Warren Smith became the first Maine quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season as the Black Bears were eliminated from the FCS playoffs in a 35-23 loss Saturday to Georgia Southern.

Smith passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles, and finished the season with 3,122 yards.

Smith earned second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors at the end of the season, but wasn’t in the mood to discuss his individual accomplishments after a game in which he was intercepted three times.

“It’s not exactly something I’m thinking about right now,” he said.

GSU-MAINE HISTORY: Georgia Southern and Maine had played twice previously. The Eagles defeated the Black Bears 31-28 in overtime in the first round of the 1987 playoffs, and topped Maine 31-7 in the 2002 quarterfinals.

The schools have something in common. Dale Lick, who helped bring football to Georgia Southern, served as president of both schools.

Lick was the Georgia Southern president from 1978-86 and was Maine’s president from 1986-91. He also was president at Florida State.

QUARTERFINAL WOES: Maine fell in the quarterfinals for the third time in three tries. The Black Bears lost to Northern Iowa 56-28 in 2001 and to Georgia Southern 31-7 in 2002.

Maine’s victory over Appalachian State last Saturday was its first playoff win since a 14-13 triumph over the Mountaineers in 2002.

FIRST FOR SWOPE: While it was a tough loss for the Black Bears and the defense had its struggles with Georgia Southern’s triple-option offense, strong safety Jerron McMillan accomplished something no one else had been able to do this season.

With 2:55 left in the game, McMillan stopped fullback Dominique Swope for a 1-yard loss. It was the first time Swope, a freshman, had been stopped for a loss.

Swope has 145 carries for 932 yards. He rushed for 165 yards against Wofford, 153 at Alabama and 255 against Old Dominion.   

KICKING GAME: When Roosevelt Boone returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score in the first quarter, it was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Maine player since Desmond Randall did it against St. Cloud State on Sept. 3, 2009. Randall scored on an 80-yard return.

Maine refused to kick the ball to Georgia Southern return specialist Laron Scott, who ranks second in the NCAA at 30 yards per return.

They did kick it once to Jerrick McKinnon, who ran it back 41 yards. McKinnon is a speed merchant who had rushed for 371 yards this season as a slotback and backup quarterback before being moved to defensive back last week.

 

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