On Nov. 8 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Steelers defended their domain viciously, crushing  the Carolina Panthers by 31 points.

The Panthers showed life in the first quarter, as Panthers’ running back Christian McCaffrey found paydirt after receiving a 20-yard pass from quarterback Cam Newton. While showing strong rhythm and a balance between rushing and passing, the Panthers’ offense was unable to move the ball for the rest of the quarter, leading to “Big Ben” Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense running the table for the rest of the quarter.

Big Ben, getting the ball at his own 25-yard line, uncorked a bomb to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who took the ball 75 yards for the Steelers’ first touchdown of the game. On the Panthers’ ensuing drive, Newton dropped back to pass inside his own 5-yard line following a bootleg play action, and was immediately pressured by Steelers’ linebacker T.J. Watt. Newton, facing a sack and potential safety from Watt, instinctively threw the ball in an attempt to prevent the sack, but it was intercepted by fellow Steelers’ linebacker Vince Williams. Williams took the intercepted pass 17 yards to the house, putting the Steelers up 14-7.

The Panthers’ offense, well-renowned for their incredible rushing attack between McCaffrey and Newton, were unable to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the quarter, resulting in two Carolina punts. Capitalizing on their defensive superiority, the Steelers scored another touchdown, as running back James Conner capped off a 61-yard drive with a two-yard run to the endzone. This ended the first quarter with a score of 21-7.

Kicking off the second quarter, Pittsburgh received the kickoff and drove down the field, but were shut down just outside of the red zone. Settling for a 50-yard field goal from kicker Chris Boswell, the Steelers found themselves up 24-7 with more than 30 minutes of play left in the game.

The Panthers’ offense finally showed some signs of life, as McCaffrey ended a 73-yard Panthers’ drive by slipping past defenders on a 25-yard catch-and-run pass for another touchdown. Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense were firing on all cylinders, responding in timely fashion with a touchdown of their own. Roethlisberger dialed up a deep 53-yard bomb to wide receiver Antonio Brown, who beat Panthers’ rookie cornerback Donte Jackson’s coverage and ran in for the touchdown. The second quarter ended with a score of 31-14.

The second half of the game saw the Steelers’ offense storm out of the locker room with the same offensive chemistry from the first half, as Roethlisberger guided his offense 75 yards down the field, ending the drive with a pass to tight end Vance McDonald, who went vertical in the endzone to grab the 12-yard pass.

Following another Panthers’ punt, Roethlisberger and the Steelers went back to work, marching down the field once again. Roethlisberger found tight end Jesse James in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, putting the Steelers up 45-14. Newton and the Panthers’ offense were unable to find their groove, as a costly fumble by Panthers’ kick returner Curtis Samuel, recovered by Steelers’ linebacker Anthony Chickillo, gave Roethlisberger the ball back on Carolina’s 9-yard line.

The Steelers’ offense capped off their scoring bonanza with a final touchdown scored by running back Jaylen Samuels off of a short pass from Roethlisberger. McCaffrey, the only bright spot on an otherwise poor showing from the Panthers, who punched in the ball from the 1-yard line for a  touchdown in the last five minutes, ending the game with the Steelers 52-21 win.

Roethlisberger finished the career performance by completing 22 of his 25 pass attempts, posting a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. Roethlisberger’s performance, along with the Steelers’ rhythm as a team, are all coming together with perfect timing as playoff season approaches.

The only missing factor for the Steelers’ annual playoff push is All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell, who has been holding out the entirety of the season due to a contract dispute. Bell’s return is uncertain, and he only has until Tuesday, Nov. 13 to report to team facilities before he’s inactive for the entirety of the season. But the Steelers say they will welcome him with open arms. Meanwhile, the team is eager to continue on their roll.

“This is what we expected. We knew we were going to have to put up a lot of points,” said Roethlisberger. “We did that. The defense, they played like their hair was on fire.”

Roethlisberger didn’t comment on Bell’s impromptu absence.

For the Panthers, it was the end of a three-game winning streak, along with adding another loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, a city the team has never won a game in.

In a post-game press conference, Newton elaborated on his team’s play on the night, stating, “We had a lot of noses bleeding early on. We’ve got to stop it and keep things going in our favor. We just got outplayed today.”

Second-year starting quarterback Chris Ferguson had himself a day, completing 20 of 32 attempted passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns, as the University of Maine Black Bears defeated the University of Richmond Spiders 28-9.

Ferguson found a plethora of receivers on the day, with third-year wide receiver Earnest Edwards being Ferguson’s favorite target, catching six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Fourth-year wideout Micah Wright was also quite productive on the day, catching five passes for 72 yards and a score. Fellow third-year wideout Jaquan Blair also caught seven passes for 59 yards and a score.

