The 20th-ranked Black Bears (8-4, 5-3 Colonial Athletic Association) head to the Midwest where they will take on the No. 4 Panthers of the University of Northern Iowa (10-2, 7-1 Missouri Valley Conference) at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI is the No. 3 seed in the national playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. (ET)/4:05 p.m. (CT). This will be the second time the two teams meet in history as UNI defeated UMaine in the 2001 NCAA quarterfinals 56-28.

Live coverage of the game can be heard on 91.9 WMEB-FM.

Team Statistics

UMaine _____________Category ___________UNI

25.3 ________________ Points ________________28.5

331.6 _____________ Total Offense _____________ 358.5

196.1 _____________Rushing Yards _____________ 199.8

135.5 _____________ Passing Yards _____________ 158.8

23 / 16 ________ Rushing TDs / Passing TDs ________ 26 / 14

32:37 ________ Offensive Time of Possession _________ 31:31

21.3 _____________ Points Allowed ______________16.2

315.4 _____________Total Defense _____________ 302.2

132.9 __________ Rushing Yards Allowed __________ 107.1

182.5 __________ Passing Yards Allowed __________ 195.1

15 / 15 ______ Rushing / Passing TDs Allowed _______ 12 / 11

27:22 ________ Defensive Time of Possession ________ 28:15

+13 _____________ Turnover Margin _____________+15

Individual Leaders

UMaine ____________Category ____________UNI

Adam Farkes (870) ____ Passing Yards _______ Pat Grace (1,333)

Adam Farkes (9) ______ Passing TDs __________ Pat Grace (10)

Jared Turcotte (602) ___Rushing Yards _____ Corey Lewis (1,122)

Jared Turcotte (7) _____ Rushing TDs ________Lewis, Grace (9)

Jared Turcotte (23) ____ Receptions ________ Josh Collins (23)

Tyrell Jones (348) ____ Receiving Yards ______Josh Collins (406)

Landis Williams (5) ____Receiving TDs ______ Schuylar Oordt (3)

Jovan Belcher (93) ______Tackles _______ Josh Mahoney (106)

Jovan Belcher (7.5) ______ Sacks ________ James Ruffin (8.0)

Jovan Belcher (15.5) __ Tackles For Loss ____ James Ruffin (15.0)

Lamir Whetstone (5) ___ Interceptions __ Thompson, McMoore (4)

Landis Williams (12.3) _Punt Return Avg. ____ Jordan Smith (19.0)

Lamir Whetstone (38.0) _ Kick Return Avg. ____Jarred Herring (26.3)

Below are interviews conducted with players and the head coach on Tuesday afternoon:

Junior wide receiver Landis Williams

On the feeling after the UNH loss.It was tough, especially for me seeing a lot of the seniors as hurt as they were. And I know they put their all into the game just like all the others put their all into the game. It was tough to take that one on the chin and knowing that we possibly hurt our playoff berth and also that we didn’t get the [Brice-Cowell] Musket back.

On dealing with the close loss.Coach [Cosgrove] immediately came to us in the locker room and said ‘I don’t want to see any heads down. I want everyone to be positive because we still have hope. There are 8-4 teams that get into the playoffs.’ So we tried to stay as positive as we could and come in on Sunday and hopefully see our name pop up on the screen.

On being one of the 16 teams selected to the FCS Playoffs.It was amazing to me. People from the past have told us in the past when they were here when they were selected into the playoffs, but to experience it there’s nothing like it. Your whole team is sitting in the front of one room watching the TV just waiting to see your name pop up. And you’re not sure if you’re going to make it. You feel the joy of everyone on the team come together and then you know that you have the opportunity to keep playing football in November.

On UNI’s defense.They’re a good run defense, but our gameplan is not going to change. We’re a run offense so we’re going to run the ball. No matter what they do, they’re not going to dictate what we do. We’re going to run the ball, but there will probably be times where we have to pass the ball as well. As receivers we just have to step up in the pass game and make plays. You got to get them to respect our pass game so we can run the ball the whole game because that’s what we do.

