Orono, Maine -- For the first time in 469 days, the University of Maine football team returns to the gridiron for competition when it travels to meet No. 25 Delaware at Delaware Stadium in Maine's first trip to take on the Blue Hens on the road since 2016. Saturday's game can be seen via live video stream via FloFootball while the live radio broadcast will be presented locally throughout the Black Bear Sports Network (103.9 WVOM-FM Bangor, 101.3 WVQM-FM Augusta, 95.1 WVOM-FM Rockland, WVOM-AM 1450 Rockland, WLOB-AM 1310 Portland), via the TuneIn application, or online at GoBlackBears.com.

Maine football fans will have a choice of two video streaming plans to catch all of the CAA Football action throughout the spring session. Month-to-month subscription packages are available for $12.50 per monthly only through flosports.tv/caa. Fans can purchase an annual subscription ($95.88 per year) for just $7.99 per month. Both packages are automatically renewed to the payment method on-file unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period.

The purchase of a FloSports package grants fans with the ability to catch all CAA Football games live and on-demand, along with other exclusive CAA content. FloSports is available on both iOS and Google Play and can be streamed on all Roku devices or Amazon Fire. CAA Football on FloSports can be viewed by desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone devices.
 

University of Maine (0-0, 0-0 CAA) at #25 Delaware (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Date & Time	Saturday, March. 6 at 12 p.m
Venue	Delaware Stadium | Newark, DE
Watch	Web Stream: FloSports.tv/caa
Listen	GoBlackBears.com | TuneIn | (103.9 WVOM-FM Bangor, 101.3 WVQM-FM Augusta, 95.1 WVOM-FM Rockland, WVOM-AM 1450 Rockland, WLOB-AM 1310 Portland)
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Maine | Delaware
Twitter	@BlackBearsFB

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GAME PREVIEW:

• The Black Bears return six starters on the offensive side of the ball, along with right tackle Gunnar Docos who started 13 games for Maine back in 2018. Maine features three starters back on the offensive line (Mike Gerace - 20; Matthias Staalsoe - 12; Tyler Royal - 10), while adding Docos who has significant starting experience, to help bolster the front lines and pave the way for a slew of new running backs. Only one of Maine's four running backs has carried the ball in a game for the Black Bears entering the season opener (Murray) as Maine adds Rutgers transfer Elijah Barnwell and rookies Freddie Brock and Tavion Banks into the mix.
• As a freshman, quarterback Joe Fagnano, a two-time CAA Rookie of the Week, was thrust into the starting role in the seventh game of the 2019 season. In his first career start, the freshman threw for 445 yards and five touchdowns against FBS member Liberty. Despite only appearing in eight games, Fagnano finished his rookie campaign with an impressive 1,835 yards, a 65.8 completion percentage and 17 touchdowns. Fagnano will be without the top-3 receiving threats from 2019, but return veteran receiver Andre Miller (44 rec., 816 yds, five touchdowns) and tight end threat Shawn Bowman (22, 219, 1) along with several newcomers and mainstays looking to make their mark.
• The Black Bears lost significant veteran leadership from its defensive corps after the 2019 season with a total of 194 career starts lost to graduation. Maine returns six with starting experience on the defensive unit, none bigger than preseason All-American Deshawn Stevens who was lost in the season-opener in 2019 to a knee injury. In 2018, Stevens led the Black Bears with 120 tackles to go along with 17.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks. Maine also returns its second leading tackler from a year ago (83) in Adrian Otero at linebacker and two-year starting defensive back Rich Carr. Maine's defensive line will see three new starters with Jamehl Wiley (23 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks) as the lone returning starter.
• Maine and Delaware will square off for the 36th time in history, and the first since 2017. The Black Bears are 11-24 all-time against the Blue Hens and 6-15 on the road in the series. Delaware took the latest meeting, 31-17, in a game played at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine. Maine has won six of the last nine meetings. The Black Bears have won in five of their last six trips to Delaware, including each of the last two. In Maine's last trip to Delaware (2016), the Black Bears won in thrilling fashion on Austin Brown's scoop and score fumble recovery with 56-seconds remaining.

SERIES NOTES WITH DELAWARE:
For the first time since 2017, Maine meets longtime conference foe Delaware. The meeting will be the 36th all-time between the two programs and Maine's first trip back to Delaware since 2016. In the last meeting, the two teams met at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine on Nov. 4, 2017. The Blue Hens were victorious in the 2017 meeting, 31-17. Maine's last trip to Delaware ended in a thrilling victory as Austin Brown's scoop and score fumble recovery with 56-seconds remaining proved to be the difference as the Black Bears captured a 28-21 victory at Delaware Stadium. Maine is 6-15 all-time on the road in the series but has won in five of its last six trips to Delaware. The Blue Hens control the all-time series, 24-11. The two teams first met in 1972, a 62-0 win by the Blue Hens in Delaware. Delaware won the first 10 meetings in the series. Maine's first win against the Blue Hens came in 1985, a 10-7 victory. Maine has won six of the last nine meetings.

A MAINE WIN WOULD...
...Be Maine's first-ever win in March.
...Be Maine's 12th win over Delaware.
...Be Maine's third-straight road win over Delaware.
...Be Maine's seventh total road win over Delaware (6-15 all-time on the road against the Blue Hens).
...Be Maine's fifth win in its last six outings against Delaware.
...Be Maine's sixth CAA opener win in its last seven chances.
...Be Coach Charlton's first career win over Delaware as a head coach.

