ORONO — Friday was move-in day for University of Maine freshmen. To mark the occasion, the Black Bears made fans squirm in their seats in the final minute before pulling out a 17-14 win over Colgate in front of 5,775 fans at Alfond Stadium.

Maine had the ball at the Colgate 23 with just over a minute to play, but quarterback Carter Peevy mishandled a high snap. The ball was recovered by the Raiders, who took over at their own 33 with no timeouts and 51 seconds left.

Colgate advanced into Maine territory, but Alhaji Kamara’s interception of a Michael Brescia pass at the Black Bears 35 with seven seconds left ended the threat and secured Maine’s win.

“We had to get to about the 25. We didn’t have any timeouts. We were running 2-minute plays, boundary type plays. (Kamara) made a good play on it. We were like a play away from getting (a field-goal try),” said Colgate Coach Stan Dakosty.

It was Maine’s first season-opening win since 2019.

“I’m really happy for the players to get a win to start the season. A lot of work goes into just Game 1,” Maine Coach Jordan Stevens said. “It is just one game, but it is a win and I think that’s a pretty important thing. There will be mistakes that we’ll see on film and we’ll have to clean up, but it’s good to do that with a win under your belt.”

Peevy took the blame for the turnover that set up the Raiders for one final try.

“That’s on me. I’ve got to catch the snap,” he said. “I was really happy to see the defense step up again.”

A few plays before the turnover, Peevy connected with Montigo Moss for a 33-yard pass on a third-and-7. Colgate had just scored, and Maine needed to extend the drive to try to close out the game. Peevy threw a jump ball to Moss on the right side, and the veteran receiver went up and got it.

Moss said he saw man coverage and was just trying to make a play. Peevy saw something he’s known since he arrived at Maine as a grad transfer from Mercer last winter.

“I got here in January. Since I got here, Day 1, all I’ve heard is Montigo Moss, there’s your jump ball guy. He lived up to that tonight,” Peevy said.

Jaharie Martin’s 7-yard touchdown run with 10:31 to play gave the Black Bears a 17-7 lead. Colgate answered on the next drive, as Brescia (174 yards passing, 61 rushing) scored on a 10-yard run with 4:27 left to make it 17-14.

After a slow start, Maine’s offense found a rhythm in the second quarter, resulting in a pair of long scoring drives. First, Peevy capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard scramble to the front left pylon of the end zone. The play was reminiscent of what Peevy did as quarterback at Mercer last season, when he ran for 12 touchdowns. The score tied the game at 7-7 with 4:15 left in the first half.

After forcing the Raiders to go three and out, Maine took over on its own 23. Ten plays and 58 yards later, Joey Bryson’s 34-yard field goal gave the Black Bears a 10-7 halftime lead.

Colgate took a 7-0 lead at 11:16 of the second quarter on Brendan Cassamajor’s 3-yard touchdown run. The scoring play was set up when Brescia connected with Winston Moore for a 45-yard gain to the Maine 3, one play after Cassamajor ran for 2 yards on fourth-and-2 at midfield.

When Colgate visited Orono two years ago, Brescia ran for 87 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-18 win. In the first half, the Black Bears didn’t get much pressure on him. In the second half, they were able to keep Brescia in the pocket and pick up a pair of sacks. The second, by defensive end Xavier Holmes, dropped Brescia at the Colgate 1 and forced a punt.

Mo Irefin, a transfer from Division II St. Vincent College, returned the punt 34 yards to the Raiders 21. Three plays later, Martin scored to give Maine a 10-point lead.

“You’ve just got to keep driving. Attacking him every time, trying to get upfield,” Holmes said.

On its first play of the fourth quarter, Colgate tried a flea flicker from deep in its own territory. Brescia’s pass was slightly overthrown, just out of reach of a wide-open Brady Hutchinson. Dakosty wasn’t sure if it would have gone for a touchdown, but he knew his team missed a chance at a big play.

“It worked, it was just overthrown a little bit. That play would have been huge,” he said.

Peevy completed 17 of 22 passes for 186 yards in his first game with the Black Bears, hitting six different receivers. Moss had five catches for 84 yards, while Martin ran for 66 yards on 15 carries. Playing just his second collegiate game, Cape Elizabeth’s Nick Laughlin’s had the first three catches of his career, for 38 yards. Laughlin’s 21-yard catch in the second quarter, over a tight defender, gave the Black Bears first-and-goal at the 5. Two plays later, Peevy ran in for Maine’s game-tying touchdown.

Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate’s leading receiver last season, had four catches for 32 yards but left the game with an injury with 5:25 left in the third quarter and did not return.