On being the underdog.We’ve been underdogs the whole year so we pretty much have adapted to that role and me, myself, I like it because we get to come out and prove ourselves. Even when we beat good teams, we’re still the underdogs.

Senior safety Lamir Whetstone

On the feeling after the UNH loss.Me being a senior, I was very disappointed in the way things ended up. A lot of the seniors were pretty down, and there were a lot of tears, but we still knew we had a shot–a slim shot–to get into the playoffs. That’s what we kind of hung our hat on.

On the emotions after being selected to the playoffs.Once we saw it, man, the place erupted. People were calling their parents and their family telling them that we got in. Things just got crazy for a little bit.

On how to stop UNI’s running attack.We’ve got to tackle better, certainly much better than we tackled against UNH. We’ve got to trust eachother to be where we’re supposed to be and not do too much. We’ve just got to be physical and keep doing what we’ve been doing and I think we’ll be okay.

On the UNI passing game.Their quarterback is also very good. He’s a good runner and passer. He has a strong arm. When they do throw they like to throw deep. They like to run routes and get behind the secondary so our secondary needs to keep the ball in front of us.

On being the underdog.I feel like we’ve been underdogs all year. Basically all four years I’ve been here we’ve been underdogs. It’s something we’re accustomed to so it doesn’t bother us. It doesn’t affect us; it just motivates us more to try to prove people wrong.

On playing games on the road.It feels great. To be honest with you I love playing on the road with hostile crowds. I’ve been hearing some stories about how loud it gets there. There fans rattle their keys or something so it’s going to be a fun environment.

Senior defensive end Jovan Belcher

On the emotions of being selected to the playoffs.Seeing our name go across the ESPNU ticker, it was like having seven birthdays in one day. We got a second chance. We have to capitalize on our opportunities.

On UNI’s senior running back and Walter Payton Award finalist Corey Lewis.He’s a pretty agile player. He’s a hard runner. They pride themselves on running the ball. We pride our defense on stopping the run. So it’s just another challenge.

On being the underdog.If people want to look down on us, that’s their choice. It’s our time to show them what we can do.

Head Coach Jack Cosgrove

On the mood of the team after the UNH loss.I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. It’s one of the toughest walks I’ve ever had off the football field into the locker room to address a football team. The quiet, the profound quiet of a locker room that is full of young people with red eyes, tears. They just looked like they had their hearts ripped out.

On the UNI running attack.They want to run the football. I think all good teams that are successful on a consistent basis like they’ve been have a foundation of how they do business. And there’s is they want to run the ball and stop the run.

On defending UNI and the prospect of being in the playoffs.They’re a team that hasn’t turned it over in four games. We’re a team that lives off the turnover. Can we make that happen, can we run against them? They’re a team that has practiced stopping the run because they have to stop their own offense. When all is said and done and all the pretty things, it comes down to playing football. We’re in a tournament with the 16 best teams in the country.

Comparing UNI to a CAA team.They remind me of the athleticism and the fast teams like James Madison and New Hampshire. I saw that similarity.

On playing games on the road.No, we wouldn’t rather be on the road, but we aren’t fearful of it. We are 4-2 on the road.

Note: A trip diary, game recap and photos will all be posted online later this week as The Maine Campus will be making the trip Iowa this weekend.

Cosgrove guided the Black Bears to an 8-4 record and second place finish in the CAA North Division. UMaine was picked to finish fourth in the division, but after a 2-3 start, they reeled off six straight wins before dropping their season finale. Cosgrove, who is in his 16th year as UMaine’s head coach, was named earlier this week as one of the 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach-of-the-Year award. It is presented annually by The Sports Network to the top head coach at the Football Championship Series (FCS) level.