BEAR TRACKS:
CLOSED 2019 STRONG
• The Black Bears ended the 2019 campaign strong, winning four of their last five contests including stringing together a four game win streak before falling in the season finale.
• Over the four game win streak, Maine averaged 36.5 points.
• Fagnano threw 11 touchdowns with just one interception over Maine's final five games in 2019.

CAA TWO-YEAR WIN TOTAL
• Maine's 16 wins over the past two seasons of competition is the highest two-year stretch for the Black Bears in 15 seasons and the second highest two-year win total among all CAA member schools.

HISTORIC OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
• In 2019, Maine average 29.5 points per game, the highest scoring average in the past seven seasons.
• Maine led the CAA and ranked 12th in the nation with a single-year school-record high of 296.5 passing yards per game.
• Maine posted a league-leading and school-record 3,558 passing yards in 2019, with a school record 29 passing touchdowns.
• Maine returns seven with starting experience on the offensive side of the ball in the spring of 2021.
• Ander Miller returns as Maine's top receiving threat as the senior has averaged an explosive 18.5 yards per catch and 55 yards per score over the past two seasons.

BLACK HOLE DEFENSE
• Maine welcomes back seven with starting experience in defense and an additional two transfers with playing experience at the FBS level (Fofie Bazzie - Maryland; Austin Chambers - BYU) who are both expected to start.
• Adrian Otero returns as Maine's top tackler from the 2019 campaign after he posted career-highs in tackles (83), tackles for loss (5.0) and sacks (3.0).
• Maine returns its full core of starting linebackers, featuring the return of All-American Deshawn Stevens and Ori Jean-Charles who transferred from Louisville, played tight end to start 2019, and transitioned to linebacker to end the season.
• Jamehl WIley is Maine's only returning starter on the defensive line.
• Maine's defense posted 13 sacks and 25 tackles for loss over the final four games of the season in 2019.

FAGNANO IMPRESSIVE IN ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
• Fagnano was thrust into the starting quarterback role in the seventh game of his rookie season. In that game, Fagnano answered the calling in a big way, throwing for 445 yards and five touchdowns against FBS foe Liberty.
• Despite playing in just eight games, Fagnano ranked 10th among league leaders with 1,835 yards passing.
• Fagnano led the CAA in passing efficiency at 176.76 with a completion percentage of 65.8 which ranked second best among league leaders.
• Fagnano posted 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions, finishing the year 121-for-184.
• Fagnano has thrown for the top three touchdown receptions, in terms of yardage, in Maine history at 90, 88 and 87-yards.

WELCOME BACK CAPTAIN NO. 6
• Senior linebacker, and two-year captain, Deshawn Stevens was lost in the first game of the 2019 season after suffering a devastating knee injury.
• Stevens, an All-CAA and Preseason All-American, returns to lead the Black Hole defense in 2021.
• In his last full season, Stevens posted some of the best defensive numbers in CAA and Maine history. He led the Black Bears with 120 tackles to go along with 17.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and an interception. Stevens ranked third in the CAA in total tackles in 2018 and tackles per game (8.6, was tied for fifth-best in the CAA in total sacks, and ranked second in the CAA in tackles for loss, averaging 1.21 per game.
• Stevens was ranked No. 9 in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau's Top-20 prospects list, released in Oct of 2020.

PRESEASON HONORS
• Stevens highlighted the four to Phil Steele's 2020 Preseason All-CAA Teams with a selection to the first team. Wide receiver Andre Miller was selected to the Second Team while lone snapper Bryce Colee and linebacker Adrian Otero earned spots on the Third Team.
• Stevens was also named a 2020 HERO Sports Preseason All-American.

RUSHING FOR 100+ IS POSITIVE FOR MAINE
• The Black Bears are 14-4 in their last 18 games when rushing for 100 or more yards.
• In 2019, the Black Bears went 6-1 in games in which they rushed for over 100 yards.

OFFENSIVE RETURNERS
• The Black Bears welcome back 11 letterwinners on offense and 11 on defense to its spring 2021 roster.

OFF TO A QUICK START
• The Black Bears are 11-3 in the last 13 games in which they've scored first.

DECIDED AT THE HALF
• Maine finished the 2019 season 5-1 when leading at the half and 1-5 when trailing entering the break.
• The Black Bears were a perfect 5-0 in 2019 when leading entering the fourth quarter.

QUICK START
• The Black Bears scored on their first offensive drive in eight of their 12 games with four touchdowns and four field goals in 2019.

CAPTAINS
• Following a team vote, the Black Bears elected two captains for the 2021 spring season. Deshawn Stevens received the honor for the second consecutive year while senior Andre Miller earned his first nod as team captain.

CARRYING #39 WHEREVER THEY GO
 • In August of 2018, freshman Darius Minor tragically passed away during an off season workout.
 • Then head coach, Joe Harasymiak, declared that no one would wear #39 for the next four seasons.
 • The Black Bears carry the #39 with them, hanging it on the sidelines at all games and also pay tribute to Minor's memory with a #39 sticker on each helmet.

-UMaine-