Respectability.
That is the new objective for the University of Maine’s football program after its third stinker in five games on Saturday afternoon in North Carolina.
The 43-17 Coastal Athletic Association loss to Elon featured a comedy of errors and another underwhelming performance by one of the worst offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Even the defensive unit, which has performed admirably and been able to keep the team in games when the offense was non-existent, had an off day by allowing touchdowns of 57, 55 and 39 yards.
Then there were the special teams, specifically the punt and punt return teams.
It is rare to get a punt blocked.
To get two blocked one game is virtually unheard of.
To have two blocked on successive punts with the second one resulting in a safety is hard to fathom.
“Operationally, we have to be better and, in protection, we have to be better,” said UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens during Monday’s weekly CAA coaches’ media conference call.
Throw in a 24-yard punt return that set up a crucial touchdown in the third quarter soon after UMaine had scored and a fumbled kickoff that was recovered by Elon and you have a nightmarish showing by the special teams.
UMaine has now had three punts blocked, an extra-point blocked and has lost fumbles on a kickoff and a punt return.
The Black Bears are 1-4 overall, losers of four straight, and have been virtually eliminated from FCS playoff contention even though they are 1-1 in the CAA.
Mathematically, they could still qualify if they win their last six games, which are all CAA contests.
But it’s very hard to envision this team winning six consecutive games the way it has played this season.
They won six in a row last year, but they had a seasoned quarterback in Carter Peevy who had led Mercer University to a FCS playoff appearance in 2023 and was in his second season as a starter at UMaine.
Eddie Buehler hadn’t taken a snap from center in his first two seasons at UMaine and has understandably struggled as a first-year starter.
It is a huge jump from high school football, and he hadn’t played in a game since then.
He completed just 14 of 35 passes for 88 yards against Elon and was replaced by Caden Drezek in the fourth quarter. Drezek completed 5 of 12 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.
On the season, Buehler has completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 816 yards but he has more interceptions (6) than touchdown passes (4).
Stevens said Monday that he hasn’t decided on a quarterback starter for Saturday afternoon’s game against CAA newcomer Sacred Heart. And that they will take a look at other personnel changes as well.
The offense certainly needs a shake-up, and it is time to see what Drezek can do.
Maybe even third-string quarterback Michael McMaugh could get a look.
But it is wrong to solely blame Buehler for the offensive impotence.
The offensive line was expected to be the strength of this team, and it has been getting bossed by opposing defensive lines and linebackers.
Buehler has constantly been pressured, and the running game has produced only 3.4 yards per carry.
UMaine’s offense is currently ranked 108th or worse among 124 FCS schools in four major offensive categories: 14.2 points per game (115th), 94.2 rushing yards (111th), 103.3 pass efficiency rate (111th) and 272.6 total yards per game (108th).
Pass efficiency rate involves passes attempted and completed, interceptions and yards.
“All of the areas, offensively, are being evaluated in terms of how we can put our players in the best position to succeed. And how we can get them to execute in a more consistent manner, especially on first and second down so we’re not in so many third down (and long yardage) positions,” said Stevens. “We have to score more points.”
It is noteworthy that UMaine has played two teams from the higher-level Football Bowl Subdivision, which it normally does. That is rare among FCS schools, who usually play one or not any at all.
Still, UMaine is usually reasonably competitive against FBS schools and actually could have beaten Boston College in a 22-16 setback two weekends ago.
But the Black Bears weren’t competitive in a 55-3 clubbing at Appalachian State and followed that with a dismal performance in a 23-14 loss to underdog Merrimack. The BC showing gave the Black Bear Faithful some hope before Elon thrashed them.
The frustrating thing is if UMaine had beaten Merrimack, BC or Elon, especially Elon since it is a conference opponent, the Black Bears’ schedule is set up nicely for a late-season run. There are even a pair of off-weekends for them.
The next three games are home against Sacred Heart (1-3 overall, 1-2 in the CAA) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Bryant at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 and Campbell at 1 p.m. Oct. 24. Sacred Heart upset New Hampshire last weekend, 20-13, after losing on a last-second field goal at Elon the previous weekend, 24-21.
Bryant is 3-1 and 1-0, and 24th-ranked Campbell is 4-1 and 2-0.
UMaine finishes up with games at Rhode Island (2-3, 1-2) on Oct. 31, at Albany (2-3, 1-1) on Nov. 14 and at home with New Hampshire (1-4, 0-2) on Nov. 21.
Defending champ URI was the preseason favorite in the coaches poll but All-CAA first team quarterback, and preseason Player of the Year Devin Farrell is coming off surgery and has yet to play.
And UNH has a new coach in Sean Goldrich.
On a positive note, the team rushed for a season-high 167 yards with Rashawn Marshall picking up 105 of them on 14 carries. The team had averaged 58 yards per game over its previous three contests, and that is unacceptable.