ORONO, Maine — Too many missed opportunities.
That has been the difference between defeat and victory the last two weeks for the University of Maine football team.
The Black Bears’ continued struggles on third down and in the red zone haunted them again in Saturday’s 10-7 Colonial Athletic Association loss to Towson.
UMaine (3-6 overall, 3-3 CAA) converted only once in three trips inside the Tigers’ 20-yard line and came up short for the second straight game. The Bears have scored 10 points combined in the last two games.
“A couple of weeks ago, we were second in the conference in red-zone offense. Now we’re like 10th and I’m sure after this week has pushed us way back,” UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove said after another frustrating night.
The Black Bears couldn’t make enough plays in key situations, going 6-for-14 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down.
UMaine had possessions Saturday that ended at the Towson 5-yard line, the 18 and the 38 — none of which yielded points.
“We have to get points when we’re down there,” sophomore quarterback Drew Belcher said. “We can’t come up empty and that made the difference in the game.”
The failure to execute has included UMaine’s run game, it’s passing attack and its special teams.
The trend was set in the first quarter during a 93-yard drive that started at the Bears’ 2-yard line and reached the Towson 5-yard line.
UMaine lined up for a 22-yard field goal, but senior Sean Decloux missed. The Bears got that close only one other time, that on a 71-yard touchdown march in the fourth quarter.
The inconsistency of the field-goal unit and Decloux, who missed two field goals a week earlier at Villanova, have had a trickle-down effect.
UMaine got to the Towson 18 after an interception by Jeffrey DeVaughn, but came up short on a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak by Belcher.
Cosgrove admitted his decision was affected by the missed kick, the third in the last four tries by Decloux.
“[It was] the same hash, so it was in my head,” he said.
When asked whether he might consider trying another kicker to shake things up Cosgrove said, “We don’t have anybody else.”
Junior wideout Julian Dunn said the offense’s inability to cash in on scoring chances is difficult to handle.
“It’s real frustrating and it puts a lot of pressure on our kicker and our defense as well,” he said.
In the last three games, including a 23-10 win over Stony Brook, UMaine has failed to score on seven possessions inside the opponent’s 30 and three that reached the 10-yard line or closer.
UMaine now ranks 11th among 12 CAA schools in red-zone offense, converting on 19 of 28 opportunities. The Bears are 11th in fourth-down conversions (4-for-16) and eighth on third down (50-for-138).
Cosgrove explained that UMaine’s red-zone difficulties must be evaluated taking into account the efforts of all involved in the process.
“It’s a coaching, playing, execution deal.”