ORONO – Sunny, clear skies, temperatures still hovering around 90 degrees, and high humidity.

Not exactly football weather at Alfond Stadium on Tuesday, but it felt absolutely perfect for the 10 University of Maine football coaches directing preseason practice and the 90 players who were being put through their paces on the warm artificial turf.

“Anytime we can get back on the field and get down and dirty a little bit, it’s fun,” said senior co-captain Ben Lazarski. “The heat’s been more of a factor just walking around on campus. Besides, it’s more of a dry heat now and we haven’t had any bugs yet.”

Judging by the way they handled their drills on the second day of camp and first day involving contact, there weren’t too many bugs in the Black Bears’ execution either.

“I think we’re starting off a lot quicker. I don’t remember starting off as well the last two or three years as we have this year,” said Lazarski, the team’s center and one of two returning offensive line starters.

This year’s Black Bear squad features plenty of new faces with an incoming freshman class numbering 33.

“It’s a lot like it was for us in 2001. We had to go out and recruit a large first-year class and we’ve done that again,” said head coach Jack Cosgrove. “That was a breakout year for us and we hope this one can be as well.

“Right now it’s about bringing this football team together with a group of veterans who’ve been here a number of years with a brand-spanking new group of kids who don’t know anything about what we do and are learning for the first time. Making that happen in a short period of time is a challenge. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Players like defensive end Josh Caldwell of Brewer started getting some of that work in as soon as summer began. The junior (sophomore, eligibility-wise) hopes this is a breakout season for himself.

“The expectations are higher. I expect a lot more of myself as well as the team,” Caldwell said. “It’s time to do something. I’ve been working out hard and hopefully this year, I’ll see some playing time at D-end and have an impact somewhere.”

With 24 days remaining to prepare for their Sept. 3 season opener on the road against Division I and Big 12 Conference power Nebraska, the Bears will need several players like Caldwell to make an impact.

Lazarski is optimistic.

“The new tailbacks are looking fast and crisp and I can’t remember a year where the young O-linemen tested out so well in the weight room,” he said. “We have one of the best-conditioned young guys I’ve seen in a lot of years.”

Conditioning is something sixth-year senior Jarrod Gomes has paid special attention to this offseason. After missing each of the last two seasons with injuries (a torn posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his knee in 2003 and a torn labrum muscle in his shoulder last year), Gomes is determined to finish his college career on a positive note.

“I pretty much focused a lot on conditioning and lifting, but not lifting really heavy weights. I’ve been running a lot too,” said Gomes, who is working on a business degree to go with his teaching (physical education/kinesiology) degree. “I’m fortunate they took me back the last two years because they could have released me if they wanted, and they’re still paying for my education, which is a plus.”

The Bolton, Mass., native – who was third on the team in solo tackles and fifth in total tackles in 2002 after starting all 14 games at cornerback – plans to reward UMaine for its faith in him this fall.

“I can’t believe how much our program has grown since I first got here,” said Gomes, one of a handful of players on the team with two championship rings (for Atlantic 10 titles in 2001 and 2002). “I never even imagined going down to Mississippi State or have that kind of challenge available to us. Now we’re getting ready to play Nebraska. It’s unreal how far we’ve come.”