ORONO – Groomed to be a blocking back in his first year as a collegiate football player, Jared Turcotte said he was content to open holes for preseason all-conference tailback Jhamal Fluellen.

But all that changed when the Maine senior suffered an early-season injury.

Given the opportunity to carry the football in Fluellen’s absence, Turcotte’s coming-out party came against top-ranked James Madison. The redshirt freshman from Lewiston lugged defenders on his back all game and finished with 82 yards on 11 carries.

Turcotte continued to carry the load for the Black Bears, helping the team to six consecutive victories and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.

Just as he impressed opposing coaches throughout his high school career, which culminated with the Fitzpatrick Trophy as the state’s best football player, Turcotte’s freshman effort also impressed the opposing coaches in the Colonial Athletic Association. That effort earned Turcotte a spot on the CAA’s all-conference team as the first-team fullback.

Turcotte is one of three Maine players named to the first team. Senior defensive end Jovan Belcher not only earned a place on the first team, he was also named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive lineman Ryan Canary also was named to the first team.

Named to the second team was senior linebacker Andrew Downey, while Fluellen, senior offensive lineman Christopher Arnao and senior cornerback Lionel Nixon Jr. were selected to the third team.

Turcotte is one of two freshmen to earn first-team honors from the CAA. He rushed for a team-high 602 yards and seven touchdowns to lead a potent Black Bear rushing attack this season. Maine finished third in the CAA and 20th nationally in rushing.

Belcher, who was named the league’s preseason defensive player of the year, led the CAA in tackles for loss (15.5) and ranked second in sacks (7.5) during the regular season. A dominant force on the defensive line, teams tried to double and triple team Belcher, but he still ranked among the league leaders in tackles (11th, 7.8 tpg), and led all CAA defensive lineman in total tackles (93).

His total tackles were 21 more than the nearest defensive lineman in that category.

Belcher is also one of 16 finalists for the 2008 Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level.

Belcher is the second Maine player to earn the league’s defensive player-of-the-year award. Former standout linebacker Stephen Cooper, who currently starts for the San Diego Chargers, won the award in both 2001 and 2002.

Canary, a second-team selection last year, was the anchor of a Maine offensive line which helped pave the way for Black Bears to finish in the top four in rushing in the CAA for the third-straight regular season. Overall, five Black Bears topped 300 yards rushing this season. Canary was named to the league’s all-preseason team earlier this season.

The Black Bears, ranked 20th in the nation, will face No. 4 Northern Iowa on Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. Kickoff is set for 5:05 p.m. at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It marks Maine’s fifth appearance in the NCAA playoffs in program history and its first appearance since 2002.