ALBANY, N.Y. — A week after riding its offense to a victory over Rhode Island, the University of Maine turned to defense Saturday to beat Albany 12-10 in a Colonial Athletic Association game at Casey Stadium.

Maine held Albany to one third- down conversion in 12 attempts.

“When we let teams into the red zone, we know how big it is to hold them to a field goal,” said Joe Harasymiak, Maine’s second-year head coach. “Our defense made some big plays”

Maine (3-3, 2-3), winning a road game for the first time this season, held the Great Danes (3-4, 1-3) to 262 yards and no offensive touchdowns.

One week after leading the Black Bears to a 51-27 victory against Rhode Island, redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Ferguson didn’t have his greatest day – 19 of 30 for 273 yards – but tossed a perfect spiral to Micah Wright for the Black Bears’ only touchdown and a 9-7 lead.

Quarterback Will Brunson (13 of 27, 163 yards) put the Great Danes in position to win in the fourth quarter when a drive that included a pair of 41-yard receptions brought them to the Maine 13 with about five minutes left.

Karl Mofor was then thrown for a 1-yard loss and following an incomplete pass, Brunson was sacked by Deshawn Stevens for an 8-yard loss.

A false start turned what would have been a 39-yard kick into a 44-yard field-goal attempt by Ethan Stark that would have given the Great Danes a 13-12 lead. But he missed and the Black Bears were able to run off the remaining 4:36.

“The kick had plenty of distance but it was the penalty that may have thrown his timing off,” Albany Coach Greg Gattuso said. “It’s like when you call a timeout to freeze the kicker.”

Brandon Briggs, the former Thornton Academy kicker, connected on a 36-yard field goal in the first minute of the fourth quarter as the Black Bears regained a 12-10 lead. Maine set up the kick by driving 57 yards in 10 plays.

Stark kicked a 36-yard field goal with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter to give the Great Danes a 10-9 edge. Albany went 61 yards in five plays on the drive.

Earlier, Maine linebacker Sterling Sheffield made an outstanding play to prevent a touchdown.

Brunson led Donovan McDonald perfectly and the ball appeared ready to land in the receiver’s hands, but Sheffield timed the play perfectly and broke the pass up in the end zone.

“My hands were up in the air and I was expecting a slant,” Sheffield said. “I saw the ball in his hands and knew I had to knock it out.”

“That stop was huge,” Ferguson said.

Josh Mack (32 carries, 108 yards, including a 58-yard run) fumbled and Antoine White carried into the end zone from 5 yards as Albany took a 7-0 lead early.

But Maine recovered, dominated the second quarter and carried a 9-7 lead into halftime.

Briggs drilled a 37-yard field goal 43 seconds into the second quarter to cut the deficit to 7-3. Wright then caught a 34-yard pass from Ferguson with 3:51 left in the half and after the conversion kick failed, Maine held a 9-7 lead.

Wright’s touchdown capped a three-play, 50-yard drive. He slipped behind the defense and hauled in the perfect lead pass from Ferguson.

“We know we need to maximize our potential each week,” Ferguson said. “We hold each other accountable and it was great to win a conference game on the road.”