ORONO – Ron Whitcomb passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Maine turned a 17-14 third quarter deficit into a 35-26 win over Northeastern.

Whitcomb completed 18-26 passes and had touchdown strikes of 14 yards to Ivi Nwosu in the first quarter, 19 yards to Christian Pereira in the second and 33 yards to Pereira again in the third.

Maine (4-3, 2-2 Atlantic 10) scored three times in a span of less than five minutes in the third and fourth quarters after Northeastern (3-4, 2-2 Atlantic 10) had taken the lead early in the third.

Northeastern quarterback Shawn Bray threw for 353 yards and also ran for a pair of touchdowns, but he threw two costly interceptions – one that Maine’s Manauris Arias returned 54 yards for a touchdown with 12:45 to go in the game to put the Black Bears on top 35-17.

Maine’s Marcus Williams rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown. Northeastern’s James West had 108 yards on the ground.

Huskies’ kicker Miro Kesic kicked two field goals but also had two blocked by Maine’s defense.

Middlebury 42, Bates 31

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -Mike Keenan broke Middlebury school records with 31 completions and 427 passing yards to lead Middlebury to a 42-31 win over Bates on Saturday.

Middlebury’s Tom Cleaver tied a school record with 15 receptions and broke a school record with 256 yards receiving.

Bates’ Ron DiGravio had a career high 142 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 26 carries to lead the Bobcats.

Dom DiDomenico gave Middlebury a 28-24 lead late in the third quarter with a six-yard rush to cap a 61-yard drive. It was the first of three straight touchdowns that earned Middlebury the win.

Brandon Colon scored a one-yard rushing touchdown for Bates.