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Maine Football 2007 Spring Prospectus Now Available
March 28, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
Click on the link above to download the 2007 Maine Football Spring Prospectus. It contains 19 pages of information on the Black Bear football program as it gets ready for spring practice in preparation for the 2007 season. Maine returns 40 letterwinners and 17 starters from the 2006 season, which saw the Black Bears go 6-5 and finish the regular season ranked No. 24 in The Sports Network FCS National Top 25 Poll. Among the 40 letterwinners returning are three All-Conference selections in John Wormuth (LB), Bruno Dorismond (DL) and Andrew Downey (LB). The Black Bears open the 2007 season on Saturday, Sept. 1, when they play host to defending Northeast Conference champion Monmouth in Alfond Stadium. Maine will also be facing an FBS (formerly I-A) for the fourth-straight season, when it takes on Big East-foe Connecticut on Sept. 8, at Rentschler Field in Storrs, Conn. 2007 SPRING PRACTICE STORYLINES Black Bears Set to Begin Spring Practice The University of Maine football team will open its 2007 spring practice schedule on Thursday, April 12, at 3:45 p.m., in Alfond Stadium. The Black Bears will take part in 15 practices, as the spring season will conclude with the Third Annual Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage on Saturday, May 5, at 8:45 a.m., in Alfond Stadium. For a complete spring practice schedule, please refer to page one of this prospectus. Plenty of Experience Returns in 2007 Forty (40) letterwinners return from the 2006 season, which saw the Black Bears go 6-5 and finish the regular season ranked 24th in The Sports Network Division I FCS National Top 25 Poll. Eighteen (18) letterwinners return on offense, 19 on defense, and three specialists. The Black Bears lost the services of 12 letterwinners, including five on offense, six on defense and one specialist. Seventeen (17) Starters Return Maine will welcome 17 returning starters for the 2007 season, including eight on offense, seven on defense and two specialists. On the offensive front, the Black Bears welcome back four of five starters from last season's offensive line. On the defensive side, all seven returning starters started all 11 games a season ago. The two starting specialists that return are punter Kash Kiefer and placekicker Devin McNeill. In addition to those 17, four other Black Bears return who started at least one game in 2006. Cosgrove Closing in on All-Time Wins at Maine Head coach Jack Cosgrove enters the 2007 season with 76 wins all-time at Maine, which is good for third place in school history. Harold Westerman (1951-66) is tops in program history with 80 wins over 16 seasons. Fred Brice (1921-40) is second with 79 wins over 20 seasons. Three All-Conference Honorees Return Three Black Bears who were named to the 2006 All-Atlantic 10 Third-Team return in 2007, including linebackers John Wormuth (Sr.), Andrew Downey (Jr.) and defensive lineman Bruno Dorismond (Sr.). Position Changes Only two Black Bears have changed positions heading into spring practice, with both being on the defensive side of the ball. Jovan Belcher (Jr.) will switch from outside linebacker to defensive end, while Ryan McCrossan (Fr-r.) will switch from defensive back to linebacker. First Season of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) The Colonial Athletic Association will begin sponsoring the sport of football beginning in the 2007 season. The CAA takes over for the Atlantic 10, which ran the sport from 1997-2006. Prior to that, the league was called the Yankee Conference,which operated from 1947-96. All 12 teams from the A-10 will play in the CAA this season. The North and South Divisions, and the six teams that comprise each section, will remain the same for regional rivalry purposes. The North will be comprised of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island and Hofstra. The South will consist of James Madison, Villanova, Delaware, Richmond, William & Mary and Towson. Black Bears Face Pair of Teams Which Competed for National Championships Last Season Maine will take on a pair of teams which competed for Division I FCS national championships in 2006. Both opponents will make the trip to Orono to face the Black Bears. Maine will open the season on Sept. 1, against Northeast Conference champion Monmouth. The Hawks finished last season with a 10-2 record after falling to San Diego in the Inaugural Gridiron Classic, which was played for The Sports Network's FCS Mid-Major National Championship. Monmouth had won the mid-major national title in 2004. The Black Bears will also take on Massachusetts on Sept. 22, in Orono. The Minutemen advanced to the NCAA Championship game last season before falling to Appalachian State 28-17. A third team which competed in the NCAA postseason last year will face Maine, as the Black Bears will