UMaine head football coach Jack Cosgrove stopped by the PM Jab for his weekly visit today, and had a very interesting quote on the David Hood situation:
"We certainly don't think the things that are out there in the public are true with this situation"
For three quarters on Saturday night, the Maine Black Bears played better football than William and Mary. They held a 14-3 lead at the of the third quarter, were playing solid defense and special teams, and looked like they were going to even their record at 2-2. Then, out of nowhere, it happened.
The fourth quarter showed up.
William and Mary scored 21 points in the final session, including a Chase Hill 21 yard touchdown reception with just under 21 seconds left ion the game to beat UMaine 24-21.
The touchdown capped off a 70 yard, 2 minute 26 second scoring drive led by William and Mary QB Michael Paulus, who took over for an ineffective Mike Callahan with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Paulus led two touchdown drives in the 4th, which sandwiched the Tribe's Dante Cook picking off a Warren Smith pass for 50 yards and a touchdown, which briefly gave the Tribe a 17-14 lead with 6:46 left.
The Bears stalled on the ensuing drive and had to punt, but Tribe return man BW Webb was run into by his own player, and Maine recovered the ball at the Tribe 20 yard-line. 4 plays later, Smith found Desmond Randall for a 3 yard touchdown pass that gave the Bears a 21-17 lead with 2:46 remaining, but it wasn't enough.
Maine was done in by penalties, getting called for 11 penalties that totaled 134 yards lost. It put the offense in a lot of 3rd and longs in the second half, and they could not get untracked until that 4th quarter touchdown.
Star running back Jared Turcotte was not available for the Black Bears, as his wife was giving birth to their first child in Lewiston. Pushaun Brown ran for 104 yards in his absence.
The NFL dipped in their toes in the Maine Black Bear Pool in 2010, and this year 3 players got out.
While no players were drafted, Old Town native and Offensive Lineman Tyler Eastman signed a free agent contract after the draft with the Kansas City Chiefs. Eastman joins fellow Black Bear and former CAA Defensive Player of the Year Jovan Belcher.
Temple, Maine native Jordan Stevens was invited to the Detroit Lions Mini Camp. Stevens was one of the team captains and had a stellar Senior year.
The latest Maine signing sends Wide Receiver Landis Williams to Denver, signing a free agent deal with the Broncos.
Maine DB Brandon McLaughlin has been invited to Cleveland Browns mini-camp, and Jhamal Fluellen, 2008 grad, is headed north of the border to the CFL.
Congratulations to all the 2010 Maine Black Bears who will follow their dream to the NFL.
More congratulations to Coach Jack Cosgrove and all of his former and current staff members who continue to produce NFL talent year after year.
The CAA released their full season schedule today (minus times) and the UMaine Black Bears open their season with a Thursday night tilt against Albany on 9/2/10.
Other home opponents this season include William & Mary September 25th, UNH on October 2nd, defending national champ Villanova on October 16th and James Madison on November 20th.
Road highlights include a trip to Syracuse on September 18th. In total the Black Bears play 11 games, 6 on the road and 5 at home. The Full Schedule is below (click on it for a bigger view).
Jack Mallis scores from 1-yard out against Sanford yesterday.
The Western Maine Class A semifinal match-ups are set. Times will be announced soon. 5th seeded Cheverus will travel to Thornton Academy in what may be Thornton's toughest game to date. 3rd-seeded defending state champs Bonny Eagle came from behind to beat Portland 25-19, and now gets rewarded with a trip to face 2nd seeded Windham, who shut them out 14-0 recently. All of your high school linkage can be found at MBR.org.
The Maine Black Bears football team forced UMass to into alot of mistakes and came away with a 19-9 win.
After 2 straight losses and 3 straight road games, the Maine Black Bears football team was looking forward to some home-cooking. Instead of a hearty meal, they ended up with a plateful of mom's leftover meatloaf. Delaware wore down a tired Maine defense in the second half and came out of Alfond Stadium with a 27-17 win over the Black Bears.
“Have to give Jack (Cosgrove) a lot of credit,” said Delaware coach KC Keeler. ”He is doing a great job with a very young team.”
The scoring started in the first quarter when after Maine's first drive ended in a missed field goal, Delaware quarterback Pat Devlin (a transfer from Penn State) found senior wide receiver Mark Duncan on a post pattern for a 79 yard touchdown pass to put the Blue Hens up 7-0. Maine answered later in the period with a beautifully thrown 45 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Warren Smith to wide receiver Desmond Randall to tie the score at seven. The Maine offense, which made the move to Warren Smith as the permanent starting QB last week, really embraced their new passing-based offense, but the balance between the run and pass was left behind in the transition.
