Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 1 Depth Chart

What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s 11 Week 1 opponents?

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Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 1 Depth Chart


What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s 11 Week 1 opponents?


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What to keep in mind before kickoff.

Cal Poly (link to game notes, depth chart on page 11)

What stands out: The Mustangs have a couple of solid defensive pieces, most notably defensive end Eljiah Ponder, and they’ll hope that sophomore Robbie Greer can bookend Ponder’s production at the other edge spot.

Why that could be important: Cal Poly’s pass rush wasn’t a particularly strong one in 2021, as the team had just 22 sacks, tied for tenth among teams in the Big Sky. Ponder had eight by himself, so the 6-foot-6, 250 pound Greer, who got his first taste of action as a true freshman in the spring season last year but redshirted during the fall, will be expected to do his part in taking down Jake Haener.

Portland State (link to game notes, depth chart on page 13)

What stands out: Dante Chachere is tasked with replacing Davis Alexander, one of the best quarterbacks in Portland State football history.

Why that could be important: Alexander had a lot of moxie and, more importantly, knew how to produce, doing so to the tune of 294.5 yards of total offense per game last year. The sophomore Chachere, after winning the competition over Jaden Casey, is a Fresno native who has earned a lot of praise throughout the offense for his growth as a potential dual-threat quarterback. His homecoming will be a test of how true that is.

Texas State (link to depth chart)

What stands out: As the Bobcats already return more than half of last year’s starters on both sides of the ball, there weren’t a ton of roles for players to step up and claim but nickelback Jarron Morris, who’s actually reclaiming a spot, could be the rare exception.

Why that could be important: Texas State’s secondary got picked on quite a bit last year, allowing a completion rate of 65.4% while interceptions just three passes all season. It could be in part because they missed Morris, a second-team all-Sun Belt defender who played in only one full game before a hip injury cost him the entire season. If he’s back in form, the Bobcats will be that much better for it.

Michigan (link to discussion of depth chart)

What stands out: The Wolverines will have work to do in replacing Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, but one surprising entry that will be part of the cohort to do so is true freshman Mason Graham.

Why that could be important: A two-way player who also wrestled at California’s Servite High School, Graham won’t have to do everything by himself with veterans like Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins back, as well. At 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds, though, Graham could disrupt Colorado State’s best laid plans from the point of attack if the Rams aren’t ready.

Northern Iowa (link to overview of team depth)

What stands out: The Panthers found themselves having to replace a first-round NFL Draft pick this summer, but Matthew Vanderslice emerged as Trevor Penning’s successor throughout the off-season.

Why that could be important: Vanderslice isn’t completely new to the starting lineup, having made two starts in 2019, three in spring 2020 and three last fall, but you could make a reasonable case that no one else mentioned in this article has bigger shoes to fill.

The upside? Vanderslice is a pretty big dude himself, listed at 6-foot-8 and 318 pounds on the UNI roster. If he can protect Theo Day’s blind side half as well as Penning did, Air Force could be in for a much tougher fight than expected.

Arizona (link to depth chart)

What stands out: The Wildcats aren’t wasting any time throwing true freshman Tetairoa McMillan into the mix, starting opposite UTEP transfer Jacob Cowing and sophomore Dorian Singer.

Why that could be important: McMillan is the highest-ranked recruit that Arizona has ever landed, a five-star prospect according to some sites, and at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, it’s not hard to see why. We know that Cowing is one of the nation’s premier deep threats, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of role Jedd Fisch carves out for his off-season’s biggest prize.

New Mexico Football: First Look At The Maine Black Bears

The Lobos will open their 2022 football season against a Maine squad that’s tougher than you think.


New Mexico Football: First Look At The Maine Black Bears


The Lobos will open their 2022 football season against a Maine squad that’s tougher than you think.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Maine is starting a new chapter of its own.

The New Mexico Lobos will begin year three of the Danny Gonzales era at home against the Maine Black Bears, an opponent who will be searching for improvements of its own this fall.

