The University of Maine’s football team was picked to finish eighth among 13 teams in the Colonial Athletic Association this season.
Maybe it was because they have a first-year head coach in Jordan Stevens, and its top two wide receivers and two leading tacklers off last year’s 6-5 team (4-4 in conference play) are gone.
There are certainly some question marks, but this team should finish much higher than eighth and is a legitimate playoff contender. A top-three finish is even possible and, because of the strength and depth of the CAA, that would probably earn the Black Bears a spot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Black Bears will need the defensive line to show vast improvement from a year ago when it mustered just 12 sacks in 11 games, and that has been an emphasis since former All-CAA defensive end Stevens took over from Nick Charlton, who moved on to become the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The defensive line’s performance takes on even more importance when you consider that the two starting safeties and two cornerbacks have an average of fewer than 11 career games under their belts.
Sophomore strong safety Shakur Smalls played in 14 of the 15 games UMaine played a year ago between the 11-game fall schedule and abbreviated four-game spring campaign.
Sophomore corner Kahzir “Buggs” Brown saw his first action playing in all 11 fall games, sophomore free safety Abdul Stewart played eight games, and senior cornerback Benito Speight saw action on eight games between the fall and spring.
It is an athletic secondary with Brown and Smalls combining for five interceptions last fall.
Smalls also had 53 tackles and Brown had 23.
Smalls, who was the team’s fifth-leading tackler, is confident the secondary can get the job done.
“We are all coming together well,” Smalls said. “We’re all physical, we’re all fast and we feed off each other.”
Junior free safety Austin Ambush played in eight games and had 17 tackles and junior cornerback Aaron Gethers is a transfer from Western Carolina and Boston College who will also be in the mix.
The defensive line, whose 1.09 sacks per game were tied for 115th among 123 FCS schools, was hurt by an ankle injury suffered by end Wiley, which limited him to just five games.
He has 98 tackles in 34 games and was a captain, so having him back healthy should be a big boost. He had four sacks in 2019.
The other end, junior Khairi Manns, was the sixth-leading tackler (42) and tied for the team lead in sacks (3). His six tackles for losses were second on the team.
Senior nose tackle Josh Lezin (28 tackles, three for losses) has played in 31 career games and senior tackle Justin Sambu (21 tackles) has played in 18.
There is also some noteworthy depth along the defensive front in graduate student end Xavier Mitchell (39 tackles last fall), sophomore nose tackle Dorian Royal (16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) and graduate student tackle Raffaele Salamone from Portland (16 tackles).
The linebacking corps is one of the team’s strengths.
Senior Adrian Otero is the leader. The veteran stalwart has been involved in 184 tackles in 40 career games including 63 last season. Junior Xavier Nurse had an impressive fall with 60 tackles and senior Brian Lee Jr. has 117 tackles in 34 career games between St. Francis University and UMaine.
The defensive line and linebackers are on the smallish side, with the line averaging 258 pounds per man and the linebackers at 239 pounds.
The offense lost its top two receivers in All-CAA selections Devin Young and Andre Miller, along with all conference tackle P.J. Barr, but virtually everybody else is back.
The offense should be potent.
Senior quarterback Joe Fagnano was limited to just four games due to a high ankle sprain but is healthy and enters the season having completed 62 percent of his career passes for 3,424 yards — 11th best in school history — and 31 touchdowns. He has only been intercepted six times.
Sophomore Derek Robertson started seven games and did an admirable job. He supplies them with a capable back-up.
The Black Bears have two quality running backs in preseason All-CAA honorable mention Freddie Brock (132 carries, 720 yards), who is a junior, and graduate student Elijah Barnwell (117-514). Barnwell had an outstanding training camp. Brock also caught 18 passes for 137 yards last fall.
Junior Tavion Banks will supply depth at running back as will senior John Gay.
Boston College transfer Kobay White, who had 97 receptions for 1,434 yards at BC, will help pick up the slack left by the departures of Young and Miller. Senior Zavier Scott, who had 11 catches, and juniors Montigo Moss and Michael Monios, who each snared eight passes, will take on more prominent roles along with graduate student Jacob Hennie (13 catches).
Redshirt freshman Tyrese Baptiste, junior Jamie Lamson and Northwestern transfer Braeden Heald will be other viable options at wide receiver.
The Black Bears have one of the conference’s best tight ends in 6-5, 255-pound Shawn Bowman, a third team All-CAA pick and a preseason honorable mention. Promising freshman Rohan Jones will back him up.
Ironman center Mike Gerace, a second team All-CAA choice and preseason All-CAA pick, has started 34 consecutive games and will anchor a solid offensive line that averages 318 pounds per man.
Graduate student Tyler Royal returns at left guard after missing the fall due to a knee injury and that will give the line a lift. Bucksport sophomore David Gross will be the other guard with seniors Tyrie Francois and Kevin Jones at the tackle slots.
“I think we can be amazing on offense,” Bowman said. “We have some very good schemes. I’m very confident in the experienced group we have.”
Redshirt freshman kicker Cole Baker and senior punter Brian Cooey have looked good.
The Black Bears also have a favorable schedule.
Two of their four conference road games are at Rhode Island and Albany on back-to-back weekends in November. UMaine has 11 straight wins over URI including six in Kingston, Rhode Island, and seven over Albany with four at Albany.
UMaine also plays at Stony Brook, where the team has won the last two meetings.
Two of their conference games are against newcomers Hampton University (Virginia) and Monmouth (New Jersey). They visit Hampton on Oct. 8 and host Monmouth on Oct. 15.
UMaine opens against Football Bowl Subdivision team New Mexico in Albuquerque on Saturday at 8 p.m.