By Andrew Stefanilo
The University of Maine Black Bear football cracked the top 10 nationally in the Sports Network poll after their 37-35 win at the University of Villanova on Saturday.
The Black Bears are ranked 10th in the poll and 11th in the Coaches Poll with a 7-1 record and a perfect 4-0 start in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“Our starts to the games have been very positive,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “We were very efficient offensively. We didn’t get rattled because they scored on the first drive; we went out and played better on offense and defense after that drive.”
Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski went 28-34 for 334-yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 86-yards in the victory against the Wildcats.
Sophomore quarterback John Robertson ran for 214-yards on the UMaine defense with four touchdowns on the ground. Robertson had 256 in their game against the University of New Hampshire just a week before.
“He’s a very talented kid,” Cosgrove said. “He’s a very smart football player, very difficult to tackle and just a real playmaker for them.”
Robertson also threw for 111-yards and a touchdown. However, the Black Bears would eventually figure it out when they intercepted his throw late in the game to seal the win.
“We had hoped to do a better job containing him but he’s got the ability to make people miss and break tackles. He’s a quarterback who has some great running back skills,” Cosgrove said.
UMaine’s passing attack is second in the conference behind only Richmond University with 262.2 passing yards a game.
“Marcus’s completion percentage has been 60 percent or better throughout the course of the year,” Cosgrove said. “That’s an attribute to his preparation but also we have caught the ball very well. Our guys have done a nice job of finishing the throws that Marcus provides to them.”
The Black Bears take on a struggling Stony Brook University squad that’s been hit with some injuries to key players and are at 3-4 on the year and 1-3 in the CAA.
“They’re a very good football team. I’m impressed with their physicality on offense. They have a veteran offensive line and play a very physical style of football,” Cosgrove said.
Stony Brook had won two in a row before losing to UNH 31-13 this past weekend.
“They’re a team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and play together as a unit,” Cosgrove said. “They’re a program that has a winning pedigree and a great coaching staff. They’ve had some setbacks with the injuries they’ve suffered but they’re a team that doesn’t make excuses.”
UMaine will have to come out strong like they have been lately and establish an early lead to put away a tough, Seawolves team that plays with a chip on their shoulder.
Stony Brook is second in total defense in the CAA and first in passing defense. They held UNH to just 336-yards of total offense last game, which is unusual for a Wildcats team that averages 460 per contest.
The Black Bears will need to continue scoring early and controlling the game like they have been on their four-game winning streak.
The two teams will meet on Morse Field Nov. 2, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m.