AMHERST, Mass. - The No. 3 Minutemen (9-1, 7-0 Atlantic 10) topped No. 19 Maine (6-4, 5-2 A-10) on Saturday, 10-9, to continue its eight-game winning streak, and more importantly, to clinch the 2006 A-10 North Division title outright. Also, by virtue of James Madison's loss to Villanova, UMass clinched the A-10's automatic qualifying bid to the I-AA playoffs, owning all tiebreakers heading into the final weekend of the regular season. With 1:44 remaining in the contest and the Black Bears trailing 10-9, kicker Devin McNeill missed the potential game-tying extra point that would have forced overtime. UMass next faces Hofstra at McGuirk Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 18, with a Noon kickoff.

UMass junior kicker Chris Koepplin kicked a 35-yard field goal which proved to be the difference as his 10th field goal of the season just five seconds into the fourth quarter put UMass ahead 10-0.

Maine mounted a comeback late in the game. The Black Bears cut the lead to 10-3 on a 34-yard field goal by Devin McNeill with 8:41 left.

After UMass failed to converted a 4th-and-1 from the Maine 49-yard line with 6:41 left in the fourth quarter, Maine took over and put themselves in position to tie the game. Quarterback Ron Whitcomb finished a 51-yard drive with a 1-yard rush with 1:44 left in the game. That set the stage for the extra point attempt. Originally, Maine tried a fake PAT with a rush by holder Michael Brusko. But the Black Bears were whistles for offsides, moving the extra point back to a 25-yard attempt which McNeill missed.

Maine tried an on-sides kick by senior Tracy Belton wrapped up his big day by recovering the kick at Maine's 45-yard line. UMass ran out the clock for the A-10 North title at the moment and eventually the A-10 crown.

UMass took a 7-0 lead on a spectacular 26-yard TD catch by Rasheed Rancher with 5:12 left in the first quarter. That was all the scoring the game would see until the fourth quarter.

Belton picked off his 13th career interception and returned it 42 yards in the first quarter with 2:36 remaining.

The Minutemen also posted three sacks, while Maine -- the A-10's top sacking team had just two. Belton had a sack for a loss of eight yards on a blitz on. Senior captain James Ihedigbo also had a blitz sack for a loss of nine yards.

Perhaps the biggest sack of the day came by redshirt freshman Michael Hanson. On a fourth-down play with Maine at the UMass 36-yard line in the final minute of the first half, Hanson busted around the right side and took down Whitcomb for a six-yard loss to give UMass possession and end the half.

GAME NOTES
No. 3 UMass vs. No. 19 Maine