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Two years ago, the University of Maine football team endured a heartbreaking loss at the University of Massachusetts. After rallying late in the game, all the Black Bears needed was to kick the extra point. Former Black Bear Devin McNeill missed the point-after attempt, and UMaine fell to the Minutemen, eliminating them from playoff contention.
On Saturday, the Black Bears were back in Amherst with playoff chances on the line, and this time heartbreak fell on UMass.
Armando Cuko missed the game-tying extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter and the Black Bears intercepted UMass quarterback Liam Coen four times as they won their fifth straight game, 21-20, in front of more than 9,000 fans at McGuirk Stadium.
UMaine (7-3, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association) moves into a first place tie in the North division with the University of New Hampshire and keeps their playoff hopes alive. UMass (6-4, 4-3 CAA), which won six straight games against the Black Bears, is all but eliminated from playoff contention.
In the first half, Jack Cosgrove’s squad manhandled the Minutemen. With a punishing running assault, the Black Bear offense was on the field for nearly 20 minutes.
The first scoring drive for UMaine lasted 6:43 and spanned two quarters. Redshirt freshman tailback Derek Session capped off the 14-play, 95-yard drive when he scored on a two-yard run.
Senior tailback Jhamal Fluellen broke a couple tackles on a 26-yard touchdown run for the Black Bears’ other touchdown to give them a 14-0 lead heading into the half.
In the second half, UMass scored on their first possession as Coen found Ian Jorgensen in the end zone from five yards out to make it 14-7. UMaine’s next drive was stalled when junior quarterback Michael Brusko threw an interception and the Minutemen marched down the field and tied it up on a Chris Zardas three-yard run.
The Black Bears regrouped, and with a steady rain coming down, they continued to rush the ball. Redshirt freshman H-back Jared Turcotte, who finished the day with 83 yards on 13 carries, scored from three yards out to start the fourth quarter to make it 21-14.
On the next play from scrimmage, UMass answered when Coen threw a screen pass to wide receiver Jeremy Horne for a 58-yard touchdown. Cuko hit the extra-point attempt off the right upright to make it 21-20.
UMass had several more possessions and even a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the game, but the defense for the Black Bears intercepted Coen three times in the fourth quarter. Seniors Lamir Whetstone (2) and Andrew Downey (1) and redshirt freshman Norman Smith (1) all picked off the preseason CAA Offensive Player of the Year.
While UMaine only attempted to pass the ball seven times, they ran the ball 63 times for 296 yards. Turcotte, Session and Fluellen all had more than 70 yards on the ground while freshman tailback Pushaun Brown added 52 yards on six carries.
The Black Bears resume action next Saturday when they travel to Kingston, R.I., for a CAA matchup against the University of Rhode Island. Kickoff is slated for noon.
Bangor Daily News