ORONO, Maine — It was a disappointing and frustrating 2015 season for the University of Maine football team.
The Black Bears featured a stout defense, one that was occasionally prone to giving up long pass plays. But it was an anemic offense that again prevented UMaine from earning more victories.
Within days of the season-ending, 22-6 loss to archrival New Hampshire that left the Black Bears with a 3-8 record (its worst in five years), head coach Jack Cosgrove announced that he was stepping down after 23 years to become UMaine’s associate athletics director.
That means there will be wholesale changes for the program as athletics director Karlton Creech and UMaine search for a new coach who will revamp the staff and the approach in an effort to help the Black Bears rejoin the frontrunners in the Colonial Athletic Association. UMaine was 3-5 in the CAA.
The Black Bears’ defense ranked 19th in the Football Championship Subdivision while allowing 316.8 yards per game. The unit, headed by first-team, All-CAA picks in senior end Trevor Bates of Westbrook and junior nose tackle Pat Ricard, along with second-team senior linebacker Randy Samuels, was 13th against the run (110.8 ypg).
UMaine gave up 21.5 points per contest but afforded opponents a 51 percent success rate on third-down plays. The team allowed 22 points or less in six of its last seven games, including 13 or fewer on four occasions, but still dropped five of its last six because of its inability to score consistently.
The Black Bears have several dynamic seniors to replace on defense, where five of their top eight tacklers will be lost to graduation.
The relentless Bates logged 57 tackles, including 14½ for a loss of yardage (7½ sacks), and powerhouse Ricard made 53 stops among which were a team-leading 16½ TFLs. Samuels topped UMaine tacklers with 72 and made two interceptions.
Also departing are linebacker and No. 2 tackler Cabrinni Goncalves (57 tackles), end Mike Kozlakowski (50) and linebacker John McCabe of Winslow (37), along with cornerback Sherrod Baltimore (24 tackles, two interceptions).
Returning veterans are Ricard, linebacker Christophe Mulumba Tshimanga (37 tackles, one interception), safeties Jason Matovu (44 tackles), Sinmisola Demuren (34) and Darrius Hart (knee injury), cornerbacks Najee Goode (33) and A.J. Dawson (24), tackle Darius Greene (23), safety Spencer Carey of Fairfield and corner Tayvon Hall (19).
Because of inexperience and injuries, UMaine was to build its depth by fast-forwarding numerous players into more prominent roles. Several from that group should be ready to step in next season.
That group includes linebacker Sterling Sheffield; safeties Jeffrey DeVaughn and Mozai Nelson; linebackers Zach Hume, Ben Davis and Austin Brown; and linemen Schuyler Huntington, Andrew Stevens, Connor Walsh and Jean Point-DuJour.
Assuming good health, UMaine will welcome back two starters up front, one at linebacker, two at safety and another at cornerback. Yet there is much more experience among those who saw significant playing time.
In spite of its sporadic efficiency and general inconsistency, the UMaine offense will build around numerous returning starters. Among them are quarterbacks Dan Collins and Drew Belcher, each of whom appeared in nine games without firmly establishing himself as the definitive leader of the offense.
Collins, a junior, completed 135 of 273 passes (.495) for 1,542 yards and six touchdowns. He was intercepted 10 times.
Belcher, a sophomore, provided more of a run-first mentality and finished as UMaine’s No. 2 rusher with 314 yards on 88 carries. He was 78 of 120 (.650) for 728 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
The new staff will be faced with the task of grooming one of those veterans, or a newcomer, into a productive leader amidst what likely will be a new offense.
The run game was hampered by the Black Bears’ inability to establish themselves along the front line. Senior All-CAA first-team center Bruce Johnson was the glue of the unit, one that included only one other senior in part-time starter Ben Wezel.
Jamil Demby and Isaiah Brooks held down the tackle slots, while Dan Burrows and John Reddington were the guards. Guard Cody Levy also saw considerable action.
UMaine wound up 94th in FCS total offense (321.7 ypg) and was 105th running the ball (115.4 ypg) and tied for 107th in scoring (14.9 ppg) — in a field of 123 teams nationwide.
UMaine cracked the top 54 percent in passing yardage (206.4 ypg) but was only 93rd in third-down conversion percentage at .337.
Tailback Nigel Beckford (123 carries, 526 yds., four touchdowns) wound up as the leading rusher, and Darian Davis-Ray showed promise despite missing seven games with a knee injury.
UMaine will have experience not only at quarterback and on the offensive line next fall, but it also welcomes back a pair of front-line wide receivers in Micah Wright (61 receptions, 818 yds., five touchdowns) and Jordan Dunn (56-595-3), both of whom earned All-CAA second-team accolades.
Senior John Hardy (22-241-1) departs, but sophomores Jared Osumah (14-110) and Jaleel Reed (14-104-1) bring significant game experience to the table.
The Black Bears were hampered by injuries at tight end, where Jeremy Salmon (11-90) was relegated mostly to blocking when available. Jason Simonovich and Max Andrews of Holden provide some depth there.
On special teams, UMaine must replace senior placekicker Sean Decloux, the program’s all-time leading scorer with 230 points. He fought through injury to hit 11 of 18 field goals and 13 of 15 PATs.
The Black Bears will have a known commodity in junior transfer punter James DeMartini, who averaged 40.3 yards per kick. Sophomore Sam Lenson backup up both positions.
UMaine football fans should be cautiously optimistic about next year’s squad, even in the face of a pending overhaul. The offense has seven returning full-time starters, including three up front, along with two quarterbacks, a third-year tailback, two proven wideouts and a fullback.
The most compelling lingering question is whether Collins or Belcher has the talent and savvy to become a consistent winner in the CAA.
There is a big chunk of experience to be replaced on defense, which loses six full-time starters. The saving grace for UMaine could be that the staff found quality playing time for several up-and-comers who may be ready to step in and join Greene, Mulumba Tshimanga, Matovu, Goode and Demuren as full-time starters.