Senior defensive end and co-captain Jovan Belcher (West Babylon, N.Y.) was one of seven Black Bear players named to one of the 2008 All-CAA Football Teams. A first-team selection for the second straight year, Belcher was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year as well. He was tabbed earlier this year as the league’s preseason defensive player of the year. Also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player, Belcher led the Black Bears and conference in several categories. He ranked first in the CAA in tackles for loss (15.5) and second in sacks (7.5).

Redshirt freshman fullback/H-back Jared Turcotte (Lewiston, Maine) was one of only two freshmen who garnered first-time honors. He led UMaine’s potent rushing attack with 602 yards and seven touchdowns.

Senior center Ryan Canary (Point Pleasant, N.J.) and linebacker Andrew Downey (Kingston, N.Y.) were named to the All-CAA Second-Team.

Senior tailback Jhamal Fluellen (Lockport, N.Y.), tackle Chris Arnao (Newtown, Pa.) and cornerback Lionel Nixon Jr. (New Haven, Conn.) were all on the All-CAA Third-Team.

Note: All times are in EST.

Day 1 (Friday)

8:30 a.m.: I wake up still hurting from a hangover from two nights ago and all of the food that I ate on Thanksgiving. The last thing I do is want to get on a flight. Our flight leaves Bangor International around 4 p.m. and has two stops along the way before we get to our final destination of Waterloo, Iowa.

2:30 p.m.: A 20-minute journey to the airport from Amy’s (assistant photo editor) apartment in Old Town to BIA takes 45 minutes because every old person in the greater Bangor area is out and about on the roads at this time. But we finally arrive at the airport at about 3:15 and after it takes a while to get through security, we are off to the Motor City.

6:30 p.m.: We land in Detroit about 15 minutes early and have a two-hour layover (what great fun that is.not). After walking ten miles to our gate (although half of it was on a concourse and we got to pass through this cool tunnel), we grab a bit to eat at McDonalds which was a mistake and wait to get on our plane to Minneapolis.

8:45 p.m.: The hour-and-a-half flight to the Twin Cities takes a little less than that and I wasn’t even that crammed on the flight because the seat next to me was empty.

10:30 p.m.: Waterloo is our final destination. We get a few weird looks from people with Northern Iowa gear on while Amy and I both have UMaine hoodies on. When we walked off the plane at Waterloo, an airport employee asks us, “Maine, don’t we play you guys tomorrow?” Not wanting to get in a verbal battle with her and several other fans we just say, “Yes,” and walk away. A cab picks us up and we head to our hotel.

1 a.m.: We get to the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center a little past one and check in to our room. They left the heat on full blast so it is about 100 degrees and you can’t breathe because they gave us a smoking room. But, being so tired about an hour later, I’m signing off. Good night, Iowa (and Maine).

More updates to follow tomorrow.

Remember tune in to 91.9 WMEB-FM tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. (pregame show) to catch the Black Bears live in their first round playoff game. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

All times in EST.

08:15 a.m.: I wake up to a steady snowfall and messy conditions. The last thing Amy and I needed was a cancellation or delay as two days in Iowa was more than enough.

10 a.m.: After continental breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and took the shuttle to the Waterloo Regional Airport. Our flight was scheduled for 11:15 a.m. and despite some light snow and wintry conditions there were no delays.

12:15 a.m.: We sat at the gate for a good 20 minutes or so and they told us that they were jumpstarting the engine (All I could think of is pulling up my GMC Sonoma and pulling out the jumper cables and hooking them up to the airplane.).

1:30 p.m.: We arrived in the Twin Cities, where we had a three-hour layover. I’m surprised I survived the last flight with a screaming baby during the whole 40-minute. After some Sbarro’s pizza, some sleep and some NFL action, we were ready to board for Detroit.

