Images courtesy of @BlackBearsFB

At first glance, you could look at the 17-14 score by which Maine beat Colgate on Friday night and say ‘that’s it?’

But, at the end of the season they don’t ask how you won, just how many.

The Black Bears were actually out-gained 303-287 and the Raiders had 129 yards on the ground, but when you haven’t won many games for a while now, you’ll take them any way you can get them. Quarterback Carter Peavy was 17-22 for 186 yards. Montigo Moss led the receivers with five catches for 84 yards. On the ground, Jaharie Martin had 15 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter, Colgate had a 13 play, 94 yard drive that lasted over seven minutes and ended with a three yard run by Brendan Cassamajor. Maine put together an 11 play drive spanning 75 yards and 7:01 before Peavy scored on the ground from a yard out, tying things up at 7-7 with 4:15 left in the half.

The Black Bears got the ball back and Joey Bryson booted a 34 yard field goal with 16 seconds left to make it 10-7 at halftime.

Another scoreless, defensive struggle ensued in the third and the teams went to the fourth quarter still locked in the three-point tussle. Maine got the ball back with great field position and just three plays later, Martin punched in a seven yard TD run to make it 17-7 with 10:31 to go.

The Raiders refused to go quietly, marching downfield with a 12 play. 67 yard drive, capping it with a Michael Brescia 10 yard run to cut it to three with 4:16 remaining. Colgate would get the ball back one more time, but an interception by Casey McKinney at the Maine 35 sealed the win.

The Black Bears posted a celebration video postgame, a well deserved moment for Coach Stevens as he continues to try and restore the tradition at Maine.

Maine has a very difficult road test against perennial national title contender Montana State next Saturday at 8:00 p.m.