2008 Woodie Awards
UMass deals the final blow
Missed conversion cripples football's postseason hopes
Matt Williams
Issue date: 11/13/06 Section: Maine Sports
AMHERST, Mass. - When his kickers practiced extra points during preseason camp, University of Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove implored a simple message on his charges: "This has to be automatic."
Saturday, it wasn't. A would-be game tying point-after sailed wide right and took with it any hopes of an Atlantic 10 championship as the No. 19 Black Bears suffered a devastating loss to No. 3 Massachusetts, 10-9.
"Ouch," was the first thing Cosgrove could muster after the game.
The inspired play of senior quarterback Ron Whitcomb rallied UMaine from a 10-0 fourth quarter deficit. Whitcomb had 18 yards rushing on UMaine's final drive, scampering into the end zone with 1:44 remaining to pull the Black Bears within one.
"We had it," a choked-up Whitcomb said as he shook his head before repeating himself. "We had it."
A bizarre sequence ensued after the QB's 1-yard scoring run. UMaine holder Michael Brusko took the point-after snap off tackle and was stopped well short of the two-point conversion, but a false start on Matt Mulligan gave the Black Bears another chance. The teams lined up again and freshman kicker Devin McNeil's attempt failed, preserving the Minutemen's slim advantage.
"That's on me," Cosgrove said. "We were trying to win the game with a fake and it disrupted the chemistry of the whole operation. The fault lies with me."
McNeil buried a 34-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter to make the Black Bears' comeback bid possible and wouldn't blame the fake-attempt for the missed extra point.
"I felt like I struck the ball well but it went right," the Portland native said. "It sucks. I should've made my kick and I didn't - it sucks."
The loss is almost surely a death blow to UMaine's playoff hopes. The Black Bears dipped to 6-4 and a four-loss team hasn't qualified for the postseason in a decade. UMass, on the other hand, won its eighth straight to move to 9-1, clinch the A-10 championship and assure itself a berth in the tournament.
Saturday, it wasn't. A would-be game tying point-after sailed wide right and took with it any hopes of an Atlantic 10 championship as the No. 19 Black Bears suffered a devastating loss to No. 3 Massachusetts, 10-9.
"Ouch," was the first thing Cosgrove could muster after the game.
The inspired play of senior quarterback Ron Whitcomb rallied UMaine from a 10-0 fourth quarter deficit. Whitcomb had 18 yards rushing on UMaine's final drive, scampering into the end zone with 1:44 remaining to pull the Black Bears within one.
"We had it," a choked-up Whitcomb said as he shook his head before repeating himself. "We had it."
A bizarre sequence ensued after the QB's 1-yard scoring run. UMaine holder Michael Brusko took the point-after snap off tackle and was stopped well short of the two-point conversion, but a false start on Matt Mulligan gave the Black Bears another chance. The teams lined up again and freshman kicker Devin McNeil's attempt failed, preserving the Minutemen's slim advantage.
"That's on me," Cosgrove said. "We were trying to win the game with a fake and it disrupted the chemistry of the whole operation. The fault lies with me."
McNeil buried a 34-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter to make the Black Bears' comeback bid possible and wouldn't blame the fake-attempt for the missed extra point.
"I felt like I struck the ball well but it went right," the Portland native said. "It sucks. I should've made my kick and I didn't - it sucks."
The loss is almost surely a death blow to UMaine's playoff hopes. The Black Bears dipped to 6-4 and a four-loss team hasn't qualified for the postseason in a decade. UMass, on the other hand, won its eighth straight to move to 9-1, clinch the A-10 championship and assure itself a berth in the tournament.
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