3:30 p.m.: The plane is big with three seats on both sides of the aisle and lucky for me I get a middle seat.NOT! To my right is a so-called important businessman who had his BlackBerry in full use. To my left is some college-aged kid that also had his BlackBerry out. When I sat down though, I soon found out that I had zero room. Both gentlemen were kind enough to take up all of the arm rests (they each had two) and have their elbows in my area. Don’t you love people? And to top it off, some lady reclined her seat into my lap, making for the best flight ever.

6 p.m.: Crossing over to the Eastern time zone, we land in the Motor City after the most uncomfortable situation of my life.

6:30 p.m.: I’m sitting in a chair in the airport watching the Patriots/Steelers game among a bunch of obnoxious Pittsburgh fans who keep clapping. Then all of a sudden, Wes Welker gets laid out on a cheap hit by a no-name safety. Probably the cheapest hit I have seen all year, but hey, that’s what the Steelers and Ravens do best, right?

7 p.m.: The Steelers won the game and I am visibly upset. But the Jets lost and I wonder what the analysts are going to talk about now, after Brett Favre had a bad game and the darling Jets lost.

9:30 p.m.: After another long layover and some delays, we are on the plane to Bangor. Never thought I would say, “I’m so glad to come back to Maine.”

11:30 p.m.: We land amidst messy conditions in Bangor. My roommate picked me up and we set off to our Old Town apartment. On the way, a car was 30 feet off the road in the ditch after going a little bit too fast down a hill on Stillwater Ave.

1:30 p.m.: Unpacked, tired, but my fantasy team is headed to the playoffs. Life is good and we are back from Iowa.only to go to class in the morning.

It was a great year covering the Black Bear football team and a season recap and outlook on next year will be published in next Monday’s edition of The Maine Campus. Best of luck to the outgoing seniors and we hope to see UMaine carry the momentum and into the playoffs again next year. For now, that’s a wrap.

On Aug. 30, the Black Bears opened their season in Iowa City against FBS opponent, the University of Iowa. The Big 10 school beat UMaine easily, 46-3.

Three months later, Jack Cosgrove’s squad earned an at-large berth in the FCS Playoffs and a first-round matchup with the University of Northern Iowa just 75 miles up the road in Cedar Falls.

The Black Bears’ season ended in the same state it started on Saturday evening.

Junior quarterback Pat Grace threw two long touchdown passes to freshman wide receiver Jarred Herring as the No. 3 Panthers built a 23-7 halftime lead and never looked back, dispatching UMaine 40-15 in front of 8,477 fans at the UNI-Dome.

After UMaine (8-5) blocked a punt for the second straight week late midway through the second quarter, the momentum appeared to shift. When redshirt freshman tailback Derek Session scored a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven to cap off, the momentum clearly shifted.

On a third-and-5 on the next UNI (11-2) drive though, Grace found the speedy freshman Herring who got behind the UMaine secondary for a 42-yard touchdown.

A UMaine safety and a 55-yard touchdown pass to Herring on third-and-10 turned a 7-7 tie into a 23-7 UNI advantage in just less than six minutes.

“I think that’s where the game kind of got away from us,” said Cosgrove, whose team lost at UNI in the 2001 playoffs. “I think you got to credit the quarterback for making the plays. They were mostly off scrambles, but he made good decisions. Real good throws.”

Facing a large deficit at the half, UMaine was forced to abandon its running game and go to a passing game that has average under 136 yards per game this season. The running game, which averaged nearly 200 yards per game, was a key catalyst in the Black Bears six-game winning streak that pushed them into the playoffs.

“It’s tough especially getting down two or more scores,” said junior quarterback Michael Brusko. “One score and we’re fine. We still feel like we can do our thing. But once you get down two or three scores and it gets into the second half, it was getting away from us and we had to start throwing. Once we were forced to throw some dropback pass, it was tough.”

UNI added a field goal to begin the third quarter and two potential Black Bear scoring drives were thwarted when the Panthers defense picked off Brusko.

