If you strictly go by statistics, the University of Maine football team’s defense doesn’t impress.
The Black Bears have given up 393 yards per game, which is 10th best in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association, and have allowed 26.4 points per outing, which is ninth.
It is worth noting that UMaine (6-4, 5-2 CAA) is the only team in the CAA that has played two Football Bowl Subdivision teams. They lost to the University of Connecticut 24-21 and Toledo 45-3.
All of the other CAA teams have played one FBS opponent.
But the Black Bear defense has continually come up with clutch plays in the fourth quarter to preserve every one of of their six victories.
All of UMaine’s wins have been by seven points or less and they have involved fourth-quarter heroics by the defense.
That has enabled the Black Bears to stay in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff hunt with one huge game remaining against visiting archrival New Hampshire (6-4, 5-2 CAA) on Saturday at noon at Alfond Stadium.
The winner will have a legitimate shot to earn a playoff berth while the loser is out.
For the second time in three weeks, junior cornerback Najee Goode has come up with a pivotal play as his interception with 1:29 remaining sewed up a 27-21 win at Stony Brook on Saturday.
Two weeks earlier, in a 35-28 victory at William & Mary, he forced a fumble that was recovered by strong safety Jason Matovu at the UMaine 20-yard line with 39 seconds left.
Earlier this season, in a 20-16 victory over Albany, Goode was covering Austin Ellis and a fourth-down pass to Ellis fell incomplete with 1:43 to play.
Just moments earlier, rover back Sterling Sheffield had registered a sack of Albany quarterback Neven Sussman.
“Najee has come along,” said UMaine coach Joe Harasymiak. “He has continued to make plays in the fourth quarter for us. We always talk about our playmakers needing to make big-time plays and a number of guys have made a number of big plays for us.
“We had struggled in that area the past few years,” added Harasymiak.
Goode has forced three fumbles, which ties him for third in the CAA.
In the William & Mary game, before Goode forced the fumble, Sheffield had created a fumble that was recovered by Tayvon Hall at the UM-16 with the Bears clinging to a 35-28 lead.
In the 28-21 victory over Rhode Island, Matovu intercepted a deflected pass in the waning seconds with URI at the UM 18-yard line.
Linebacker Austin Brown won the Delaware game as he scampered 62 yards with a fumble recovery with 56 seconds remaining as UMaine triumphed 28-21. Nose tackle Darius Greene had stripped the ball free.
Strong safety DeAndre Scott’s interception with 1:48 left finished off UMaine’s come-from-behind 35-31 triumph over Bryant.
“We have talked about two things in our program: Accountability and belief in ourselves,” said Harasymiak. “That has been the message all year. The guys have bought into what we’re doing and it has been showing up in the last minute of these games.”
On Saturday, in a must-win game for both teams, the Black Bear defense limited Stony Brook to 222 total yards.
“The defense is coming together. The tacking has come along the past few weeks so we haven’t been giving up the big plays we had been giving up earlier in the year,” said Harasymiak.
On offense, freshman tailback Josh Mack posted his second 100-plus yard effort in four games (39 carries, 147 yards). Over the last seven games, he has rushed for 609 yards and 5.6 yards per carry.
“He has been a great asset,” said Harasymiak. “He’s a young kid who doesn’t shy away from big games. He has really come along.
“We wanted to establish the run (at Stony Brook) and Josh allows you to do that,” said Harasymiak. “He’s very good between the tackles and very good at making the second-level tacklers miss.
“(Offensive coordinator Liam Coen) and his staff did a great job getting him the ball,” Harasymiak said. “He caught a screen pass for a touchdown and had another touchdown pass called back by an offensive interference penalty.”
Mack (119-635) has moved up to seventh in the CAA in rushing yards per game (70.6) and has three 100-yard plus games.