Defense powers Bears past Rams Discipline key to 3rd straight win

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ORONO – Saturday was “Senior Day” for the University of Maine football team at Alfond Stadium.

With senior linebacker and tri-captain John Wormuth having returned home to Pennsylvania earlier in the week for undisclosed personal reasons, his Black Bear teammates and 11 fellow seniors made sure he would be proud of the effort.

UMaine limited Rhode Island’s option offense to 91 yards, completely stifling the Rams to provide the foundation for a 35-0 Colonial Athletic Association victory in front of 4,280 fans at chilly Morse Field.

“Ninety-one yards?” UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove said, looking at the game statistics. “Call Guinness [World Records], that’s pretty good.”

Rhode Island (2-8, 1-6 CAA) managed 46 rushing yards behind fullback Jimmy Hughes, who fumbled twice. Linebacker Jordan Stevens (forced fumble, fumble recovery) and end Jovan Belcher paced UMaine with five tackles each.

Wormuth returned home Wednesday to attend to a personal situation which Cosgrove said had nothing to do with any misconduct by Wormuth.

“It’s unfortunate John [Wormuth] couldn’t be with us,” said linebacker Andrew Downey. “He’s one of our best, if not the best, defensive player.

However, he praised the response of the defense to the loss of its tackling leader and emotional sparkplug. Sophomore Mark Masterson helped pick up the slack.

“We were really disciplined throughout the whole game and it shows, putting a goose egg up there,” Downey added.

It was UMaine’s first shutout since a 28-0 win over NAIA school William Penn on Sept. 10, 2005. The Rams only penetrated the UMaine 35-yard line once and never crossed the 25.

Quarterback Mike Brusko made an emphatic return to the starting lineup in place of the injured Adam Farkes, who is out for the season with a left shoulder injury.

The sophomore rushed for a career-high 146 yards and three touchdowns and passed for a career-best 164 yards and two scores as UMaine (4-6, 3-4 CAA) won its third straight contest.

“The biggest thing was walking out there and feeling like I had the confidence of my teammates and my coaches,” said Brusko, who ran the ball 24 times, including touchdowns of 1, 6 and 3 yards, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

Brusko completed 11 of 20 passes, with scoring tosses of 20 and 16 yards for UMaine (4-6, 3-4 CAA).

“Brusko stepped up,” said senior offensive tackle Shawn Demaray of Livermore Falls. “I’ve always had faith in Brusko. He ran for a hundred and threw for over a hundred. What else can you ask from him?”

Maine junior tailback Jhamal Fluellen also carried 20 times for 84 yards, pushing him over 1,000 yards for the season. Fluellen (1,021 yards) became the eighth runner in school history to accomplish the feat.

After missing practice most of last week with shoulder and rib injuries, he toughed it out.

“It’s meaningful to me, but I think it’s more meaningful to the offensive linemen, especially Shawn [Demaray] and Jacob Folz in their last [home] game,” Fluellen said, crediting the offensive line. “I don’t think they’ve ever blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.”

Maine set the tone for the afternoon on its first possession. The hosts marched 94 yards on 19 plays, capped by Brusko’s 1-yard touchdown dive.

The Bears converted four of five third-down situations, two on Brusko passes, and Fluellen ran hard (7 carries, 29 yards) on the drive which consumed 8 minutes, 47 seconds.

“That drive was very important,” Cosgrove said. “Ninety-five yards, into the wind, and a bunch of big plays and third-down conversions. Michael was really the big key to that drive. When you have that start, that’s just huge for your state of mind.”

UMaine made it 14-0 with 5:15 left in the first half after a 43-yard drive. Brusko, who had a key 17-yard, third-down run, rolled right and floated an 18-yard scoring pass to Matt Mulligan.

URI threatened on its next possession, but Jonathan Pirruccello’s sack of Rams QB Derek Cassidy on fourth-and-12 halted the drive.

Sparked by a nifty 36-yard pass from Brusko to Fluellen on a drag route, UMaine went 65 yards on four plays. Brusko’s 6-yard run through right guard gave the Bears a 21-0 edge shortly before halftime.

Rhode Island lost four fumbles, two of which (both by Hughes) led directly to UMaine touchdowns in the second half.

Brusko scored on a 3-yard keeper around right end to cap a 74-yard march with 6:42 left in the third, then he found Landis Williams on a 16-yard timing toss in the end zone three minutes later to provide the margin of victory.

L.T. Brantley and Steve Marrella led the Rams’ defense with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively, and each forced a fumble.

BLACK BEARS 35, RAMS 0

Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 – 0

Maine 7 14 14 0 – 35

M – Brusko 1 run (Donnelly kick)

M – Mulligan 20 pass from Brusko (Donnelly kick)

M – Brusko 6 run (Donnelly kick)

M – Brusko 3 run (Donnelly kick)

M – Williams 16 pass from Brusko (Donnelly kick)

Rhode Island Maine

First downs 7 24

Rushing att.-yards 27-43 60-275

Passing comp.-att. 7-20 11-20

Passing yards 48 164

Total yards 91 439

Punts-avg. 6-32.7 3-31.0

Fumbles-lost 5-4 2-2

Intercepted by 0 0

Penalties-yards 5-45 6-56

Rushing

Rhode Island: Hughes 13-46, Ferrer 2-11, Jones 4-3, Stefkovich 3-2, Allen 2-(minus-8), Cassidy 3-(minus-11); Maine: Brusko 24-146, Fluellen 20-84, Henderson 13-51, team 3-(minus-6)

Passing

Rhode Island: Cassidy 5-14-0-48, Stefkovich 2-6-0-0; Maine: Brusko 11-20-0-164

Receiving

Rhode Island: Leonard 2-23, Allen 2-5, Chester 1-20, Dickerson 1-6, Jones 1-(minus-6); Maine: Williams 4-45, Mulligan 2-28, Fersner 2-24, Fluellen 1-36, Jones 1-17, Kelley 1-14

A-4,280