Statistics can be misleading at times.
At other times, they accurately paint a picture of a team’s strengths and weaknesses and explain why a team is or isn’t successful.
When discussing his football team’s offensive woes during Monday’s Coastal Athletic Association coaches’ media zoom session, fifth-year University of Maine football coach Jordan Stevens reiterated a theme he has mentioned several times this season.
He said his offense’s ineffectiveness on first and second down has been an issue.
“We have to put ourselves in better situations on third down,” said Stevens in the wake of a 35-6 pummelling at the hands of nationally ranked Campbell University at UMaine’s Homecoming last Saturday. “There were too many third-and-9-plus distances, which are hard to get yourself out of.”
UMaine was in third-and-9 or longer situations 11 times in 17 third down plays vs. Campbell.
“We have to get better on first and second down to set up third down. We have to be more efficient,” he added.
The statistics validate his thoughts. UMaine’s third-down success rate of 30.6% is 110th among 124 Football Championship Subdivision teams, and the Black Bears are 103rd in fourth-down conversions at 39.1%.
The 1-7 Black Bears, losers of seven games in a row, have run 124 third down plays this season. In 66% of those plays, they have found themselves needing 5 or more yards.
They have needed to pick up at least 10 yards 25% of the time. If you expand that to third-and-9 and third-and-8, that works out to needing 8 or more yards 40.3% of the time. They have had to pick up at least 6 yards 50% of the time.
UMaine has needed 3 yards or less only 22.6% of the time.
The Campbell game epitomized their struggles.
UMaine went 2-for-17 on third down against the Fighting Camels but only four of them required gaining 3 yards or less.
Stevens has always stressed the need to establish a running game in order to open up the passing game. That would make his offense less predictable and more difficult to defend.
But UMaine is averaging only 94.6 rushing yards per game, which is 113th in the country.
And the Black Bears are averaging only 3 yards per rush.
On first down, UMaine has run the ball 129 times and has gained 500 yards. That is a respectable 3.9 yards per carry.
However, 59 of those carries have garnered 2 yards or less. And they have four runs of between 26 and 34 yards.
In other words, UMaine needs to be more creative on first down.
Too often, the first down running plays are designed between the tackles and the offensive line hasn’t been able to create holes or seams for the undersized running backs. Rashawn Marshall and Nick Laughlin are both 5-foot-10 and in the 190-210 pound range.
That is a combination of the offensive line underperforming and opponents loading up the box and forcing one of UMaine’s inexperienced quarterbacks, either Caden Drezek or Eddie Buehler, to throw the ball.
Both have shown encouraging glimpses but they haven’t played with the consistency needed to move the ball down the field on a regular basis.
Having receivers drop balls at an alarming rate has hurt the offense, also.
UMaine is now 121st in the country in points per game (13.4) and 116th in total yards gained per game (281).
UMaine, which is 1-4 in the Coastal Athletic Association, has three games left, beginning with a Saturday game against Rhode Island (4-4, 1-3) at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, which is serving as a temporary home for the Rams while Meade Stadium is undergoing a $42 million renovation.
The Black Bears will then travel to Albany (5-3, 3-1) before hosting an equally disappointing UNH team that is 2-7 and 1-4.
The battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket will supply either UMaine or UNH with the highlight of their season.