WHERE: Alfond Stadium, Orono
KICKOFF: 1 p.m. Saturday
TV/STREAMING: WPXT Portland, WVII Bangor, FloFootball
ALL-TIME SERIES: tied, 14-14
KEY STAT: 8 – years since Maine last beat Richmond at home, in 2014.
OUTLOOK: The Black Bears stumbled against previously winless Stony Brook last week, losing 28-27 after holding a 20-7 halftime lead. “We left too many windows for them to get back in,” Maine Coach Jordan Stevens said. A big reason the Black Bears couldn’t hang on for the win was a pass defense that allowed Stony Brook to complete 82 percent of its passes. That has to improve, because in Richmond, Maine faces one of the top passing teams in the nation. Spiders quarterback Reece Udinski leads the Football Championship Subdivision with his .769 completion percentage (213 of 277). Udinski has thrown for 1,919 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games, with Jasiah Williams (476 yards, three touchdowns), Jakub Herres (468 yards, two TDs), and Leroy Henley (338 yards, five TDs) his top targets. Maine’s pass rush, led by Justin Sambu and Jamehl Wiley, will be key to keep Udinski from getting comfortable.
Offensively, Maine continued to move the ball last week, scoring at least 27 points for the third straight game. Quarterback Joe Fagnano will be tested against Richmond’s defense that allows just over 200 yards per game through the air. Fagnano threw for a season-high 314 yards last week. Tight end Shawn Bowman leads Maine’s receivers with 29 catches for 356 yards and four touchdowns. The Spiders are 10th in the nation in points allowed per game – 16.9. Richmond’s top defensive player is linebacker Tristan Wheeler, who averages just under nine tackles. The Black Bears need to get running backs Elijah Barnwell and Freddie Brock back on track. The duo combined for 53 yards on 12 carries last week, while Fagnano ran for 65 yards on 10 carries.
OF NOTE: Maine has been one of the most efficient teams in the nation when it reaches the red zone (inside the opponent’s 20). Maine has scored on 94.4% of its trips into the red zone, tops in the Colonial Athletic Association and second in the country. … Richmond defensive end Jeremiah Grant was the CAA Defensive Player of the Week for his seven-tackle effort in last week’s win over Hampton. Grant has recorded a sack in each of the last three games. … Maine has won four of the last six games against the Spiders.
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