The “Black Hole” was back in action once again as well, limiting the Spiders to just 29 rushing yards. However, the Spiders were also able to mitigate the Black Bears’ rushing offense, allowing only 57 rushing yards for Maine. One of the key determining factors on the day was both teams’ ability to convert on third down. The Black Bears converted eight of 16 attempts, while the Spiders were only able to convert two of 13 third down attempts.

The Black Bears kicked off the game in similar fashion to their previous two games, by scoring a touchdown on the opening drive. Ferguson orchestrated a strong opening drive, guiding Maine’s offense down the field on an 11-play, 65-yard drive capped off with a 4-yard strike to Edwards in the end zone. Following two punts from each team, Ferguson took the field once more with his offense, and drove 76-yards down the field on seven plays, including an impressive diving catch by Blair on third and long. Ferguson found Blair again, this time in the end zone, for a 6-yard score to wrap up the drive.

In the beginning of the second quarter, Richmond finally found their rhythm on offense, with second-year quarterback Reid Chenault leading the Spiders 60 yards down the field on a 10-play drive. The Black Hole held tough though, shutting the Spiders down in Maine’s red zone. Richmond sent out fourth-year kicker Griffin Trau to kick the chip shot field goal, and the Spiders found themselves down 14-3.

Maine had a short drive resulting in a punt following Trau’s field goal, giving the ball back to the Spiders’ offense on their own 25-yard line. Richmond elected to switch quarterbacks, with third-year redshirt quarterback Kevin Johnson taking over for Chenault. Johnson was unable to capitalize on the turnover, commiting one himself on the first snap of the ensuing drive. Looking for fourth-year wide receiver Jarmal Bevels on a crossing route, Johnson fired the ball into tight coverage, and fourth-year defensive back Jeffrey DeVaughn capitalized on that tight coverage, ripping the ball out of Bevels’ hands for the interception.

Ferguson marched back onto the field with his offense, completing a five-play, 36-yard drive resulting in another touchdown pass to Edwards in the back of the end zone. Neither team was able to muster a true offensive effort for the rest of the quarter, with the closest offensive effort being a missed field goal from Maine’s second-year kicker Kenny Doak from 45 yards out.

Richmond received a length Doak kickoff to begin the second half, and their offense was moving quite strongly until third-year defensive lineman Kayon Whitaker forced a fumble from Spiders’ fourth-year running back Gordon Collins. The fumble was recovered by Maine’s third-year linebacker Taji Lowe, allowing Ferguson and the offense to set up shop on Richmond’s 45-yard line.

Ferguson’s aerial mastery, paired with a strong drive from first-year running back Ramon Jefferson, resulted in an 11-play, 46-yard drive capped off with a beautiful 15-yard dime from Ferguson to Wright, all but sealing the game up with the score being 28-3 and under 20 minutes left to play in the game.

The Spiders fought valiantly, completing two more drives for field goals, but lacked the offensive firepower and cohesiveness as a unit to stand a chance against the “Black Hole” defense.

The Black Bears, now sitting with a record of 7-3, and a conference record of 6-1, have confirmed the split of the CAA conference title, and will head into their last game of the regular season at home on Nov. 17 against Elon University with playoff hopes on the line.

The University of Maine Black Bears (5-3) played host to the visiting State University of New York Albany Great Danes (3-6) on Saturday, Oct. 27 for Maine’s homecoming weekend. In front of a large home crowd composed of current students and alumni, the Black Bears didn’t disappoint, controlling the game and winning by a final score of 28-9.

In typical fashion for the Black Bears, per the previous week and this week, they scored on the first play of the game, as second-year quarterback Chris Ferguson dropped back to pass from his own 23 yard-line and found third-year wide receiver Earnest Edwards on a seam up the center of the field. Edwards proceeded to outrun everybody on his way to the endzone. Following an extra point from reliable second-year kicker Kenny Doak, the Black Bears were up 7-0 just 20 seconds into the game.

From there, the Great Danes took their first offensive series of the game. Following a strong return from second-year running back Karl Mofor, fourth-year quarterback Vincent Testaverde led the Great Danes offense onto the field at their own 37-yard line. Following a Great Dane first down, Testaverde missed his mark on the first down, and was only able to move the ball three yards on second down.

Facing a long third-and-7, Testaverde dropped back, and was immediately facing pressure from Maine’s formidable front seven. Testaverde, hoping to avoid the sack, threw the ball down the sideline in hopes it would find its way into the hands of first-year wide receiver Dev Holmes. Maine’s fourth year defensive back Darrius Hart had other ideas, snagging the ball out of the air and returning the ball 23 yards to Maine’s 38-yard line.

