HAMILTON – A 35-21 scoreline doesn't usually scream defense, but for Colgate Saturday the proof was in the numbers.

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The Raiders allowed No. 12 Maine just 317 yards of total offense in a 35-21 defeat on Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium. Progress was made.
 
The Black Bears entered as the top passing team in the Colonial Athletic Association and third nationally at 379.7 yards per game. Colgate limited Maine quarterback Chris Ferguson to 8-of-19 for 165 yards and a TD. He was picked off by Collin Heard – his second in as many weeks – and the Raiders cashed that in for a TD.
 
Maine's final total offense figure was 317, or three yards fewer than Colgate. Maine entered No. 1 in the CAA and 14th nationally at 470.0, so progress definitely was made by the Raider defense.
 


Colgate on offense gained 320 yards under the split direction of reserve quarterbacks Jake Froschauer and Noah Rothman. Playing in place of the injured Grant Breneman, Froschauer earned his first career start and threw his first collegiate touchdown in the opening half before injuries forced him to hand over to Rothman, who finished a salty 7-of-11 passing for 125 yards.
 
The difference for the Black Bears was two exceptional kickoff returns from Earnest Edwards.
 
The Maine senior carried the opening boot of the second half back 100 yards to pay dirt for a 28-7 cushion. Then after Alex Mathews scampered 18 yards for a Raiders TD midway in the third, Edwards struck again from 95 yards and Maine staved off a late Colgate charge.
 
Those were the only two touchdowns the Black Bears could muster after halftime as Colgate held Maine to just 89 yards of total offense over the final 30 minutes.
 
Bottom Line
• No. 12 Maine 35, Colgate 21



From the Source
• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On the game) "While there are some positives, we've got to clean up the ways we're still beating ourselves. We're going to look at the film, see who played well and see what we need to do. But overall, considering at times who we had out there, the fight was there and that was the step we talked about making.
 
"To have a chance to make it a game there, that was good. We talked today before the game about fighting back. We got the gut punch last week with the kick return and we never fought back. Today, we got it twice and we fought back.
 
"That's a positive outcome there that hopefully we can build on moving forward and start to piece together some wins. We're a little beat up now but that's football."
 
(On the defense) "I was really proud of our defense today. They got down early but they didn't give up any touchdowns in the second half. Obviously we've got to clean up our kick returns, but the defense did a nice job."


 
(On the offense) "The offense fought. We had a lot of new starters but they hung in and found a rhythm.
 
"I was happy with our first drive of the game. That was the first time we had done anything on an opening drive. I would like to have made the field goal but to at least get a couple of first downs and move the field was important for us considering we hadn't been able to do that."
 
(On Noah Rothman) "Noah came in and really did a great job. He showed that he had knowledge of the offense and didn't let the moment get too big for him."


 
Stats of the Game
• First-time starters for Colgate Saturday were Froschauer at quarterback, A.J. DeSantis at center and Kyan Brumfield at safety.
• Aidan Gaertner was the Colgate leader with 11 tackles, a career high. Maine's Taji Lowe led all tacklers with 12.
• Heard's interception late in the first half helped put the Raiders on the board. It happened at the Maine 27 yard line, and Colgate needed just three plays to cash in on a beautiful misdirection pass call.
• Nick Diaco slipped across the line of scrimmage and found himself open in the left flat. Froschauer feathered it perfectly and Diaco raced 28 yards untouched to the end zone.
• After Mathews scored in the third quarter, Nick Draught tallied his second TD of the season midway in the fourth.
• It came in the same corner of the end zone as his touchdown catch against Villanova. Draught this time took an end-around handoff and blitzed 44 yards through the middle before racing for the right sideline pylon.
• That 44-yarder is Colgate's longest rushing play of the season.
• Garrett Oakey led all receivers with five catches for 98 yards, including a 55-yarder from Rothman that is Colgate's longest play from scrimmage this season.
• Maine's Edwards now has six career kickoff returns for touchdown. His has 2,025 career kickoff return yards for a 26.3 average.


 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance for Family Weekend was 5,606.
 
Up Next
• Colgate is on the road next Saturday night at Dartmouth.
• The Big Green opened their season this weekend with a 35-6 victory at Jacksonville.
• Kickoff from Hanover is 6 p.m., with ESPN+ carrying the livestream. Catch the home play-by-play call from 94 WKXZ-FM.