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With 15,000-plus fans from the opposition screaming with your team on offense, there is only one way to quiet that large crowd: drive down the field and score.
That was the case on Saturday afternoon when the University of Maine football team visited James Madison University at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Black Bears took the opening drive of the game and marched down to the Dukes 8-yard line before being stuffed on fourth-and-1.
With that one play, the momentum turned after a 14-play, 70-yard drive provided no points and James Madison went on to score 22 unanswered points before UMaine’s fourth quarter rally came up short.
“To drive down the field early in a hostile environment and punch one in and put up a touchdown on the first drive, it would have been absolutely huge for us, especially momentum wise,” said senior tri-captain Mike Brusko.
Despite a loss that dips UMaine under .500 with a 4-5 overall record, the Black Bears hope to put the loss behind them as they head into a Senior Day matchup with the University of Rhode Island on Saturday at noon.
UMaine (3-3 Colonial Athletic Association) remains in second place in the North Division behind the University of New Hampshire. URI sits in last place in the division with a winless conference record of 0-6. The overall record of the Rams is 1-8, with their only victory coming in the season opener against Fordham University.
The Black Bears remain in the hunt for the North Division crown even with Saturday’s loss to James Madison. If UNH loses to No. 4 William & Mary on Saturday coupled with a UMaine win, the division crown would be on the line on Nov. 21 when the Black Bears visit UNH.
Rams bring dangerous offense
Despite being winless in the CAA, URI nearly knocked off North Division leader and the seventh-ranked University of New Hampshire last Saturday.
The Rams offense racked up 535 yards of total offense and senior quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne threw for a career-high 424 yards and four touchdowns. While URI’s offense exploded for 42 points, UNH’s offense scored 55 points to edge the Rams.
“They had a great plan against New Hampshire,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove. “They just really did a number on New Hampshire and that’s a really good defense.”
Paul-Etienne stood out during the contest and has certainly caught the eye of the Black Bear defense.
“They got a real explosive offense with the quarterback transferring in from Rutgers [University],” said senior linebacker Brandon McLaughlin. “He can run around and throw the ball pretty well.”
“There quarterback is very, very impressive,” Cosgrove added. “Not to take anything away from there receivers and running back, but he’s really special. He can make some throws. He’s smart and patient with his delivery with the ball.”
Paul-Etienne’s top target is senior wide receiver Shawn Leonard, the league’s leader in receiving touchdowns. Leonard was named the co-CAA Offensive Player of the Week following his 10-catch, 275-yard performance where he hauled in three touchdown passes. Leonard has seven receiving touchdowns on the season.
Smith out for season; Treister to start
In Saturday’s loss to James Madison, the UMaine football team lost starting quarterback Warren Smith to a broken foot for the remainder of the season. The sophomore took several hard hits in the game and was forced to leave the game late in the fourth quarter. The initial X-ray did not reveal a break in his foot, but an X-ray earlier this week showed the fracture.
“Warren is out for the year,” Cosgrove said. “He has a broken foot that was discovered in another X-ray. It was what they call a weight-bearing X-ray. The postgame X-ray did not show what the weight-bearing X-ray yesterday showed.”
The transfer from the disbanded Iona College program was key in reviving UMaine’s struggling offense as they switched to a pass-heavy attack. The strong-armed Smith took over the starting job in the fourth week of the season after splitting repetitions at the position the two weeks before.
Smith has thrown for 1,695 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. He has also thrown 13 interceptions. A dual threat, Smith is second on the team in rushing with 205 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Chris Treister is expected to start in Smith’s place.
Seniors to be honored
Saturday’s home game will mark the last time nine UMaine seniors will take to the field at Alfond Stadium. Among the nine seniors are Brusko, McLaughlin and senior defensive end Jordan Stevens, the three captains on this year’s squad.
During their tenure, they helped revive a program and contributed to the Black Bears’ 2008 success. In 2008, UMaine advanced to the national playoffs for the first time since 2002.
Some of the Black Bear seniors admitted the emotions will be running high on Saturday.
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Brusko said. “It hasn’t sunk in. It’s going to be emotional before the game, but even more so after the game regardless of what happens. The reality of it is, sooner or later, some point this week it’s going to hit me, and it’s going to be tough.”
“I thought about it starting Sunday, and it’s weird because I remember my freshman year when those seniors were playing their last game,” McLaughlin added. “It seems like it’s gone by so fast.”
All nine seniors will be honored before kickoff.
Bangor Daily News