UMaine football’s amazing 2011 season ends with 35-23 loss to Georgia Southern

Posted on Dec. 10, 2011, at 5:08 p.m.

And just like that, it was over.

One of the most successful seasons in program history for the University of Maine football team came to a close after a 35-23 defeat in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals to Georgia Southern University Saturday afternoon in Statesboro, Ga.

The Black Bears end the season at 9-4, improving from a 4-7 record in 2010 and grabbing their first playoff win since 2002.

The Eagles racked up 360 rushing yards with their multi-faceted option attack, while three interceptions by senior quarterback Warren Smith wounded the Black Bears’ chances.

The Georgia Southern rushing attack didn’t waste anytime to get things going, rushing for 28 yards on six carries while mixing in a 32-yard completion on their first drive to take a quick 7-0 lead over the Black Bears.

UMaine’s offense didn’t have the same success on their first attempt, with Smith’s first pass attempt intercepted by sophomore backup quarterback Jerick McKinnon, who was playing in the Eagles’ secondary.

Another long drive by Georgia Southern drained the clock en route to another touchdown, a 2-yard run by junior running back JJ Wilcox.

The Black Bears got the big play they needed on the ensuing kickoff, when senior running back Roosevelt Boone took it back 91 yards for the touchdown, cutting the deficit in half at 14-7.

At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles had outgained the Black Bears by 164 yards on offense.

The Black Bears were able to stop Georgia Southern on fourth-down in their first drive of the second quarter, but UMaine stalled inside the Eagle’s 10-yard line and had to settle for a field goal.

Georgia Southern used all but 31 seconds of the remaining 6 minutes, eventually scoring on another run by Wilcox, giving the Eagles a 21-10 halftime lead.

The Eagles’ only downfall in the first half was penalties, as Georgia Southern amassed eight of them for 54 yards. Other than that, the Eagles held close to a 20 minute advantage in time of possession, obtaining 14 first downs compared to UMaine’s two while amassing 230 rushing yards in the first half.

The Black Bears came within four after their first drive of the second half, capped off by a 12-yard completion from Smith to sophomore tight end Justin Perillo.

A pooch-kick to keep it away from the Eagle’s dangerous return team followed, which gave Georgia Southern a short field to work with.

It took the Eagles just eight plays to find the endzone, highlighted by a 36-yard run by Wilcox, bringing Georgia Southern’s lead back to 28-17.

Another Smith intercepted was followed by a 25-yard completion from Shaw to freshman wide receiver Kentrellis Showers to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the game, 35-17.

Smith went four-of-five on the Black Bears’ next drive, including a 48-yard completion to freshman Arthur Williams. A failed two-point conversion kept the score at 35-23.

A fumble recovery by junior linebacker Sam Shipley gave UMaine the ball back late in the third quarter, but the Black Bears couldn’t convert the turnover into points, turning the ball over on downs.

The Eagles would miss a field goal on their next drive, but would eat up 7 minutes of the clock, giving the Black Bears the ball with less than 9 minutes remaining. UMaine managed to get into the Eagles’ red zone, but couldn’t convert on fourth-and-11, turning the ball over to Georgia Southern.

Another late interception by Smith, his third of the day, sealed the victory for Georgia Southern, 35-23.

The Eagles will move onto the national semifinals, while the Black Bears’ season comes to a close.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 10th, 2011, 5:08 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.