ORONO, ME -- University of Maine quarterback Ron Whitcomb connected wiith Kevin McMahan on a six-yard touchdown pass with 3:28 remaining to lift the Black Bears to a 25-15 win over the University of Delaware in Atlantic 10 football action Saturday afternoon at Morse Field at Alfond Stadium.

Maine, which snapped a three-game losing streak while improving to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference, had lost three straight to the Blue Hens and eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams played in Orono. The Blue Hens, coming off a 34-28 win over I-AA defending champion James Madison last Saturday, fell to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the league.

After falling behind 13-0 early in the second quarter, Delaware began its comeback when sophomore running back Omar Cuff (right) scored on a one-yard run with 1:32 remaining in the first half to cut the Maine lead to six at the half. The scoring drive included 19 plays and consumed 10:04, both season-highs, as the Blue Hens drove 55 yards for the touchdown.

Delaware moved to within 13-10 with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter when freshman Zach Hobby kicked a 25-yard field goal and tied the game at the 10:52 mark of the fourth period when Hobby nailed a 29-yard field goal, his longest of the season. Hobby has now hit six of his seven field goal attempts this season.

After stopping the Black Bears on their next possession, the Blue Hens appeared poised to take their first lead of the game when they drove to the Maine 12 yardline. However, freshman running back Danny Jones injured his shoulder on a rush up the middle and subsequently fumbled the ball, and the Black Bears’ Joan Quezada recovered with 6:28 remaining.

Maine then drove 88 yards in three minutes, taking the lead back on Whitcomb’s throw to McMahon with 3:28 to play. However Matt Voliva’s extra point failed, keeping it a 19-13 game.

The Blue Hens began their ensuing drive on their own 42 yardline, but on the first play quarterback Sonny Riccio was sacked and fumbled, and Maine’s Bruno Dorismond scooped up the ball and returned it to the Delaware one yardline. Two plays later Montell Owens scored from one yard out, giving the Black Bears a 25-13 lead with 2:46 left after Maine’s two-point conversion attempt failed.

Delaware responded by driving to the Maine one yardline, but on fourth down Cuff, who missed most of the second half with turf toe, was stopped short of the goalline with 1:42 remaiing. After running three plays the Black Bears snapped the ball out of the end zone for a Delaware safety with just 13 seconds on the clock, accounting for the final points of the game.

Riccio finished 15-of-23 for 158 yards, while Jones ran 19 times for 108 yards. Cuff rushed 18 times for 33 yards and a touchdown in limited action, while Aaron Love caught a game-high eight passes for 78 yards. Whitcomb was 11-of-21 for 134 yards and two touchdowns and also ran 11 times for 53 yards for the Black Bears while Owens, a Wilmington, DE native, ran 25 times for 92 yards and a pair of scores. McMahan caught four passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns to lead Maine receivers.

KeiAndre Hepburn made a team-high nine tackles and had a half a sack for the Blue Hen defense, while John Mulhern added eight tackles and Stephen Purkey had seven and a sack. Jermaine Walker make a game-high 17 tackles for Maine, including 11 solo stops.

“We thought in the second half we had started to take control of the game, and we felt good where we were,” fourth-year Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler said. “We had the ball on their 12 yardline and the clock was ticking away, but they came up with a huge play and that was the turning point of the game. It’s a game of making plays and we didn’t make enough of them today. Too many times we were just an inch or two away from making a big play.

“We thought Danny Jones did a good job, and he was playing well so we decided to stay with him, and unfortunately he got hurt on the play when he fumbled.”

The Black Bears opened the scoring on the first play of their second drive of the game when Whitcomb found McMahan for a 47-yard touchdown pass, giving Maine an early 6-0 lead with 6:57 remaining in the opening quarter when the extra point was missed.

After the Blue Hens were stopped on their next possession Maine drove 80 yards on 14 plays, scoring on a one-yard run by Owens with 11:36 left in the second quarter to go up 13-0.

The Blue Hens return home to host Massachusetts next Saturday at 1 p.m. in their final home game of the season.

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