ORONO — The accolades have been plenty for the University of Maine’s football team following its 24-21 loss to Connecticut last week. The Black Bears even received votes in the Stats FCS Top 25 poll.

That said, first-year coach Joe Harasymiak reminded his players in their meeting Saturday of one key fact: “We lost.”

The confident Black Bears hope to change that this week, but it won’t be easy. Maine goes back on the road to play Toledo, another Football Bowl Subdivision team, at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Rockets, who went 10-2 last year, opened with an impressive 31-10 win at Arkansas State last week.

“The attack style of Toledo will be very different,” said Harasymiak. “Connecticut was a big, physical two-back team. This team is physical but it’s a different kind. It’s a spread offense. It’s a tempo offense. They’re going to go every 15 seconds so we’ve got to be ready for that.”

The Rockets are led by junior quarterback Logan Woodside, the Mid-American Conference West Division offensive player of the week after throwing for 371 yards and three touchdowns (with no interceptions) while completing 23 of 31 passes.

He will test a secondary that held UConn to 162 passing yards.

“We see this as another opportunity to display how good we can be,” said Maine cornerback Najee Goode. “There’s a high level of excitement to go out and try to put up another good effort. To do better, actually.”

The Rockets have talented receivers in Cody Thompson (five catches, 174 yards, one touchdown last week) and Corey Jones (six catches, 54 yards). Jones, a senior averaging over 10 yards a catch in his career, is also a dynamic kick returner.

Toledo also has a strong tandem at running back in 6-foot, 225-pound Kareem Hunt (78 yards, one touchdown) and 5-7, 178-pound Damion Jones-Moore (81 yards).

“This week there are two receivers who are really good,” said Maine safety Jason Matovu. “Last week I feel there was just one. This week we’ve got a whole lot of people we’ve got to focus on.”

Goode (5-10, 170 pounds) out of Philadelphia, and Matovu (6-1, 195 pounds) out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, have emerged as leaders in the Black Bears’ secondary.

Matovu had eight tackles, one for a loss, and broke up a pass last week. Goode had four tackles, including a sack and forced fumble that he returned 74 yards for a touchdown that gave Maine a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Goode had missed a tackle on a similar blitz – though from the other side – about five plays earlier.

“I really wanted to hit him that time,” said Goode. “It was like, ‘I’m going to get you this time, you’re not going to get me again.’ It was a good situation. They were almost in position to kick a field goal so I was just worried about getting a sack. The sack would have knocked them back a little bit, made it harder to kick the field goal. After that, it was all instinct from there.”

Harasymiak said that play illustrated how far Goode – who started eight games last year and has the most experience of anyone in the secondary – has come. A year ago, the coach said, Goode “wasn’t making that play.

“Najee’s a kid who has just been extremely motivated to be the best that he can. He probably watches more film than anyone on defense, him and (Christophe) Mulumba (Tshimanga). Najee is in there constantly. He’s just an extremely talented kid who wants to win.”

The UConn game also showed how far the secondary has to go. Matovu, for example, dropped an interception, a play that still bothers him. “If it touches your hands you’ve got to catch it,” he said. “It’s kind of frustrating. I’m not going to lie.”

Harasymiak said Matovu is “probably at that level where he’s got to get over the hump and make a big play for us.”

The two defensive backs said they’ll be ready for Toledo.

“I feel we go against pretty good receivers every day (in practice),” Goode said. “That’s helping us prepare right there, plus film.”

Ah yes, film work. Goode said he watches film throughout the day – before breakfast, after breakfast, after practice.

“You see a lot of little things, tendencies,” he said. “I like to watch film. It’s kind of relaxing. I’m a movie guy so maybe that’s what it is.”

“You can look at a wide receiver’s splits and kind of get a feel of what route he’s going to run just based on where he lines up on the field,” said Matovu. “It gives me a step ahead, puts me in position. You see his tendencies, the way he blocks, is he physical, the things he does at the top of his route.”

Matovu said the defensive backs are looking forward to the challenge.

“We’re feeling good,” he said. “But we’re not satisfied. We want to keep getting better.”

 

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