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There were no orange yard markers, no lit up scoreboard, no fireworks and no roaring crowd. But there were coaches’ whistles, helmets, shoulder pads and most everything else needed to lay the groundwork for a good football team.
The University of Maine football team ran its third practice of the spring season on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium. For the most part, the Black Bears ran through positional drills and absorbed technique and some schemes. But it was an up-tempo session with crispness typically conducive to success on the field.
“I would compliment the guys on the blueprint they’ve put down in how they practice,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove. “I’ve seen a very eager group of guys that are excited to be practicing football.”
The Black Bears enter the spring season looking to build on the momentum of a late push that saw the squad post its first three-game winning streak in several years before falling to then No. 1 New Hampshire in the season finale. At the same time, UMaine is looking for marked improvement over the 5-6 mark posted in the last two years, and the senior class is looking to make its first I-AA playoff appearance.
“We want to continue doing the things we did well, but also fix some of the things that didn’t work,” said Cosgrove.
Spring practice is a time for veteran players to take on larger roles and for new faces to step forward. The Black Bears had a number of underclassmen make significant contributions last fall, experience that could prove invaluable in the upcoming year. Also, UMaine has 13 redshirt freshmen hoping to earn time after sitting out last year to train and acclimate themselves to the Black Bears’ system.
“It’s about creating a competitive atmosphere that allows for the best players to step forward,” said Cosgrove. “The guy who gets to the front of the line is usually the best.”
One of the most important “new” faces on the UMaine sidelines is actually an old one: recently promoted defensive coordinator Robb Smith. With the departure of celebrated defensive guru Rich Nagy, Cosgrove felt turning to a familiar face was an easy and obvious choice.
“One thing I believe is always looking within your own home to see if you’ve got something to help your staff,” Cosgrove explained.
This fall will be Smith’s fifth season at UMaine. He served as linebacking coach last year after working with the defensive backs for the previous three. Needless to say, Smith has worked close with a Black Hole defense that ranked among the best in the nation during Nagy’s tenure.
“[Smith] was an obvious guy to look to because of his relationship with those coaches and with our players. The fact that he was a part of a very much improved defense last year and was part of the implementation of the plan we used last year helped tremendously. And he has a great working knowledge of our personnel. To me, it was a pretty easy choice to go in that direction,” said Cosgrove.
The Black Bears return eight of 11 defensive starters from their season finale last November, losing All-Atlantic-10 linebacker and captain Jermaine Walker, along with standout safeties Jarrod Gomes and Joan Quezada. Senior-to-be Anthony Hicks as well as sophomores-to-be Jovan Belcher, Sean Wasson and Andrew Downey saw time last year and should see increased time this fall, filling Walker’s shoes.
As for the defensive backfield, UMaine returns both corners in Manauris Arias and Lamir Whetstone. Jonathan Calderon and Lionel Nixon saw time as freshmen last fall and should also be in the mix for starting jobs this fall.
Darren Stone is a versatile back who played rover, a sort of safety-linebacker hybrid, in some schemes last season, and will no doubt find a spot on the field no matter what allignment the Black Bears settle on. The ball-hawking senior-to-be ran away with the team lead in interceptions last year, picking off five of the team’s 11 total.
That strong core is hoping to continue momentum from last year’s late season surge and a powerful defense that spent much of the season in the top-10 nationally. However, they’re also looking to shake off the sting of giving up 59 points and 555 yards in a season-ending loss at New Hampshire.
“Having the same faces doesn’t mean you’re going to get better. You’ve got to work at it and grow,” said Cosgrove. “As well as we played in three of our last four, especially on defense, giving up that many points isn’t something we’re proud of.”
Another returning stalwart is defensive end Matt King, who missed all but three games last season with a wrist injury. King has 2.5 sacks in just three contests last year and started nine games as a sophomore in 2004, recording 43 tackles. The 6-3, 245-pounder should be a force to be reckoned with along the defensive line in his senior season.
With the combination of strong, experienced players and a capable, seasoned coaching staff, Cosgrove only expects his defense to get better this fall.
“We’ve improved our speed and athleticism,” he said. “I think we’ll see a faster team, on defense especially.”
The Black Bears practice again Friday afternoon, followed up by their first intra-squad scrimmage at 9 a.m. Saturday at Alfond Stadium. The spring season culminates with the Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage on May 6.
Bangor Daily News