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Every year, regardless of where the University of Maine football team is in the Atlantic 10 standings or the national rankings, it has a big game to which it can look forward.
Today, for the 93rd time since 1903, the 22nd-ranked Black Bears clash with league and border rival New Hampshire.
Maine (7-4) at New Hampshire (4-7), noon, Mooradian Field, Cowell Stadium, Durham, N.H.
The spoils in the nation’s 13th-longest Division I-AA rivalry for the last 56 years is the Brice-Cowell Musket. The .65-caliber flintlock rifle, made in Falmouth around 1700, is awarded in honor of former UMaine coach “Foxy” Fred Brice and former UNH coach Bill Cowell.
“We have the Brice-Cowell Musket sitting in our locker room that’s been there a number of years and we do not intend to let it go anywhere else,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove.
The musket, which occupied its own hotel room Friday night, helps motivate a 7-4 UMaine team that will try to reach the eight-win mark for the third straight season. The Bears are holding out hope a victory might also keep them in consideration for a I-AA playoff at-large berth.
It likely will be the final game for eight UMaine seniors.
A UMaine defense that leads the Atlantic 10 while allowing only 289 yards per game must try to slow a Wildcat offense that has averaged 32.6 points and 406 ypg. The Bears, led by safety Brandon McGowan (71 tackles) and linebackers Jermaine Walker (69) and Fred Lazo (67), will deal with an explosive UNH squad that pulls out all the stops trying to get points on the scoreboard.
The ‘Cats are led by quarterback Mike Granieri, the A-10 leader in total offense at 261 ypg (211 passing, 50 rushing). His 23 TD passes rank second in the A-10.
R.J. Harvey is another run threat (57 ypg) for UNH. A deep receiver corps includes Jon Williams (38 receptions, 396 yards, 4 TDs) and David Bailey (37 rec., 499 yds., 4 TDs), who also is a dangerous kick returner.
On offense, the Bears will attempt to blend the running of tailback Marcus Williams and the passing of freshman QB Ron Whitcomb against a defense that has surrendered a league-worst 32.1 ppg while allowing 428 ypg.
Williams is the A-10’s leading rusher at 124 ypg and needs 25 yards to move into third place on UMaine’s career rushing list. Whitcomb, who has thrown for 1,996 yards and 18 TDs on 58 percent accuracy, has been intercepted only once in his last six contests, a string of 158 attempts.
The Bears’ top receiving threats are Ryan Waller (50 rec., 487 yds., 5 TDs), Christian Pereira (38 rec., 622 yds., 10 TDs), and Kevin McMahan (25 rec., 408 yds., 2 TDs).
UMaine looks to continue the trend of having the highest time of possession in the league (32 minutes, 43 seconds). New Hampshire’s defensive leaders are linebacker Chris Robinson (130 tackles), safety Aaron Thomas (108), and end George Peterson (47, 13.5 for negative yardage).
The Bears have won three in a row and four of the last five against the Wildcats.
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