted to make sure his Black Bears executed crisply to end the 90-minute session.

Bobby Donnelly, Luigi Sebastiani Jr. and Devin McNeill combined to successfully convert 10 extra points – with Cosgrove alternately imploring the line to hold off the rush and daring the defense to break through and block the kicks.

“We cannot allow that part of our game to continue to be a problem, so we addressed it and hopefully we got it fixed down there in that little session at the end,” Cosgrove said.

UMaine closed out its eighth day of preseason workouts having learned important lessons as it prepares for the Sept. 9 season opener at No. 7 Youngstown State (Ohio).

Cosgrove said the presence of an Atlantic 10 officiating crew created more of a game atmosphere for the players.

“From that we were able to learn some things that we’ve got to pay attention to: Discipline with our details at the line of scrimmage, our alignments, some snap things that were off,” Cosgrove said.

Among the groups working to become cohesive units is the offensive line. Senior guard Justin Roberts and junior tackle Shawn Demaray of Livermore Falls head the contingent that forms the foundation of UMaine’s “spread” offense.

The scheme, which is designed to spread defenses out and create personnel mismatches, is challenging for the linemen.

“As an offensive lineman there is a lot going on the line of scrimmage and I think the key is understanding where the ball’s going to hit, where we’re aiming,” said Roberts, the lone senior in the group.

“It’s not much different physically,” he explained. “You’ve got to be quick, you’ve got to be agile as an offensive lineman to run this offense.”

At present, the starters up front also include sophomore center Ryan Canary, soph guard Chris Arnao and freshman tackle Jake Queener.

The Bears are expecting contributions from the likes of tackles Chris Parcells and Alexander Batanian, guards Jacob Folz and Jake Serdy, and center Matthew Barber.

In the spread, UMaine lines up prior to the snap, then adjusts its play calls and alignments based on the positioning of the defense.

“We were able to talk to the linemen today about the discipline in alignments, understanding the cadence and when we change tempos with the cadence, so they’re focusing not only on their assignment but when are we snapping the ball,” said associate head coach and offensive coordinator Bobby Wilder.

The first team offense operated Monday against the second-string defense and went scoreless in four possessions. Its best threat came on the first series of the scrimmage, which ended when redshirt freshman running back Julian Glenn fumbled at the 7-yard line.

“The disappointing thing on one side is the turnovers, but then on the other side, if you’re a defensive guy, you’re excited to see the ball coming out,” Cosgrove said.

The offense was without two starters in senior running back-receiver Arel Gordon and sophomore wide receiver Rodney Salomon, who were held out with minor injuries.

Wilder said the emphasis was on getting a look at several untested players and newcomers, including backup QB Michael Brusko, H-back Matthew Mulligan of West Enfield, backs Glenn Randall and Desmond Randall, and wideout Ryan Callahan.

“I wasn’t as concerned today about success as I was about getting people in the right positions and calling specific plays for different players to put them in critical situations,” Wilder said.

The game’s only touchdown came courtesy of the third-string offense when freshman quarterback Adam Farkes lofted a pretty 36-yard scoring pass to Randall.

Defensive tackle Mike DeVito, a senior co-captain, also was held out of the scrimmage with a minor injury.