Since winning the CAA conference in 2018, the program stagnated in the last few years and has played roughly .500 ball in the last three seasons. With a new head coach in the mix, however, the Black Bears won’t be afraid of an early road test.

Location: Orono, Maine

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association

Series History: This will be the first meeting between New Mexico and Maine.

2021 Record: 6-5 (4-4 CAA)

Head Coach: Jordan Stevens (first year). After losing Nick Charlton to UConn this off-season, the Black Bears didn’t have to look too far to find his replacement in early December.

This will be Stevens’s first stint as a head coach, but he’s a former Black Bear player who first cut his teeth on Maine’s sidelines as a defensive line coach after wrapping up his playing days. He then left for Yale in 2015 and was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2018, just in time to help guide the Bulldogs to its 16th Ivy League title the following year.

They remained stingy upon returning to play in 2021, finishing 16th among FCS teams in allowing 4.72 yards per play while leading the country with a third-down conversion rate of just 22.1%. Surely, that made putting in a call to New Haven a pretty easy choice.

Key Players

Michael Gerace, OL

One of two Maine players to be named a first-team all-CAA selection last season, Gerace is one of the longest-tenured Black Bears on the roster. He’s appeared in 39 games since 2018, including 35 starts, and set a new personal best in 2021 with a 73.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the eighth-best mark among FCS centers.

Freddie Brock, RB

After getting his feet wet during the FCS’s 2021 spring season, Brock emerged as one of the CAA’s top young running backs in the fall. He led the Black Bears with ten total touchdowns on the strength of 857 all-purpose yards, so chances are he’ll continue to be a focal point of the Maine offense.

Shakur Smalls, SS

Smalls impressed in his first extended run as a starter, tying for the team lead with six pass breakups to go along with 53 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he also accrued a pass-coverage grade of 76.4, meaning that there’s plenty of room for growth.

Khairi Manns, DL

If you’ll pardon a pun, Manns has almost done enough between the Black Bears’ spring and fall seasons last year to be… Maine’s main man. Once the groans have subsided, just make note that he’s already racked up nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 15 games.

Joe Fagnano, QB

Fagnano only got to play in four games last fall because he suffered a high ankle sprain that knocked out him for most of the year, but there’s no doubt he’s a difference maker when healthy. In sixteen career games, he owns a 62% completion rate and has thrown for 3,424 yards and 31 touchdowns, with an interception rate of just 1.5%.

Need more proof? In his last two starts of 2021, Fagnano led Maine to a 25-point win over UMass and then rallied the team from an early 13-point deficit to defeat rival New Hampshire.

Overview:

Offense

Fagnano’s absence did a number on Maine’s entire offense last fall, especially since backup quarterback Derek Robertson only completed 50.8% of his throws and averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt. As a result, the Black Bears managed just 5.27 yards per play and scored 25 points per game.

Assuming a clean bill of health, though, Maine could rebound with Fagnano and Brock in the backfield, though the offense must find a way to replace their top two pass catchers, including all-conference wide receiver Andre Miller. Senior tight end Shawn Bowman (24 catches, 282 yards, four TDs) should help fill some of that void, but more will be expected of veterans like Montigo Moss, Jacob Hennie, and Zavier Scott.

Defense

The famed “Black Hole” defense was merely okay in 2021, allowing 27 points a game while giving up 5.94 yards per play. However, those averages ranked 10th and 11th, respectively, in the CAA and Stevens’s return as head coach almost certainly signals an intent of return to prominence on this side of the ball.

Despite the loss of star linebacker Ray Miller, Maine isn’t empty-handed on defense. Manns and the linebacker pair of Xavier Nurse and Adrian Otero (123 combined tackles, 6.5 combined TFLs) give them reliable veterans in the front seven, while Smalls and Robbie Riobe provide a solid safety tandem. They also return cornerback Buggs Brown, who led the team with three interceptions as a freshman and figured to be integral to the defense’s future after cracking the starting lineup in the second half of last season.