Each team proceeded to punt once a piece, followed by a five minute drive commanded by Ferguson. Between Ferguson throwing the ball down the field and first-year running back Ramon Jefferson pounding the rock between the tackles, the Great Danes defense was unable to do anything other than slow the Black Bears. Following a 15-yard completion to second-year wide receiver Andre Miller that set the Black Bears up with a first and goal from the one yard-line, Ferguson punched the ball in himself on a quarterback dive.

The remainder of the first quarter saw the Black Bears’ defense envelop the Testaverde and the Great Danes’ offense, as their net yardage on their next four drives was an astounding negative 22 yards. Between some strong defensive plays by the Great Danes and a few penalties, the Black Bears’ offense ground to a halt until there were six minutes left in the first half.

Ferguson and the offense marched back onto the now snowy field, and Jefferson got right to work, grinding out 11 yards on three straight rushing attempts. On second and nine, Ferguson dropped back to pass and was intercepted by Albany’s fourth-year cornerback Kareem Brown, but the interception was negated by a penalty against the Great Danes. Following a completion from Ferguson to Edwards for 11 yards and the first down, Jefferson ran the ball on four consecutive plays until he found paydirt, scoring his second touchdown in just as many weeks.

With Albany quickly turning the ball over and with 40 seconds before the half, the Black Bears’ offense ran back onto the field in an attempt to increase their massive lead before heading to the locker rooms to warm up. Ferguson managed to move the offense, with the help of second-year running back Joe Fitzpatrick, down to Albany’s 29-yard line. With just three seconds left in the second quarter, Black Bears’ Head Coach Joe Harasymiak sent Doak out for the 46-yard attempt. Doak’s kick sailed wide left. Wintery conditions are always a hindrance to kickers, and the snow wasn’t easing up as the Black Bears headed to the locker room with a comfortable 21-0 lead.

The game devolved from there, as the snow turned to sleet and rain, and both teams’ offenses began to bog down in the weather. Late in the third quarter, replacement third-year quarterback Will Brunson lead the Great Danes slowly down the field, chipping away yardage through a strong effort from Mofor, who finished the drive with an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. Brunson and the Great Danes made their way to the Black Bears’ six-yard line, but were stopped on fourth-and-1 by a fantastic tackle by second-year linebacker Deshawn Stevens.

Stevens and the rest of the Black Bears’ “Black Hole” defensive unit performed to their namesake, allowing Albany to net only 113 yards of offense on the day. Stevens, Hart and third-year defensive lineman Kayon Whitaker led the Black Bears on the day, as Stevens racked up eight tackles, Hart had the key interception in the beginning of the first quarter, and Whitaker tally tallied two-and-a-half sacks to pair with the rest of their respective statistics. While the Black Bears totalled five sacks on the day, the Great Danes’ quarterbacks were under pressure every time they dropped back to pass. Now sitting at eight consecutive games of holding an opponent under 100 yards rushing, the “Black Hole” front seven has allowed the secondary to read the off-timely throws made by opposing quarterbacks.

Decimating an opponent in front of their home crowd, and also being undefeated at home for the season (3-0), the Black Bears hope to carry that energy into this coming weekend, where they’ll be traveling to Maryland to take on Towson College on Saturday, Nov. 3.    

50 years ago, in October of 1968, as the star-spangled banner rang out across the Olympic awards ceremony in Mexico, Tommie Smith and John Carlos bowed their heads and raised their fists. Smith, standing in black socked feet, the tension evident in his posture, was captured in this pivotal moment by Life magazine photographer John Dominis. Carlos stands next to him on the Olympic podium, posture more relaxed, fist raised in solidarity. This moment would be heard around the world.

Both Smith and Carlos were medalists in the 200-meter dash, Smith with the gold and Carlos with the bronze. Peter Norman, an Australian sprinter, won silver.

On the way to the podium, the men defied Olympic tradition, taking off their shoes and holding them behind their back to protest poverty. They wore scarves and beads, to represent the protest of lynchings, which still commonly happened to black people during the 1960s.

As the anthem played, the men lowered their heads, protesting the hypocrisy of the United States, which proffers to uphold freedom and human rights for all, but had turned a blind eye upon the rights of black Americans.

Carlos even went so far as to unzip his jacket in defiance of upheld Olympic etiquette, in support of working-class people. Carlos later said in his 2011 memoir that he had deliberately covered up the ‘USA’ print on his uniform with a black t-shirt in representation of the shame that he felt about how slowly the United States was moving to recognize the rights that should be obvious to all people.

Smith, in an interview in 2016 with the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture, said, “It was a cry for freedom.”

As they raised their fists in the air, Smith and Carlos faced an angry crowd that booed, and some people even went so far as to start screaming the national anthem as the men were ordered to leave the Olympic stadium. Later, their medals were stripped from them and the men were suspended from the United States Olympic Track Team.  

