It’s amazing how much things can change in the course of a year.

Last season, the University of Maine football team went into postseason play with more questions than answers.

“Last year was the great unknown and we got a great win at McNeese and it was achieving at something that we had never encountered before,” said coach Jack Cosgrove.

This week, the Black Bears are preparing for their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA national quarterfinals.

UMaine improved to 11-2, the most wins in school history, by virtue of Saturday’s 14-13 victory at Appalachian State.

The Bears, ranked as high as No. 5 in the final regular-season polls, are now putting together a game plan to tackle No. 2 Georgia Southern (10-2) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga.

Georgia Southern is among the premier I-AA programs in the country. The Eagles have won six national championships, the last in 2000. GSU has won nine straight and 45 of its last 47 at home.

“We’re one of eight teams left in the country playing [I-AA] football. Life couldn’t get any better for us,” Cosgrove said. “We get to compete against a nationally recognized program. We’re gonna be excited all week long getting ready for this thing.”

While UMaine would have loved to host a playoff game, the NCAA didn’t deem it worthy. Instead, the Bears will head back on the road, where they have developed an impressive reputation.

The Bears have learned to win away from home the last two seasons. UMaine has won 11 of its last 14 games away from Alfond Stadium. Prior to beating Northeastern at Boston on Oct. 13, 2001, the Bears had dropped five straight road games.

This season alone, UMaine is 7-1 outside Orono, including a sparkling 6-0 record in contests to which the team has taken a plane flight.

TV possible for Maine-GSU game

Last weekend, UMaine football fans had only one option to follow the Black Bears’ NCAA football playoff game at Appalachian State live: Bangor radio station WZON.

This week, there is a chance Saturday’s UMaine-Georgia Southern game at Statesboro, Ga., could wind up on local television.

However, Steve Hiltz, program director at WABI-TV in Bangor, said Monday it was premature to discuss whether Channel 5 might be trying to make arrangements to air the game or whether it would submit a bid to the NCAA for the rights to do such a broadcast.

Last season, WABI successfully bid for and broadcast UMaine’s second-round game at Northern Iowa. Channel 5 provided its own on-air talent, but used Iowa-based production people and equipment.

That contest also aired on WAGM (Ch. 8) in Presque Isle and WMTW (Ch. 8) of Portland.

Youth movement continues

What continues to amaze Cosgrove about his own team is how successful the team has been despite the relative youth of the squad. Among the 22 positional starters in Saturday’s game, there were only five seniors and four juniors.

The remaining 13 positions were held down by a group of 11 sophomores and a lone freshman.

“When we visited with [Appalachian State] coach [Jerry] Moore, he couldn’t believe how young our football team was,” said Cosgrove, who credits his seven seniors with providing exceptional leadership.

“They know how to play with heart and they know how to never quit until the thing’s over,” Cosgrove said. “I think that gets passed down from class to class and our young guys are learning it.”

Third down a success at ASU

Since the loss of starting quarterback Jake Eaton during the first half of the Nov. 16 game at Richmond, the Bears offense had struggled on third-down plays.

Going into the ASU contest, UMaine had converted only eight of 28 third-down plays (28 percent) in its previous two games. However, the Jon Meczywor-led Bears made good on eight of 16 third-down situations against the Mountaineers.

ASU, by contrast, was 1-for-12 on third down.

Bears end red-zone streak

The UMaine football team on Saturday ended a seven-year streak of scoring at least once on “red-zone” opportunities.

The Bears entered the red zone (inside the opponent’s 20-yard line) only once, and had their field-goal attempt blocked. UMaine had not failed to score from inside the red zone since a 61-0 loss to Delaware on Oct. 28, 1995.