ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine football team (4-2, 3-0 CAA) faces it's second consecutive CAA road challenge when it travels to take on William & Mary (2-4, 1-2) on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
The action will be carried via web stream
HERE. Fans local in the Virginia market can also view the game on YurView by Cox Communications at the following listings: Hampton Roads (channel 11), Fairfax (channel 74), Fredericksburg (channel 77) and Roanoke (channel 9). Additionally, the game will be broadcast over the airwaves on the
Black Bear Sports Network as well as be carried via the
Tunein application.
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GAME STORYLINES:
- The Black Bears will be trying to even up the all-time series with William & Mary in the 15th overall meeting between the two squads. Maine has won each of the last four meetings but the Tribe own a slim 7-6 advantage in the all-time series (with one no contest coming in 2003).
- Maine is 3-3 in six trips to Zable Stadium and has won three in a row on the road in the series, including a 35-28 victory in its most recent trip in 2016. In that game, the two teams combined for 935 yards of offense. Micah Wright tallied two touchdowns, including a 66-yard punt return for a score in the third quarter which proved to be the difference.
- A year ago, Maine's 'Black Hole' defense limited W&M to just six points and 199 total yards, just 57 through the air, as the Black Bears cruised to a 23-6 victory. Maine held the Tribe to just three first downs and an 0-for-8 showing on third down in the first half.
- A week ago, Maine kicker Kenny Doak knocked through his second walk-off field goal in as many weeks, this time hitting from 39-yards, to lift Maine over Rhode Island, 38-36. Micah Wright tallied a career-high 10 receptions for 125-yards and a score while Chris Ferguson added career-highs in completions (30), attempts (48) and yards (278).
- In their last outing, the Tribe carried a 13-10 lead into the half at Towson but were outscored 19-0 in the second half, dropping the contest 29-13. W&M has lost four of its last five outings.
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A MAINE WIN WOULD...
...Be Maine's 7th all-time against William & Mary.
...Even Maine's all-time record with William & Mary (currently 6-7)
...Be Maine's fifth straight victory over William & Mary.
...Be Maine's fourth win on the road at William & Mary.
...Be Maine's fourth-straight road victory in the series.
...Give Maine a 4-0 start in CAA play for the first time since 2013.
...Move Maine to 2-0 in CAA road games this season.
...Give Maine back-to-back road victories for the first time since 2016.
...Be Maine's first 2-0 CAA road start since 2016.
SERIES NOTES:
Maine and William & Mary are meeting for the 15th time in history ... WM currently owns the all-time head-to-head series by a slim 7-6 mark ... The 2003 meeting ended with a no contest ... Maine has won four in a row in the series ... The Black Bears have won three-straight road games in the series ... Maine is 3-3 all-time on the road in the series ... Maine is WM won each of the first meetings, including the first-ever meeting which came in 1993 ... Since starting the series 0-5, Maine has gone 6-2 against the Tribe and have won five of the last seven meetings ... A year ago, the Black Bears held WM to just six points in a 23-6 victory in Orono ... Maine' defense held WM to just 57-yards in the air as the offense outgained the Tribe, 342-199.
SEASON NOTES:
The rush stops here
• Maine's defensive goals begin with stopping the run, and the Black Bears have surely done that in their first five outings. Maine leads the CAA, and ranks second in the FCS, in rush defense (66.5 ypg).
• The Black Bears have allowed just 399-yards of rushing on 211 attempts. Maine's opponents are averaging just 1.89 yards per attempt on the ground, first in the CAA and tops in FCS.
• Maine has held each of its last eight opponents to 100-yards rushing or fewer. Three of those opponents have been FBS member schools.
• In total defense, Maine checks in first in the CAA and fifth nationally, allowing just 250.2 yards per game.
Sheffield in the Backfield
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Sterling Sheffield currently leads the CAA in total sacks (7.5), sacks per game (1.25), total TFLs (10.0) and TFLs per game (1.7). He is 15th in the league in tackles per game (7.2).
• Sheffield has at least one sack in eight of his last 10 outings.
• Sheffield is 13th in all of FCS in TFLs per game and second in sacks per game.
• Twice this season, Sheffield has matched a career-high with 3.0 TFLs (vs. UNH, at CMU).
Belcher Offensive Versatility
• Senior tight end
Drew Belcher is closing in on 500-yards receiving (322 yards).
