Football 9/7/2017 12:50:00 PM

GameDay Central: Football hosts Bryant in Home Opener

Tickets available at GoBlackBears.com or by phone at 207.581.BEAR

Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine football team is set to host Bryant University on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. at Alfond Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting GoBlackBears.com or by phone at 207.581.BEAR! Saturday's game is proudly presented by EBS Building Supplies.

**UMaine vs. Bryant - Sept. 9 - 3:30 p.m. - Alfond Stadium**
Tickets	Tailgate Info/Map	Watch	Listen	Live Stats	Game Notes	@BlackBearsFB

Follow The Black Bears:

Tickets - Tickets for Saturday's contest can be purchased at GoBlackBears.com or by phone at 207.581.BEAR. The ticket office will open at 9 a.m. on game day.
Watch - Saturday's game will be televised live on WVII/WFVX Bangor, WPME Portland and Fox College Sports. The game will also be streamed at GoBlackBears.com.
Listen - The game will be carried by the Black Bears Sports Network radio affiliates through the state of Maine. Fans can tune in at 103.9 FM, 101.3 FM, 1450 AM, 1310 AM and streamed live at GoBlackBears.com.
Live Stats - Fans can follow along to live, up to the second stat updates throughout the game, provided by StatBroadcast at GoBlackBears.com.
Social Media - Follow @BlackBearsFB on Twitter for all in-game social media photos and updates!

Tailgating:

The game is just part of the fun of a UMaine Football game day atmosphere! Fans are invited to enjoy food, drinks and fun beginning three hours before kickoff in any of our special tailgate lots! For more information, including maps, rules and regulations, on UMaine tailgating, please click HERE.

Game Storylines:

Maine (0-1) welcomes Bryant (1-0) to Alfond Stadium for today's home opener on Hall of Fame weekend at UMaine! During the game, the Black Bears will be taking time to honor their nine new UMaine Sports Hall of Fame inductees as well as members of the 1987 Yankee Conference Championship football team! It's also Scout Day at Alfond Stadium as we welcome all boy and girl scouts to campus!
Maine has won three of its last four home openers. Dating back to 1903, the Black Bears are 64-40-7 in home openers and enter the day 57-38 at Alfond Stadium.
Saturday's meeting will be the sixth in history between Maine and Bryant. The Black Bears are 4-1 all-time in the series, including a 3-0 mark at home against the Bulldogs. In last season's meeting, Maine overcame a 21-0 deficit to take the victory, 35-31. The win was the first for head coach Joe Harasymiak. Josh Mack carried the load in the win, rushing for 151-yards and three touchdowns.
Maine has been dominant with its rush attack in the series with the Bulldogs. The Black Bears have outgained Bryant 1,023 to 518 on the ground over the five games, averaging 204.6 rush yards per game.
First-year head coach James Perry earned his first win at the helm of the Bulldogs with a 49-41 victory over Merrimack College. Bryant erased a 16-point deficit after exploding for 29 points in the fourth quarter to seal the comeback victory in week one.
Redshirt freshman Chris Ferguson made his collegiate debut at QB for the Black Bears at UNH. Ferguson had an impressive premiere, finishing 23-for-44 with 239-yards and three touchdowns. His 239 passing yards were the 10th highest in all of FCS for week one.

A UMaine Win Would...

...Be Maine's fifth against Bryant.
...Be Maine's second-straight against Bryant.
...Be Maine's fourth home win against Bryant, helping it remain undefeated at home in the series.
...Be Maine's 58th at Alfond Stadium.
...Be Maine's 65th home opening win, moving its all-time record in home openers to 65-40-7.
...Mark the second-straight season in which Maine beat Bryant in its home opener (35-31 victory in 2016 meeting).
...Be Maine's fifth-straight win over a team from Rhode Island, dating back to a 2014 loss at Bryant.

