With 1:44 left in the next-to-last game of the regular season at Massachusetts, the University of Maine football team was a two-point conversion away from first place in the Atlantic 10 North and within reach of an Division I-AA playoff berth.

Two failed PATs later, the Black Bears were out of contention for the conference title and virtually eliminated from postseason consideration.

Such was the tone of a season on the brink for UMaine, which wound up 6-5 overall and 5-3 in its final season in the A-10. Next year, the 12 teams will be absorbed into the Colonial Athletic Association.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s team was 24th in The Sports Network’s last regular-season poll.

Despite boasting one of the country’s most formidable defenses, UMaine fell short of its goals. The Bears improved during the season, but never established enough scoring punch or kicking consistency to pull out victories in key games.

Despite facing one of the toughest schedules in I-AA, UMaine legitimately could have won all but the contest against I-A Boston College (22-0). Its three Atlantic 10 losses came by a combined 10 points.

“I don’t think we take a back seat to anybody in our league,” Cosgrove said. “We’re going to sit here with a loss to No. 3 in the country [Youngstown State], No. 5 in the country [UMass], No. [9] in the country [New Hampshire] in I-AA and No. [18] in the country in I-A [Boston College] and a loss in a monsoon [at Rhode Island].”

The foundation of UMaine’s season was built on its defense, directed by first-year coordinator Robb Smith. Spearheaded by a dominating defensive line, the Bears were first in the nation in rushing defense (63.9 yards per game), second in total defense (229.9 ypg) and No. 2 in the league in scoring defense (13.1 ppg).

Senior linemen Matt King and Mike DeVito were among the most feared players in the A-10, while junior end Patrick McCrossan and junior tackle Bruno Dorismond also pressured quarterbacks and stopped the run consistently.

The linebacker corps featured junior John Wormuth and sophomores Andrew Downey and Jovan Belcher, who made UMaine almost impossible to run against. Senior strong safety Daren Stone was a versatile presence in the secondary, where soph safety Jonathan Calderon, senior cornerback Manauris Arias and senior safety Alex Goyins contained opposing receivers along with soph corners Lionel Nixon and Lamir Whetstone.

UMaine’s spread offense showed flashes of potential, but lacked punch. Seniors Ron Whitcomb and Arel Gordon led an inexperienced group of backs and receivers, helping them learn the ropes.

With Gordon and Whitcomb running the ball, the Bears controlled the football and the clock. UMaine led the A-10 in time of possession (35-plus minutes per game), blending the run and the pass.

Whitcomb, who passed for 1,398 yards and nine TDs, finished with UMaine career records for TD passes (68), completions (755), pass attempts (1,276), total offense (8,801 yards) and interceptions (44).

The versatile Gordon rushed for 843 yards and also led the team with 63 catches for 535 yards and eight touchdowns.

However, coordinator Bobby Wilder’s unit struggled with inexperience. The Bears averaged only 19.7 points and 298.7 yards.

The offensive line performed admirably, despite having only one senior in guard Justin Roberts. Junior tackles Shawn Demaray and Jacob Folz, along with sophomore center Ryan Canary and soph guard Chris Arnao, enabled UMaine to incorporate several new players at running back and wideout.

Sophomore tailbacks Jhamal Fluellen and Teron Allen showed promise, while soph wideout Manzi Pierre and freshman Landis Williams made some big plays. Junior H-back Matt Mulligan and junior fullback Anthony Cotrone gave the team two bruising blockers with pass-catching capabilities.

While the Bears developed a knack for moving the ball between the 20-yard lines, they had difficulty converting those long possessions into points.

UMaine also was young at placekicker with freshman walk-on Devin McNeill. He converted 26 of 28 extra points, although one of the misses would have tied the UMass game in the late going.

McNeill had limited field-goal range, but made seven of 11. He had two key misses that might have helped the Bears pick up a couple more wins.

Soph punter Kash Kiefer was dependable in his first season, averaging 36.7 yards per kick.

UMaine appears to be in position to make a run at the league title next season. While the defense loses five significant players, it developed depth and should be stout once again.

On offense, the big question mark is at quarterback, where Mike Brusko is expected to be challenged Adam Farkes. The Bears will have plenty of experience and better depth in the line, while the skill players should be more seasoned.

And expect competition at kicker, where McNeill is likely to be pushed by Luigi Sebastiani and Bobby Donnelly.

“There’s a lot of exciting things that are going to be taking place in the offseason preparation for next year,” Cosgrove said.