ORONO – As the University of Maine football team headed out to the practice field Monday evening, the top two running backs on the team were first-year players.

Ninth-year coach Jack Cosgrove isn’t panicking, but with only 12 days left until the Sept. 8 season opener against Colgate, injuries and illness have further taxed an already depleted tailback corps.

Senior Royston English came into camp as the only UMaine tailback with game experience. As the Black Bears move into their second week of double sessions, the veteran has not practiced for several days because of migraine headaches and problems with dehydration.

English, who led the Bears with 666 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns last season, is expected to be evaluated by a doctor today in hopes of identifying his malady. He was a preseason All-America honorable mention by Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette.

Cosgrove and his staff had high hopes for redshirt freshman tailback James Henry, but the 5-foot-9, 203-pounder suffered a separated left shoulder during an Aug. 19 practice and is expected to miss another three or four weeks.

UMaine’s depth was severely thinned last spring when No. 2 rusher Marquisse Silva (372 yards) and backup Calvin Hunter of Auburn left school.

Enter rookies Marcus Williams and Onyi Momah.

“I think they did a pretty decent job [in Sunday’s scrimmage],” Cosgrove said. “If they go out there and don’t perform, you start to wonder about their ability. We’re not wondering about anybody’s ability right now.”

The 17-year-old Williams (5-10, 205) is a shifty runner who has been practicing well.

“Marcus is a guy who’s got some talent,” Cosgrove said. “He is somebody that’s a little further ahead in experience than Onyi, and it shows.”

Momah (6-1, 210) has played only one year of organized football, but continues to exhibit tremendous natural ability.

“He’s really impressed us. He’s got a gift for this,” Cosgrove said. “We’re working on bringing it all out. He’s a bigger kid with a more physical approach.

“The thing that’s most exciting about them is how coachable they are and how they work,” Cosgrove said. “This is tough. This is all new to them.”

In the event English isn’t ready for the opener, Cosgrove said both Momah and Williams are expected to share tailback duties.

“We didn’t feel like we might be using them at this juncture, but we are,” Cosgrove said. “I think you have to use them both. I don’t think it’s fair to either one of them to expect them to be a workhorse. Obviously we’re hoping to get Royston back and get Jimmy back as soon as possible.”

Lack of experienced depth could be an issue at quarterback, where junior Jake Eaton is gearing up for his third season as the Bears’ starter.

Eaton, also a Hansen’s preseason All-America honorable mention, passed for 2,265 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall. His .659 completion percentage (184-for-279) established a school record and ranked him first in the Atlantic 10 and third in the nation among Division I-AA signal callers.

“Jake had an exceptional scrimmage [Sunday],” Cosgrove said. “He keeps getting better and marching on and leading this football team.”

There are two players bidding to become Eaton’s backup. Jon Meczywor (6-5, 222) would appear to have the upper hand after redshirting last season. He’s a big guy with a good arm.

But promising freshman Chris Legree, a mobile 5-11, 190-pounder in the mold of former Bears QB Emilio Colon, also has impressed.

Neither will displace Eaton, but each must be ready to step in if needed. Both continue to demonstrate improvement.

“Their performances [Sunday] were uplifting,” Cosgrove said. “It wasn’t just statistics. It was huddle discipline, field presence, field general type of things that have got to be part of a quarterback.”

UMaine has tentatively scheduled its third and final preseason intrasquad scrimmage for Thursday evening at Alfond Stadium, but the time has not been firmed up.