Brusko was 15-for-23 for 180 yards, but finished with four interceptions and was constantly hounded by the UNI defense resulting in three sacks.

The Black Bears only mustered 84 yards on the ground, with the leading rusher being junior wide receiver Landis Williams. He had only one carry, a reverse in the fourth quarter that went for 31 yards.

“I think we knew they were going to be a great team especially up front,” Brusko said. The defensive line is probably the best we’ve faced all year and I would say that includes Iowa.”

“Man for man, they probably got us,” added senior center Ryan Canary. “They didn’t do anything scheme-wise. But man for man they were physically probably better and that really showed.”

The raucous UNI crowd appeared to make it difficult for the UMaine offensive line, but Canary believes the crowd was not a factor.

“We’ve played in some very hostile environments–Delaware and Iowa,” he said. “I think that our focus was bad. If you just focus in it should be no problem with our style which is running the ball. We just lost focus for the three or four offsides we had.”

UNI put the game away in the fourth when senior running back Corey Lewis scored on a 2-yard touchdown to make it 33-7.

UMaine made the score 33-15 when Session caught a 10-yard pass from Brusko for the score and Brusko hooked up with senior wide receiver Kenneth Fersner for the two-point conversion.

Junior running back Derrick Law finished off the scoring with 1:32 left in the fourth, scoring on a 10-yard run to make it 40-15.

The Panther offense amassed 442 yards of total offense, 229 through the air and 193 on the ground.

The Black Bears 2008 season comes to a close with the loss. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. UNI, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last season, advances to the quarterfinals where they will take on UMaine’s CAA rival, the University of New Hampshire. UNH defeated Southern Illinois University 29-20 on the road Saturday.

08:30 a.m.: I crawled out of bed, looked out the window and wondered what to do until the 5:05 p.m. kickoff.

08:45 a.m.: I still sat in bed wondering.

09:00 a.m.: .still wondering.

09:15 a.m.: I decide to take a shower and then promptly sit back in bed. Did I mention Iowa is very flat?

12 p.m.: After sitting on Facebook and watching College Gameday for a while, Amy and I cross the street to go to Subway where I ate a $5 foot-long sub in record-time.

1 p.m.: Back to the hotel, we sit around for another two hours before the shuttle to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls leaves. In the process, we notice that the rest of the CAA teams are doing well in their respective first-round games.

3 p.m.: Shuttle leaves the hotel and we arrive at the dome about fifteen minutes later. What a special atmosphere the dome is. Tons of people tailgating outside and even though the place didn’t come close to selling out because of the Thanksgiving break weekend, they attract double of what Alfond Stadium would get.

3:30 p.m.: I head up the flight of stairs to the press box and see WMEB 91.9-FM’s James MacKay and Matt Shinberg who were there calling the game. Down to the other end of the press box is my seat sandwiched in between a crowd of UNI reporters.

5:05 p.m.: Kickoff and the Panther fans take out their keys and rattle them. It’s apparently a kickoff ritual. Not sure what it does as they do it when UNI receives the kick too. Crowd is raucous, however, and I can barely hear.

6:15 p.m.: WMEB’s broadcast team has me on their halftime show and we talk about UMaine’s struggles in the first thirty minutes as they are down 23-7.

7:45 p.m.: UMaine falls to the highly-ranked UNI squad 40-15, but what a great season. Certainly a great way to begin fall sports for the university after no varsity sports team had a winning record last year.

8:45 p.m.: Both coaches and some select players from each team talk about the game at the press conference and after that we get on the shuttle again and head back to Waterloo.

1:15 a.m.: After some Chinese food which I am regretting at the moment, watching Oklahoma and Oklahoma State put up a ton of points and writing a game recap, it’s time for me to sign off. Flight leaves at noon and barring any delays (light snow this evening and supposedly into the day tomorrow) we will be back in Bangor tomorrow at 11:15 p.m. For now, that’s a wrap. Great season Black Bears!