Orono, Maine -- Sixth-ranked Maine, which opened its season with a 42-14 victory over Sacred Heart, looks for its fourth-ever Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS) victory when it travels to meet Georgia Southern (0-1) on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. live on
ESPN+.
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GAME STORYLINES:
- The contest marks the fourth meeting between the two, former Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foes. Maine is 0-3 all-time against the Eagles, most recently dropping a 35-23 decision on Nov. 28, 2011 in the NCAA FCS Round of 16. All three previous meetings between the two squads have come in the postseason, beginning in 1987 with a 31-28 Eagles' win in the NCAA FCS Round of 16. The second meeting came in 2002, a 31-7 Georgia Southern victory in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals. All three meetings have taken place at Paulson Stadium. Maine is 3-3 against current Sun Belt members, with all previous six meetings coming when teams where FCS members (2-0 Appalachian State; 1-0 Georgia State; 0-3 Georgia Southern).
- The Black Bears are looking for their fourth-ever victory over a FBS opponent. A year ago, Maine defeated Western Kentucky, 31-28, for the third FBS win in program history. Previously, Maine defeated Mississippi State, 9-7, in 2004 before defeating UMass, 24-14, in 2013. Maine is 3-17 all-time against FBS opponents and looking to become the first CAA team to knock-off an FBS opponent in back-to-back seasons since New Hampshire did so in 2008-09.
- In game one, the Black Bears recorded touchdowns on each of their first six drives before taking game one, 42-14, over visiting Sacred Heart. The win moved Maine to 6-0 in its last six home games. Chris Ferguson, who was award CAA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, threw for a career-high 423 yards, 404 of which coming in the first half along, and three scores as the Black Bears racked up 582 total yards of offense.
- Georgia Southern opens its season with a 55-3 loss at No. 6 LSU on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Tigers, who jumped out to a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter, outgained Georgia Southern by a 472-98 margin.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Maine (CAA rank) |
Category |
Ga. Southern (Sun Belt rank) |
| 42.0 (1) |
Points |
3.0 (10) |
| 582.0 (1) |
Total Offense |
98.0 (10) |
| 151.0 (7) |
Rushing Yards |
74.0 (T-8) |
| 431.0 (1) |
Passing Yards |
24.0 (10) |
| 35:04 (1) |
Offensive Time of Possession |
28:32 (6) |
| 207.0 (2) |
Total Defense |
472.0 (7) |
| 103.0 (4) |
Rushing Yards Allowed |
122.0 (5) |
| 3/3 |
Rushing TDs/Passing TDs |
0/0 |
| 104.0 (2) |
Passing Yards Allowed |
350.0 (9) |
| 2/0 |
Rushing/Passing TDs Allowed |
2/5 |
| 24:56 |
Defensive Time of Possession |
31:28 |
| +0 (T-6) |
Turnover Margin |
-2 (T-5) |
| 214.0 (T-3) |
Points Allowed |
55.0 (10) |
A UMAINE WIN WOULD...
...Be the second-straight year in which Maine got off to a 2-0 start
...Be the first time since Maine has started back-to-back seasons with a 2-0 record sine 1997-98.
...Move Maine's record to 9-1 over its last 10 outings.
...Be Maine's third-straight regular season road victory.
...Be Maine's fourth victory over an FBS opponent.
...Be the second-straight season in which Maine has defeated an FBS opponent.
...Mark the first time a CAA school has defeated an FBS opponent in back-to-back seasons since UNH did so in 2008-09.
...Be Maine's first ever win over Georgia Southern.
...Move Maine to 4-3 against Sun Belt member schools..
...Be
Nick Charlton's first road win as head coach.
SERIES NOTES:
Maine and Georgia Southern will meet for the fourth time ... Georgia Southern is 3-0 against the Black Bears ... All three previous contests have taken place in the NCAA FCS playoffs ... All three previous meetings took place at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro ... The two teams first met in 1987, a 31-28 victory by the Eagles in the NCAA FCS Round of 16 ... The teams also met in 2002, a 31-7 quarterfinal victory by Georgia Southern ... The latest meeting also came in the quarterfinal round, a 35-23 win by Georgia Southern in 2011 ... Maine is 3-3 against current Sun Belt member schools ... Last season, Maine went 3-3 against non-conference opponents (including NCAA FCS playoff contests).
SEASON NOTES:
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST IN GAME ONE
• In game one, the offense put up some impressive numbers. Maine's 582 total yards were its most since a 602 yard effort in 2013 against Delaware.
• The total yards marked just the seventh time in seven seasons in which the Black Bears bested 500 yards.
• Ferguson threw for 423 yards, becoming the first Black Bear since Marcus Wasilewski (2012) to surpass 400 yards passing. His total was also the most by a Black Bear QB since Chris Treister (468) in 2009.
•
Jaquan Blair (140) and
Devin Young (104) each surpassed the 100 yard receiving mark in the win. The duo teamed up to become the first pair of wide receivers to total 100+ receiving yards in the same game since 2004 (Arel Gordon - 157; Christian Pereira - 111).