Though Smith and Carlos were pivotal members of a notorious point in sports history, the struggle for black Americans continues. Today’s generation may not be familiar with Smith and Carlos, but many are familiar with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who made national news by sitting during the national anthem during a preseason game during his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers, and then continuing to kneel during the anthem at following games.

Kaepernick was quickly condemned by many people in America, even inciting a response from President Donald Trump.

Trump told Fox News, “I watched Colin Kaepernick, and I thought it was terrible, and then it got bigger and bigger … they could have suspended him for two … three games … they could have suspended him if he did it a third time for the season … I will tell you, you cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem — you cannot do that.”

Kaepernick’s protest in the form of kneeling is meant to protest police brutality, and is a statement on how he, and many other black athletes, feel about racial injustice in America.

Kaepernick told NFL Media, “I am not going to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way … I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.”

Since 2016, Kaepernick has faced various repercussions, and is currently without a team. He was chosen by Nike as the face of an ad campaign with the slogan: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Smith has commented on Kaepernick’s protest, telling BBC that he cried when he found out about how Kaepernick was protesting racial injustice and police brutality.

While Smith is hopeful for the outlook of racial equality in America, he noted that “[Kaepernick] had a position — being one of the best quarterbacks and being a young, black athlete making this stand, making this political stand. But do you know how many stands like Tommie Smith and John Carlos or Colin Kaepernick were done but not noticed? Do you know how many times Colin took the knee before he was recognized? I sacrificed my career and people are going to have to sacrifice behind Colin too – we don’t stop because the glass is half-empty. It will improve because we’ll fight to fill it up.”

The University of Maine Black Bears football team played host to Villanova University Wildcats on Oct. 6 in a close contest ultimately decided by the leg of Black Bear kicker Kenny Doak. Doak, a second-year student at UMaine, kicked a game–winning 52–yard field goal at the end of regulation to make the final score 13-10, as UMaine upset Villanova. Doak’s game winner also matched the longest field goal ever kicked by a Black Bear, tying 1975 kicker Jack Leggett.

The victory put the Black Bears back on track following a two game losing skid after an injury to starting quarterback Chris Ferguson, who was still recovering from his injury and didn’t play in this contest. Current starting quarterback Isaiah Robinson was unable to push the offense down the field through the air, completing 16 of 30 attempted passes for 146 yards and two interceptions.

With a division–leading run defense, strong pass rush, effective running game, and clutch special teams, the Black Bears proved they can win games through mental discipline and a well–rounded roster. The Black Bears’ “Black Hole” defense had yet to allow a 100-plus yard rushing game on the season, and maintained that streak as they held the Wildcats to 88 yards rushing on the day.

The Black Bears’ linebacking core has proved to be among the finest in the country, as linebackers Deshawn Stevens and Sterling Sheffield throttled the defense’s tempo throughout the game. Stevens had the finest night of his collegiate career thus far, racking up a team leading eight tackles, including two and a half tackles for loss. Stevens also tallied two sacks on the evening. Sheffield, per his usual dominance, finished the game with seven tackles, a forced fumble and one sack. Stevens was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week as a result of his dominant performance.

The relentless pressure from the Black Bears’ defense, led by Sheffield and Stevens, swarmed Wildcats’ quarterback Jack Schetelich throughout the day. While Schetelich was only sacked four times on the day, he was consistently running out of the pocket while being pursued by Black Bear defenders. Schetelich finished the day by completing just 12 of 25 attempted passes for a measly 93 yards and two interceptions.

Following a first quarter that saw drives from both teams resulting in field goals, the Black Bears’ defense locked down the Wildcats’ offense. On a second quarter drive, following a 17-yard rush by Wildcats’ wide receiver Jarrett McClenton, Schetelich dropped back to pass and was taken down for an 11-yard loss by defensive lineman Charles Mitchell, who was unblocked on the play.

On the next snap, now looking at second-and-21 to go for the first down, Schetelich dropped back and threw the ball towards the back left corner of the endzone, only to have Black Bears’ third-year cornerback Manny Patterson track the ball through the air and intercept the pass. The interception was the first of Patterson’s collegiate career, but only the first of two for the Black Bears on the day.

Following the turnover, the Black Bears’ offense stalled and turned the ball back over to the Wildcats, which led to both teams exchanging interceptions on consecutive drives. First-year cornerback Richard Carr read the eyes of Schetelich as he rolled out of the pocket on a play action pass, and stepped in front of McClenton for the easy interception. Robinson threw an interception of his own on the following drive, and the Wildcats attempted to march down the field before time expired in the second quarter. After driving down to Maine’s 18-yard line, Schetelich was taken down for an 11-yard loss by Sheffield, stalling the Wildcats’ offense and forcing them to kick a 46-yard field goal as time expired, which came up short.

