The forecast is calling for warmer weather this week in Orono, and University of Maine football coach Nick Charlton plans to remind his players that they have to continue to make sacrifices to keep the season going.
The Black Bears, who moved into two national polls on Monday, have won their last two games entering their bye week. They next play at home against Villanova on April 3. But all they have to do is look around the Colonial Athletic Association landscape to know nothing is guaranteed.
Two CAA games were among nine FCS games nationally that weren’t played last week because of COVID-19. And this week’s game between New Hampshire and Villanova has already been postponed.
Maine’s football team has avoided any positive COVID-19 test results this season. The team tests three times a week: one PCR test and two antigen tests.
“We stay consistent with what we do in our protocols,” said Charlton in a CAA Zoom conference call Monday. “I think part of it is the population scarcity. It’s helpful but the cases on campus have gone up a little bit. We hammer it home with our players. Guys have made the sacrifices and we’ve done the best we can to avoid this.
“We think we have a good thing going right now and we need to keep it going. The only way we can do that is to avoid the virus.”
New Hampshire Coach Sean McDonnell said it’s been a tough couple of weeks in Durham since the first case of COVID-19 appeared in the program. The team hasn’t practiced since March 10.
“None of us have a blueprint,” he said. “We keep trying to figure it out as we go along, working hard making sure the kids are not just engaged, but understand what is going on and how we can correct it.”
JOE FAGNANO was honored for the second week in a row as CAA Offensive Player of the Week. Fagnano, a sophomore, completed 19 of 29 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns, running for 24 yards and another touchdown in the Black Bears’ 35-19 win over Stony Brook.
It was the second consecutive week Fagnano has thrown for four touchdowns and rushed for one. He has yet to throw an interception. In his nine career starts, Fagnano has thrown 24 touchdowns passes and two interceptions.
“We knew Joe was capable,” said Charlton. “I think Joe is excellent. I think Joe gets overlooked. He has plenty of room to grow. He makes mistakes, I make mistakes … But he is tough. And he is a natural leader that the guys believe in as a true sophomore. He certainly has the talent. He’s a great player and a great young man.”
Maine is ranked 25th in the STATS Performer FCS Top 25 and 19th in the Athlon FCS Power Poll.
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