#4 Football Travels to #21 New Hampshire to Battle for Brice-Cowell Musket
11/19/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game Notes | Live Stats | Audio
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine football team (10-1, 7-0 CAA) closes out the regular season when it travels to take on New Hampshire (5-2, 6-4 CAA), with the Brice-Cowell musket on the line.
GAME STORYLINES
- The Black Bears are coming off a 41-0 win over Rhode Island which clinched the outright CAA title for the first time in Maine history and its first outright title since 1965 (Yankee Conference).Maine also locked up a 5-0 home record for the first time since 2001.
- Maine has won 12 straight FCS contests, dating back to a 51-7 win on Nov. 10, 2012 against Georgia State. The streak is the longest win streak in program history, besting an 11-game win streak in 1988-89. It is the longest undefeated streak since Maine went 12-0-2 in 1950-52.
- Maine last won 10 games in a regular season in 2002, also the last time it had a conference championship (shared the Atlantic 10 title) and have never won 11 games in a regular season.
- QB Marcus Wasilewski is having a historic senior season. Wasilewski currently has 2,789 passing yards on the year; third best all-time. Wasilewski needs 334 yards to break Warren Smith's 3,122 yards (2011) mark for tops in a season all-time. Wasilewski is also four passing TDs away from tying Mickey Fein's 27 TDs in a season mark, set in 1998. Wasilewski is currently seventh in all-time passing yards (5,164) and is just the seventh QB in history to surpass 5,000 yards.
- Wasilewski has now gone six straight games without throwing an interception. Since an interception at Richmond (Sept. 28), Wasilewski has gone 124-for-170 with 14 TDs and no interceptions.
- This weekend's contest is the 101st meeting in Maine's longtime history with UNH. Maine has played the Wildcats more than any other team in its history. UNH owns a 49-43-8 record and has won nine of the last 10 after Maine took three straight (2000-02). The Black Bears last win came in 2010 (16-13 OT) and Maine has not won in New Hampshire since a 57-24 victory in 2001. In last season's meeting, Wasilewski threw for 254 yards and three scores, two of which to Justin Perillo, in Maine's 28-21 loss.
- A storyline to follow will be Maine's second ranked pass attack (256.7) against UNH's eight ranked pass defense (243.5) and Maine's top ranked pass defense (169.7) against UNH's third ranked pass offense (249.9).
BRICE-COWELL MUSKET
A special trophy, the Brice-Cowell musket, is at stake each year of the rivalry between Maine and New Hampshire. Named after two great former coaches -- Fred Brice of Maine and William Cowell of New Hampshire -- the winner of the annual football game gains possession of the musket for the following year. The tradition began in the late 1940s. The musket is a flintlock rifle made by Ebenezer Nutting of Falmouth, Maine between 1722 and 1745. The George I period flintlock has a barrel 43 inches in length and rifled to a .65 caliber.
GAME INFORMATION
When: Saturday, Nov. 23
Where: Durham, NH
Stadium (Capacity): Cowell Stadium (8,000)
Surface: Field Turf
Kickoff: 12:00 PM
Series Record: UNH leads 49-43-8
Current Series Winning Streak: New Hampshire 2
TOP 25 RANKINGS (SPORTS NETWORK/FCS COACHES)
Maine: 4/4
New Hampshire: 21/24
HEAD COACHES
Maine: Jack Cosgrove (Maine '78)
Career Record (Seasons): 121-119 (21st Season)
vs. New Hampshire: 6-14
New Hampshire: Sean McDonnell (New Hamp. '78)
Career Record (Seasons): 110-70 overall (15th Season)
vs. Maine: 10-4
TELEVISION/WEB STREAM
Comcast SportsNet
Talent: Brent Harris (pxp) and Andy Gresh (color)
CAA Football has announced that NBC Sports Regional Networks' Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and CSS will televise live coverage of the Maine vs. New Hampshire contest at Noon on Saturday, Nov. 23, as part of the league's five-game Rivalry Week lineup. SNY will provide delayed coverage of the game.
The home games will be broadcast live on GoBlackBears.com (.) Click on the "Audio & Video" tab near the bottom of the home page for instructions on how to watch live over the internet.
RADIO
The game will be broadcast throughout the state of Maine on the Black Bear Sports Network. Rich Kimball (play-by-play) and Bob Lucy (color) will handle the call of the game. Kimball and Lucy are in their 17th season of calling Black Bear football, and Saturday's game will be the 196th Black Bear football game for the duo.
City Affiliate
Augusta WVQM-FM 101.3
Bangor WVOM-FM 103.9
Millinocket WSYY-AM 1240
Portland WLOB-AM 1310
Portland WRED-AM 1440
Rockland WVOM-AM 1450
INTERNET
The game can be heard live over the internet at www.GoBlackBears.com(.) Click on the "Audio & Video Tab" near the bottom of the home page to find a complete schedule of upcoming broadcasts for Black Bear football games. Live, in-game stats will also be provided at www.GoBlackBears.com(.)
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