Live Blog vs. Maine

3:42 p.m. - The Huskies drop to 0-2, 0-1 on the season while the Black Bears climb to 2-0, 1-0. Northeastern hosts Youngstown State at Parsons Field next Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 p.m.

3:41 p.m. - Matt Carroll was sacked on the final two plays of the game to cement the victory for Maine, 17-7.

3:38 p.m. - Northeastern earns a 1st and 10 on the five-yard line following a pass interference call with 00:27 left on the board.

3:37 p.m. - Junior Darryl Jones recovered a fumble and took it back to the Maine 19-yard line followed by a senior Ron Conway reception to the eight-yard line.

3:32 p.m. - On 4th and 8, Northeastern went for it from the Black Bears' 13-yard line. The pass was intended for Ty Sibert, but the ball fell to the ground and Maine takes over with 2:50 left in the game.

3:30 p.m. - Senior Adhir Ravipati grabbed a 34-yard catch from Carroll to bring the Huskies down to the Maine 15-yard line.

3:28 p.m. - Maine's Trevor Coston registered his second interception of the game, but the Huskies got the ball back on the next play after Jason Vega continues on his torrent pace by falling on a Maine fumble. The Huskies take over on their 43-yard line with 4:35 left on the clock.

3:26 p.m. - Maine stalls out on Northeastern's 45-yard line. On Jordan Waxman's punt attempt, Jason Vega got a hand on the boot, marking his second block of the game. The ball still got off, but only went 16 yards.

3:18 p.m. - Maine's defense stands up the Huskies in their own territory and will set up shop on Northeastern's 43-yard line with 8:18 to play.

3:16 p.m. - Sophomore Emmanuel Matthews picks off Warren Smith at the NU 12-yard line with 10:18 remaining.

3:14 p.m. - The Black Bears' drive will start on their own 27-yard line following a 38-yard punt with 11:04 to go in the contest.

3:11 p.m. - Northeastern suffered three successive holding calls and is now facing a 2nd and 26 situation on Maine's 26-yard line.

3:07 p.m. - Maine's drive stalls at its 25-yard line and the Huskies take over on the Black Bears' 43-yard line with 13:50 remaining in the contest.

3:03 p.m. - On 3rd and 10, Maine's Mike Brusko gained 11 yards on the quarterback keeper for a first down, marking the ball on Northeastern's 20-yard line, closing out the third quarter, 17-7, in favor of Maine.

3:00 p.m. - The Huskies tried the option on 3rd and 18, but failed to advance. Maine regains the ball on its own nine-yard line.

2:57 p.m. - Junior running back John Griffin exploded for a 20-yard gain down to Maine's 44-yard line. He almost broke free, but was tripped up from behind.

2:55 p.m. - The Huskies will start the drive at 5:27 from their 25-yard line.

2:53 p.m. - On the first play from scrimmage on the drive, Warren Smith delivered a perfect ball to Landis Williams for a 47-yard touchdown to go ahead 17-7 with 5:34 remaining in the third frame. The drive lasted 00:07.

2:51 p.m. - Maine's Jordan Stevens sacked Carroll and then Kevin Newhall was flagged for a penalty to push the Huskies back. Maine resumed possession on NU's 47-yard line.

2:46 p.m. - The Huskies defense swarmed Maine's backfield and take over on their own 34-yard line after a Black Bears' punt with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

2:44 p.m. - After converting a first down, two consecutive penalties pushed Maine back to its own 38-yard line and now face 2nd and 17.

2:39 p.m. - Landis Williams returned the kick to the endzone, but an illegal block in the back by Conor Keating brought the Black Bears all the way back to their own 32-yard line with 12:18 remaining in the third quarter.

2:36 p.m. - The Huskies are forced to punt on their first possession of the second half.

2:34 p.m. - Elijah Harris brought the ball out to the 38-yard line on the kick to open the second half of play.

2:31 p.m. - The Huskies returned to the field with about two minutes left in halftime.

2:14 p.m. - With 00:06 left, Jordan Waxman's 40-yard field goal attempt was blocked by NU senior linebacker Jason Vega and recovered by sophomore Steven Sesay at the 41-yard line to close out the half. The Black Bears take a 10-7 edge into the locker room.

2:09 p.m. - Maine's sophomore quarterback Warren Smith engineered the Black Bears down to Northeastern's 40-yard line with short passing. Maine called its final timeout of the half with 00:15 second left.

2:04 p.m. - Northeastern was forced backwards and had to punt from its 49-yard line.  Senior Ron Conway delivered a 41-yard punt which was fair caught by Landis Williams at the Maine 10-yard line.

2:01 p.m. - Carroll followed his line up the left side for a first down on 3rd and 3 with 4:37 remaining in the second quarter. The Huskies crossed over to Maine's 47-yard line.

1:59 p.m. - Carroll converted a Huskies' first down on a quarterback keeper on third and 2 down to the NU 41-yard line.

1:57 p.m. - The Huskies take over on their 29-yard line.

1:56 p.m. - Derek Session bowled through and punched in Maine's first touchdown of the game at 8:13 of the second quarter for a 10-3 lead after a successful PAT from Waxman. Maine's scoring drive spanned 4:04 for 42 yards on nine plays.

1:54 p.m. - The Black Bears pounded the ball down to the one-yard line and face a 3rd and 1 situation. Maine hailed for the timeout at 8:18 of the second stanza.