Opening up the second half, Robinson orchestrated a 73-yard, 13 play drive that resulted in third-year running back Joe Fitzpatrick punching the ball into the endzone on a 2-yard rush up the middle to put the Black Bears up 10-3. A fumble by the Black Bears in their own territory allowed Schetelich and the Wildcats’ offense to set up on Maine’s 16-yard line, leading to a four play scoring drive to tie the game at 10-10.

Neither offense was able to muster an extended drive for the duration of the remaining two quarters, until Robinson drove the Black Bears down the field with under a minute left to play. With only eight seconds left on the clock in regulation, Black Bears’ head coach Joe Harasymiak sent out Doak and the kicking team for the 52-yarder, which sailed through the uprights as time expired, ending the Black Bears’ losing streak.

Following their game-ending field goal in their contest against the Wildcats, the Black Bears travelled to Kingston, Rhode Island to take on the University of Rhode Island Rams in another close contest. Doak, with ice in his veins from his game winner from last week, showed his clutch abilities for the Black Bears once again, kicking a game winner as time expired as the Black Bears edged out the Rams 38-36.

The Black Bears, now 4-2 on the season and 3-0 within their division, finally had their signal caller back at the helm of the offense. Now recovered from his upper body injury that had sidelined him for the past few weeks, Black Bears’ quarterback Chris Ferguson returned to the field to throw for a career night, throwing for 278 yards on 30 completions of 48 attempts for two touchdowns and an interception. Ferguson connected with fourth-year wide receiver Micah Wright ten times for 125 yards and a touchdown, making Wright his favorite target on the night.

UMaine’s ground attack picked up where it had previously left off when paired with Ferguson’s aerial assault, grinding out 128 yards rushing anchored by first year running back Daejuan Sanders, who rushed ten times for 57 yards. Fellow running backs Joe Fitzpatrick and Earnest Edwards also combined for 15 attempts for 69 yards and one touchdown, punched in by Fitzpatrick. Ferguson, on a brave nine yard scamper, dove into the endzone for his own rushing touchdown.

The Black Bears’ “Black Hole” defense once again held their opponent to under 100 rushing yards, limiting the Rams to 99 yards on the ground while also tallying four sacks and three turnovers. Black Bears’ linebacker Deshawn Stevens, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Week, led the team with 12 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Fellow linebacker Sterling Sheffield extended his streak of games with at least one sack to six games. The Black Bears defense is currently ranked as the number one rushing defense in the conference, and Sheffield leads the conference in sacks and tackles for loss while being tied for first in forced fumbles. Cornerback Manny Patterson also leads the conference in passes broken up, leaving the Black Bears with one of the most well rounded units in the conference.

Rams’ quarterback Vito Priore had a rough afternoon against the Black Hole defense, completing only 19 of 40 passing attempts for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Priore’s favorite target on the evening, wide receiver Aaron Parker, finished the evening with nine receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

The Black Bears low point on the evening wasn’t a weakness on offense, defense or special teams, but a lack of mental discipline as the team was penalized an incredible 16 times for 197 yards on the night, keeping the Rams in contention until Doak’s final kick sailed through the uprights as time expired. The Rams were able to maintain a lead for a majority of the game, as UMaine kept dismantling its own drives with untimely penalties while also assisting the Rams with free penalty yardage that led to multiple touchdowns. Ferguson, through a calculated aerial attack kept on the field by multiple Rams’ turnovers thanks to the “Black Hole” defense, brought the Black Bears back into the contest after being down 30-14 early in the second half.

Following a touchback on a kickoff from the Rams, Ferguson marched the Black Bears down the field, aided by a 12-men-on-the-field penalty by the Rams, and set up Doak for a 39-yard field goal with five seconds left in the game. Doak, now riding on two game-winning field goals in just as many weeks, looks to continue to be Maine’s stalwart at kicker for the next two seasons.

The Black Bears will next take on the College of William and Mary on Oct. 20 in Williamsburg Virginia, before hosting the University of Albany for the University of Maine’s homecoming weekend on Oct. 27.

In today’s day and age, the National Football League is observing the highest quality of quarterback play it has ever seen before. The newest generations of quarterbacks in the NFL have shown incredible promise, adding onto an already historic collection of quarterbacks in the league.

From the 2016 NFL Draft, the first two selections of the first round were future franchise quarterbacks, with the Los Angeles Rams using the first overall pick on University of California’s Jared Goff, and the Philadelphia Eagles trading up with the Cleveland Browns to use the second overall pick on North Dakota’s Carson Wentz. Going into year three, both quarterbacks’ futures look promising with each having a young offensive nucleus, a strong defensive line, new-age, offensively minded coaches and organizations willing to spend money on big name free agents to bolster the weak positions on their respective rosters.