“We're passing the ball a lot more than we did a couple of weeks ago,” said Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove after the game. “We aren't running as well as we were at the beginning of the year, though. We lost that balance and we aren't using one to compliment the other right now.”
The second quarter saw Maine stop Delaware on the goal line. Maine's offense stumbled, and Delaware cashed in on decent field position at their own 37 with a seven play, 63 yard drive that took 2:01 seconds off the clock. The drive was capped off by an eight yard Leon Jackson touchdown run with 5:12 left in the first half to put the Blue Hens up 14-7. Maine once again responded, this time with an eight play, 82 yard drive, and Smith's second touchdown pass of the night, this one a nine-yarder to Tyrell Jones, to tie it at 14 going into the half.
“We went into the half tied at 14,” said Cosgrove. “The second half they outplayed us, and the scoreboard showed it.”
Maine got their only points of the second half on the opening drive, as they had a twelve play, 54 yard drive that lasted 5 minutes and 46 seconds. The only problem was the drive stalled at the Delaware 17 yard-line, and the Black Bears had to settle for a 35 yard Jordan Waxman field goal. Smith looked back at that drive as the turning point after the game.
“When we have a drive like that, we have to finish it off with a touchdown,” said Smith. “We have to finish. Tonight it was the difference between winning and losing.”
Delaware's next drive got to the Maine 27 yard line, but a lost fumble gave the Black Bears offense the ball again. Delaware's defense stiffened, and it got the ball back for the dangerous Devlin. Eight plays and 71 yards later, Delaware had a 21-17 lead after Jackson took it in from two yards out. Another Maine three and out led to another long Blue Hens drive, this one eleven plays and 79 yards, but once again the Maine defense stuffed Delaware on a fourth down deep in Black Bear territory, this time at the seven yard line.
“We knew had couldn't let them convert that one,” said sophomore linebacker Donte Dennis, who finished with 23 tackles and a sack. “We wouldn't give in and we stopped them.”
Unfortunately, the Maine offense didn't take advantage, and their drive stalled after six plays and 19 yards. Forced to punt, they gave the ball back to Delaware, and this time the Blue Hens put it away with a ten play, 62 yard drive, which culminated in a 25 yard David Hayes touchdown run on fourth down to give the Blue Hens a 27-17 lead. Warren Smith threw his second interception of the night on the next drive, and it was academic from that point on. Maine has now lost three straight after starting off the year 2-0, and Coach Cosgrove is looking for some answers.
“We've got to do stop doing those little things that keep us from winning games,” said Cosgrove. “(False Starts) on a second and two, just those little things that are holding us back.”
Maine travels to Hofstra next week.
POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO
This coverage was made possible by our friends at MBR.org
Maine coach Jack Cosgrove and Delaware Coach K.C. Keeler spoke to Matty on the weekly CAA Football calls this week.
Coach Cos Highlights-
Trevor Coston has been cleared to play this Saturday against Delaware after last Saturday's scary scene where he left the field on an ambulance.
Maine is a changed team now, and it was implied that the offense we saw on Saturday night against Syracuse will be the rule, not the exception for the rest of the year.
Mike Brusko is embracing his new role as a slash-type player.
Delaware presents a challenge to the slowly maturing Maine Defense.
You can listen to the Coach Cos interview here.
Coach Keeler Highlights:
Coach Keeler does not want his quarterback Pat Devlin having to throw the ball 49 times very often.
He was very impressed by what he saw from Maine in the Syracuse game.
The New England Patriots open up against the Buffalo Bills on MNF in the 1st meeting of the AFL Legacy teams. Both the Bills and the Pats will be wearing throwbacks tonight. Gametime 7PM. Game preview with Ian Rapoport from the Boston Herald is right here.
Multiple sources have told the CMSB that former UMaine All-American and 2008 CAA Defensive Player of the Year Jovan Belcher has made the 53 man roster of the Kansas City Chiefs. Belcher was an undrafted free-agent, and has been playing special teams and middle linebacker for the Chiefs in the pre-season.
1988 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year John Stephens killed in a car accident yesterday. Stephens was 44.
The Portland Sea Dogs are relegated to the role of spoiler after missing the 2009 Playoffs. The Sea Dogs beat the Trenton Thunder 5 – 3. In other Sea Dogs news, it was announced yesterday that Mark Kotsay was the 2009 inductee into the Portland Sea Dogs Hall of Fame Sponsored by UNUM.
After 2 straight losses and 3 straight road games, the Maine Black Bears football team was looking forward to some home-cooking. Instead of a hearty meal, they ended up with a plateful of mom's leftover meatloaf. Delaware wore down a tired Maine defense in the second half and came out of Alfond Stadium with a 27-17 win over the Black Bears. 
