CEDAR FALLS, IOWA -- This time, there's no hope for a surprise anything.

The University of Maine football team was beaten soundly by Northern Iowa by a score of 40-15 in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs on Saturday night.

And so ends the 2008 season for this plucky team.

Maine (8-5) was outmatched on both sides of the ball allowing 422 total yards to the Panthers offense, while picking up just 264.

The Panthers pulled away in the second quarter on two long touchdown passes - a 42 and 55 yarder respectively.

It's 38 degrees and cloudy here in Cedar Falls, Iowa - five minutes from the Maine-Northern Iowa kickoff.

Here in theUNI-Dome though it feels about 60, 65 degrees.

No TV coverage of the game, but you can find a link to the internet broadcast at
www.goblackbears.com or on the Panthers website.

If you can't get enough, here's what the local Iowa papers have written about today's game:

Here's a business story about UNI's bid to host a playoff game in the Des Moines Register.

Continue reading "Ready for some football?"

Posted by Jenn Menendez at 12:46 PM
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Maine's defensive end who's been called a "game wrecker" was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

Jovan Belcher led the CAA in tackles for loss with 15.5, and ranked second in sacks with 7.5.

He is just the second Black Bear in program history to earn the prestigious distinction. Former standout Stephen Cooper, a starting linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, won the award in 2001 and 2002.

This story keeps getting better.

Maine football defied some pretty long-shot odds to crack the 16-team NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff field on Sunday night.

Maine (8-4, 5-3 CAA) will face No. 3 seed Northern Iowa (10-2) in a dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Saturday at 5:05 p.m. - returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

ORONO -- The University of Maine's regular season ended with a 28-24 loss to rival New Hampshire Saturday in blustery, snowy conditions.

The Wildcats used a late game-winning drive that came on the heels of a Maine touchdown called back on a holding penalty.

The win is expected to send the Wildcats (9-2, 6-0 CAA) into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, and most likely keep Maine (8-4, 5-3) out.

By 4 p.m. the UMaine marketing department had sold 4,000 tickets for Maine's showdown with rival New Hampshire at noon on Saturday.

The school was running a $5 ticket promotion that boosted its usual pre-sale. The promo ended at 4.

Officials expect another 2,000 students, and a walk-up crowd to swell the crowd above 6,000.

The game will go down as one of the biggest in Black Bear football history.

Maine (8-3, 5-2 CAA) moved up to No. 17 in the Sports Network FCS College Football Poll after Saturday's 37-7 win over Rhode Island.

Maine was the No. 21 ranked team last Monday following a 21-20 win at Massachusetts Saturday afternoon.

Prior to that the Black Bears were hadn't cracked the top-25 since Oct. 23, 2006 when they peaked at No. 15 before losing three of the last four games.

Bowdoin field hockey star Lindsay McNamara has been named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second season.

McNamara is Bowdoin's all-time leading scorer with 88 career goals, enough to rank her 12th in Division III history.

Maine is now the No. 21 ranked team in the nation according to the Sports Network FCS College Football Poll following a 21-20 win at Massachusetts Saturday afternoon.

The Black Bears were unranked previously, and haven't cracked the top-25 since 2006 when they peaked at No. 15 on Oct. 23 before dropping three of the last four games.

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Black Bears pulled off a 21-20 upset of nationally ranked Massachusetts Saturday afternoon.

The Minutemen put together two quick second half strikes that tied the game 14-14. Maine responded with a 3-yard run by Jared Turcotte, and UMass missed the extra point on its next touchdown, leaving Maine with a 21-20 lead.

Two late interceptions by Andrew Downey and Lamir Whetstone kept Massachusetts off the scoreboard agian.

From earlier:
Maine pounded out 194 rushing yards in the first half, and capped two long drives with with scores to lead 14-0 at halftime over Massachusetts.

Maine rushing stats at the half:

Pushaun Brown 52 yards on 6 carries
Derek Session 47 yards on 8 carries, including a 2-yard score
Jhamal Fluellen 42 yards on 4 carries, including a 26-yard score
Jared Turcotte 36 yards on 4 carries

ORONO -- Maine quarterback Adam Farkes will be out for the remainder of the football season, and undergo a second surgery on his left shoulder following advice from his doctor.

Farkes injured his left shoulder against Delaware on Oct. 11. His original prognosis was four-to-six weeks. That was shortened to three-to-four weeks, until his doctor advised against it this week.

Farkes first had surgery on the same non-throwing left arm last winter.

"After Delaware I'd been re-habbing slowly," said Farkes. "I wanted to get some better news, but. . ."

The Maine football team got 181 votes in the "Others receiving votes" section of the Sports Network FCS poll this week following a 55-7 win over Iona.

It's the clsoest Maine has been to the top-25 in at least two seasons.

Maine plays No. 13 UMass on Saturday, heads to Rhode Island Nov. 15 and ends the regular season with No. 8 New Hamsphire on Nov. 22.

Things feel a little different around the football stadium in Orono this November.

The University of Maine - 6-3, 3-2 CAA - will head into its final three games with a shot at making the playoffs for the first time in two years.

Maine won its fourth straight on Saturday with a 55-7 win over Iona at Alfond Stadium.