• If he reaches the mark, Belcher will have 500+ yards of rushing (637), passing (1,517) and receiving for his career. Belcher currently has racked up 2,189 total yards of offense.
Behind Enemy Lines
• Through five games, Maine has recorded 26 sacks. Maine leads the CAA in total sacks, six more than second place Richmond.
• Maine checks in second in all of FCS with 4.43 sacks per game. The Black Bears are third in the nation with 26.0 total sacks. However the two teams ahead of Maine (Alcorn/ETSU) have played one more game than the Black Bears.
• The Black Bears tallied 12.0 TFLs, including 6.0 sacks, in their opener against UNH. Maine's 6.0 sacks were its most since also tallying 6.0 against Rhode Island on Sept. 26, 2015.
• Maine has three players ranked in the top-10 in the CAA in sacks per game. (Sheffield, D. Stevens, Mitchell).
• Seven Black Bears recorded at least a half TFL in the win over UNH, with four notching 2.0+.
• Maine's 6.0 sacks against UNH were its most since also notching 6.0 against Rhode Island on Sept. 25, 2016. The 12.0 TFLs were Maine's most since a 12.0 performance on Aug. 30, 2014 against Norfolk St.
• Maine added 6.0 sacks, and 7.0 TFLs, in its win at Western Kentucky.
• The Black Bears currently rank 10th in FCS and first in the CAA with 8.3 TFLs per game.
Win Back the Musket
• The Black Bears opened the season with a convincing 35-7 victory over rival #7 New Hampshire. The win snapped an eight-game losing skid against UNH, returning the coveted Brice-Cowell musket back to Orono.
• In week one, Maine posted the most total yards of any CAA school (454.0) while also posting the lowest defensive yards effort (108), including holding UNH to an impressive -15.0 rush yards.
Ferguson Efficient
 •
Chris Ferguson was highly efficient in the season opener, going 21-for-31 (68%). The completion percentage was the highest of Ferguson's career and marked his fifth game of completing 60%+ of his passes.
 • Ferguson finished Maine's win at Rhode Island with 30 completions. The completion total was Maine's highest since 2012 when Marcus Wasilewski completed 31 against Villanova.
Micah Wright climbing the charts
• Fifth-year wide receiver
Micah Wright looks to continue to climb up Maine's all-time receiver rankings.
• Wright ranks ninth all-time at Maine in receiving yards (2,012), just 17-yards behind Gene Benner for eighth all-time. With 125-yards at Rhode Island, Wright became just the ninth Black Bear all-time to eclipse 2,000 receiving yards.
• With a career-high 10 catches at Rhode Island, Wright surpassed Landis Williams for 10th on Maine's all-time receptions list (147). He now stands just four behind Steve Roth (151) for ninth all-time.
• In 2015, Wright caught 61 passes for 818 yards. His 61 receptions rank tied for 9th on Maine's single-season all-time list while the 818-yards are tied for 10th all-time.
Doak's Walk-Off Record Breaker (x2)
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Kenny Doak's 52-yard, record-tying field goal as time expired lifted the Black Bears over No. 19 Villanova, 13-10.
• The 52-yard kick matched Maine's all-time long field goal. The previous record kick was set by Jack Leggett against Delaware in 1975.
• For his efforts, Doak was awarded the CAA Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.
• A week after hitting the 52-yarder, Doak knocked through a 39-yarder as time expired to beat No. 16 Rhode Island, 38-36.
High-ranking victories
• Maine opened 2018 by knocking off #7 New Hampshire, snapping an eight-game losing skid against the Wildcats.
• The win was Maine's first over a ranked opponent since knocking off #17 UAlbany, 20-14, on Oct. 15, 2017.
• The victory also came against the highest ranking team since Maine beat #7 James Madison and #6 Delaware in back-to-back weeks back in 2011.
• In game two, Maine fell behind 21-0 in the first 5:03 of game action at Western Kentucky. The Black Bears rattled off 31-unanswered points and blocked a game-tying field goal try with 47-seconds left to secure their third-ever win over an FBS opponent.
• The win over WKU was Maine's third-ever win over an FBS opponent and its first since defeating UMass in 2013.
• The Black Bears added their second win over a ranked opponent when they defeated No. 19 Villanova and tacked on a third with a victory over No. 16 Rhode Island.
• Maine's three wins over ranked opponents this season match its highest win total over ranked opponents since 2013.
-UMaine-