1:50 p.m. - Northeastern's defensive line snuffed out Brusko's keeper for a four-yard loss on 3rd and 5. Maine decided to go for in on 4th and 9 and Landis Williams hauled in a nine-yard pass to move the chains to the Huskies' 22-yard line at 9:50 of the second quarter.

1:46 p.m. - On 3rd and 6, Maine's Trevor Coston picked off Carroll's attempt and the Black Bears take over in Huskies' territory at the 42-yard line.

1:44 p.m. - Sophomore Roger Harris gained 11 yards on 2nd and 8 for a Huskies first down, moving the ball out to the 21-yard line.

1:42 p.m. - Maine opened the quarter with a Waxman punt, pinning the Huskies on their own eight-yard line at 14:40 of the second quarter.

1:41 p.m. - Senior captain Craig Kenney sacked Mike Brusko for a three-yard loss. On the next snap, junior lineman Chad Parham recorded the second-consecutive sack for a one-yard loss to bring up a 4th and 5 on Maine's 49-yard line to close out the first quarter of action.

1:38 p.m. - Maine calls the first timeout of the contest with 00:56 remaining in the first quarter.

1:36 p.m. - Roosevelt Boone scurried for eight yards on a 3rd and 2 down to NU's 47-yard line for the first down.

1:34 p.m. - On 3rd and 3, Carroll faced some pressure from a Black Bears blitz and avertd a sack by throwing it out of bounds. On the next play, junior John Griffin dropped a pass in the slot. Northeastern decided to go for it on 4th and 3 on a Carroll keeper, but Maine snuffed out the draw and Maine takes over on its own 34-yard line.

1:30 p.m. - Junior John Griffin converted another first down after a five-yard jaunt down to the Maine 42-yard line.

1:28 p.m. - Quarterback Matt Carroll ran for 14 yards down to the 46-yard line for a Huskies first down.

1:27 p.m. - Maine goes three-and-out as the Huskies resume possession on the NU 27-yard line.

1:24 p.m. - Maine takes over on its 38-yard line after a Desmond Randall return.

1:22 p.m. - On the very next play, Greg Abelli took the fake handoff on the end around and dashed 33-yards to paydirt for the touchdown. Northeastern leads 7-3 after a successful PAT by senior Mat Johnson.

1:21 p.m. - Waxman broke through the line on 3rd and 2, but the ball popped out and was recovered by junior Darryl Jones at the 40-yard line and was returned to the 33.

1:19 p.m. - The Black Bears' drive will start on their own 27-yard line at 9:11 of the first quarter.

1:17 p.m. - Northeastern was forced to punt after a holding penalty negated a Huskies first down.

1:14 p.m. - Northeastern resumes possession on the 28-yard line after a return by sophomore Elijah Harris.

1:12 p.m. - Junior Nate Thellen broke through the line on 3rd and 4 and made a huge defensive stop to force Maine to attempt a 37-yard field goal, but sophomore Jordan Waxman split the uprights despite the slippery conditions.

1:09 p.m. - Senior Mike Brusko handed off to sophomore Derek Session for a 39-yard rush to open the contest. Maine is now at the NU 26-yard line.

1:05 p.m. - The Army ROTC bears the American Flag and Northeastern University flag while the captains meet at the center of the field. The Huskies won the toss and deferred to Maine. The Black Bears will receive the opening kick. The rain has resumed, but it's not very heavy.

1:02 p.m. - The Black Bears take to the field followed by the Huskies! NU will don the home red jerseys while Maine is sporting the road whites. Heather Chu will sing the National Anthem.

12:59 p.m. - Paws, the NU Mascot, waits patiently at the end of the Northeastern cheerleading line for his Huskies to grace Parsons Field for the first time in 2009.

12:48 p.m. - Both teams have cleared the field and retreated back to their locker rooms before the kickoff. The rain has been on-and-off throughout the warm-up, but at the moment, the rain has ceased!

12:45 p.m. - Redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Carroll looks comfortable while warming up and working on some post routes towards the sidelines. Carroll will earn his first collegiate start, filling in for junior Alex Dulski. Dulski is shelved after suffering an injury in the season opener at Boston College last Saturday. Carroll went 4-for-8 passing for 28 yards and 10 rushes for another 17 yards in his collegiate debut.

12:30 p.m. - Credit has to be given the Huskies maintenance staff this afternoon. Spanning from the far endzone all the way out to the 20-yard line, the steady rains that started on Friday evening did a nice job of creating a large puddle on the field, but NU's hard workers have done a great job keeping it subdued so it has little effect on the game.

12:24 p.m. - As the rain continues at Parsons and the teams continue to fine tune before the kickoff, here are a few tidbits to consider for today's matchup:
     - Today is the 41st meeting between Northeastern and Maine
     - Maine holds the all-time series advantage, 24-16, and a 10-8 edge at Parsons Field
     - Head coach Rocky Hager is in search of his first win against the Black Bears
     - Northeastern's last victory against the team from Orono, Maine was in 2003

12:17 p.m. - The Northeastern Huskies are set to take on the No. 20 Maine Black Bears in NU's home opener at Parsons Field. Both squads are broken into their respective units and are warming up on a very rainy Saturday. Today's contest marks the CAA opener for both clubs.