University of Maine running back Nick Laughllin from Cape Elizabeth has been lost for the season due to a knee injury.
The redshirt sophomore sustained the injury on his one-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left in the first quarter of UMaine’s 20-13 victory at Merrimack College two Saturdays ago.
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens said during Monday’s Coastal Athletic Association coaches’ media conference call that Laughlin will undergo knee surgery in the near future.
Laughlin, who made a transition to running back from wide receiver this season, averaged 5.3 yards per carry this fall with 169 yards on 31 carries. He had one rushing touchdown. He also caught 11 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns on an 81-yarder and a 64-yarder.
He was the team’s third-leading pass catcher as a receiver in 2024, hauling in 22 passes for 186 yards and a TD. He also carried the ball three times for five yards and a touchdown.
“Nick is a terrific football player overall,” said Stevens. “You could put him at any position and he would excel. He has the ability to run the football, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield or also line up as a receiver.”
Stevens noted that Laughlin also plays a role for the Black Bears on special teams.
“We feel for Nick. It’s hard to replace him and his playmaking ability and football IQ on the field,” Stevens said. “But it’s next guy up and we showed that within the Merrimack game. Rashawn Marshall stepped up big and Sivert Klefsaas stepped up as well.”
Marshall, a redshirt freshman, carried the ball 19 times for 146 yards and Klefsaas added 35 yards on just five carries.
The team’s leading rusher, Sincere Baines, had just two carries in the game due to a tender ankle. Stevens is hoping to have Baines back for Saturday’s 1 p.m. homecoming game against visiting Elon.
Baines has carried the ball 77 times for 501 yards, an average of 6.5 yards per carry. He has also caught 11 passes for 45 yards.
He has two rushing touchdowns and a receiving TD as well.
Marshall has carried the ball 67 times for 369 yards which is an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He has one rushing touchdown.
“We have a pool of guys that can carry the football and do a great job at that,” Stevens said. “We have to find ways to play to our strengths with the guys that we have. And find the way to get the ball to our playmakers.”
