After a three-game road swing, the last two resulting in losses in upstate New York, the University of Maine returns home this week to re-open its Colonial Athletic Conference schedule.

Maine (2-2, 1-0 in the CAA) hosts Delaware (Saturday, 6 p.m., Alfond Stadium) coming off a 41-24 loss to FBS opponent Syracuse. Like the 20-16 loss to Albany the week before, the Black Bears held a halftime lead. They outgained the Orange, 430-385 and showed daring with two fake punts and an onside kick. But they also subverted their upset hopes with a  rash of penalties (17) and a pair of Warren Smith interceptions.

“We’re not happy with the way the game finished,” Maine coach Jack Cosgrove said. “Had we been able to do something with our third-quarter drive, the first possession where we used our second fake punt … We had a third-and-2 at the 32 yard line and got called for a false start and that hurt us.”

Syracuse drove 86 yards on its subsequent possession to take the lead and the game got away from Maine quickly from there. Injuries to safety Trevor Coston and linebacker Levi Ervin of Lisbon Falls helped take the starch out of the Black Bears. Coston, who was immobilized and taken off the field via ambulance for precautionary reasons, flew home with the Black Bears and should be fine, according to Cosgrove. Ervin, who had to be helped off the field by teammates just a few plays later, sustained a concussion. 

“Levi is the worst of the two situations, just because his injury was more of a concussion, whereas Trev’s was more of a shoulder situation,” Cosgrove said. 

Maine followed its protocol for concussions with Ervin, subjecting him to tests early in the week. Ervin, who saw time at middle linebacker for the second straight game last Saturday, sat out practice Tuesday and his return was unknown. 

The Syracuse game marked the start of the Warren Smith era at quarterback. After two weeks of platooning with Mike Brusko, Smith got the starting nod and took all the snaps at the Carrier Dome, completing 24 of 35 passes for 305 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

“I think you got a better picture of what we think we are and what we can be and what our personnel should be,” Cosgrove said of the Smith-led offense, which showed more balance (90 rushing yards) than previous efforts. “A lot of advancements were made offensively.”

Defensively, Maine held Syracuse tailback Delone Carter (19 carries, 72 yards) to his lowest output of the season, but the Bears will have a different focus this week against Delaware (2-2, 0-2 CAA).  QB Pat Devlin leads the third-ranked passing offense in the CAA. 

Both of the Blue Hens’ CAA losses have been to teams ranked in the top five — a 16-15 loss to No. 1 Richmond on Sept. 12 and a 30-20 setback to No. 5 William & Mary last week. Cosgrove warned that the Hens, who lost to the Bears, 27-10, at UD last year, will be coming to Orono with a sense of purpose.

“It is essential for us to get ourselves back in the right type of physical and mental state of mind,” Cosgrove said. “Delaware is coming in here and they might be a little like we were last year. We were 0-2 in the conference. We went to their place and got a big win and turned our season around. I would say they’re probably looking at it the exact same way as we did last year.”