The University of Maine’s football team’s offensive woes continued in Saturday’s 17-14 loss to Bryant University, but it was more about turnovers than anything.
It was UMaine’s sixth straight loss.
Three lost fumbles, two by slotback/running back Nick Laughlin and another by quarterback Caden Drezek, proved costly.
The Bulldogs turned one of Laughlin’s fumbles into a touchdown and Drezek’s fumble into what proved to be the game-deciding field goal.
On the positive side, UMaine’s 20 first downs, 352 total yards of offense and 234 passing yards by Drezek were all season-highs.
“The offense moved the ball efficiently, got first downs and were able to get on the plus side of the field (into Bryant’s territory), but the turnovers were the story of the game,” said UMaine fifth-year head football coach Jordan Stevens during the weekly Coastal Athletic Association coaches’ media press conference on Monday.
The UMaine defense continued to bail out the offense and keep the team in the game, preventing Bryant from turning a 14-3 lead into a 21-3 by stopping the Bulldogs on fourth down-and-one at the UMaine five-yard line with 1:38 left in the first half.
Laughlin’s second fumble gifted Bryant the ball at Bryant’s 43-yard line to start the drive.
The defense had another fourth down stop in the game as Bryant went 0-for-2.
“The defense responded as it has done all year,” Stevens said. “They have been put in some real adverse situations, being backed up and pinned down and they’ve done a great job in those situations. They continue to play no matter the circumstances.”
The defense has held opponents to a 30.4% success rate on third down, 30% on fourth down and to 13 touchdowns on 29 trips to the red zone (inside the 20 yard line) along with eight field goals.
Thanks to the defense, the offense had a chance to string together a drive to tie the game or win it, trailing 17-14 when it took over on downs with 3:23 left after the defense stopped Bryant a yard short on a fourth-and-six at the UMaine-25 yard line.
But, for the third time this season, UMaine failed to produce on a late-game drive that could have at least tied the game.
A diving catch by Major Leak on the first play of the drive set UMaine up at the Bryant 42-yard-line.
UMaine needed 10 to 15 yards to at least tie the game. Kicker Sam Tremblay has kicked 19 of 20 career field goals and was 2-for-2 on the day and 10-for-10 on the season.
Teams that are used to winning find ways to convert on chances like this. Teams that aren’t, don’t.
Drezek, who played admirably, failed to complete the next three passes, and all three throws weren’t where they needed to be.
Bryant picked up a first down, and it was game over.
Drezek completed 18 of 34 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown, and his stats would have been even better if his receivers hadn’t had five drops including one that would have produced a touchdown in the first quarter.
He also had a few good runs. He is improving.
“He did an excellent job,” said Stevens, who also feels Eddie Buehler, who had started the first five games before sharing the starting role with Drezek against Sacred Heart in the previous game on Oct. 3, has also been excellent.
He said Monday that he hadn’t decided who will get the start vs. Campbell.
UMaine had a new interim offensive coordinator against Bryant in former state championship-winning high school coach Sean Green (Portland HS and Cape Elizabeth HS).
He replaced Mikahael Waters, who was fired two weeks ago.
No matter who the offensive coordinator is, it is up to the players to get their jobs done.
That has been the issue.
UMaine averaged only 3.2 yards per rush vs. Bryant, and that has been a problem all season long.
It is important to establish a running game to create a balanced and unpredictable offense.
UMaine’s 99.14 rushing yards per game is 11th among 13 teams in the CAA, although it has now rushed for over 100 yards in its last three games including the 118 vs. Bryant. It hadn’t exceeded 69 yards in its previous three games.
It is still the lowest scoring team in the league (14.43 points per game) and has the fewest total yards per game (281.86).
And the Black Bears need to get off to better starts. They have scored only 12 points in the first quarter and 49 in the first half compared with opponents’ 35 and 112, respectively.
UMaine is also minus-three in turnover ratio.
UMaine, 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the CAA, has four games left with its Homecoming game against the nation’s 13th-ranked team on Saturday: Campbell University (6-1, 3-0) from North Carolina. That is followed by road games at Rhode Island (4-3, 1-2) and Albany (4-3, 2-1) and a season-ending home game against New Hampshire (2-6, 1-4).
At 1 p.m. Saturday, UMaine will try to avoid losing seven games in a row in a single season for the first time since the 1967 team went 0-8.
It is now a matter of trying to salvage a disappointing season with a strong finish to build momentum for next season.
And the New Hampshire game is always in a category by itself because the Brice-Cowell Musket is up for grabs.
For the most part, the defense has held up its end of the bargain. It has been called upon time and time again to keep the team in games and has done so.
But, in order to win, you need to play complementary football and the offense has to be more proficient.