Riding the UMaine football rollercoaster this season

All rollercoasters start by going up a steep hill. The Black Bear ride did just that with a beatdown of rival UNH to open the season.

The Black Bears ride climbed even higher by beating FBS foe Western Kentucky, after being down 21-0 in the first five minutes of the game.

But from there the car has zoomed down rapidly with a loss at Central Michigan, who is 0-4 against everyone not from our state. Most recently Yale schooled Maine 35-14. Back at the bottom.

Granted Maine was with out QB Chris Ferguson and RB Ramon Jefferson and the depleted offense was an issue, but not the biggest problem for the Black Bears Saturday.

The “Black Hole” defense, which has been a force this year, took the game off Saturday.

Yale quarterback Kurt Rawlings paced the Bulldog offense, going 22-for-34 for 306-yards and four touchdowns, three coming through the air.

Yale out gained the Black Bears via the pass, 306-179.

Maine rush defense, which entered as the CAA leaders allowing just 40.7 yards per game, surrendered 90 yards to the Yale ground attack.

Meanwhile Maine couldn’t get off the field defensively as Yale convereted on over 50-percent (8-of-15) of its third down opportunities.

Time for the ride to climb the next hill.

The Black Bears will try to heal the gashes to the defense and figure out the answer to an anemic offense that has managed just 19 points since Ferguson went down with a sprained shoulder.

And they’ll have to do it against nationally ranked Villanova.

At least for the first time since late August the game will be in Orono.

Jeff Solari

About Jeff Solari

Jeff Solari is the president and founder of the Sports Chowdah, Maine’s only free, weekly sports e mail newsletter. Recently, the Mount Desert Island native was the co-host of "The Drive" on 92.9 FM in Bangor.