FERGUSON WEEKLY HONOR
• For his impressive performance, QB
Chris Ferguson was tabbed the CAA Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
• Ferguson posted 404 of his 423 yards in the first half, adding three first half touchdowns.
• Ferguson connected on each of his first 11 pass attempts, finishing the game with an impressive 23-for-29 showing (79%).
PRESEASON HONORS
• Maine collected seven CAA preseason all-conference honors -
Earnest Edwards (WR/KR);
Manny Patterson (CB);
Kayon Whitaker (DL);
Taji Lowe (LB);
Liam Dobson (OL) and
Deshawn Stevens (LB).
Chris Ferguson (QB) and
Charles Mitchell (DL) received honorable mentions nods to the CAA preseason all-conference squad.
• Three Black Bears were named STATS FCS Preseason All-Americans -
Manny Patterson (first team);
Kayon Whitaker (second team);
Deshawn Stevens (third team).
•
Manny Patterson was one of 25 players in the nation to be selected to the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, an award presented to the top defensive player at the FCS level.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
• Maine will once again play one of the toughest schedules in the FCS in which it will hit the road for two FBS contests, take on a pair of non-conference opponents who won (Colgate) and shared (Sacred Heart) conference titles in 2018, and play a total of seven road games.
• A tough schedule is nothing new to Maine. In 2018, Maine defeated seven ranked opponents (a school record) all while playing just four regular season games at home.
• Maine also scored its third-ever win over an FBS opponent in 2018, coming back from down 21-0 to defeat Western Kentucky.
HOME WIN STREAK
• Maine enters 2019 riding a five game home win streak. Maine went a perfect 5-0 at Alfond Stadium a year ago, including picking up its first-ever home playoff victory, a 55-27 win over Jacksonville State.
• Maine has not lost in Orono since Nov. 18, 2017 in which they lost on a last-second hail mary to Stony Brook, 20-19.
CAPTAINS
• Following a team vote, the Black Bears elected two juniors and two seniors as the 2019 captains.
Kayon Whitaker (Sr., DE);
Jaquan Blair (Sr., WR);
Chris Ferguson (Jr., QB) and
Deshawn Stevens (Jr., LB) will serve as captains for the 2019 squad.
• After selecting game day captains from 2010-17, the Black Bears elected two captains in 2018 (
Drew Belcher, Jeff DeVaughn).
THE RUSH STOPS HERE - RETURN OF THE BLACK HOLE
• Maine led the nation in rush defense in 2018, allowing just 79.2 rush yards per game - with opponents averaging just 2.4 yards per rush.
• Maine returns eight starters on defense, including all four of its defensive lineman to the 2019 squad.
• Maine has held 13 of its last 16 opponents to 100-yards rushing or fewer. Three of those opponents have been FBS member schools.
• Preseason All-American
Kayon Whitaker,
Charles Mitchell,
Alejandro Oregon and
Jamehl Wiley will be among the best defensive line tandoms in the nation this season. Among the four, they've racked up 294 tackles, 64.5 tackles for loss and 33.5 sacks in their time at Maine.
• At linebacker, Maine returns its top two overall tacklers in
Deshawn Stevens (120) and
Taji Lowe (85). Maine will need to replace All-American
Sterling Sheffield but will look to do so with
Jaron Grayer, who led the team in tackles in 2017.
TAKE IT AWAY
• Maine ranked first in the CAA and third nationally in turnovers gained in 2018 (31).
• Maine checked in first in the CAA and sixth nationally with 18 interceptions.
DEFENSE IN THE BACKFIELD
• Maine currently returns two of the top six CAA sacks leaders (Whitaker, D. Stevens) - each tallying 9.5 and 9.0 sacks respectively in 2018.
• Both players made it a habit to disrupt the oppositions backfield. Whitaker recorded at least a half sack in seven of Maine's contests, including a career-best 3.0 sacks against UAlbany.
• Stevens posted a half sack or more in eight of Maine's outings while racking up an impressive 17.0 tackles for loss, averaging 1.2 TFLs per game to rank fifth best in the CAA.
• In all, Maine featured five players with double-digit TFLs. The Black Bears welcome back four of the five in Whitaker, Stevens, Lowe and Oregon.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
• Through 14 games in 2018, Maine recorded 47 sacks. Maine led the CAA in total sacks, nine more than second place New Hampshire.
• Maine boasted a season-best 13.0 TFLs in its FCS semifinal win at Weber State. It was the most TFLs in a game for Maine since 2007 (13.0 vs. UNH).
• Maine finished the season ranked first in the CAA and fourth nationally, averaging 3.36 sacks per game.
• The Black Bears ranked sixth in FCS and first in the CAA with 8.4 TFLs per game.
TOP TACKLERS BACK
• The Black Bears welcome back their top two tacklers in
Deshawn Stevens (120) and
Taji Lowe (85) to a veteran defense. In all, Maine will welcome back eight starters to the Black Hole defense.
