It appeared as though it was going to be another ugly loss for the University of Maine football team on Saturday in its non-conference game at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.
UMaine, which had fallen behind Montana State 35-0 and Monmouth 20-0 in losses the previous two weeks, fell behind Merrimack 10-0.
The first-half lowlights included a fumble return for a touchdown by Merrimack and penalties on successive plays for a rare offensive facemask and holding which set the stage for a Merrimack safety when UMaine quarterback Carter Peevy was sacked in the end zone.
The Black Bears were still trailing 15-6 midway through the third period when an Alhaji Kamara interception and return to the Merrimack-29 yard line set up a UMaine touchdown and a run of 20 unanswered points to give the Black Bears a 26-15 win.
UMaine is now 2-2 after having won just two games in each of the last two seasons.
UMaine outgained Merrimack 251-73 in the second half.
The most noteworthy aspect of the victory was the play of a defensive unit that had given up 1,160 yards, 92 points and 18 plays of 20 or more yards in its losses to Montana State and Monmouth.
It was a unit that had been able to stop just 43.1 percent of opponents’ third-down conversions through the first three games.
On Saturday, the Black Bear defense limited Merrimack to 195 yards, just two plays of 20 or more yards and a 1-for-14 showing on third down.
It also forced two turnovers, both interceptions.
Merrimack’s longest play from scrimmage in the second half was nine yards.
So with Coastal Athletic Association rival Albany up next on the road on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., the question is can the Black Bears build on their second half performance against a 1-2 Great Danes team that was a Football Championship Subdivision semifinalist a year ago?
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens is optimistic that his team can and he also knows it will have to against a formidable opponent like Albany even though the Great Danes were hit hard by graduation especially on the defensive side of the ball.
For UMaine, it all begins with defense.
A hard-hitting, swarming defense has always been the trademark of the program.
“Our front seven on defense played really well. They were able to own the line of scrimmage. And the improvement on third down is a big step forward. It’s something to build off, certainly with how we finished in the fourth quarter,” said Stevens during the weekly CAA coaches conference call with the media on Monday.
Stevens said his team played with the level of passion they need to succeed.
Four of UMaine’s top seven tacklers in the game were defensive linemen: Izaiah Henderson (6 tackles), Xavier Holmes (5), Jacob Tuiasosopo (5) and Shymell Davis (4).
When defensive linemen are among a team’s top tacklers, that’s a good sign.
When cornerbacks and safeties are the leading tacklers, that’s not usually a recipe for success.
UMaine Linebacker Kesean Dyson (10) was the game’s leading tackler.
Football games are won and lost in the trenches.
Whoever controls the line of scrimmage usually wins.
The offensive line also did its part in the second half and graduate student quarterback Carter Peevy, a transfer from Mercer University (Ga.), had his best game of the season.
He produced 253 total yards, 225 through the air and 28 on the ground.
He actually ran for 76 yards but he was sacked six times so the negative yards are subtracted from his positive runs for the final total.
And Peevy completed passes to 10 different receivers.
“He continues to grow and get better,” said Stevens. “He has shown he can make plays with his arm and his legs. One thing I love about Carter is his competitiveness. He is a competitor and a leader. And he is still in a phase where he is getting acclimated to some of the guys around him.”
Stevens said Albany will be a big challenge.
“For us to take the next step for our program, we have to get off to a fast start. We have to play the way we did in the second half against Merrimack from the start of the game,” said Stevens.
Albany coach Greg Gattuso was impressed with UMaine’s win over a Merrimack team which had lost just 21-6 to a United States Air Force Academy team that has played in 15 Football Bowl Championship Subdivision bowl games since 2000 and has won its last five.
Merrimack was only outgained 237-217.
“Maine could have easily folded its tents. It was a rough away game, bad weather, the whole nine yards. But they came back to win. We know how tough they are. We have a lot of respect for their program,” said Gattuso.
The Albany game will set the tone of the rest of the season.
UMaine has a bye week the following weekend before traveling to Delaware, hosting Villanova, going to the University or Rhode Island and then to FBS power Oklahoma.
Villanova was the CAA favorite in the coaches poll; Albany was picked third, Delaware fifth and URI was eighth.
