ORONO, Maine -- Coming off a two-game road swing, No. 24 Maine (4-3, 3-1) returns to Alfond Stadium on Homecoming weekend, Oct. 27, to host UAlbany (2-5, 0-4) at 1 p.m. in the 12th meeting between the two teams, presented by Maine Savings.
Tickets are available at
GoBlackBears.com/tickets or by calling 207.581.BEAR!
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HOMECOMING CHALLENGE:
Time after time, Black Bear sports fans have come together to help us get the job done. This year, we are asking you to step up for our Homecoming Challenge.
Give today, or anytime during this week, to help us meet our goal of 100 donors in 7 days. You also have the opportunity to double your donation! For the eleventh year in a row, the Harold Alfond Foundation has promised to provide a matching grant of $250,000 for UMaine Football if we can raise $250,000 to support the program by June 30, 2019. That means your donation has twice the impact! Regardless of the amount of your donation, your support has a great impact on the continued success of our football program. Go Blue!
Support UMaine Football by visiting: our.umaine.edu/alfondchallenge
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GAME STORYLINES:
- Maine and UAlbany clash for the 12th time and the 10th time in as many seasons. The series has been evenly played with Maine holding a slim 6-5 advantage all-time. The Black Bears have won three in a row in the series, including a 12-10 decision a year ago after a late field goal attempt by the Danes sailed wide left. Maine is 2-4 at home in the series, with one of those wins (2005) coming in Portland. Maine won the latest meeting at Alfond Stadium 20-16, back in 2016.
- Last weekend, the Black Bears suffered their first league loss. Maine was outscored 13-3 in the second half, leading to a 27-20 loss at William and Mary. Earnest Edwards was impressive in defeat, recording career-highs in receptions (9) and receiving yards (196) - the most receiving yards by a Black Bear since 2015 (Micah Wright - 198).
- UAlbany has lost three-straight league contests after falling 56-28 at home to Towson last Saturday. The Great Danes, who are winless on the road (0-3) this season, gave up 538 offensive yards to Towson in a contest which featured 942 total yards of offense.
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TALE OF THE TAPE
| Maine (CAA rank) |
Category |
UAlbany (CAA rank) |
| 22.3 (10) |
Points |
24.6 (8) |
| 338.3 (9) |
Total Offense |
386.0 (5) |
| 121.7 (7) |
Rushing Yards |
117.1 (10) |
| 216.6 (7) |
Passing Yards |
268.9 (3) |
| 32:07 (T-1) |
Offensive Time of Possession |
27:17 (11) |
| 267.7 (2) |
Total Defense |
400.6 (11) |
| 61.7 (1) |
Rushing Yards Allowed |
144.3 (6) |
| 6/10 |
Rushing TDs/Passing TDs |
8/12 |
| 206.0 (5) |
Passing Yards Allowed |
256.3 (12) |
| 7/12 |
Rushing/Passing TDs Allowed |
13/16 |
| 27:53Â Â Â Â |
Defensive Time of Possession |
32:43 |
| +2 (T-5) |
Turnover Margin |
-5 (T-11) |
| 22.9 (6) |
Points Allowed |
34.4 (11) |
A UMAINE WIN WOULD...
...Be Maine's 7th all-time against UAlbany
...Be Maine's fourth in a row against UAlbany.
...Be Maine's second straight home win against UAlbany.
...Be Maine's third home win against UAlbany.
...Be Maine's third-straight win on its Homecoming weekend.
...Surpass last season's win total (4-6).
...Surpass last season's conference win total (3-5).
...Be Maine's best conference start since 2013 (7-0 start).
...Move Maine to 3-0 at home in CAA play.
SERIES NOTES:
Maine and UAlbany are meeting for the 12th time in history ... The Black Bears and Great Danes have met in each of the last nine seasons ... Maine holds a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series ... The Black Bears have won three-straight in the series ... Maine is 2-4 as the home team in the series, including a 2005 victory in Portland, Maine ... UAlbany is 4-1 in its trips to Orono ... Maine was victorious in the last meeting in Orono, 20-16, in 2016 ... A year ago, Maine scored a 12-10 victory after UAlbany missed a field goal with 4:26 left to play ... In that game,
Micah Wright scored the lone touchdown for the Black Bears ... The road team has won eight of the 11 meetings.
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 seven outings. Maine leads all of FCS in rush defense (61.7 ypg).
• The Black Bears have allowed just 432-yards of rushing on 241 attempts. Maine's opponents are averaging just 1.8 yards per attempt on the ground, first in the CAA and tops in FCS.
• Maine has held each of its last nine opponents to 100-yards rushing or fewer. Three of those opponents have been FBS member schools.
• In total defense, Maine checks in second in the CAA and seventh nationally, allowing just 267.7 yards per game.
Defense in the Backfield
•
Sterling Sheffield currently leads the CAA in total sacks (7.5), sacks per game (1.07) and second in total TFLs (10.0) and TFLs per game (1.4). He is 22nd in the league in tackles per game (6.7).
•
Deshawn Stevens has been equally as impressive in the offensive backfield. Stevens ranks third in the CAA in sacks per game (0.86) and is first in the CAA and 21st in FCS in TFLs per game (1.5). His 10.5 TFLs lead the CAA. Stevens is third in the CAA in total tackles (62) tied for fourth in total sacks (6.0)
• Sheffield has at least one sack in eight of his last 11 outings.
• Twice this season, Sheffield has matched a career-high with 3.0 TFLs (vs. UNH, at CMU).
• Twice this season Stevens has matched a career-high with 2.5 TFLs.
Rushing for 100+ is positive
 • The Black Bears are 4-0 this season when rushing for 100+ yards and 0-3 when they're held under 100 rush yards.
 • Maine's highest rushing output of the season came in its opener when it rushed for 203-yards against New Hampshire (8/30).
Belcher Offensive Versatility
• Senior tight end
Drew Belcher is closing in on 500-yards receiving (295 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 2,223 total yards of offense.
Behind Enemy Lines
• Through seven games, Maine has recorded 28 sacks. Maine leads the CAA in total sacks, five more than second place Richmond.
• Maine checks in second in all of FCS with 4.00 sacks per game. The Black Bears are third in the nation with 28.0 total sacks. However. the team ahead of Maine (Alcorn) has 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 two 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 12th in FCS and first in the CAA with 8.0 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.
• Ferguson matched his career-high in passing yards (278) in back-to-back games at Rhode Island (10/13) and at William & Mary (10/20).
Doak's Walk-Off Record Breaker (x2)
•
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.
Manny's PBU
•
Manny Patterson leads the CAA in total pass breakups (11) and pass breakups per game (1.57).
 • Patterson, who notched his first career interception earlier this season against Villanova, has recorded at least one PBU in six of Maine's seven games including each of the last four.
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 8th all-time in receiving yards at UMaine (2,039), just 22-yards behind Damarr Aultman (2,061) for 7th and 62 behind Christian Pereira for 6th.
• With four catches at William & Mary, Wright tied Steve Roth (151 receptions) for ninth on Maine's all-time list. Wright is now just five behind Christian Pereira for 8th all time (156) and seven behind Arel Gordon for 7th (158).
• 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.
-UMaine-
