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2008 Maine Football Spring Prospectus
April 8, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
Please click on the link above for the entire 2008 Maine Football Spring Prospectus. The University of Maine football team kicks off its 2008 spring practice season on Thursday morning from 5:45-8:30 in Alfond Stadium. It will be the first of 15 sessions for the Black Bears throughout the month of April and early part of May. The highlight of the spring schedule will be the Fourth Annual Jeff Cole Memorial Spring Scrimmage on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m., in Alfond Stadium. The event is free and open to the public to attend. 2008 SPRING SCHEDULE Thursday, April 10 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Friday, April 11 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Saturday, April 12 ... Alfond Stadium (8:45-11:15 a.m.) Tuesday, April 15 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Wednesday, April 16 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Friday, April 18 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Saturday, April 19 ... Alfond Stadium (8:45-11:15 a.m.) Tuesday, April 22 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Wednesday, April 23 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Friday, April 25 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Saturday, April 26 ... Fourth Annual Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage (Alfond Stadium, 10 a.m.) Tuesday, April 29 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Wednesday, April 30 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Thursday, May 1 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) Friday, May 2 ... Alfond Stadium (5:45-8:30 a.m.) **Dates and times subject to change MAINE SET TO BEGIN 117th SEASON OF FOOTBALL Maine enters its 117th season of intercollegiate football in 2008 with an all-time record of 468-447-38 (.513). TWELVE-GAME SCHEDULE IN 2008 Maine will play 12 regular season games this fall, marking the most games the Black Bears have played in a season since the 2003 campaign when they also played 12 contests. The season is extended to 12 games this year due to 14 Saturdays falling on the calendar between the first permissible playing date (Saturday, Aug. 30) to the last permissible playing date (Saturday, Nov. 22) of the regular season. A LOT OF STARTING EXPERIENCE RETURNS IN 2008 Maine returns 22 players who started at least one game during the 2007 season. In all, the 22 players combined for 163 starts last season. POSITION CHANGES Only three Black Bears switched positions during the offseason, as those three included: Jordan Stevens (LB-to-DE); Lamir Whetstone (CB-to-FS); and Levi Ervin (S-to-LB). PASSING GAME RETURNS NEARLY INTACT IN 2008 The Black Bear passing attack should continue to build off the success it tasted near the end of last season, as the team returns both quarterbacks and 72.5 percent of its pass receptions from 2007. Sophomore Adam Farkes and junior Michael Brusko will battle it out for the starting quarterback spot. Brusko led Maine to three wins last season, while Farkes led the Black Bears to a come-from-behind 20-14 win at Northeastern. Farkes started the middle six games of the season as he began to develop a strong repoire with wideout Landis Williams. Williams led the team in receptions (38), yards (481), average yards per catch (12.7) and touchdowns (6). Five of his six touchdown receptions went for at least 20 yards. Maine returns three of its top four pass catchers from a season ago. RUNNING GAME BOLSTERED BY THE RETURN OF FLUELLEN Tailback Jhamal Fluellen returns for his senior season in 2008, and will be looking to build off one of the most productive seasons by a running back in school history. Fluellen earned 2007 Third-Team All-CAA honors after he rushed for 1,052 yards, thus becoming just the eighth back in school history to top 1,000 yards on the ground in a season. Backing up Fluellen will be sophomore Jermaine Henderson, who saw extensive over the final few games of 2007. He rushed for 51 yards in back-to-back games versus Rhode Island and Towson, while also registering his first career touchdown -- the eventual game-winning score against the Tigers. The backs will run behind an offensive line that returns a pair of starters, including Second-Team All-CAA pick Ryan Canary (C). The Black Bear O-line paved the way for Maine to finish fourth in the league in rushing in 2007. DEFENSIVE LINE FEATURES THREE RETURNING STARTERS Maine's defensive line has been a strong reason why the Black Bears have finished in the top third nationally in total defense in each of the past three seasons. The unit will benefit from the return of three starters, including Jovan Belcher (All-America DE), Jonathan Pirruccello (NT) and Jordan Stevens (DE, moving from LB). Belcher led the CAA in sacks and tackles for loss last season. LINEBACKING CORPS LOADED WITH EXPERIENCE A trio of upperclassmen will man the three linebacker spots in 2008, including Sean Wasson (Sr., Mike LB), Andrew Downey (Sr., Backer LB) and Mark Masterson (Jr., Rover LB). Downey earned all-conference honors for the second-straight year in 2007, while Masterson started four games. Wasson, who saw a lot of playing time in his first two seasons, missed most of last season with