Not all quarterbacks are as lucky as Goff or Wentz though, as Dak Prescott, drafted in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys in the same year, has seen his entire team fall into shambles. With the release of wide receiver Dez Bryant this past offseason, the retirement of long time tight end Jason Witten, a safety blanket on third-and-long, has left Prescott without many viable options to throw the ball to. Luckily, behind a great offensive line and the powerful ground game commanded by running back Ezekiel Elliott, Prescott was able to flourish his first year, but has proceeded to regress as the talent around him has diminished.

While any quarterbacks that were drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft have only one year of game film to observe, it’s understandable that one wouldn’t expect them to show their true level of talent as they adjust and grow through their rookie season.

To highlight the play of one of those aforementioned quarterbacks taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson came firing out of the gate, lighting up the highlight reels by throwing 19 touchdown passes to only eight interceptions, amounting a passer rating of 103.0 in just seven games on the season.

Watson’s season, which was shortened by a torn ACL suffered in a practice halfway through the regular season, was on track for a historic rookie campaign. Watson’s poise in the pocket, ability to sense the pressure as if he were a veteran signal caller and his ability to progress through his reads and take off in the right situations put hope into the hearts of Texans fans. Unable to find a true franchise quarterback since the team’s reestablishment as an expansion team in 2002, the Texans appear to have found their man in Watson.

As impressive as all of these young signal callers have been, the golden standard for the NFL lies in the many future Hall of Famers active in today’s game. Recognized league wide, there exist classifications of quarterbacks based on talent level, playoff record, passer rating and their Super Bowl credentials. On top of this hierarchy, in no particular order, are the following: Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.

Brady, heading into his 19th season, is blazing uncharted territory for the quarterback position. Most quarterbacks have had their bodies destroyed by their mid to late 30s, either through absorbing too many hits or not properly taking care of their health outside of the game, and been forced to retire. However, at 41 years old, this aspect is where Brady succeeds; his dedication to his health is unparalleled within the league, as is his dedication to game film. The success of Brady is based on his leadership, ability to command a locker room and a constant drive to improve his game play. Currently having played in eight Super Bowls and winning five, Brady is one of the most decorated quarterbacks of all time. Throwing 491 touchdowns to just 161 interceptions for his career, Brady possesses a 3.05 TD-INT ratio, which is second to only one other quarterback

That one other quarterback is Rodgers, sitting at a TD-INT ratio of 4.05. He possesses multiple records within the NFL. Rodgers’ career passer rating, 104.0, is the highest of all time for a quarterback over the course of a career, with the next highest passer rating being Russell Wilson with 98.7. However, something not captured by the statistics, similar to Brady, are the aspects of Rodgers’ game that you have to see with your own eyes. With a feel for the pocket unlike that of any other quarterback in the history of the game, Rodgers can place the ball anywhere on the field both inside and outside the pocket. The goal for a defense that heavily rushes the passer is to make the quarterback roll out of the pocket in an effort to push them out of their comfort zone, but defenses can’t effectively do this with Rodgers, whose passer rating actually improves when outside of the pocket. To put this into perspective, over the course of the 2016 playoffs, Rodgers’ passer rating outside of the pocket was 157.5, compared to the rest of the league’s quarterbacks having a combined 77.6 passer rating, per the NFL Research Twitter page.

Not to be forgotten in the potential Hall of Fame conversation, Brees also possesses multiple records of his own. Historically, there have only been nine seasons in which a quarterback has thrown for over 5,000 yards, and Brees owns five of those nine seasons. Not only can Brees let the ball fly with ease, but he also does so accurately, holding the record for the highest single-season completion percentage, at 72.0 percent in the 2017-2018 season. Brees is also closing in on multiple records held by former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, specifically the most yards and most touchdowns ever thrown for by a quarterback over the course of a career.

As is the topic of many conversations between fans of every sport, the question of who the greatest of all time is at any specific position has a multitude of opinions but no true answer. As listed above, the best quarterbacks in today’s game are often names brought up in the greatest of all time conversation. Regardless of who is thought to be the greatest, there is a silver lining that sports fans should look to in times of frustration during these conversations. The quality of play in today’s game, an age where records are not only being broken, but being shattered, exemplifies how the improvement of play since the days of Dan Marino and Joe Montana is something to appreciate as fans.

The University of Maine women’s soccer team (2-2-1) brought home back-to-back triumphs in the last week, beating Bryant University 4-2 and Harvard University 1-0.

After traveling on Sunday, Sept. 2 to Smithfield, Rhode Island, the Black Bears leapt into the lead within the first 30 seconds of the game. Julia Mahoney, a first-year student from Quebec, and Emilie Andersen, a junior from Oppegaard, Norway,worked together to rocket the ball past the Bryant defense at the 19-second mark of the game. Andersen scored the goal. So far, this has been the fastest goal of the 2018 season.

