Maine picks up 51-7 victory over Bulldogs

BULLDOGS FALL TO MAINE, 51-7

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The University of Maine piled up 581 yards of total offense, 352 of which were on the ground, as it defeated the Bryant University football team, 51-7, on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

Ranked #25 entering the contest, the Black Bears (1-1) built a 31-0 halftime lead and used a pair of big plays in the beginning of the second half to pull away from the Bulldogs (0-3). It is the first time the Black and Gold have started a season 0-3 since 2002.

After forcing the Bulldogs into a three-and-out on the first possession of the game, the Black Bears went to work offensively. Starting at their own 28, Maine drove 72 yards in just seven plays to get on the scoreboard first. David Hood gained 28 yards on his first rush from scrimmage and then 29 more two plays later. Quarterback Marcus Wasilewski capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run.

With their first drive behind them, the Bulldogs came out strong after the score and were driving when the game took a huge momentum swing. Senior running back Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.) broke off a big run on the second play of the drive, scampering 36 yards to the Maine 43. The Bulldogs then converted on a fourth-and-two as junior quarterback Mike Westerhaus (Farmingville, N.Y.) hit graduate student Mark Hinkley (Kaneohe, Hawaii) for a four-yard gain to the Maine 31. Two plays later, however, Westerhaus targeted Matt Roncaioli (Southington, Conn.) on the outside but Khari Al-Mateen jumped the route, picked off the pass and took it 77 yards the other way to make it 14-0 Maine.

The Bulldogs were never able to recover from the play as the Black Bears turned up the pressure. Bryant was able to get the ball to the Maine side of the field just once more in the half as the Black Bears opened up a 31-0 lead.

Maine posted 17 points in the second quarter behind a pair of rushing touchdowns from Hood. The sophomore back scored from two-yards out to cap a quick 35-yard drive, and then plunged in from a yard out to finish a seven-play, 83-yard drive. Brian Harvey knocked a 23-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 31-0 with just 14 seconds to play in the half.

The Black Bears didn't waste any time putting the game away in the second half. On the first play of the half, Wasilewski connected with Derrick Johnson for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Then, after fumbling the ball away on their next possession, the Black Bears got another interception return for a touchdown. The Bulldogs tried a trick play with Brown receiving the handoff and looking to throw down field but the Black Bears snuffed it out. Kendall James intercepted the pass in the endzone, thought about taking a knee, but instead returned it 100 yards to make it 45-0.

Bryant finally got on the board in the fourth quarter thanks to a 15-play, 80-yard drive. Westerhaus connected with Eloma Johnson (Franklin, Mass.) twice on the drive and a 15-yard face mask penalty against Maine added another 15 yards. The Bulldogs completed two fourth down conversions on the drive as Westerhaus gained two yards with a QB sneak near midfield and then dove in from a yard out on fourth and goal to make it 51-7. It was Westerhaus's first-career rushing touchdown.

A pair of underclassmen led the Bulldogs in tackles on Saturday as Bobby Rutland (Bethesda, Md.) and Aaron Dixon (Danbury, Conn.) each collected nine tackles. Both were making their first-career starts. Brown finished with 63 yards on the ground and needs just 28 yards to become Bryant's all-time rushing leader.

The Bulldogs will stay in Smithfield next weekend as they welcome Northeast Conference foe Duquesne to Bulldog Stadium on Sept. 22 for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.