By Andrew Stefanilo
The University of Maine football team is ranked No. 8 in the Sports Network poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll following their 19-14 win against Stony Brook University this past Saturday.
“We’re very happy and pleased with the win,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “We got ourselves in a type of football game that is expected in this league.”
The Black Bears had their hands full with the Seawolves, who ran for 184 yards as a team, most of it coming in the 2nd half of play after the Black Bears shut the Stony Brook offense down in the opening half.
“We have great respect for Stony Brook,” Cosgrove said. “They came out in the start of the 2nd half with great drives and we were being outplayed.”
Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski led a game-winning drive midway through the 4th quarter, hitting senior wide receiver John Ebeling on a 34-yard bomb and then a 24-yard touchdown pass to give the Black Bears the lead. Wasilewski went 5-6 through the air on the drive.
“I’m pleased with our seniors,” Cosgrove said. “Those were the guys that set the tone to get the win.”
The Black Bears had a 13-0 halftime lead over one of the best defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision. UMaine would have their trouble in the second half and didn’t produce a solid drive until the Wasilewski took over on that drive midway through the final period.
The Black Bear defense really set the tone, stopping Stony Brook on multiple 4th downs and getting two interceptions, one to stall a drive into Maine territory and the other to end the game.
“I think we made them one dimensional in an area where they couldn’t do as much damage,” Cosgrove said. “I thought our guys played with a lot of heart to keep fighting and hang in there.”
Senior and junior defensive back’s Kendall James and Axel Ofori, Jr. helped the Black Bear defense by making plays all game on Stony Brook’s passing attack and holding senior quarterback Lyle Negron to a 6-22 showing through the air to go along with those two picks.
“We are blessed with two corners that we can afford to play man-to-man coverage with,” Cosgrove said. “We can bring pressure and count on those guys in one-on-one coverage against some very talented wide receivers.”
The Black Bears travel to play the University of Albany on Saturday, a team that’s 1-8 overall this season and a winless 0-5 versus Colonial Athletic Association opponents.
UMaine needs to clean up some of the mistakes they made last week and come out strong like they have in every other week they’ve played this year to avoid an upset.
“We have to stay focused on the task at hand,” Cosgrove said. “One week at a time, what’s in front of us is what we need to focus on.”
Albany has beaten UMaine three out of the last four years, with two of them in Alfond Stadium. Last year’s matchup ended in a 30-20 loss for the Blue and White. 2011 was the last time the Black Bears beat Albany, 31-15. This year’s squad looks poised to change all that.
“That’s a football team that’s given us fits and our players know that,” Cosgrove said. “For us to even think we can just get on a bus and play a game [is not realistic], but we have to go about our preparation the way we have been and that’s what I’m confident will happen.”
The Black Bears will try to up their win streak to six games when Saturday’s game kicks off in Albany at 3:30 p.m.