RUSHING FOR 100+ IS POSITIVE FOR MAINE
 • The Black Bears are 10-1 in their last 11 games when rushing for 100 or more yards.
 • On the flip side, Maine went 8-3 in 2018 when it allowed less than 100 yards rushing in 2018.
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
 • The Black Bears ranked fifth in the CAA in 2018 in scoring offense, averaging 26.5 points per game. The scoring averaged was Maine's highest output since 2013.
 •
Chris Ferguson returns as the third-year starter at quarterback and welcomes back four of his top six weapons including senior
Earnest Edwards who led the team in receptions (53), receiving yards (839) and touchdown receptions (10) in 2018.
FERGUSON CAREER YEAR
 •
Chris Ferguson, who begins his third year as the Black Bears started under center, is coming off a career year in 2018. The 2018 campaign saw Ferguson net career highs in completions (209), attempts (371), passing yards (2,372) and touchdowns (22).
• Ferguson's 2,372 pass yards in 2018 ranked ninth on Maine's single-season all-time list.
• In his final performance of the 2018 season, Ferguson threw for a career-best 325 yards in Maine's NCAA semifinal contest at Eastern Washington.
• Ferguson tallied three or more touchdowns in four games, including a career-high five touchdown passes in the NCAA second round meeting with Jacksonville State.
• Over the past two seasons, no one in the CAA has thrown for more total touchdowns (38) than Ferguson.
FERGUSON MOVING UP ALL-TIME
• Currently, Ferguson ranks eighth on Maine's all-time passing yards list at 4,859. Next up on the list is Emilio Colon (5,563). Ferguson needs just 705 yards to surpass Colon and jump into seventh on Maine's all-time passing list.
TOUCHDOWN EDWARDS!
•
Earnest Edwards has tallied at least one touchdown (receiving, rush, return) in seven of his last eight outings.
• Over his last seven outings, Edwards has tallied two or more touchdowns four times.
EDWARDS MILESTONES - CLIMBING ALL-TIME CHARTS
• Edwards is closing in on several career milestones. Edwards stands just three receptions away from 100 in his career and 372 yards from 2,000 career receiving yards. He also stands just two touchdown receptions away from 20 in his career.
• Edwards, Maine's all-time leader in career kickoff returns for touchdowns (4), needs just 259 return yards to surpass 2,000 for his career.
• Edwards ranks 14th all-time in receiving yards at Maine (1,628); just 51 behind Landis Williams fro 15th.
• Edwards (97 career receptions) ranks 33 receptions behind Kevin McMahan (130) for 13th all-time at Maine.
• Edwards has tallied 25 total touchdowns in his time at Maine; 18 receptions, four kick return and three rushing.
 • Edwards has two or more receptions in each of his last 13 games.
THIRD DOWN DEFENSIVE SUCCESS
• The Black Bears ranked second in the CAA and ninth nationally in third down conversion percentage defense in 2018.
• The Black Bears held their opposition to a slim 28.4 percentage conversion rate on third down a year ago.
OFF TO A QUICK START
• The Black Bears are 8-1 in the last nine games in which they've scored first. Last season, Maine outscored its opponents by a 196-143 margin in the first half.
• Maine provided itself with great momentum heading into the half last year, nearly doubling up its opposition in the second quarter. The Black Bears outscored their opponents 123-67 in the second quarter in 2018.
PUTTING THE GAME AWAY
• Heading into the 2018 season, the Black Bears put their focus on closing games. That focus paid off as the Black Bears finished a perfect 8-0 when leading after three quarters.
WELCOME TO PATTERSON ISLAND
• Preseason All-American, All-Conference and Buck Buchanan Watch List selection
Manny Patterson has tallied 52 career pass deflections while at Maine.
 • Patterson has recorded at least one PBU in 13 of Maine's last 15 games.
 • In 2018, Patterson led the nation in total pass breakups (25) while ranking third nationally and first in the CAA at 1.8 passes defended per game.
PRESEASON POLL/NATIONAL RANKING
• After capturing the outright CAA Championship in 2018, the Black Bears were selected third in the CAA Preseason Poll. Maine received one first place vote in the poll.
• Maine, which finished the 2018 campaign ranked No. 4 in the STATS FCS Poll and No. 5 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, open the season ranked at No. 7 nationally in each poll.
• Maine's CAA preseason ranking is its highest-ever CAA preseason ranking to start a season.
• Maine's No. 4/5 national ranking to close 2018 was the highest it had ever finished a season in the national polls.
NEW STAFF
• After 2018 head coach Joe Harasymiak took an assistant coaching role at Minnesota, former offensive coordinator
Nick Charlton was named head coach of the Black Bears.
• All six of Maine's returning coaches from 2018 have had their role altered from the last season while Maine also welcomes in seven new assistants.
• The newcomers include
Kurt von Bargen (DL);
Makana Garrigan (RB);
Reggie Garrett (CB);
Mikal Myers (OLB);
Mikahael Waters (TE);
Sam Lenson (ST QC) and
Robert Smoloski (Offensive Undergraduate Assistant).
-UMaine-
