With their Football Championship Subdivision playoff aspirations and Coastal Athletic Association title hopes dashed by last week’s 45-13 home loss to league leader Rhode Island, the University of Maine’s Black Bears will switch to a spoiler’s role when they visit arch-rival New Hampshire on Saturday at 1 p.m.
UMaine had its six-game winning streak snapped by the Rams, the only remaining CAA team without a conference loss. The Black Bears will take an overall record of 6-5 and a CAA mark of 5-2 to Wildcat Stadium.
UNH has won four in a row and is 7-4 and 5-2, and has to beat UMaine to keep its FCS playoff hopes alive. Even with a victory, UNH will also need some help as there are a handful of FCS games in other conferences that will weigh in on the wild card selections.
This will be the 113th meeting between the two teams with UNH holding a 59-45-8 edge including 19 wins in the last 22 meetings; 12 in the last 14 and 10 in the last 11 contests at Wildcat Stadium.
The teams will be playing for the Brice-Cowell Musket.
UMaine fourth-year head coach Jordan Stevens, who is looking for his first win over UNH, said it is important for his players to “not carry any burden of the past into this game.
“I want to see us perform in these situations and take a step forward from last week to this week. Continue to improve and play more to our standard and play more to who we are,” Stevens said. “Last week, we got away from that a little bit, and I want to see that come through this week in our physicality, our ability to run the ball and stop the run and to play together.”
A victory would make them just the third UMaine team since 2013 to win seven or more games. The 2013 and 2018 teams each won 10 games and went to the FCS playoffs with the 2018 team reaching the semifinals for the first time in program history.
Considering the fact UMaine started the season 0-4, to finish 7-5 would be a “great feat” according to Stevens.
“And it would give us momentum to take into the offseason,” said the coach, who is also a former UMaine third team All-CAA defensive end.
“The seniors can lay expectations for the younger guys in the program,” Stevens added.
Stevens said he “loves the rivalry” and to lay claim to the Brice-Cowell Musket would be a “big accomplishment.”
The game will feature two of the top defenses in the CAA and middle-of-the pack offenses.
UMaine is second in the CAA in yards allowed per game (318.64) and third in points allowed (23.45) while UNH is third in yards allowed (331.36) and second in points given up (20.82).
Offensively, UMaine is eighth in yards per game (353.8) and 10th in points (23.9) while UNH is seventh in yards (354.73) and in points (26.09).
One interesting matchup will be the Black Bears’ running game, which is second in yards per carry at 4.63, against a UNH defense that has allowed 156 yards per game — which is just ninth-best in the 14-team conference.
UNH has been much more prolific through the air, averaging 220.45 yards per game (7th) compared to UMaine’s 192.36 (12th).
UMaine graduate student quarterback Carter Peevy has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 2,058 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. He has also rushed for 199 yards. Sincere Baines has carried the ball 115 times for 680 yards for a 5.9 yards per carry average and Rashawn Marshall has carried it 119 times for 641 yards (5.4 yards per carry).
Peevy has thrown for 1,646 yards and 14 TDs over his last seven games.
Harvard University transfer Scott Woods has a team-high 51 receptions for 620 yards and Mo Irefin has 33 for 381 yards. Wood is also one of the nation’s top punt returners, averaging 24.9 yards per return.
Linebacker Christian Thomas is second in the CAA and 10th in the 126-team FCS in tackles with 111 and leads the team in tackles for loss with 11. He is second in sacks with five.
“He has been relentless to the ball. He finds a way to get to the ball. He has a tenacity and a passion you can feel when he plays,” Stevens said about Thomas.
Safety Devin Vaught has 50 tackles and leads the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (5).
“Devin has been terrific. He is such a good player,” Stevens said. “He’s smart, tough and disciplined. He makes big plays. He shows up in big moments.”
Tackle Elias Sherman leads the team in sacks with 5.5 and the team’s 27 sacks is the most since 2018, when the Black Bears had 47.
UNH features dual threat quarterback Matt Vezza, who has completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,359 yards and 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Vezza has also rushed for 530 yards on 130 carries and seven TDs. Myles Thomason has carried the ball 170 times for 662 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and is averaging 88.5 yards per game during the Wildcats’ four-game winning streak.
Caleb Burke (50 catches-701 yards) and Chase Wilson (44-641) are UNH’s top two receivers and the defense features linebacker Trevor Barry (72 tackles), safety Duncan Moreland (54 tackles) and tackle Justice Akinmoladun (team-high six sacks).
Stevens said to come out with a win, his team has to avoid getting caught up in the rivalry.
“Play disciplined football. Don’t beat ourselves with penalties, turnovers, failed drives or giving up explosive plays,” Stevens said. “We have to run the football and stop the run. And we have to maximize each possession.”
He also said they have to come up with big plays, offensively and defensively, in key moments of the game.
