UMaine football ready for important game at URI Saturday

It has been a while since the eighth game on the University of Maine’s football schedule had playoff implications.

The last time the Black Bears had a winning record after their first seven games was the 2018 season when they earned their first ever trip to the  Football Championship Subdivision semifinals.

They were 4-3 that year and then proceeded to rattle off six straight wins including FCS playoff victories over No. 8 Jacksonville State (55-27) and No. 3 Weber State (23-18) before losing to No. 4 Eastern Washington (50-19) in their semifinal.

The current Black Bears are also 4-3 entering an important Saturday game against the 15th-ranked University of Rhode Island Rams at Meade Stadium in Kingston, R.I. Kickoff for URI’s Homecoming game is at 1 p.m.

URI is 6-1 overall with its only loss coming to Football Bowl Subdivision school Minnesota.

URI is 3-0 in the Coastal Athletic Association while UMaine is 2-2.

UMaine is coming off an impressive  35-7 Homecoming win over No. 5 and preseason favorite Villanova while URI earned a good road win at New Hampshire (26-9). It was the Rams’ fifth straight win.

UMaine has won three of its last four and its four wins matches the total of the previous two seasons combined. The Black Bears went 2-9 each of the previous two seasons.

Black Bear graduate student center Joe Horn said the team knew it was capable of winning.

“It was just a matter of getting the parts in the right spot and getting the engine turning. (Head) Coach (Jordan) Stevens has put us in a great spot in trying to adapt things this season to make it better for us like changing the way that we practice.

“He and all of our position coaches have put us in the right positions (to succeed). Our offensive line coach, Coach (Dave) Bucar, works 80 to 100 hours a week to make sure we’re prepared for every single look and possibility on Saturday,” Horn said.

Senior wide receiver Montigo Moss said URI poses a big challenge for the Black Bears.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity and a great challenge for us against a Top-15 opponent,” said Moss. “It’s their Homecoming and everybody enjoys Homecoming. There’s always a little more juice for that Homecoming team.”

It will be the 102nd meeting between the two schools with UMaine holding a 62-36-3 advantage.

“New Hampshire is our main rival but Rhode Island is a close second,” said Moss. “All of our games with them are very close, hard-fought games.”

URI has won the last two meetings after the Black Bears had won the previous 14.

“It’s going to be a big test for us,” said Stevens. “Looking at the game we just had, what we do next will really determine what that game meant to our team. We need to come out this week and give a great effort.”

UMaine junior defensive end Xavier Holmes, the CAA co-Defensive Player of the Week, said even though they had a nice win over Villanova they can’t be satisfied.

“We always have to strive for greatness, especially with our practices. We just finished beating No. 5 team Villanova so we’re trying to create a new standard of better practices and then coming out swinging (against Rhode Island),” said Holmes, who had six tackles, including 1 ½ sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a career-high five quarterback hurries against Villanova.

UMaine forced four turnovers and had seven sacks.

He also said it has been a collaborative effort involving the offense as well as the defense.

They are playing complimentary football.

“The offense is holding it down as well. We play better together. We’re all helping each other out,” said Holmes.

The Black Bears know what their recipe for success is at Rhode Island.

“We have to run the ball well, be efficient in the passing game and take care of the ball,” said graduate student quarterback Carter Peevy who completed 16 of 18 passes for 173 yards and three TDs against Villanova.

Stevens’ Black Bears turned the ball over four times in the 44-21 road loss at Delaware two weeks ago and can’t have a repeat against URI.

“We have to take care of the football. We can’t take pre-snap and post-snap penalties and we have to develop some kind of running game,” said Stevens. “We have to limit their explosives (long-yardage plays). They have an explosive offense. Their quarterback (Devin Farrell) can extend plays with his legs. He’s really athletic. We have to cage him and keep him in the pocket.”

Farrell has completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns along with six interceptions. He has also run the ball 51 times for 241 yards and three TDs. Malik Grant has carried the ball 110 times for 576 yards and five TDs and the leading receivers are Marquis Buchanan (32 catches, 453 yards and four TDs) and Greg Gaines III (24-264, 2 TDs).

Peevy is 11th among quarterbacks at 123 FCS schools in completion percentage at 69 percent. He has thrown for 1,312 yards and 10 TDs. He has been intercepted four times with three coming at Delaware. Jaharie Martin (70 carries, 275 yards, 4 TDs) and Tavion Banks (62-261, 2 TDs) are the top rushers and Moss (33-361, 3 TDs) and Joe Gillette (15-235, 1 TD) are the leading receivers.

Martin missed the Villanova game with a lower body injury.

Linebacker Kesean Dyson and Holmes are UMaine’s leading tacklers with 44 apiece. Holmes has 5 ½ sacks and tackle Izaiah Henderson has 4 ½ sacks.

URI’s defense has been paced by linebackers Cole Brockwell (66 tackles), Devin Hightower (47) and A.J. Pena (43, 7 sacks). Pena is tied for sixth in the country in sacks per game with one.