a hand injury. SECONDARY FEATURES SEVEN RETURNING STARTERS Maine's defensive secondary is by far the deepest unit on the team as it features seven players who have starting experience in their careers. Senior Lionel Nixon Jr. and junior Steven Barker are projected as the starters at the cornerback spots. Nixon was having an all-conference type year in 2007 before suffering an injury in mid-season. Senior Lamir Whetstone moves from corner to free safety where he will compete with classmate Jonathan Calderon. Both players have been mainstays in the starting lineups since their sophomore seasons. Brandon McLaughlin is the returning starter at strong safety, but will battle Troy Harris for the starting spot. Both players waged a strong battle for the starting spot last season before McLaughlin was named the starter. The other corners that saw extensive action late last season were Derrick Harris (6 starts) and Dominic Cusano (1 start). KIEFER ONLY RETURNING KICKING SPECIALIST Punter Kash Kiefer returns for his final campaign in 2008 as the team's lone returning kicking specialist. He ranked fifth in the CAA in punting last season and set the school record for the longest punt when he boomed an 82-yarder at Villanova. The return game will feature Lamir Whetstone, who got the 2007 season started with a 69-yard kickoff return in the opener versus Monmouth. He also returned a kickoff 59 yards in the third quarter against Northeastern, which led to the Black Bears' eventual game-winning touchdown drive. Landis Williams will also see time as a punt and kick returner. BLACK BEARS OPEN WITH IOWA Maine will open its 2008 season by traveling to Iowa City to face Big Ten-foe Iowa on Aug. 30. It marks the fifth-straight season and the seventh time overall the Black Bears will be taking on a Division I FBS opponent. Maine is 1-5 all-time against FBS schools, including a 9-7 win over SEC-opponent Mississippi State in 2004. The Black Bears faced Big East-foe Connecticut last season and dropped a 38-0 decision to the Huskies in Hartford, Conn. Iowa is led by head coach Kirk Ferentz, who served in the same capactiy at Maine from 1990-92. Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove served as Ferentz' offensive coordinator in Orono during those three seasons. Maine assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Robb Smith was a graduate assistant on Ferentz' staff at Iowa from 1999-2001. NEW OPPONENTS Iowa and Iona will become the 89th and 90th different opponents to face Maine in the program's 117th season. FIELD TURF UPDATE A new playing surface, FieldTurf, will be installed in Alfond Stadium following the conclusion of spring practice. The surface will be put in place for the start of the 2008 season and the opener on Sept. 13 versus Stony Brook. BY THE NUMBERS 1...rank by Jovan Belcher in the CAA for sacks and tackles for loss last season. 1...win away from Jack Cosgrove becoming the all-time wins leader in program history with 81 victories. 2...All-America honors awarded to Jovan Belcher in 2007. He earned second-team honors from the Associated Press and third-team honors from The Sports Network. 2...consecutive seasons with a Black Bear registering double-digit sacks (Matt King with 11.5 in 2006; Jovan Belcher with 10.0 in 2007). 2...consecutive seasons that Maine has finished in the top 15 nationally in sacks. 3...consecutive seasons that Maine has ranked in the top third nationally in total defense. 3...of Maine's top four receivers from last season return, including Landis Williams, who led the team in receptions (38), receiving yards (481), average yards per catch (12.7) and touchdowns (6). 4...consecutive seasons that senior Christopher Arnao enters as a starter on the offensive line. 6...career 100-yard rushing games for Jhamal Fluellen. 6...defensive players who ranked in the top 50 in the CAA in tackles in 2007, which was the most in the league. 7...former Black Bears on 2007 NFL rosters, which was the most for any Division I FCS team in the nation. 7...rank by Jovan Belcher in the NCAA for sacks in 2007. 8...of Maine's top 10 tacklers from last season return. 9...rank by Jhamal Fluellen in school history for most rushing yards in a season with 1,052 in 2007. 22...consecutive games started at center by senior Ryan Canary. 26.5...tackles for loss that Jovan Belcher has in his career. 28..."Big Plays" turned in by Maine over the final six games of the 2007 season, after converting just eight through the first five games. 72.5...percentage of pass receptions returning to the offense this fall. 82...punt by Kash Kiefer versus Villanova last season, which is the longest punt in school history. 84...touchdown pass from Michael Brusko to Jhamal Fluellen versus New Hampshire last season, which tied the school record for longest pass reception. 94.7...percentage of rushing yards returning to the Maine offense this season. The Black Bears return 1,878 of 1,984 rushing yards from its players in 2007. Team rushing was not calculated into the equation. 222...yards needed for Jhamal Fluellen to top 2,000 all-purpose yards for his career. 462...rushing yards needed by Jhamal Fluellen to move into the top 10 in school history for career rushing yards. Ed Bogdanovich (1951-53) is 10th with 1,764 yards.
468...wins in program history over 116 seasons.
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