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For the first time since 2002, the University of Maine football team picked up a playoff victory, defeating Appalachian State University 34-12.
The Black Bears’ five touchdowns all came on plays of 20 yards or more, showcasing their big-play abilities. UMaine beat the Mountaineers in Boone, N.C. nine years ago for their last playoff win.
The Black Bears’ offense was unstoppable, picking up 466 yards on the day. The defense allowed nothing on the ground for Appalachian State, as the Mountaineers compiled a total of 3 yards rushing on 25 carries.
“It’s a little hard, as a coach you never feel that [you dominated], especially when you study a team as much as we have,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove. “And when it was 27-12, they get a touchdown and it’s a one-score game.
“The thing I like is we stayed the course,” he added. “Our guys were poised and they played with a tremendous amount of confidence. As the game went along, we clearly established ourselves as the better team. Our defense did a great job — just relentless pursuit.”
Senior running back Pushaun Brown rushed for over 100 yards and a score, while his freshman partner David Hood finished with 88 yards, most of them coming on a 54-yard touchdown.
Senior quarterback Warren Smith completed 17 of 26 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, two of them going to freshman wide receiver Damarr Aultman, who finished with five receptions and 117 yards.
“I thought our quarterback played well for the most part,” Cosgrove said. “Early in the game when we really needed him, he was sharp.”
Mountaineers senior wide receiver Brian Quick — an NFL prospect some project to be drafted as high as the second round in 2012 — was shut down by the Black Bears’ secondary, posting seven catches for 41 yards.
“We felt going in that we had to be very good on the defensive side of the ball,” Cosgrove said. “We were aware of what they did with him by their sets. I thought [sophomore defensive back] Kendall James and [junior defensive back] Darlos James played him well. What we took away was the deep stuff. We gave him the 5-yard catch and we tackled him.”
After forcing a three-and-out on the Mountaineers’ first drive, the Black Bears proved the game wasn’t going to be a breeze for the three-time national champions, driving the length of the field for an early score.
On first down in Appalachian State’s territory, Smith faked the handoff and rolled out to the right to launch a bomb downfield, caught in the end zone by Aultman to give the Black Bears the early 7-0 lead.
The Black Bears stopped another Mountaineers’ drive and Smith went back to work, completing his first six passes of the game. The Black Bears made their way inside Appalachian State’s 10-yard line, but senior kicker Brian Harvey’s field goal was blocked by the Mountaineers’ defense.
The Black Bears forced another three-and-out and took the lead and possession into the second quarter, but Smith gave the ball away with an interception to junior linebacker Justin Lloyd.
The Mountaineers couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and had to punt the ball away again.
After exchanging possession, Appalachian State found the end zone on a third-and-nine from 20 yards out. Sophomore quarterback Jamal Jackson found sophomore wide receiver Andrew Peacock in the end zone, but the extra point was blocked, bringing the score to 7-6 UMaine.
On their next drive, Smith and Aultman connected again, this time for a 35-yard touchdown after a great post-pattern by Aultman. The Mountaineers repaid the favor, however, and blocked Harvey’s extra-point attempt, leaving the score 13-6 at halftime in favor of UMaine.
After the Black Bears punted away to open the second half, the Mountaineers botched a fourth-down punt, going just 17 yards and giving UMaine great field position.
The Black Bears took advantage, eventually scoring after Brown converted a crucial fourth down, setting up a 21-yard completion from Smith to sophomore fourth-string quarterback John Ebeling, bringing their lead to 20-6.
Another three-and-out by the Mountaineers led to another huge play, as Hood burst through the Appalachian State defense for a 54-yard touchdown, giving UMaine a 21-point lead of 27-6 with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Mountaineers caught a break late in the third when Peacock was on the receiving end of Jackson’s fourth-down pass. Appalachian State turned the conversion into a touchdown after senior running back Tavaris Cadet scored from a yard out. The score remained 27-12 after a missed extra point.
After a three-and-out by the Black Bears, the Mountaineers regained possession with over 13 minutes remaining, down just two scores.
However, during a third-and-long, UMaine sophomore defensive back Kendall James intercepted Jackson’s pass, which led to a 21-yard touchdown run by Brown.
“We popped some big runs,” Cosgrove said. “I thought the two by Pushaun and David were really outstanding efforts.”
The Mountaineers continued to lose focus as UMaine sophomore defensive end Michael Cole sacked Jackson and forced a fumble, recovered by Black Bears senior safety Trevor Coston.
Another late turnover by Jackson sealed the deal for the Black Bears, who will travel to Georgia Southern University next weekend in the quarterfinals.
