FARMINGTON – The situation was all too familiar for the Bangor Rams, only this time the stakes were even higher.

Only three games into the regular season, the Rams found themselves in their second overtime. And with an 0-2 record, they had to come out with a win.

If it was all too familiar for Bangor, it was deja vu for tailback Ryan Largay, who was unable to score after a long gain and two short ones in an overtime loss two weeks ago.

Different game, different result. This time around, Largay followed up a first down OT run for no gain with a 2-yard gain and then burst right through the middle and into the end zone. Largay’s 8-yard touchdown run gave the Rams a dramatic 13-7 overtime victory over Mt. Blue on a balmy, comfortable night at Caldwell Field.

“We just needed to get in a rhythm. I think this game is a big stepping stone to that and I think my line really stepped up with that tonight,” said Largay, who carried the ball 29 times for 98 yards and both touchdowns.

Largay’s yards – part of the 178 the Rams gained on the ground, averaging 3.8 per carry – came behind a revamped offensive line, which featured a new right side as sophomore fullback Kyle Oliver was plugged in at tackle and Trevor LaGrange went from tackle to guard. The rest of the line stayed the same with Conor Stephens at center, Danny Day at left tackle, and Travis Barry at left guard.

As solid as the offensive unit played, it was defense that won the game for Bangor as the 1-2 Rams stuffed the Cougars on three drives deep into Bangor territory. The key stand came after Jake Hardy blocked a punt and recovered the ball at the Bangor 27-yard line with 11:13 left in the second quarter.

Five plays and a first down later, Stephens recovered a fumbled second-down snap at the B-12.

“I think the big thing is they finally started believing in each other, but not letting them in the end zone then was the biggest thing,” said Rams head coach Mark Hackett. “It’s like we just said, ‘Let’s just play and play the way we know how.’ ”

Bangor’s first scoring drive ended with 47 seconds left in the first half as Largay capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard TD burst up the middle.

The score answered Mt. Blue’s opening drive, which went 88 yards in 16 plays and ended with a 13-yard TD touch pass, a floater from Chelsea Allen to Ron DiGravio in the left side of the end zone seven minutes into the game.

It looked like the 2-1 Cougars would start and finish the game with scoring drives after David DiGravio picked off a Zak Ray 2nd-and-4 pass at the B-47 and returned it 16 yards with 54 seconds left in the game. The Cougars drove 20 yards in two plays and Allen gained five more on a first-down carry with 10 seconds left.

Mt. Blue called timeout with four seconds left and sent kicker David Russo out with the field goal unit. Russo got the kick off, but Bangor got tremendous penetration up the middle and left side, from which Joe Blier shot in from and blocked the kick with his outstretched hand in mid-dive. Ray grabbed the loose ball and returned it 50 yards as time ran out.

In overtime, Blier was in on three of four tackles as Mt. Blue got the ball first. The Cougars managed gains of 1 and 4 yards before an incompletion. The ball went to Bangor after a completion for minus-1 yard as Blier wrapped up Ron DiGravio and drove him into the turf.

“We were very confident in that [kicking], but with their offense, on fourth down I didn’t dare go for the field goal again,” said MB coach Gary Parlin on his decision to go for it on fourth down. “We figured if we didn’t get a touchdown, we might not win.”

“Our defense stepped up this week too” said Blier, who along with Ben Payson and Steve Fergerson, led Rams tacklers. “We got a couple of key stops on them and we always think we’re a second half team.”

RAMS 13, COUGARS 7

Bangor (1-2) 0 7 0 0 6 ? 13

Mt. Blue (2-1) 7 0 0 0 0 ? 7

MB – R. DiGravio 13 pass from Allen (Russo kick)

B ? Largay 10 run (Achorn kick)

B ? Largay 8 run

Bangor Mt. Blue

First downs 9 11

Rushing att.-yards 47-178 36-111

Passing comp.-att. 2-8 6-18

Passing yards 14 49

Total yards 192 160

Punts-avg. 6-32.8 6-37.0

Fumbles-lost 2-0 4-2

Intercepted by 1 2

Penalties-yards 8-55 6-45

Rushing

Bangor: Largay 29-98, Ray 10-42, Huhn 6-34, Dowe 1-4, Flynn 1-0; Mt. Blue: Hutchinson 16-62, Allen 12-36, Meader 8-13

Passing

Bangor: Ray 2-8-2-14; Mt. Blue: Allen 6-18-1-49

Receiving

Bangor: Dowe 1-14, Flynn 1-0; Mt. Blue: R. DiGravio 4-28, Beaulieu 1-14, Shaw 1-7

A? 650 (est.)