Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine football team has been selected ninth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll, as announced on Tuesday, July 27 during a virtual CAA Media Day presentation. Maine earned a pair of individual honors as wide receiver Andre Miller was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team while specialist Bryce Colee earned an honorable mention nod.

The Black Bears received 99 total tallies in the 2021 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and media relations director.

Miller, an All-CAA First Team selection during the 2021 spring season, is coming off an impressive four-game spring campaign. The graduate student wideout registered a team-high 21 receptions for a team-best 348 receiving yards and team-high six receiving touchdowns during the four-game stretch. Miller averaged 87.0 receiving yards per game and 16.6 yards per reception in the spring. Miller led the CAA at 5.25 receptions per game and was also the league's top-ranked threat with a CAA leading 87 receiving yards per game. Despite playing just four games, Miller finished tied for the league lead in with six regular season touchdown receptions.

Colee, an All-CAA Second Team selection in the spring, has showcased impressive consistency during his time with the Black Bears as he has started 40 games on special teams while missing just one snap (2017) in his first four seasons. A 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-CAA Third Team honoree, Colee serves as Maine's leader on several special teams units while administering all long snapping duties for the Black Bears.

James Madison was selected first in the poll with 231 points and 15 first-place votes. The Dukes were followed by Delaware as 222 points and seven first-place tallies. Villanova was selected third in the poll (194), followed by Richmond at 169 points and a pair of first-place votes. New Hampshire was slotted fifth (135) followed by Rhode Island (121), Towson (115), and UAlbany (114). Maine was selected ninth with Stony Brook (73), William & Mary (61), and Elon (50) rounding out the 12-team field.

The Black Bears return 10 offensive players with starting experience and eight on the defensive side of the ball. Junior quarterback, and two-year starter, Joe Fagnano returns after ranking second in the CAA at 198.8 passing yards per game in the spring. Fagnano welcomes back all 11 of Maine's receiving threats who tallied at least one catch in the spring along with the top three running backs from the spring campaign. Up front, Maine will feature the return of five offensive lineman with starting experience. On the defensive side, Maine returns all four of its starting lineman along with veteran linebacker Adrian Otero who checked in fourth among Maine tacklers last year with 25 stops in four games. Starting experience is spread all throughout Maine's defensive back unit with five players returning with at least one start to their credit.

Maine is set to open its season on Thursday, Sept. 2 when it hosts Delaware at 7 p.m. at Alfond Stadium. Season Membership packages and single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting GoBlackBears.com/tickets, by phone at 207.581.BEAR, or in-person at the UMaine Athletics Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

-UMaine-