CAA Forecast - Maine

[jstclmet]

The Pluses:
1. 15 Starters returning (8 Off, 5 Def, & 2 St).
2. The "O" will be led by QB Brusko, and FB Turcotte.
3. New DC, Rossi, promoted from within knows the system
4. Really good recruiting class.
5. Good size on the O-Line with RT Barber 6'6 295, RG Shea 6'4 291, C Spearin 6'2 290, LG Howley 6'3 293, and LT Eastman 6'6 321.

The Negatives:
1. 08 was a Senior led team. That type of loss (Belcher & co) isn't made up in a year.
2. This year's Black Bears will be young in places and thin in others (WR).
3. TB position still up in the air.

The Schedule:

9/3 Thu vs St. Cloud. Warm-up game for the Black Bears. Won't bother with the score. Maine wins easily.

9/12 Sat @ Northeastern. Conference opener on the road against a weakend Northeastern squad. Maine wins going away 27 - 3.

9/19 Sat @ Albany. CAA vs NEC. Maine takes on the defending NEC champs and proves decisively that the Danes have not yet arrived. Maine dominates early on defense and runs the smaller Danes into the ground 42 - 13.

9/26 Sat @ Syracuse. I want to be a CAA HOMER and say that Maine pulls the upset, but the Cuse will have too much depth and win easily at home. Maine falls 13 - 27.

10/3 Sat vs Delaware. UD comes into Alfond Stadium with heralded PSU xfer, Pat Devlin looking to avenge last season's loss on TV to the Black Bears. But, the Black Bears will have none of it. The Bears defense pressure Devlin into some early TO's to seize control of the game and win at home 27 - 17.

10/10 Sat @ Hofstra. Maine travels to Long Island only to find a revamped and fired up Pride team. HU matches up well with the Bears, and catches the Bears in a surprise upset. HU 24 - Maine 21.

10/17 Sat vs Richmond. Stunned by the previous week's loss, Maine doesn't answer the bell when defending NC UR comes into town. Falling behind early, Maine fights back to 20 - 27. However time runs out as UR leaves with the victory.

10/24 Bye.

10/31 Sat. vs Massachusetts. UMass comes into Orono looking for redemption, and leaves without it. Maine out muscles UMass with a 23 - 16 win.

11/7 Sat. @ James Madison. In their only trip to Va to face a CAA South foe, the Bears run into Dukes team fired up to make the playoffs. Both teams in "Must Win" situations, only the Dukes want it more. The Bears leave with their tales between their legs suffering an embarrasing 45 - 17 loss to the Dukes.

11/14 Sat. vs Rhode Island. Facing the rebuilding Rams, the Bears jump on the visitors early enroute to a 27 - 10 win.

11/21 @ New Hampshire. In what some will consider a "Play-In" game (Again), UNH marches 80 yds in the final minute of play to come from behind and steal the game 21 - 20.

Overall: 6 - 5, CAA 4 - 4

[dbackjon]

Good analysis - I would agree with the 6-5, but think they will lose to Albany, but beat Delaware

[mainejeff]

Maine has the talent to go 9-2 but game day coaching is lacking in Orono.

I predict 7-4 but 6-5 is more likely......and 5-6 would not shock me.

[Cap'n Cat]

Go Bears.

[UNI88]

Nice analysis.

Only question is that I'm not sure the final game against UNH would be a play-in for the Black Bears. A 7-4 team is unlikely to make the playoffs (even one from the CAA). It would require that the other major conferences not have enough 8-3 teams which has happened before but not that frequently.

[jstclmet]

Nice analysis.

Only question is that I'm not sure the final game against UNH would be a play-in for the Black Bears. A 7-4 team is unlikely to make the playoffs (even one from the CAA). It would require that the other major conferences not have enough 8-3 teams which has happened before but not that frequently.

Remember the last regular season week of last year. Some teams lost from other conferences, while Maine amongst others won putting Maine in the playoffs. You could very well be right, that 8 - 3 in another major conference would trump a 7 - 4 Maine team. That's what makes that final week and FCS exciting.

[danefan]

jstclmet,
Have you ever seen Albany play? You keep saying the "smaller Danes". Albany hasn't been outsized by a CAA opponent yet. Did you watch any of the games from last year?

The only glaring difference from Maine and Albany last year was the loss at Delaware for Albany.

Other common opponents:
Hofstra - both Albany and Maine win in 2OT
UMass - Albany up at half to lose by 12 in a game that was closer than the score. Maine win by 1.
UNH - Albany had another tough loss by, this time by 8 in a close game. Maine loss by 4.
Monmouth - Albany destroys Monmouth by 18. Maine in a tight win by 4.

Albany has 14 starters coming back on O and D, plus a kicker. Our RB is one of the best in the country and we have a senior QB who is a 3-year starter now. Plus the game is in Albany. What is the basis for your prediction of a 42-13 win?

[danefan]

jstclmet,
Have you ever seen Albany play? You keep saying the "smaller Danes". Albany hasn't been outsized by a CAA opponent yet. Did you watch any of the games from last year?

The only glaring difference from Maine and Albany last year was the loss at Delaware for Albany.

Other common opponents:
Hofstra - both Albany and Maine win in 2OT
UMass - Albany up at half to lose by 12 in a game that was closer than the score. Maine win by 1.
UNH - Albany had another tough loss by, this time by 8 in a close game. Maine loss by 4.
Monmouth - Albany destroys Monmouth by 18. Maine in a tight win by 4.

Albany has 14 starters coming back on O and D, plus a kicker. Our RB is one of the best in the country and we have a senior QB who is a 3-year starter now. Plus the game is in Albany. What is the basis for your prediction of a 42-13 win?

[danefan]

sorry for the double post. not sure what happened.

[jstclmet]

jstclmet,
Have you ever seen Albany play? You keep saying the "smaller Danes". Albany hasn't been outsized by a CAA opponent yet. Did you watch any of the games from last year?

The only glaring difference from Maine and Albany last year was the loss at Delaware for Albany.

Other common opponents:
Hofstra - both Albany and Maine win in 2OT
UMass - Albany up at half to lose by 12 in a game that was closer than the score. Maine win by 1.
UNH - Albany had another tough loss by, this time by 8 in a close game. Maine loss by 4.
Monmouth - Albany destroys Monmouth by 18. Maine in a tight win by 4.

Albany has 14 starters coming back on O and D, plus a kicker. Our RB is one of the best in the country and we have a senior QB who is a 3-year starter now. Plus the game is in Albany. What is the basis for your prediction of a 42-13 win?

DF, I've attached a link to an article from the Danes Website dated 3/21. The following is a quote from your HC "

The Great Danes will have to reconfigure their offensive line...."

The Danes projected O-Line, RT Peifer 6'4 280 So., RG Faughnan 6'3 275 Jr., C Richards 6'2 270 Sr (only returning starter), LG Gonzalez 6'4 275 Jr., LT Stevens 6'4 275 Jr. are a little on the smallish side. UA's D-Line projected starters are; DE Sporano 5'11 253 Sr., DT Anderson 6'2 265 Jr., DT Kelly 6'2 245 Jr., & DE Delaney 6'6 235.

I hate to say it, but WHERE'S THE BEEF?????

It would be wrong and unfair to compare your 09 team to your 08 team. You lost a lot of seniors with size.

Good luck in 09

http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... ID=3696492