The University of Maine’s football team will look to bounce back from its lopsided 55-3 loss to Football Bowl Subdivision team Appalachian State on Saturday night when it entertains Football Championship Subdivision independent Merrimack College for its home opener beginning at 5 p.m. on Morse Field in Alfond Stadium.
Maine, also a FCS team, is 1-1 while Merrimack is 0-2.
The Black Bears will be looking for a rare home-opening win after losing four of their last five home openers including a shocking 13-10 loss to heavy underdog Stonehill a year ago.
Merrimack’s 0-2 record is misleading because the Warriors have lost to reigning CAA champ and preseason favorite Rhode Island (34-7), currently ranked 13th in one national FCS poll and eighth in the other, and to Football Bowl Subdivision team Delaware (42-7), a former CAA team.
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens said Merrimack coach Mike Gennetti does a “tremendous job.”
“They’re a tough football team. I can’t say enough about how physical they are. They finish every rep,” Stevens said.
On the Merrimack athletic website, Gennetti was equally complimentary of Stevens and his coaching staff.
“Their coaching staff does a great job schematically,” said Gennetti. “They put their players in position to be successful. They’re a tough team, they play a physical style on offense and mix up coverages really well on defense. They play really hard.”
The two teams have played in North Andover, Massachusetts, the previous two seasons with UMaine triumphing 20-13 a year ago and 26-15 in 2024. UMaine also won the only other previous meeting, 31-26 in 2021.
Both teams feature first-year starters at quarterback.
Redshirt sophomore Eddie Buehler has completed 35 of 59 passes (59.3 percent) for 397 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
Nick Laughlin (7 catches, 65 yards) and Evan Wallace (6 catches, 62 yards) have been UMaine’s top receivers.
Merrimack has had two signal-callers sharing snaps in junior Cole Meehan (22-for-42, 52.9 percent, 237 yards,1 interception) and UMass transfer sophomore A.J. Hairston (23-for-43, 53.5 percent, 220 yards 2 interceptions).
Kenyon Massey (9-for-54) and Austin Palmer (5-for-49) are the Warriors’ top pass catchers.
Neither team has run the ball effectively. UMaine is averaging only 3 yards per carry while Merrimack is managing just 2.4 yards per run.
Rashawn Marshall’s 118 yards on 26 carries is tops for the Black Bears while Galamama Mulbah’s 13 carries for 68 yards leads the Warriors.
Former UMaine quarterback Ayden Pereira was Merrimack’s leading rusher a year ago with 853 yards on 192 carries including 131 yards on just 15 carries vs. the Black Bears.
But he has transferred to Georgia State.
Merrimack was 4-8 last fall but lost four games by seven points or less.
Linebacker Sam Oppenheimer, who shares the FCS lead in unassisted tackles with 16 and has been involved in 24 overall tackles including eight assisted tackles, paces the Black Bear defense along with UMass transfer strong safety Jeremiah McGill (17 tackles).
Linebacker Micah Green (15 tackles) and safety Danny Simms (14) spearhead the Warrior defense.
Other college football previews
Husson University of Bangor lost its opener to Framingham State and will entertain a 1-0 Springfield College team that earned an NCAA Division III playoff berth a year ago and went on to win its playoff opener. Kickoff is at noon.
At the Winkin Sports Complex, the Eagles are going to have to find a way to slow down a Springfield running game that racked up 449 yards on 64 carries in a 42-28 victory over Western New England a week ago.
Stanford Davis carried the ball 24 times for 187 yards and Bradley Barcello added 135 more on just 11 carries. They each scored a touchdown.
Drew Heenan completed three of four passes for 131 yards and two TDs.
Nick Gonzalez’s eight tackles led the Springfield defense.
Springfield has won the last four meetings with Husson including a 38-6 win a year ago. In those four wins over Husson, the Pride has outscored the Eagles 208-40.
Husson lost to Framingham State 33-21 last Saturday.
Springfield was 9-3 last season.
First-year starter senior Brody Gibson completed 14 of 26 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns for Husson vs. 2025 NCAA Division III playoff team Framingham State. He was intercepted twice. Jacob Lenz caught six passes for 68 yards.
Anthony Santacroce was Husson’s leading rusher with 46 yards on 14 carries and Daniel Ruiz Cantu had 40 on 10 carries.
Erik Menger and Brayden Trombly had a game-high 10 tackles each for Husson.
The University of New England in Biddeford is the only other Maine team in action as it will visit Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a game noon Saturday. Both teams lost their openers last week.
UNE thumped WPI, 41-3, last fall.
Castine’s Maine Maritime Academy has the weekend off after losing its opener at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 49-0, last Saturday, and New England Small College Athletic Conference teams Bates, Bowdoin and Colby don’t begin their seasons until the following Saturday.