The second goal was placed by Birte Speck, a first-year student from Germany, at the 29-minute mark.

Mahoney, who was named the America East Rookie of the Week, brought her own goal in at 32:41, taking the Black Bears to a 3-1 lead into the half.

Beate Naglestad, also a third-year student from Oppergaard, brought in UMaine’s final goal through a corner kick, leading the Black Bears to their first victory of the season.

Kora Kukk, a forward on the UMaine team, and a second-year student from Connecticut, is hopeful about the team’s outlook for the season.

In response to being asked if she thought that the Black Bears had a chance at being a contender this coming season, she said, “I think we’re definitely a contender, absolutely. We know how each other work, and our chemistry improves with each and every practice and game.”

This outlook has so far proven itself, as the Black Bears brought home another victory on Wednesday, Sept 5.

Another away game, this time in Cambridge, Massachusetts against Harvard, didn’t have the high points or fast pace that Sunday’s game did, but was a triumph nevertheless. Emma Donovan, a freshman from Quebec, brought in the only point late during the first half at 33:35. The goal initially was saved by the Harvard keeper, Kat Hess, but was scored by corralling the rebound.

The Harvard Crimson had a very good chance at a comeback with four consecutive corner kicks during the first half, but the Black Bears’ teamwork paid off and they were able to maintain their 1-0 lead.

The Harvard team gained control of the field during most of the second half, but UMaine’s defense held strong. Annalena Kriebisch, a sophomore from Germany, made three saves in goal, and held off the Harvard Crimson.

Elaborating on the life of a student athlete who is constantly traveling, second year forward Kora Kukk had the following to say in an interview.

“Being a student athlete is completely different from being a normal student…we’re busy or tired,” Kukk said. “We’re always out in the community helping out, doing volunteer work during the offseason. The team comes out in force at events on campus whenever possible.”

With the strain of student life and a dedication to the team, the women work double-duty most of their waking hours. However, the commitment to student community helps to strengthen the athlete’s relationships in the classroom and serves them well.

“Missing class is stressful, and it’s a huge adjustment. It’s incredibly helpful when there are people in the class, especially other athletes, as we help each other out with notes and homework,” Kukk said about how she manages her academic life as well as her athletic life.

The Maine team will be competing in their first home game on Sept. 9, defending home turf against Siena College, in hopes of maintaining their undefeated record.

The historic Brice Cowell Musket has returned to Black Bear Nation for the first time since October 2010, after a dominant performance in which the University of Maine’s football team (1-0) beat the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (0-1) by a final score of 35-7 on Thursday, Aug. 30.

With a strong performance to start the season, second-year starting quarterback Chris Ferguson put any doubts to rest that he would be unable to lead the Black Bears to success on the offensive side of the ball this season. The poise of Ferguson in the pocket, along with his accuracy and ability to complete all of his reads was too much for the Wildcats’ defenders as he carved them up for 21 completions on 31 attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Regardless of the receiver Ferguson threw to, New Hampshire’s defense was unable to stop the aerial assault, as he completed passes to eight different receivers throughout the game.

Former quarterback, Drew Belcher, who converted to tight end this past off season, showed flexibility between positions, hauling in five catches along with throwing a 52-yard touchdown bomb on a trick play to Jaquan Blair, who led the Black Bears in receiving yards with 70 on the night.

Complementary to the passing game, the two-headed backfield composed of sophomore Joe Fitzpatrick, and first-year Ramon Jefferson were incredibly efficient, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and 6.2 yards per carry. Both running backs displayed incredible agility, vision and power. With only 28 seconds remaining in the first half, Jefferson’s 49-yard carry saw him break two tackles before finally being dragged down by Wildcats safety, Rick Ellison. The run by Jefferson set up the Black Bears offense inside the 11-yard line, where Ferguson proceeded to throw a back-shoulder fade into the end zone, in double coverage, to Earnest Edwards, who made an impressive catch and kept his feet in bounds for the touchdown.

Just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick, on an equally impressive run, punched in a 14-yard score in the Wildcats’ red zone after hurdling a defender, icing away the game by making the final score 35-7. While the two combined for only 33-percent of the team’s total offense, their hard work between the tackles kept the Wildcats on their heels, allowing Ferguson to take advantage of one-on-one match ups on the outside with his receivers.

As a unit, the Black Bears’ offense appeared to be a well-oiled machine. By running a combination of jet sweeps, play-action passes, running back dives and other offensive concepts, the Black Bears made a statement showing their diverse offense can score both on the ground and through the air.

