ORONO, Maine — Coach Jack Cosgrove admitted second-guessing himself about not using quarterback Drew Belcher in the University of Maine’s game against Yale.
Belcher began Saturday splitting quarterback duties with junior Dan Collins. By the end of the first half, he was a fixture on the field.
Belcher accounted for 174 yards and a touchdown, spearheading the Black Bears to a 23-10 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Stony Brook at Alfond Stadium.
Belcher carried 25 times for 65 yards and completed 11 of 16 passes for 109 yards to outgain Stony Brook (171 total yards).
“I think we did a good job of executing today,” Belcher said. “I think everyone was on the same page. I thought the O-line was playing great today, they were picking up all the blitzes.”
The Black Bears (3-4) improved to 3-1 in the CAA to remain in the hunt for a postseason berth.
UMaine alternated quarterbacks early on, but it was not to be Collins’ day. He nearly was intercepted for a touchdown on his first pass, which was dropped by Naim Cheeseboro at the 5-yard line.
He fumbled on his next series, which led to a Seawolves touchdown.
“You can’t turn the ball over in a game like this and you really can’t take risks with the ball,” Cosgrove offered.
Belcher, a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder from Reading, Massachusetts, was a model of efficiency. When in doubt, he tucked the football and imposed his hard-nosed style of running on the Seawolves. When needed, he made the throws.
“Drew’s strengths fit this football game,” Cosgrove said.
“It kind of played out with Drew in there the way we thought it would in the second half, especially when we needed the QB run and the ball security,” he added.
Stony Brook (2-4, 1-4 CAA) hung around most of the day, but continued its offensive struggles. Led by linebacker Christophe Mulumba Tshimanga (9 tackles), the Black Bears shackled the Seawolves.
The visitors rushed for only 10 yards on 26 attempts and had spotty success in the pass game.
“The key word was swarm,” said UMaine defensive end Trevor Bates. “We were very enthusiastic and excited after making plays.”
The Bears altered their defensive alignment at times, utilizing four linebackers and one safety to help shore up their run defense.
“They threw it 41 times today. I don’t think that’s their nature,” Cosgrove said.
Cornerback Sherrod Baltimore (7 tackles), Bates (7 tackles, 1.5 sacks), linebacker Randy Samuels (6 tackles) and tackle Pat Ricard (5 tackles, 2.5 for a loss) were the other defensive mainstays for UMaine.
UMaine, which had a field-goal attempt blocked to end the first half, regained the momentum early in the third quarter.
The defense provided the spark when Ricard forced running back Donald Liotine to fumble and Cabrinni Goncalves recovered at the SBU 31.
The Bears needed only five plays and a pass interference penalty to score. Belcher’s 12-yard keeper off the left side helped set up his own 2-yard scoring run.
“I’m a bigger kid and I can take a little more hits, so I don’t mind putting my shoulder down to get a couple extra yards,” said Belcher, who picked up yards on designed quarterback runs and scrambles.
“I do whatever the team needs me to do: If I need to run inside, to throw the ball here or there,” he added.
Sean Decloux’s PAT tied the game 10-10 with only 5½ minutes gone in the half.
UMaine regained the lead two plays into the fourth quarter with a nine-play drive. Belcher completed three consecutive passes, including an 18-yarder to Jaleel Reed down to the 1-yard line.
However, the Bears were forced to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Decloux that made it 13-10 with 14:53 to play.
Three plays later, UMaine got the big boost it needed with a stellar defensive play.
This time, freshman linebacker Sterling Sheffield broke through and hit quarterback Conor Bednarski as he was throwing. Bates picked the ball out of midair and ran it back 31 yards for a momentum-building touchdown that made it 20-10 with 14:22 remaining.
“I just did my job, tried to contain it and a gift from God, the ball just came down,” said Bates, a senior from Westbrook. “It just came to me and I just tried to take off and get in the end zone.”
A muffed punt by Stony Brook’s Jaheem Woods opened the door for another Decloux field goal, this one of 36 yards, as UMaine pushed the lead to 23-10 with 5:42 to play.
“It was great,” said Decloux, a senior from Canada.
“I’ve had my ups and downs. It started off with a make, the second kick a miss, and then I was able to forget about it and make the next two field goals as well as PATs,” he added.
The Seawolves charged into the locker room at halftime with an extra spark provided by the blocked field goal. Decloux’s 44-yard attempt was low and knocked down at the line, leaving Stony Brook up 10-3.
“It’s a 43-yarder into the wind, so it’s not a ball you can hit straight up in the air like a PAT,” Decloux said, “but that being said, it came off my foot too low.”
Rahim Cassell made 10 tackles for SBU.
UMaine grabbed the lead on its second possession when Belcher’s 32-yard pass to Jason Simonovich led to Decloux’s 43-yard field goal with 1:24 left in the quarter.
UMaine threatened again, but Belcher was stuffed on a fourth-and-one run at the SBU 37. The Seawolves countered as Joe Carbone hit a wide-open Ray Bolden for a 41-yard hookup to the UMaine 11 to facilitate Przemyslaw Popek’s 27-yard field goal.
Stony Brook got the ball back three plays later when Collins was hit by Julian Quinton and fumbled at the UM 28. The Seawolves cashed in on a 2-yard TD toss from Bednarski to Cal Daniels that made it 10-3.