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The University of Maine Black Bear football team takes to the road for the second straight week traveling to the University of Massachusetts this Saturday to face the Minutemen in an Atlantic-10 Conference match-up.
The most recent Sports Network Poll has the undefeated Black Bears ranked second in the country behind perennial Division I-AA powerhouse University of Montana. Dating back to last season, UMaine has been nationally ranked for 14 consecutive weeks. The Minutemen come in with an overall record of 3-2 (1-1).
UMass is 8-2 in homecoming games over the last 10 years. To continue their success on Homecoming Saturday, UMass will have to contain the Black Bears’ senior stars on both sides of the ball.
On offense, senior quarterback Jake Eaton has been the man.
“He gives us everything we could ask for as a player and then even more as a leader,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said of Eaton. “He finds a way. He’s a winner. He’s one of those guys that had the quarterbacking abilities, the traits and the intangibles of a quarterback in the crib. I feel fortunate that he lines up on our side.”
At this point in their undefeated season, the Black Bears have different starters at every offensive skill position than they did during last year’s banner campaign, with the exception of quarterback and fullback. Yet they keep on rolling as if nothing has changed.
Eaton’s defensive counterpart, senior linebacker Stephen Cooper, leads the second-ranked defense in the conference by example. His 62 tackles and 15 tackles for a loss are both tops on the Black Bear team.
“The thing about Stephen has been his development as a student of the game. That’s really been the added bonus that we’ve seen from him this year,” Cosgrove said. “He’s always had great physical skills; this year has been the finish of his development phase where he really understands exactly what’s happening on the field at all times. I don’t feel like too many I-AA programs have a guy like that on their side.”
The Minutemen are led offensively by junior quarterback Jeff Krohn. Krohn, who transferred to UMass from Arizona State University in January, came to the Minutemen after leading the Pacific-10 Conference in passing efficiency last season.
He started nine games for the Sun Devils in 2001, completing 115 of 213 passes for 1,942 yards and 19 touchdowns. This season he has thrown for 1,322 yards on 95 of 179 passing with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. According to coaches, he is just now feeling comfortable in the UMass offense.
UMass is led defensively by its tandem of terror, linebacker Jeremy Cain and defensive end Valdamar Brower. For the season, Cain leads the team with 54 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Valdamar Brower has 22 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss, two pass breakups, 11 quarterback hurries and two blocked kicks. Last season, Brower led the team and the Atlantic-10 with 10 sacks for 70 yards, to go along with 57 total tackles and 24 tackles for loss.
Bangor Daily News