ALBANY, N.Y. — Trevor Bates looked across the line of scrimmage at the most imposing offensive lineman on the Albany football team, a 6-foot-7-inch senior weighing 310 pounds.

Neither Bates nor any of his University of Maine teammates had been able to put much pressure on Albany quarterback Will Fiacchi, one major reason why the only Colonial Athletic Association team without a conference victory appeared on the verge of knocking off the only team without a CAA loss.

“I knew with two minutes left, there was a huge opportunity to try and step up and make a play,” said Bates, a sophomore from Westbrook who moved back to defensive end after preparing all spring and summer to play middle linebacker. “He kind of overset, I came underneath and used my speed and got to the quarterback.”

Not only did he reach Fiacchi, but Bates also caused a fumble which was recovered by teammate Jonathan Louis that allowed the Black Bears to run out the clock on a 33-27 victory Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 4,912 at Bob Ford Field.

The victory improved the Black Bears, ranked eighth in the nation among Football Championship Subdivision programs, to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the CAA. Not since Maine began playing collegiate football in 1892 have the Black Bears enjoyed such a start.

“I’m thrilled for the guys,” said Maine Coach Jack Cosgrove. “You know, 121 years of Maine football and no team has ever been 9-1. That’s a great accomplishment.”

It has not come easily. Not even against an Albany program new to the CAA with a 1-9 overall record and still in search of its first CAA victory.

The Great Danes have beaten Maine in three of their previous four meetings, including twice in Orono.

“We didn’t look at the records,” said Fiacchi, who threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns. “We looked at their team and we looked at our team and we thought we had a shot.”

Indeed, Albany recovered from a slow start to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

It was 14-all at intermission and 27-all early in the fourth quarter. The Great Danes outgained Maine on the ground, led by a 134-yard performance from workhorse Omar Osbourne, and sacked Maine quarterback Marcus Wasilewski three times in the first half alone and forced him into a pair of intentional grounding penalties.

Even so, the Black Bears, as they have all season, came up big when it mattered most. Playing without starting tight end Justin Perillo (knee) and safety Jamal Clay (hand), both of whom remained in Orono with injuries, Maine did just enough to win.

The offensive line protected Wasilewski better in the second half.

He finished 20 of 32 for 231 yards, three touchdowns and, for the fifth game in a row, no interceptions. Maine also kicked its running game into gear, with Rickey Stevens (85 yards on 10 carries), Nigel Jones (42 yards and two TDs on 12 carries) and Wasilewski (56 yards, not including the sacks, on 11 carries).

It was Jones who recovered Maine’s only fumble, by Wasilewski, marking the sixth game in a row without a lost fumble.

John Ebeling caught six passes, including touchdowns of 13 and 4 yards, both of them after Albany had pulled into a tie in the second half. Without Perillo, the regular snapper on place kicks, Sean Decloux seemed to have trouble and pulled two PAT attempts wide left.

After the second miss, Albany took over at its own 20, trailing by six with 1:50 remaining and no timeouts. Bates delivered the clinching blow.

Albany lost two fumbles and one interception. Maine safety Mike Mangiarelli picked off the first Fiacchi pass of the third quarter and returned it 36 yards to set up a 6-yard touchdown run by Jones to give Maine a 20-14 lead.

The Danes might have taken a lead into halftime had wide receiver Kevin Chillis not celebrated excessively following his 44-yard touchdown reception to put Albany ahead 14-7.

Forced to kick off from its own 20, Albany was flagged for a facemask on the play, giving Maine excellent field position at the Danes 35. After an incompletion and a sack, Wasilewski threw a screen to Stevens for 23 yards and then a strike to Derrick Johnson for another 23 and a touchdown.

After making adjustments at intermission, Maine scored on its next three possessions, the second of them aided by a 15-yard late hit of Wasilewski as he was headed out of bounds for a loss that would have forced a Black Bears punt.

Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:

Gjordan@pressherald.com

Twitter: GlennJordanPPH

Copy the Story Link