Early Prediction

The Black Bears won’t be the toughest FCS squad that a Mountain West team faces this season, but they have enough talent to pose a reasonable test for New Mexico. However, the Lobos should have enough on offense to take advantage of a Maine defense that wasn’t especially adept at anything last season and now must improve without a number of key contributors.

New Mexico 27, Maine 17

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UMass vs Maine Prediction, Game Preview

UMass vs Maine prediction, game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win this Saturday.

UMass vs Maine prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, November 13


UMass vs Maine How To Watch

Date: Saturday, November 13
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Warren McGuirk Alumni, Amherst, MA
How To Watch: NESN
Record: UMass (1-8), Maine (4-5)
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UMass vs Maine Game Preview


Why Maine Will Win

UMass is trying to get through the season.

Head coach Walt Bell was let go a few weeks ago, the team has one win – it came over a depleted UConn team – and it’s struggling in too many areas.

The Huskies just lost to Rhode Island 35-22. Maine beat the Rams a few weeks ago 45-24.

The Maine offensive line is decent at keeping defenses out of the backfield, the offense has picked it up over the second half of the season, and the team should be able to win the battle up front on both sides. But …

College Football Expert Picks, CFN Week 11

Why UMass Will Win

Maine doesn’t do much to get into the backfield.

There’s no pass rush to worry about, the secondary is sketchy, and the offense doesn’t go on long, drawn out marches.

For all of the problems UMass has, it’s not bad at slowing things down and controlling the clock. The passing game wasn’t all that bad in the loss to Rhode Island, Ellis Merriweather ran for 118 yards and a score, and the offense should be able to move a bit against the porous Maine D that allows close to 400 yards per game.

NFL Expert Picks: CFN Week 10

What’s Going To Happen

UMass just can’t seem to catch the right breaks at the right times.

The offense going put enough points on the board in the second half against Rhode Island, and now it’s getting a Maine team that’s a wee bit of the opposite. It’s not playing great, but it’s finding ways to get wins helped by the defense holding up just enough.

College Football Schedule: Week 11 Predictions, Lines

UMass vs Maine Prediction, Lines

Maine 26, UMass 24
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Must See Rating: 1.5

5: House of Gucci
1: Yellowstone

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Maine vs Delaware Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

Maine vs Delaware prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Maine vs Delaware prediction and FCS spring football game preview.


Maine vs Delaware Broadcast

Date: Saturday, March 6
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE
Network: ESPN+

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Maine (0-0) vs Delaware (0-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM


Why Maine Will Win

Will Delaware have the defense to be disruptive and be a problem for a Maine offense that should have an efficient passing game.

The Black Bears had to shuffle the quarterback situation a bit a few years ago, but Joe Fagano is a promising young passer who threw 17 touchdown passes and three picks during his time in 2019, and the hope will be for the downfield game to still be there if he has time to work.

The offense needs to be a bit better on the ground, but again, the passing attack should be able to go from the start to make up for a slew of potential issues. But …

Why Delaware Will Win

The Blue Hens have a bit more experience and should be a bit stronger and shaper right out of the gate.

The offense might not be anything special, but it’ll be balanced and it’s not going to make a whole slew of mistakes. And no, the defense didn’t generate nearly enough of a pass rush two tears ago, but the team should be solid against the run and there’s a good chance – and a hope – to quickly bounce back after an inconsistent 2019.

What’s Going To Happen

Watch out for the Delaware offense to perk up, too.

The big-time weapons might not be there, but the experience should be enough in a slow-and-steady wins the race thing. Be shocked if this is any sort of a shootout as this becomes a low-scoring, tight battle that comes down to mistakes and experience.

The Blue Hens have enough of the latter to get by at home.

Maine vs Delaware Prediction, Line

Delaware 24, Maine 20
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Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 3

5: Beavis & Butt-Head are making a movie
1: Tom & Jerry

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