travel to Durham, N.H, to face New Hampshire on Nov. 17. Maine Facing FBS Opponent for Fourth-Straight Season Maine will take on an FBS (formerly I-A) team for the fourth-consecutive season when the Black Bears face Big East-foe Connecticut on Sept. 8, in Storrs, Conn. Maine is 1-4 all-time against FBS schools, including a 9-7 victory over SEC-member Mississippi State back on Sept. 11, 2004, in Starkville, Miss. The Black Bears battled ACC-foe Boston College tough in a 22-0 loss in Chestnut Hill last season. Maine and the Huskies have met 72 times previously, as UConn was a member of the Yankee/Atlantic 10 Conference from 1947-99. Connecticut has won two straight in the series, including a 34-20 victory in Storrs in 1999. Who Maine Won't Face From the CAA this Season Delaware, Richmond and James Madison are the three Southern Division schools Maine will not face from the CAA this season. The Black Bears did not face any of the schools last season, but all three are expected to rotate back on the schedule in 2008. Looking to Replace Whitcomb For the first time since the 2003 campaign, Maine will have a new starting quarterback under center for the season opener. Departing senior Ron Whitcomb was the starter at the position for the past four seasons from 2003-06. A fierce battle for the starting signal caller spot will take place during the spring and preseason camps between sophomore Michael Brusko and redshirt freshman Adam Farkes. Brusko saw limited action as a backup in 2006, but did provide a glimpse of his mobility as he raced for multiple runs of 10 yards or longer, including a 16-yard dash versus Boston College. The last quarterback, prior to Whitcomb, to open the season as the starting quarterback came back in 2002 with Jake Eaton, who is currently a member of the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. Maine Tops Nation in Rush Defense in 2006 In January 2007, the NCAA released its final statistical rankings for the 2006 season, which announced that Maine had finished tops in the nation in Division I FCS for rush defense (63.91 yards per game). Overall, the Black Bears finished fourth (4th) IN ALL OF DIVISION I FOOTBALL (241 teams) for the fewest rushing yards allowed per game. Michigan, TCU and Texas were the only three Division I schools in America to hold opponents to lesser rushing totals per game. The "Black Hole" defense also finished in the top five nationally in four other statistical categories, including total defense (2nd, 229.91 ypg), quarterback sacks (3rd, 3.45 spg), scoring defense (4th, 13.09 ppg), and tackles for loss (5th, 7.64 TFL pg). Four Former Black Bears on NFL Playoff Rosters in 2006 Four former University of Maine football standouts were on NFL playoff rosters following the conclusion of the 2006 regular season. The list included Brandon McGowan (NFC champion Chicago Bears, IR), Lofa Tatupu (NFC West Divsion champion Seattle Seahawks), Mike Flynn (AFC North Division champion Baltimore Ravens) and Stephen Cooper (AFC West Division champion San Diego Chargers). Maine Earns Several Academic Honors During the Offseason Maine didn't just taste success on the football field last season, but also earned several academic honors, including 12 student-athletes being named to the 2006 Academic All-Atlantic 10 Team in January, and 29 Black Bears earning the title of "Maine Scholar-Athletes" in February. The total for the Maine Scholar-Athlete award was the second most for any varsity team on campus. Academic Honors Candidates Several student-athletes from the University of Maine football team will be candidates for several academic honors during the 2007 season, including the Academic All-CAA Team and numerous academic All-America teams. Of the 29 Black Bears who were named "Maine Scholar-Athletes" in February 2007 for earning GPAs of 3.0 or better, 20 return, including: Shawn Demaray, John Wormuth, Michael Brusko, Jonathan Calderon, Joshua Caldwell, Ryan Canary, Bobby Donnelly, Bruno Dorismond, Jamaal Forman, Patrick McCrossan, Jonathan Pirruccello, Kenneth Somers, Alex Batanian, Levi Ervin, Adam Farkes, Derrick Harris, Jermaine Henderson, Kash Kiefer, Jordan Stevens and Landis Williams. Alfond Stadium Enters its 10th Season in 2007 Morse Field at Alfond Stadium will turn 10 years old when the University of Maine football team takes to the field on Sept. 1 versus Monmouth. The Black Bears are 32-15 all-time for a winning percentage of .681 since the stadium was built prior to the 1998 season. 2007 Senior Captains
The senior captains for the 2007 season will be picked following the conclusion of spring practice. A secret ballot, voted on by the players, will used during the voting process. The announcement of the new captains will be made at the Annual Awards Banquet on Friday, May 4, the night before the Third Annual Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage at Alfond Stadium.
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