Series Notes:

Maine and Bryant will be meeting for the sixth time in history and the fourth time in Orono ... The Black Bears hold a 4-1 advantage in the series and are undefeated (3-0) at Alfond Stadium against Bryant ... Maine has outscored Bryant 159-86 in the series ... Last season, Maine trailed 21-0 before outscoring Bryant 28-10 in the second half to complete a 35-31 comeback victory. In the win, Josh Mack rushed 21 times for 151-yards and three touchdowns ... Rushing has been key in the series with Maine outgaining Bryant 1,023-518 on the ground, averaging 204.6 rush yards per game.

Bear Tracks:

Redshirt freshman QB Chris Ferguson made his career debut in Maine's opener at UNH. Ferguson tossed three touchdown passes in the 24-23 loss, becoming the first player since Ron Whitcomb (2003) to throw for 3+ touchdowns as a freshman.
The return game was a highlight for Maine in 2016. The Black Bears return all four of their kickoff return weapons (DeVaughn, Edwards, Scott, Mack) to a unit which ranked 11th in FCS and second in the league at 23.48 yards per return. On the flipside, the Black Bears ranked 21st in kickoff return defense (18.15).
The Black Hole totaled four defensive touchdowns in 2016, which ranked them fifth in the country in the category. The defensive unit clinched a win at Delaware when Austin Brown returned a fumble for a go-ahead score, breaking a 21-21 tie with 56-seconds left.
A year after finishing fifth in the CAA in opponent third down conversion percentage, the Black Hole defense limited New Hampshire to just a 3-for-15 showing on third down in the 2017 opener. Currently, Maine ranks 14th in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage defense (20.0%).
In 2016, his true freshman season, running back Josh Mack surpassed 100+ yards rushing in three games. It marked the first time a Maine running back rushed for 100+ in three separate games since Ricky Stevens (2012). Dating back to 2000, Mack is the only true freshman in Maine history to post three or more 100+ yard rush games. Mack also became the first Black Bear to rush for three touchdowns in a single game since Pushaun Brown in 2011. Mack rushed for 103-yards in the 2017 opener at UNH, marking his fourth time going over the century mark on the ground.
During his true freshman campaign, Earnest Edwards rushed for a score, caught a score, threw for a score and returned a kickoff for a score. Edwards was the only Division-I player to score a touchdown four different ways during the 2016 season. His 97-yards kickoff return for a score was Maine's longest kickoff return touchdown since 2004.
A year after leading Maine with 10 pass deflections, sophomore Manny Patterson knocked down another pass attempt in the 2017 season opener at UNH. It marked the fourth time in six games that Patterson has recorded at least one pass deflection.
Sterling Sheffield enters the game against with a tackle for loss in each of his last four games, dating back to 2016. In his last four outings, Sheffield has totaled 7.5 TFLs.
Sophomore RB Josh Mack is 185 rush yards from 1,000 in his career.
Senior RB Nigel Beckford stands 408 rush yards from 1,500 for his career.
Freshman Earnest Edwards enters action 142 receiving yards from 500 in his career.
Senior WR Jared Osumah, who pulled down his 50th career reception at UNH, is 382 receiving yards from 1,000. Osumah stands 44 receptions from 100.
Senior WR Jaleel Reed is 1 receiving yard away from 500 for his career.
Preseason all-conference corner Najee Goode recorded his 100th career tackle in Maine's opener at UNH. Goode is now 49 tackles away from 150.
Redshirt junior safety Darrius Hart stands 31 tackles from 100 in his time at Maine.
Senior safety Jason Matovu is Maine's active leader in tackles (114).
All-Conference selection Sterling Sheffield is the veteran at linebacker for Maine. A three-year starter, he has appeared in 22 games over his first three seasons and is 12 tackles from 100. Sheffield will lead a team of two first-year starters at linebacker in Taji Lowe and Jaron Grayer.
Senior right guard Isaiah Brooks is Maine's active leader in games played at 33, starting all 33 he's appeared in. Jamil Demby and Najee Goode, rank second on the active games played list for Maine (31).