It doesn’t get much bigger than this for a regular season football game for the University of Maine. The Black Bears, winners of six straight games, are set to host nationally ranked #9 Rhode Island in a Coastal Athletic Association league battle for first place on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium in Orono on Saturday afternoon.
Maine comes into Saturdays contest with a 5-1 CAA mark (6-4 overall), and likely need to win out (vs URI, at UNH) to keep their league title and FCS playoff hopes alive. Rhode Island (8-2) is the only unbeaten team left in the conference at 6-0. Monmouth and Villanova also have one loss each, while UNH and William & Mary both have two.
The Black Bears will lean on their Black Hole defense that is at the top of the CAA to try to slow down the Rams, who are averaging 30 points and 400 yards of offense per outing that includes 274 through the air. The Maine defensive unit is led by graduate linebacker Christian Thomas who has 92 total tackles (45 solo), with five sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Devin Vaught and senior linebacker Latrell Couchman have also been outstanding. Vaught has 49 total tackles and three interceptions, while Couchman has 42 tackles (16 solo) with three sacks, four tackles for a loss, and two fumble recoveries. Redshirt freshman linebacker Noah Carpenter (Leavitt High School) in his first year at the collegiate level has shown what he can do with 31 tackles (19 solo) and a forced fumble. Upfront, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Elias Sherman has added 39 tackles (16 solo), 5.5 sacks, and nine tackles for a loss.
The Black Bears will try to shut down URI quarterback Devin Farrell, who has passed for 2,715 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also contributing three scores on the ground. The Rams lead back is Antwain Littleton, Jr. (750 yards, 7 touchdowns), while receivers Marquis Buchanan (53 receptions, 902 yards) and Greg Gaines III (45-704 yards) have each caught four touchdowns.
Maine is one of the best in the conference in rushing the football (171 yards per league game), led by Sincere Baines (63.5) and Rashawn Marshall (60.0), while Rhode Island gives up 147 yards on the ground per game. The Black Bears have plenty of playmakers to get the offensive part of the job done led by quarterback Carter Peevy. The graduate transfer has thrown for 1,780 yards with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions, and had also rushed for 191 yards and six TDs. During the six game win streak, Peevy has tossed 13 touchdown passes and has scored four with his feet, accounting for 17 of his team’s last 20 TDs during that time period. His new favorite target this season has been Harvard transfer receiver Scott Woods. Woods and Peevy have connected 46 times for 506 yards and four touchdowns. On special teams, Woods has also returned three punts for 105 yards including an 85-yard scoring return in the 35-14 home win over Elon on October 25th. And speaking of special teams, Maine placekicker and redshirt freshman Samuel Tremblay has also had a huge season. Tremblay, out of Quebec, is 9-9 on field goal attempts and has made all 31 of his point afters.
Buckle up those safety belts. It’s the Black Bears and Rams at 1 p.m. Saturday in a showdown for first place in the CAA.
Photos are courtesy of UMaine Athletics
