Saturday night was an ugly one for the Black Bears.
Following two encouraging road performances in losses to Football Bowl Subdivision team Liberty University (28-7) and Coastal Athletic Association rival William and Mary (28-27), games in which the University of Maine’s football team was either tied or ahead in the fourth quarter, the assumption was that the Black Bears would take out their frustrations on Stonehill College in their opener on Saturday night.
After all, the Skyhawks have just completed a three-year transition from Division II to Division I, they were picked to finish last in the Northeast Conference, and they came to Orono with a 10-game losing streak in which the average margin of defeat was 18.8 points per game.
But Stonehill rallied for a 13-10 victory thanks to a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 remaining on a fourth-and-21 play. It was the Skyhawks’ first ever win over a CAA team and they earned it even though they produced just 196 yards of offense.
Their defense was stout.
The one positive for the Black Bears is that they have now hit rock bottom and there is nowhere to go but up for the remainder of the season.
The UMaine defense did its job extremely well with the exception of one play: the game-winning TD pass in which the Black Bears failed to keep quarterback Jack O’Connell in the pocket and, for some unknown reason, left Brigham Dunphy all alone in the back of the end zone.
When a quarterback is able to scramble, that makes it difficult for the cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers to cover potential receivers because the receivers wind up coming off their routes and improvising.
The defense gave the Black Bears and its struggling offense a chance to win.
But the Black Bears never should have been in that situation in the first place.
UMaine should have had the game sewn up long before.
But they couldn’t move the football consistently due to an underperforming passing attack.
They averaged 319.5 yards of offense in their first two games but mustered only 266 against Stonehill.
UMaine has one of the worst passing attacks in the Football Championship Subdivision, averaging only 108 passing yards per game which is tied for 111th among 118 FCS schools.
When you are a one-dimensional team, you are much easier to defend.
Veteran quarterback Carter Peevy has completed just one pass of 20 or more yards and that was a 20-yarder to Mo Irefin.
UMaine has the 19th best rushing attack in the nation with a 193.7 yards-per-game average. Running back Sincere Baines is ninth in the nation in rushing yards per game (103.7) and 10th in rushing yards (311 yards on 40 carries). He is averaging an impressive 7.8 yards per carry. Rashawn Marshall is averaging 4.5 yards per rush and Cape Elizabeth’s Nick Laughlin returned to the lineup after missing the first two games with a hand injury and gained 42 yards on six carries (7 yards per carry).
UMaine has had six runs of at least 20 yards through its three games.
For the second straight game, UMaine put itself in great position to post a win but had to settle for second-half field goals after being set up with first and goal at the seven.
In each case, vs. William and Mary as well as Stonehill, the Black Bears produced only two yards on three plays and the failure to garner a touchdown came back to bite them.
Yardage inside the red zone, within the opposing team’s 20-yard-line, is much tougher to come by so you have to be more creative with your play calling.
On the season, UMaine is only 10 for 37 on third down and that 27 percent conversion rate is 102nd best.
There is no shortage of speed and playmakers on this team so the percentage should be much higher.
Veteran quarterback Carter Peevy has completed 14 of 27 passes on third down but seven of them were short of first down yardage. It’s important that the receivers have to reach the first down sticks before they catch the ball or be in position to catch it and pick up the necessary yardage.
Some of those throws were under duress as Peevy was being pressured.
Peevy has been sacked three times in third down situations and rushing plays failed four times.
But on the third down plays they failed to convert, the Black Bears found themselves needing an average of 6.9 yards to move the chains.
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens said they have to do a better job in first and second down situations so they have third-and-short instead of third-and-long.
He said an improved passing attack involves several factors.
“Number one, we’ve got to protect [the quarterback] better,” Stevens said. “Two, we’ve got to get the ball out quicker. Sometimes we hold onto the ball too long. There are also things at the receiver level. Everything has to get better.”
After losing the top two receivers from last season to graduation, Stevens said it takes time for the quarterbacks to build chemistry with the current receiving corps. They have several newcomers in the receivers group along with returnees who are in more prominent roles.
“You have to be able to throw the ball to win. That’s a common theme at all levels of football,” Stevens said.
Peevy has completed just 48.8 percent of his passes for 324 yards and has two TD passes and two interceptions. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes a year ago in his first season as the UMaine starter after transferring from Mercer University in Georgia.
He threw for 2,422 yards and had 18 touchdown passes and just five interceptions last season.
Stevens said UMaine hasn’t discussed a quarterback change yet but he anticipates a healthy battle among the quarterbacks to be in a position to play.
The Black Bears will visit FBS team Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. Saturday. Georgia Southern is 1-2 with losses to Fresno State and USC and a win over Jacksonville State.
Georgia Southern was 8-5 a year ago and went to a bowl game.
There are still nine games left, so all is not lost. But the Black Bears can’t afford another performance like Saturday night.
