ORONO, ME – The University of Maine exploded for 27 second half points en route to a season-opening 34-10 win over the Colgate Raiders at Alfond Stadium.  The Black Bears won their fourth straight home game with their first ever win over the Raiders (0-2).

For the second straight game a special teams breakdown turned the tide against the Raiders.  In Colgate’s opener against Villanova, a 98-yard kickoff return put the Wildcats in front for good after Colgate had taken a 10-7 lead.  On Saturday night, Colgate was trailing 14-10 after three quarters, when Lennard Byrd raced 55 yards with a punt return to give the Black Bears a 20-10 lead with 14:13 left in the game.

“There is no question the punt return was the turning point in the game,” said a disappointed head coach Dick Biddle.  “Our defense was playing pretty well.  But then they get that punt return and, right there, that’s the game.”

If the Raiders had any thought of victory their hopes were dashed with 8:43 remaining when linebacker Stephen Cooper stripped Colgate quarterback Rob Markert (Binghamton, NY) on Colgate’s 26-yard line.  Dan Joslyn, a 287-pound defensive lineman, scooped up the loose pigskin and raced in for the TD to prevent any comeback effort.

Colgate opened the scoring with 8:58 left in the second quarter on a six-yard touchdown pass from Markert to wide receiver Joe Parker (Crofton, MD).  The touchdown drive, which began on the Colgate 19, was highlighted by a 51-yard inside screen pass to flanker Ryan Ojeda (Absecon, NJ) to the Maine 23-yard line.  Freshman Lane Schwarzberg (Winter Haven, FL) kicked the extra point.

Parker finished with six catches for 71 yards and one TD to move into 9^th place on the school’s all-time receiving yardage list with 1,136 yards.  Ojeda had four receptions for a career-high 92 yards, while Markert completed 13-of-25 passes for 195 yards and one TD.

The Raiders upped their lead to 10-7 later in the quarter when Schwarzberg booted a 37-yard field goal on his first collegiate attempt with 1:32 left in the half.

But the Black Bears responded with their first touchdown with seven seconds remaining on a nine-yard scramble by quarterback Jake Eaton into the corner of the end zone.  The Black Bears drive was aided by two pass interference calls against Colgate.

  “The key play of the whole game was Eaton’s touchdown,” Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove said.  “That really picked our guys up.”

  Late in the third quarter, Maine put together a seven-play, 64-yard drive to go in front 14-10 with 1:15 left.  The Black Bears were faced with third-and-eight on the Colgate 32, when Eaton hooked up with John Gelsomino on a 26-yard screen pass to the Raider six.  On the next play, Royston English raced off left tackle for the touchdown and Chris DeVinney’s extra point was good.

On the third play of the final quarter, Colgate’s Brendon Biddle (Hamilton, NY) booted a 40-yard punt to Byrd at the Maine 45.  Byrd took the high punt and raced past the Colgate defenders for his second career TD return.  Maine missed the extra point after being assessed a 15-yard celebration penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct but led 20-10.

  After Joslyn’s fumble return for a TD, the Black Bears closed out the scoring with 3:47 left, when Marcus Williams carried in from 30 yards out, capping off a 68-yard drive in five plays.

GAME NOTES:  Maine’s defense held the Colgate offense to 63 rushing yards on 34 carries as they sacked Markert nine times for minus 36 yards … Maine outgained the Raiders 265-258 … Jamaal Branch (Mashpee, MA), who started his first collegiate game, rushed 10 times for a team-high 37 yards, while sophomore fullback Matt Kobelski (Tewksbury, MA) gained 36 yards on four carries including a 25-yard gallop through the middle in the first quarter.

Colgate’s defense was paced by junior free safety Ameer Riley (Norwood, MA) with nine tackles, and junior linebacker Chris Rowland (Fayetteville, NY) with eight tackles including two quarterback sacks … junior cornerback Maurice Robertson (Riverdale, GA) had his first collegiate interception … sophomore Josh Sabo (White Oaks, PA) and sophomore Mike Latek (Rochester, NY) had one sack apiece.