The next must-win game for the UMaine football team arrives tonight, in Philadelphia. The Black Bears outslugged Stony Brook 23-10 last Saturday, riding a stout defense and the hard-nosed running of quarterback Drew Belcher to keep their playoff hopes alive at 3-4 overall and 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. It will take a similar effort to win at Villanova, but the Wildcats are wounded and vulnerable. Here’s what I’ll be looking for when the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Villanova Stadium:
1. Quarterbacks, as usual. Coach Jack Cosgrove said he intends to keep playing both Belcher and incumbent starter Dan Collins, although it was Belcher who was far more effective last Saturday. I would anticipate the reverse situation of that Stony Brook game – with Belcher getting his first start of the season, but Collins taking the second offensive series, and so on until and unless one of them proves his superiority. It’s not the ideal situation, of course, but it seems to me that the two quarterbacks have forced this on the coaching staff with their own mediocrity. Can Belcher continue to show the leadership he did last week? Will Collins be eager to atone for a poor performance and show some competitive fire? Both are capable of stepping up here. And the Black Bear offense would certainly welcome either guy becoming The Guy.
2. The workload of tailback Nigel Beckford. He had only nine carries last week, and I got conflicting messages on his health when I was in Orono on Tuesday. Cosgrove said he wasn’t even sure that Beckford would be cleared to practice that day. Beckford told me he was fine. Maine is thin at that position behind Beckford, so it would be a big boost if he could provide 20 carries and 80 yards or so. Otherwise, it figures to be the Darius Benders and Joe Fitzpatrick show. Or another 25 carries for Belcher.
3. The performance of two Philadelphia-area kids, making their first appearance as college players in front of family, friends, former teammates and coaches. Najee Goode and Jaleel Reed are dynamic athletes and could provide some needed big plays on both sides of the ball. Goode, at cornerback, is coming on in recent weeks, showing a nose for the football while not backing down from covering the opponent’s top receiver one-on-one. Reed, a slot receiver, caught three passes a week ago, including an 18-yarder that put Maine at the Stony Brook 1-yard line. He is a third option behind Micah Wright and Jordan Dunn, but has shown a knack of getting open, if not always hanging on to the ball. Both players are stoked to be here. I wrote about them in today’s Press Herald.
4. Speaking of local talent, tight end Jeremy Salmon made the trip home as well and looks to be in line to return to his starting role after missing two games with a concussion. Salmon played down here two years ago as a freshman, and suffered his first concussion in that game. He told me Tuesday that he feels the need for some redemption. He could certainly get some tonight, while providing a big and valuable target for Belcher and/or Collins.
5. It was the Maine defensive line that set the tone for last week’s victory, with Pat Ricard tearing things up inside early on, practically living in the Seawolves’ backfield. I had to start watching him closely to make sure he wasn’t lining up offsides (he wasn’t, he’s just that good). In the second half, Trevor Bates started making big plays on the Stony Brook quarterbacks, pinning his ears back once the Black Bears snuffed any hope for the Seawolves’ running game. This sets up as another prime opportunity for the Black Bear defensive front, against a redshirt freshman quarterback in Zach Bednarczyk who threw a pair of pick-sixes last week and also has shown hesitancy at times, leading to Villanova surrendering a league-high 22 sacks. But he’s also a talented player who completed all 12 of his passes two weeks ago. Give him time, and he can make you regret it. The Maine defensive front needs to take away his running game, and then prevent him from feeling at ease when dropping back to pass. In a must-win game, it is the strength of a team that needs to force the issue. For Maine, that is its front four.
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