Sports |

Football: A season to remember for the Black Bears

By Adam Clark

Posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008, 12:00 am

E-mail

Tell us what you think!
Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.

Picked to finish fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association North Division, the University of Maine football team appeared well on their way to a middle-of-the-pack finish after a 2-3 start.

The Black Bears reeled off six straight wins and finished second in the division, garnering their first playoff berth since 2002.

UMaine finished their season last Saturday, losing 40-15 at the University of Northern Iowa in the first round of the postseason.

Despite losing 14 seniors, the 2009 Black Bears will return many skill position players, especially on offense, as they look to build on this season’s success and advance further into December.

Key losses

Defensive End Jovan Belcher (98 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks) – Co-Captain and CAA defensive player of the year – Belcher was one of the top defensive players in the nation and could hear his name called in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Tailback Jhamal Fluellen (532 yards, 3 touchdowns) – Co-Captain and All-CAA third-team selection struggled with injuries, but was one of the top backs to ever set foot in Orono.

Center Ryan Canary – All-CAA first teamer was a three-year starter on an offensive line that ranked third in the conference.

Right tackle Chris Arnao – Key cog on the offensive line earned third-team all-conference honors.

Linebacker Andrew Downey (105 tackles) – Three-year starter garnered second-team CAA honors.

Safety Lamir Whetstone (6 INTs) – Ball-hawking defensive back led the team in interceptions and anchored the secondary.

Punter Kash Kiefer – Helped win the field position battle, averaging 41.5 yards per punt.

Key returnees

Redshirt freshman fullback Jared Turcotte (625 yards, 7 TDs) – All-CAA first-team pick in his rookie season, Turcotte led the team in rushing.

Junior quarterback Michael Brusko (12 total TDs) – Run-first quarterback guided the Black Bears to six straight wins.

Sophomore quarterback Adam Farkes (9 passing TDs) – Had impressive stats through the air in limited time as the starter after going down with a season-ending injury on Oct. 11.

Junior wide receiver Landis Williams (22 rec., 308 yards, 5 TDs) – Big-play threat on the outside struggled through injuries, but still found the endzone five times.

Junior defensive end Jordan Stevens (53 tackles, 4 sacks) – Will try to fill the void left by the departing Jovan Belcher.

Junior linebacker Mark Masterson (68 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD) – Only returning starter on the linebacking unit.

MVPs

Offense – Michael Brusko and Jared Turcotte

Brusko played special teams and wide receiver and took snaps as the backup quarterback before stepping in for the injured Farkes and not missing a beat against nationally-ranked Delaware. He went on to lead the Black Bears to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Turcotte emerged as a star in the depleted Black Bear backfield as a first-year player. He was one of only two rookies named to the All-CAA first team and had only one carry going into week five before he burst onto the scene.

Defense – Jovan Belcher

The heart-and-soul of the “Black Hole” defense, Belcher is a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, an honor given to the nation’s top defensive player. He was constantly double-teamed and the focal point of everyone’s offensive gameplan, but despite all the attention, his numbers did not drop off from a year ago.

Low point

After the games against James Madison and New Hampshire

Tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter at home against No. 1 JMU, the Black Bears attempted an onside kick, but it failed, and they fell 24-10.

Ahead 24-21 midway through the fourth quarter, UMaine had a chance to put away UNH for the CAA North title, but a touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty. The Wildcats drove down the field and scored with just over three minutes left to win 28-24.

High point

Being selected to the NCAA Playoffs

Despite a season-ending loss to UNH, the long-shot Black Bears earned an at-large playoff berth. It was their first postseason appearance since 2002.

Breakout players for next season

Offense – Landis Williams

The veteran wide receiver has game-breaking speed, and if the Black Bears have a more balanced attack next season, he will be a recipient of many of the passes. He should also be a part of the return game.

Defense – Norman Smith

The redshirt freshman cornerback was not slated to start in 2008, but was forced into duty after injuries to teammates. He struggled early on in the season, but ended up with three interceptions on the year.

Outlook on 2009

The Black Bears return a fair share of playmakers on offense. If Farkes returns healthy and grabs the starting job again, the attack will be more balanced. The top two wideouts return and three backs are back, including Turcotte, who will be featured even more next season. With Farkes as quarterback, Brusko would be moved back to wide receiver, as well as taking snaps behind center on certain offensive plays. The only question mark is the offensive line, which broke in three starters this year and will have to fill two spots after losses to graduation.

On defense, UMaine loses six starters, with two at each line of defense. The big loss will be Belcher, the do-it-all defensive end who cannot be replaced. Also gone are veteran players at linebacker and defensive back. Stevens, Masterson, Smith, Raibonne Charles and Brandon McLaughlin all return to anchor the defensive unit, but they must get immediate help from first-year starters to avoid a rough season.

On special teams, Kiefer must be replaced, but Jordan Waxman and Brian Harvey both return to perform placekicking duties.

Predictions

The offense will be even more dynamic with the return of Farkes to balance out the attack. Turcotte will turn into a 1,000-yard rusher and star at the Football Championship Series (FCS) level behind a young, solid offensive line. The defense is the big question mark and they will take their lumps, but be adequate enough to compete. If Williams or another Black Bear can turn into a great returner, it would aid UMaine a lot as return men are game changers.

The Black Bears will return to the playoffs behind one of the conference’s top offenses and compete for the division title with UNH. If the defense shores up quickly, they could contend for an outright CAA title and advance deep into the playoffs.