WHERE: Alfond Stadium, Orono
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. Saturday
WEB STREAM: FloFootball.com
ALL-TIME SERIES: Maine leads, 8-6
LAST MEETING: Nov. 3, 2018, won by Maine, 35-28
LAST WEEK: Towson defeated North Carolina Central, 42-3; Maine lost to Georgia Southern, 26-18
WHEN MAINE HAS THE BALL: The Black Bears have the nation’s fourth-best passing offense (369 yards per game) among FCS teams, but will look to get the running game more involved this week. WRs Jaquan Blair, Devin Young and Earnest Edwards are all averaging over 18 yards per catch and have combined for five touchdowns. Maine’s running game, which is averaging only 3.7 yards a carry, needs to get untracked against a Towson team that can score with anyone. Look for Emmanuel Reed and Joe Fitzpatrick to get a lot of touches early in order to establish a clock-controlling offense against the Tigers, who are fourth in the nation defensively, allowing only 12.0 points per game.
WHEN TOWSON HAS THE BALL: The Tigers have two of the most skilled players in the FCS. QB Tom Flacco can hurt you with his arm or running – he’s third in the CAA in total offense, averaging 302.5 yards per game and has completed 62 percent of his passes, four for touchdowns. Then there’s running back Shane Simpson, who’s only 74 yards shy of 2,000 career rushing yards. Those two alone can carry an offense. Flacco can extend a play by scrambling and he’s always looking downfield, either for Simpson or WR Shane Leatherberry, who averages 14.8 yards a catch.
KEY STAT: 1 (the number of turnovers Maine has forced this year)
OUTLOOK: You have two great passing offenses going against teams that have excellent passing defenses. Maine ranks fourth in the nation in FCS passing defense, allowing just 83.5 yards per game. Towson is close by, allowing only 97.0 yards per game. So the run game might take on added importance this week. Maine would like to get more “explosive” run plays from its backs, that is, running plays of 12 yards or more. The Black Bears have only one this year. Flacco’s ability to scramble puts great pressure on both the Maine defensive line and is secondary. The Black Bears have to contain him and force him to stay in the pocket. And the secondary has to maintain coverage even as Flacco’s running around the field.
OF NOTE: Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in both FCS national polls. Maine is ranked 7th and Towson 8th in the STATS FCS poll; Towson is ranked 8th, Maine 9th in the FCS Coaches poll … Maine has been ranked in the STATS FCS Top 25 for 16 consecutive weeks, the team’s longest stretch in the poll since 2001-03, which was a 31-week stretch … If Earnest Edwards catches a touchdown pass, that bodes well for the Black Bears, who are 12-2 in games where he catches one … Towson is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2013 … Maine has won its last six home games, its longest such streak since winning seven in a row in 2012-13.
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