All season, the defense has shouldered the lion’s share of the workload for the University of Maine football team.
The unit did its job again on Saturday afternoon, but it was the offense that finally demonstrated significant growth.
Freshman quarterback Drew Belcher engineered the decisive scoring drive late in the fourth quarter, lifting the Black Bears to a 20-14 Colonial Athletic Association victory at Meade Stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island.
“I hope the guys can trust in me, believe in me, as a younger guy,” Belcher said. “I’m just trying to gain their respect every single day, so to get wins is going to help that.”
Belcher completed 15 of 25 passes for 151 yards and also picked up 84 tough yards on 21 carries and made some clutch plays down the stretch to help UMaine (3-5, 2-3 CAA) snap a three-game losing streak.
“He took a huge step forward today in decision-making, throwing the football, running the football — being the kind of threat that we think he can be in this league — and we’re excited about and only keep looking forward to him getting better and better,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove.
The offense helped take the pressure off the defense by controlling the football all day. Although they had difficulty scoring, the Black Bears had the ball for nearly 43 of the game’s 60 minutes.
That meant the defense was on the field for only 46 plays and 17:19.
“At halftime, we were only on the field for 18 reps and we’re all thinking it’s probably not enough,” joked junior defensive end Trevor Bates of Westbrook. “But the offense did a great job controlling the time and moving the ball.”
Freshman tailback Nigel Beckford had his best game as a Black Bear, netting 107 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown to help UMaine rush for 211 yards among 362 total yards.
After a shaky start, the UMaine defense afforded Rhode Island only 264 yards and 2-for-9 success on third down.
“We settled down on defense, did some nice things, especially at the end,” Cosgrove said.
UMaine was resilient in the fourth quarter after Sean Decloux shanked an 18-yard, field-goal attempt outside the left upright with 9:19 to play. It left Rhode Island (0-8, 0-6 CAA) holding a 14-12 lead.
The defense quickly forced another punt and the offense went back to work. UMaine drove 70 yards, highlighted by a 46-yard bomb from Belcher to Damarr Aultman (7 receptions, 87 yds.) on a third-and-16 play.
Aultman adjusted on the ball, coming back to the inside between two defenders to make the play at the URI 20.
“Damarr’s a great player and great players make great plays at important moments of the game,” Belcher said. “He’s a fast guy and he got off the corner and he was able to make a play on the ball.”
Three plays later, Belcher ran five yards for a first down to set up Jerickson Fedrick’s 10-yard scoring scamper, the first of his career.
Belcher threw to Jeremy Salmon for the conversion that provided the final margin, 20-14, with 1:56 to play.
“You’ve just got to have the confidence to go out there and make the play,” Belcher added.
Rhode Island’s last-ditch effort came up short when Winslow’s John McCabe put a hit on quarterback James Caparell (10-for-24, 151 yds.), who threw incomplete on a fourth-down play.
The Rams put the Bears back on their heels on the second-half kickoff. Myles Holmes fielded the ball at the goal line, sped down the right sideline and eluded two would-be tacklers on his way to a 100-yard return.
The PAT kick made it 14-6 URI.
However, a critical defensive play helped UMaine regain some momentum late in the third quarter. Bates (4 tackles) leapt high to snare a Caparell pass over the middle and returned it 14 yards to the URI 12.
“The quarterback kind of released the ball pretty low,” Bates said. “I just got my hands up and I made a play on the ball. I tried to get six but couldn’t really do it, but we put the offense in a great position and they capitalized.”
Three plays later, Beckford scored from six yards out. The conversion rush failed, leaving URI on top 14-12 at the 2:57 mark.
UMaine controlled play in the first half, churning out 12 first downs and 178 yards during 21:29, but could manage only two Decloux field goals.
Rhode Island wasted no time jumping in front as Harold Cooper raced 40 yards on the second play of their initial possession, then Caparell hit Cooper on a 28-yard pass play three plays later.
That set up Caparell’s 2-yard scoring run.
The Bears responded with a 13-play, 46-yard drive that stalled at the 21. Decloux’s 38-yarder put UMaine on the board at the 2:54 mark.
UMaine got the ball back after a three-and-out and marched 79 yards in 16 plays. However, the Bears were held to Decloux’s 26-yard field goal that made it 7-6.
The Rams drove to the UM 26 on their next possession, but the Bears made four consecutive pass breakups by A.J. Dawson, Zach Hume (6 tackles), Najee Goode and Chris Mulumba Tshimanga (7 tackles), who batted down Kolt Peavey’s pass on a fake field goal.