STATESBORO, Ga. – With some peeks of sunshine and temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Friday afternoon, the University of Maine football team appeared relieved to be back outside.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s fifth-ranked Black Bears (11-2), who were preparing for today’s NCAA Division I-AA national quarterfinal game against No. 2 Georgia Southern (10-2), had not been outside since last Saturday’s 14-13 victory at Appalachian State.

UMaine opted for safety and comfort during the week, especially after Morse Field was not cleared of snow until Wednesday. Even then, the surface remained slippery and unfit for practice.

“It’s dangerous on the turf, it’s icy,” Cosgrove said Wednesday.

The Bears were forced to make do inside the field house, where the cramped quarters created some limitations on what the team could accomplish during practice. The UMaine staff made sure players were careful to avoid accidents.

From the offensive perspective, the biggest difficulty was running longer pass plays. The Bears spent a fair amount of time running through those plays during Friday’s practice.

“It made it difficult because we weren’t able to throw the ball and that’s the No. 1 thing [quarterback] Jon [Meczywor] needs right now,” said offensive coordinator Bobby Wilder. “We had to do it today, because the kids need their timing.”

Likewise, the defense wasn’t able to work on defending Georgia Southern’s dangerous play-action pass while cooped up in the field house.

“They only throw the ball maybe six times a game, so as long as we’re disciplined with that, we’ll be in good shape,” said defensive coordinator Rich Nagy, who mentioned the toned-down indoor practices also helped the Bears heal up a little bit.

And some of the players really didn’t mind practicing inside, where the temperature was a lot closer to what they’ll encounter here.

“When we’re outside, a lot of the guys, all they can think of is the cold, and I won’t lie, I’m one of them,” said junior Dennis Dottin-Carter. “It’s real hard to concentrate out there. When we’re inside in the field house, it’s a lot warmer, people can actually focus on what they’re doing and get some work done.”

Southbound

The UMaine contingent was late leaving Bangor International Airport Friday morning after an electrical problem delayed departure by about 20 minutes.

However, the aircraft was rolling on the tarmac at 10:21 and the remainder of the flight went smoothly. The team arrived in Statesboro about 15 minutes behind schedule for its 3 p.m. practice on Bryant Field at Paulson Stadium.

UMaine got in a 90-minute workout, feeling its way around the field. Today marks only the third time the Bears have played on grass this season.

Bears get a look at ‘Our House’

Having left the chilly temperatures and snow behind, the Black Bears were treated to milder weather in Statesboro.

Temperatures hovered around 50 degrees during practice, which was held on Georgia Southern’s Bermuda Tift natural grass field. Despite some rain Thursday, the turf appeared to be in pretty good shape for Saturday’s game.

Paulson Stadium was somewhat reminiscent of McNeese State’s Cowboy Stadium, the site of last season’s first-round victory. The facility is situated down in a natural “bowl” with the stands cut into sloping hills on both sides. The field is crowned substantially to shed water.

The Eagles refer to the stadium as “Our House,” which might have something to do with the fact Georgia Southern boasts a tradition of success at home, where it has won 47 of its last 47 games.

Resting up for the game

The Bears had a small group of players who took it easy during Friday’s practice in the hope they would be as healthy as possible for today’s game.

Senior free safety Dave Cusano, who injured his right shoulder against Appalachian State; Brendan McGowan, who missed last week’s game with a left knee strain; and cornerback Devon Goree (shoulder) were among those who played it safe.

Eaton’s condition improving

UMaine senior quarterback Jake Eaton appears to have made tremendous progress during the last week as he recovers from a completely torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Eaton, UMaine’s starter for the last three-plus seasons, was hurt during the Bears’ Nov. 16 victory at Richmond. While he has not yet practiced with the team, Eaton has begun doing some jogging and throwing on his own.

Eaton spent some time Friday jogging up the stadium steps under the guidance of UMaine trainer Paul Culina. That caught the eye of starting QB Jon Meczywor, who has led the Bears to victory in their last two games.

Eaton also did some step-up exercises on the bleachers and some stride work down on the sidelines. He said Thursday night that he has been fine running straight ahead, but that his lateral movement is limited.

The key is to make sure pain and swelling remain at a minimum.

Though Eaton is not expected to play against Georgia Southern, he is holding out hope he might make a comeback attempt if the Bears can advance to the national semifinals next week.

Icy inspiration

The nearly one-hour ride from the airport in Savannah to Statesboro gave the defensive team bus the chance to watch a bit of inspiration.

The defense watched a video chronicling the rise to prominence of the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 United States men’s ice hockey team. The underdog U.S. squad, made up mostly of college-age players, stunned world power Russia in the medal round before going on to capture the gold medal.