The University of Maine’s football team will seek a rare victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent on Saturday afternoon while Bangor’s Husson University, Castine’s Maine Maritime Academy and Biddeford’s University of New England will open their campaigns.
UMaine, which held off Towson University, 21-18, in its season-opener on Aug. 27, will travel to Boone, North Carolina, to take on Appalachian State at 3:30 p.m.
It is Appalachian State’s opener.
Husson will entertain 2025 NCAA Division III playoff team Framingham State at the Winkin Sports Complex at 1 p.m. while Maine Maritime Academy and UNE will travel for games with noon kickoffs.
MMA will visit Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, to face rival Massachusetts Maritime Academy in a battle for the Admiral’s Cup, and UNE will trek to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
The Black Bears have met Appalachian State twice when the Mountaineers were in the Football Championship Subdivision, and both were playoff games won by the Black Bears in Boone, 34-12 in 2011 and 14-13 in 2002.
The Mountaineers moved up from the FCS to the FBS in 2014. Appalachian State had won three straight FCS titles from 2005-07.
The FBS schools have more resources than the FCS.
UMaine is 4-25 all-time against FBS opponents with two victories over the University of Massachusetts in 2013 and 2021 and one apiece over Mississippi State (2004) and Western Kentucky (2018).
The Black Bears have lost their last seven games against FBS opponents.
UMaine redshirt sophomore Eddie Buehler made his college debut in the victory over Towson, completing 17 of 27 passes for 199 yards to eight different receivers. He threw touchdown passes to Malik McNeely and Nick Laughlin and wasn’t intercepted.
Rashawn Marshall was UMaine’s leading rusher with 81 yards on 13 carries for an average of 6.2 yards per carry.
The defense posted six sacks with defensive end Chris Bacon’s two and one and a half apiece by tackles Derek Berlitz and Bryce Purnell leading the way. Strong safety Jeremiah McGill and linebacker Sam Oppenheimer had a game-high 10 tackles each.
The Mountaineers will also have a new quarterback in Purdue University transfer Malachi Singleton, who completed 38 of 64 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns for the 2-10 Boilermakers a year ago. He was intercepted twice and sacked four times.
He carried the ball 49 times for 202 yards and a TD.
Sophomore running back Jaquari Lewis was the team’s second-leading rusher with 618 yards on 140 carries. He scored six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 192 yards.
All-Sun Belt Conference second team linebacker Colton Phares was one of just three FBS players with at least 100 tackles (101), 9 tackles for loss (9.5) and three interceptions (3) in 2025.
Appalachian State went 5-8 and 2-6 in the Sun Belt Conference including a 29-10 loss to conference rival Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl.
UMaine head football coach Jordan Stevens said his team will find itself in a similar situation as it did at Towson with Appalachian State bringing in a ton of new players.
“[Appalachian State] has somewhere near 60 new players. We don’t know a ton about the roster, but that’s a blessing because there is so much we have to get better at,” said Stevens. “I want to see us continue to improve. This is a great opportunity for us.”
Husson is coming off a 4-6 season, 3-4 in the Conference of New England (formerly the Commonwealth Coast Conference), and will be looking for its third straight season-opening win over Framingham State.
Husson beat Framingham State 40-13 last fall in a mutual opener after topping the Rams 56-14 in 2024.
But the Rams rebounded from that loss a year ago by finishing at 7-4 overall and 7-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference to share the regular season title.
They lost to LaGrange 24-21 in their NCAA playoff game.
Husson head coach Nat Clark has brought in 55 freshmen, and some will make their college debuts.
The Eagles from Husson will be led by All-CNE second team linebacker J.T. Wright (84 tackles) and third teamers defensive back Brayden Trombly (49 tackles, 3 interceptions) and special teams standout Brett Davis (20.63 yards per kickoff return and eight tackles).
Maine Maritime Academy has lost its last 32 games and is in its second season of full-time varsity status after having the program suspended following the 2019 season.
Its last victory came over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Oct. 14, 2017, 34-16.
MMA and Massachusetts Maritime Academy haven’t played in the Admiral’s Cup game since 2019, a 42-21 win for Massachusetts Maritime in the 47th annual contest. Massachusetts has a 28-19 lead in the Admiral’s Cup series.
Massachusetts Maritime was 5-5 a year ago and 5-4 in the MASCAC.
All-CNE first team defensive back Lucas Houghton (102 tackles) and All-CNE second teamer running back Auston Harris (1,005 rushing yards, 7 TDs) are the Maine Maritime Academy catalysts.
MMA was 0-10 and 0-7 in 2025.
UNE was 8-2 overall a year ago and 5-2 in the CNE while the U.S. Coast Guard Academy was 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.