The offensive line created a fantastic pocket for Ferguson and created wide running lanes for both Fitzpatrick and Jefferson, giving up only one sack and losing only 21 yards on 38 rushing attempts, finishing with a net positive 203 rushing yards on the ground.

With a combination of one senior, three sophomores, and one junior on the offensive line, the unit appears to have a functional chemistry that will be a factor for the Black Bears all season. Starting right tackle, Cody Levy, will be the graduating senior, and his pass protection capabilities and run blocking dominance will be an influence on this up-and-coming offensive nucleus.

The most noticeable performance, however, came from the defensive side of the ball for the Black Bears. With multiple players having at least 2.0 tackles for loss, lead by senior linebacker Sterling Sheffield, who was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week by the Colonial Athletic Association after racking up 3.0 tackles for loss, a pass break up and 2.0 sacks. At a height of 6 feet, 2 inches, and weighing in at 245 pounds. Sheffield was causing havoc all night for the Wildcats, causing them to repeatedly double team him within their scheme. Both of Sheffield’s sacks came in the first quarter, including one on a long third-and-8 for the Wildcats, forcing a punt. The Black Bears’ defense looked mean, showing a formidable front seven that will be closely watched throughout the season, as they forced the Wildcats to finish with negative 15 rushing yards on the night, along with racking up a collective 6.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss.

Unable to move the ball on the offensive end, the Wildcats’ special teams unit was often on the field. The special teams unit was equally as dysfunctional as their offense, with a bad snap sending the ball over punter/kicker Drew Sanborn’s head, resulting in a safety in the back of the Wildcats’ end zone midway through the second quarter.

After such a statement victory, one can only look to a player missing from the sideline on Thursday night. Jersey number 39, belonging to the late defensive back Darius Minor, wasn’t physically present with his teammates, but his presence was with them in spirit. Minor, 18, was an incoming first-year student at Maine who collapsed abruptly 15 minutes into a team workout during the off season and was unable to be revived by paramedics.

After the game, when asked in an interview by the University of Maine Athletics Department about how he felt about the victory over the Wildcats, Sheffield thanked God for his opportunity to be able to play the game of football, then stating “Long live Darius Minor, he passed away too young, but he was a great, great guy,” before going on to discuss the play of the Black Bears against the Wildcats.

As a team coming into the season after losing a teammate, the Black Bears gritted their teeth together and united as one. Their cohesiveness as an entire locker room, after going through such a traumatizing experience, shows the bond they have to each other on and off the field.

In the opening statements of the same post game interview with the Maine Athletics Department, head coach Joe Harasymiak spoke in admiration of his team. “They work harder than any other group I’ve ever been around. I guess I’m just the lucky one to be their coach.”

That hard work and dedication will be put to the test, as the Black Bears are on the road for games against Central Michigan University and Yale University. However, now battle-tested against eighth-place University of New Hampshire, the Black Bears have a head of steam as they begin their long slate of games on the road.

The University of Maine’s field hockey team traveled to Hamden, Connecticut, on Saturday Sept. 8 to face off against the Quinnipiac Bobcats (2-3). Both teams were slow to start, but in the end, Maine came out on top with a score of 3-2.

This continued the Black Bears’ winning streak to give Maine a 4-0 record for the season thus far. This was also Maine’s eighth straight win against Quinnipiac University, making their overall record against the Bobcats 12-4.

The Black Bears and Bobcats went back and forth scoring goals, with Maine up the entire game. Maine scored half way through the second half, this time locking down on defense to prevent an overtime situation. At the 57-minute mark, sophomore Brianna Ricker crossed the ball to junior Libby Riedl, who then brushed it in past the goalie to find the back of the net. This was the third winning goal for Riedl in the four games that have been played this season.

The Bobcats tried for the equalizer but were unable to break through Maine’s defensive line and first year goalkeeper, Mia Borley. Borley, the full time starter this season, has begun her college career off well with an undefeated record. Borley also was titled National Defensive Player of the Week for her skills in the past few games.

The other scorers for Maine were junior, Samantha Wagg, with a penalty shot low and to the right at the 21-minute mark to put Maine on the board. Ricker also had a stellar low shot in the beginning of the second half. The scorers for the Bobcats were first-years Makayla Adams and Elisa van Winkle.

With the defeat of the Bobcats, Maine now owns three straight road wins this season. Two of which were against nationally ranked teams, winning 2-1 in overtime against Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 1 and against Boston University on Friday, Aug. 31.

Maine is now ranked eighth across the nation for D1 field hockey. This start is very similar to that of the 2016 season where the Black Bears also went 4-0 to kick the season off.

The team has several big games coming up over the next few weeks including 12th place Harvard University on Sunday, Sept. 23 and rivals University of New Hampshire on Friday, Sept. 28. The next scheduled game is against Lafayette College in Easton, Connecticut on Sunday, Sept. 9.