ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine had a new quarterback under center on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Black Bears, the offensive struggles continued.
The University at Albany cashed in two first-half turnovers and kept UMaine in check throughout while earning a 20-7 Colonial Athletic Association football victory in front of a homecoming crowd of 7,464 at Alfond Stadium.
The Great Danes (5-2 ,2-2 CAA) struggled offensively against the Black Bears (2-5, 1-3 CAA), but played largely mistake-free football and rode the play of its defense and its place-kicker to the win.
Coach Jack Cosgrove’s team suffered its third straight loss, committing two fumbles that led to 10 points for Albany.
“All said and done, two turnovers by us and none by them are really … the difference in the game and the momentum swing in the football game,” Cosgrove said.
“Give Albany credit. They’re a solid team across the board. They don’t make mistakes. They don’t turn the ball over,” he added.
Albany came into the game leading the Football Championship Subdivision with a plus-15 turnover ratio. The Great Danes departed Orono with that figure at plus-17, “which is virtually unheard of in college football,” Cosgrove added.
Christian Dorsey’s 60-yard return of a Drew Belcher fumble and a 52-yard field goal by Pat Toole after a fumble by UMaine’s Damarr Aultman provided Albany with a 10-7 halftime lead that it would not relinquish.
Those plays helped the Great Danes overcome a sluggish offensive effort during which UMaine afforded them only 212 total yards.
“To our kids’ credit, we made some plays when we needed to make them,” said Albany coach Greg Gattuso. “That’s what you have to do to win games.”
Belcher, a freshman who replaced injured starter Dan Collins (separated shoulder), completed 13 of 30 passes for 123 yards and a score but was frequently under pressure and off the mark with his throws.
Classmate Nigel Beckford led the ground game with 10 carries for 75 yards, while Aultman finished with seven catches for 62 yards.
However, the Bears were 4-for-15 on third down and managed only 114 yards in the second half.
“I think there were points in the game where he [Belcher] played with confidence and points where he wasn’t playing with confidence, which I think is always the key to success,” Cosgrove said.
Albany was paced offensively by tailback Omar Osbourne (30 carries, 108 yards) while QB Will Fiacchi went 12-for-30 through the air for 120 yards and a score.
Albany was inept offensively in the first half, gaining only 80 yards while going 0-for-10 on third down.
Maine drove 68 yards on five plays to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The march featured a 22-yard run by Isaiah Jones, which helped set up a 14-yard scoring hookup from Belcher to wide receiver Art Williams.
However, the Great Danes received a spark on the final play of the first quarter.
A short punt into the wind by Albany’s Jon Martin was downed at the Danes’ 15-yard line, but penalties against both teams gave Maine the ball at the Albany 45.
Since a quarter cannot end on a defensive penalty, the Black Bears ran an untimed down. Belcher was flushed out of the pocket and was stripped by linebacker Mike Nicastro.
Linebacker Christian Dorsey scooped it up and rambled 60 yards for a touchdown that helped Albany tie it 7-7.
“I was dropping back and I saw the quarterback step up to run the ball and he just dropped it,” Dorsey said. “I saw it, picked it up and ran as fast as I could.”
Nicastro (13 tackles, 1 sack) and Dorsey (9 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries) led the Albany defense.
“I thought we had the momentum early and lost it on an untimed down, unfortunate for us,” Cosgrove said.
UMaine was paced defensively by linebacker Cabrinni Goncalves (9 tackles), end Pat Ricard (7 tackles, 1 sack) and safety Davonte Burke (7 tackles).
“I think our defense played very well today, high effort,” Ricard said.
“There were a couple plays I wish we’d get back, but overall I’m very pleased with our defense today,” he added.
Albany went on top late in the half after Aultman made a catch but fumbled. With the wind at his back, Toole booted a 52-yard field goal that was just shy of the school-record 53-yarder made by Mike Malvin in 1991.
“I’ve got a ton of faith in him,” Gattuso said. “I never hesitated when it was 52. I have no doubt in my mind with that kid.”
Maine appeared to be in position to at least tie the game, driving to the Albany 22 on its ensuing possession, but Kyle Sakowski’s sack of Belcher on a third-down play took the hosts out of field goal range and a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
Albany made it 13-10 on Toole’s 46-yard field goal in the third quarter, then the Great Danes rattled off a 61-yard scoring march, capped by Fiacchi’s 4-yard TD toss to Brian Parker, to put the game out of reach.
UMaine never got inside the Albany 35-yard line in the second half.
The Black Bears travel to Rhode Island on Saturday looking to halt their skid.