NEW HAVEN, Conn. — There was a distinct air of resignation on Saturday afternoon as University of Maine football coach Joe Harasymiak tried to explain his team’s effort during a 35-14 loss to Yale at Reese Stadium.
The defending Ivy League champion Bulldogs (2-1) threw the ball effectively behind quarterback Kurt Rawlings (22-for-36) and amassed 306 yards and three touchdowns through. The hosts also stymied a banged-up Black Bears offense, which was unable to run the ball consistently and finished with only 264 total yards.
Yale converted eight of its 15 third-down plays and came away with nearly a 10-minute advantage in time of possession. The Bulldogs also were a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone.
“I think we just flat-out got beat today,” Harasymiak said after the game. “We looked terrible. We were slow. We were tired … we couldn’t do anything; credit to them.”
It was the second straight setback for the 16th-ranked Black Bears (2-2), who were playing their third consecutive road contest. UMaine returns home on Saturday for a Colonial Athletic Association game against Villanova at Alfond Stadium in Orono.
UMaine had difficulty containing the elusive Rawlings, who had a field day throwing to wideouts J.P Shohfi (10 receptions, 126 yards) and Reed Klubnik (6 catches, 85 yards, three TDs). Yale also managed 90 rushing yards on 40 carries.
“We were just getting beat physically,” said UMaine senior tight end Drew Belcher. “They were beating us up front, they covered us well. The DB’s (defensive backs) played well. We just got beat in all facets of the game.”
The Black Bears struggled to establish any consistency on offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Robinson, starting in place of injured sophomore Chris Ferguson, completed just 10 of 27 passes for 179 yards, but hooked up with Earnest Edwards on a 50-yard scoring pass in the third quarter and hit Jaquan Blair for a 63-yard TD completion early in the fourth quarter.
However, Robinson was injured at one point and Belcher, a former quarterback, and first-year player Ryan Walsh each took a couple of snaps at QB.
UMaine’s ground game was hampered by the loss of redshirt freshman tailback Ramon Jefferson (5 carries, 23 yards), who left the game with an injury in the first quarter. Junior Joe Fitzpatrick of North Yarmouth netted only 44 yards on 10 carries.
The Black Bears also had to juggle their offensive line because of an injury to right guard Liam Dobson.
UMaine also had to overcome personnel changes on defense, where starting cornerbacks Manny Patterson and Jordan Swann were knocked out of the game.
However, Harasymiak refused to use those as an excuse and emphasized to his players after the game that there would be no finger-pointing.
“It doesn’t matter who plays. We recruit kids to play, so they’ve got to play, they’ve got to show up,” he said.
Strong safety Jeffrey DeVaughn posted a career- and game-high nine tackles and linebacker Deshawn Stevens added seven tackles.
UMaine trailed 21-0 before finally showing some signs of offensive life in the second half. Robinson found a wide-open Edwards for a 50-yard TD pass that got the Bears within 21-7 with 3:52 to play in the third quarter.
However, Yale responded with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Rawlings’ 24-yard scoring toss to Klubnik in the final minute of the period to restore a 21-point lead.
Undaunted, UMaine bounced back with another big play as Blair took a Robinson pass and completed a 63-yard TD hookup to get the Bears within 28-14 only 20 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The defense provided a spark on the Bulldogs’ next play from scrimmage when a scrambling Rawlings attempted a shovel pass but was intercepted by freshman cornerback Katley Joseph, who returned it 13 yards to the Yale 17.
The hosts stood tall on defense, stopping UMaine on four plays, including a fourth-and-13 pass attempt.
Yale put the game out of reach after the Bears gave the ball up on downs at their own 33 with 5:18 remaining. Rawlings found Klubnik on a 6-yard TD throw to end the suspense.
UMaine had been unable to cash in on another potential scoring opportunity midway through the third quarter when the Bears were unable to pick up one yard on consecutive plays at the Yale 29.
The Black Bears went 3-for-13 on third down and came up short on three fourth-down plays.
“We can’t run the ball right now in short-yardage situations,” Harasymiak said.
“To go third-and-1, fourth-and-1 — we can’t get a yard — that’s pretty embarrassing.”
The Bulldogs stormed in front with a 75-yard scoring drive on the opening possession of the game. Rawlings capped it with a 1-yard run.
Yale made it 14-0 early in the second quarter as Rawlings and Klubnik hooked up on a 7-yard scoring hookup to complete a 45-yard drive.
UMaine’s best scoring attempt was a 44-yard field-goal try by Kenny Doak that came up well short.