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After an exciting come-from-behind victory at the University of Richmond last weekend, University of Maine football is primed to take their 6-1 record to 1-7 Villanova University on Saturday.
It has been an eventful ride so far for the Black Bears, winning close games in about every way imaginable, including going score-for-score at James Madison University, preventing a fourth-quarter comeback against the University of Rhode Island and executing their own fourth-quarter comeback against the University of Richmond.
Each win presented a different challenge for UMaine to overcome, and they passed the test each time.
Head coach Jack Cosgrove sees this success as a result of a team that has built up enough experience to deal with the circumstances that present themselves in close games.
“We have learned that [the experience] from previous critical situations helps you out in the present, and this year we have shown a great level of toughness in the fourth quarter,” Cosgrove said. “I’d say our poorest performance would be the Bryant [University] and [University of] Albany games where the lead was misinterpreted as insurmountable. It’s just an indication that the team is learning how to win football games.”
Another reason why Cosgrove believes his team is headed in a positive direction is the fact that they make big plays when it matters most.
“Richmond played a good game,” he said. “More credit needs to be given to Richmond for the game they played — they played great defense and had good special teams. We get the credit for finding a way to overcome the deficit.
“When [defensive back] Trevor [Coston] forced the fumble [in the fourth quarter] it felt like a turning point in the game, and then [quarterback] Warren [Smith] threw the interception, and as I was talking to him trying to figure out a way to come back, the extra-point was blocked and returned and all of a sudden it turned from a 3 score game to a 2 score game and we were right back in it,” Cosgrove added. “We never felt like were out of it, but at the same time it felt like it was possible we couldn’t be back in it.”
The upcoming game against Villanova will be crucial for UMaine as they try and maintain their top spot in the conference. Villanova is coming off a 37-14 loss at the hands of Old Dominion University, which featured three fumbles and one interception by the Wildcats. Turnovers are something the Black Bears will be looking at to give them an advantage, as was the case in Richmond.
“We are a team that emphasizes the turnovers, being at plus-eight for the year,” Cosgrove said. “Coming back from 16-0, that fumble was a big influence in the game.”
Villanova is led by freshman quarterbacks Chris Polony and Dustin Thomas, who went 8-20 for 61 yards and 10-17 for 82 yards respectively against Old Dominion. Freshman running back Austin Medley led the team in rushes with 10 for 42 yards.
Villanova is coming off two consecutive seasons with deep runs into the postseason, including a national championship in 2009. However, graduation and injuries have hit 27th-year head coach Andy Talley’s team hard. Cosgrove knows that despite this, the Wildcats cannot be taken lightly.
“They graduated 21 seniors last year, they do have good football players playing for them,” he said. “All the experience they have been building up will come out at some point, it might come out this week. They do run a different look on defense than we are used to. They are well-coached, and like I said, all their inexperience will grow and eventually come to. We’ve had that shoe on our own foot.”
Cosgrove remembered last year’s game against Villanova, when they lost 48 to 18.
“They took us out to the back shed last year,” he said. “It was a painful moment, and something you don’t want to recollect. It is still with us.”
UMaine plays Villanova this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
