ORONO – A season marred by close, heartbreaking losses ended in that same fashion Saturday for the University of Maine football team.

Chad Kackert scooted around left end for a 6-yard touchdown run in overtime as 10th-ranked New Hampshire earned a 19-13 Atlantic 10 victory over No. 22 UMaine at Alfond Stadium.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears finish at 6-5 (5-3 A-10), with four of their five losses coming against ranked teams.

“It’s tough to swallow,” said UMaine senior quarterback Ron Whitcomb. “We’ll probably think about it the rest of our lives, but you’ve just got to move on and tell the younger guys to learn from some of the mistakes that we made and try to improve.”

The 8-3 Wildcats (5-3 A-10) earned an NCAA playoff at-large bid and travel to Hampton (Va.) on Saturday. With its third straight win over UMaine, UNH retains the Brice-Cowell Musket, which is given to the winner of the rivalry.

Saturday’s game was similar to UMaine’s 10-9 loss at Massachusetts a week earlier. This time, the Bears pushed it to overtime – during which each team gets the ball at the opponent’s 25-yard line and plays until it scores, gives up the ball on downs or turns it over.

UMaine went on offense after UNH won the coin toss and chose to play defense. The Wildcats held on three plays. Freshman Devin McNeill of Portland tried a 40-yard field goal, but missed wide right.

McNeill had missed the potential game-tying extra point a week earlier at UMass.

“I think it was our only legit shot was to go for the field goal,” Cosgrove said. “It wasn’t like he didn’t have the distance.”

New Hampshire took over and ran the ball. On the fourth play, Kackert eluded tackle Bruno Dorismond on the corner, tiptoed along the sideline and dove inside the pylon.

UMaine’s defense held one of the nation’s most potent offenses in check (250 total yards), but it was the ability of the offense to maintain possession of the football that dictated the tone of the contest.

The Bears held the ball for an incredible 41 minutes, 54 seconds (70 percent of the game).

“Maine was effective, because their drives kept us off the field,” said UNH coach Sean McDonnell. “They took a lot of time off the clock, so we couldn’t get the ball.”

Even so, the Bears didn’t capitalize on scoring chances.

Trailing 13-6, UMaine got the equalizer with 8:08 left in the game. Set up by Manauris Arias’ 27-yard punt return, the Bears went 45 yards in seven plays.

Senior wide receiver Arel Gordon capped it with a superb twisting catch of Whitcomb’s 22-yard fade pass to the right rear corner of the end zone. McNeill’s PAT made it 13-13.

“I thought we were going to take it from there, keep the momentum and go on and win the game,” said UMaine senior Matt King.

Gordon tied a school record with 17 receptions and picked up 100 yards. Whitcomb (28-for-37, 202 yds.) set a UMaine mark with his 68th career TD pass and led the Bears with 18 carries for 62 yards.

The Bears defense immediately held and got the ball back at the UNH 48. However, on fourth-and-one from the 21 with 3:40 to play, the Wildcats stopped tailback Teron Allen for a 1-yard loss.

“I’ve always felt that good football teams get it done on fourth-and-one,” Cosgrove said. “You’ve got to go for it. You’ve got to make it.”

UNH scored on the game’s first possession after punter Matt Henry eluded a heavy rush and ran 41yards. Quarterback Ricky Santos capped a 73-yard drive 1-yard run.

The Bears responded with an 18-play, 66-yard march that consumed 10:35 and culminated in McNeill’s 23-yard field goal with 55.2 seconds left.

The Wildcats went to the air and scored again on their next possession. Santos (18-for-31, 156 yds.) completed five throws, including a 20-yarder to Sean Lynch that set up a 5-yard scoring run by Santos.

Tom Bishop’s kick missed, leaving UNH on top 13-3.

The Bears went back on the offensive, going 65 yards on 16 plays in 8:30 before settling for McNeill’s 26-yard field goal. UMaine failed to get into the end zone after having first-and-goal from the 8.

UMaine later moved to the UNH 22, but McNeill missed a 39-yard field goal wide left.

The defense stood tall, affording the Wildcats only four first downs in the second half. The Bears stayed close early in the third quarter after senior Alex Goyins (8 tackles) made consecutive stops on Santos runs from the 2-yard line.

Andrew Downey made seven tackles, including a sack, for the Bears. Matt Parent led UNH with 15 tackles.

WILDCATS 19, BLACK BEARS 13 (OT)

New Hampshire (8-3) 7 6 0 0 6 – 19

Maine (6-5) 3 3 0 7 0 – 13

NH – Santos 1 run (Manning kick)

UM – McNeill 23 field goal

NH – Santos 5 run (Manning kick)

UM – McNeill 25 field goal

UM – Gordon 22 pass from Whitcomb (McNeill kick)

NH – Kackert 6 run (no conversion attempted)

New Hampshire Maine

First downs 11 21

Rushing att.-yards 24-94 39-121

Passing comp.-att. 18-31 28-37

Passing yards 156 202

Total yards 250 323

Punts-avg. 4-34.2 3-15

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0

Intercepted by 1 1

Penalties-yards 1-11 1-5

Rushing

New Hampshire: Henry 1-41, Santos 16-34, Ward 4-11, Kackert 1-6, Levan 1-3, Team 1-(minus 1); Maine: Whitcomb 18-62, Allen 7-40, Gordon 9-20, Brusko 2-3, Pearson 1-1, Fluellen 2-(minus 5)

Passing

New Hampshire: Santos 18-31-1-156; Maine: Whitcomb 28-37-1-202

Receiving

New Hampshire: Ball 5-60, Brown 4-28, Ward 4-24, Lynch 2-29, Levan 2-10, Simpson 1-5; Maine: Gordon 17-100, Fluellen 7-57, Mulligan 2-25, Pierre 1-13, Pearson 1-7

A-4,834