Richmond/Maine

[Tribe4SF]

7-7. Early in the second.

[Tribe4SF]

14-7 Maine. 7:30 in second.

[MaineFan]

21-7 maine

[Tribe4SF]

21-14.

True freshman Josh Vaughn takes a screen 79 yards.

[Tribe4SF]

Richmond recobers fumble. 1st and goal at the 6. 1:14 in half.

[Tribe4SF]

Stacy Tutt takes it in. PAT missed. 21-20 Maine.

[Tribe4SF]

Fumble on kickoff. Richmond ball at Maine 35. 1:00 in half.

[Tribe4SF]

22 yd FG. Richmond 23 Maine 21 at the half.

[MaineFan]

horrible last 5 minutes of the 2nd for maine...let richmond back in and not only that let them take the lead.

[DTSpider]

Richmond just failed on a fake field goal after a good drive.

However, Maine threw another INT and Richmond has driven the ball down the 3 yard line. Hope that we can punch it in.

[mainejeff]

Richmond 26 Maine 21.....12:00 left in the 4th Q. :eek:

Looks like the Black Bears are hibernating early this season :( .

3 INTs by Whitcomb.....he's looked like crap through 3 games. :mad:

[DTSpider]

I can't believe Richmond not only went for the 18 yard field goal but actually made it. We've had some chances to really take a big lead. Only 1 for 3 in the redzone in the second half.

[DTSpider]

Maine interception. Tutt is playing QB today for Richmond but isn't playing all that smart. Tried to force another throw and threw his second pick. Now every Richmond quarterback has thrown at least 2 picks so far this year.

[Hansel]

Yikes, didn't see this one coming, the A-10 appears to be wacky again this year

[UDChE89]

Yikes, didn't see this one coming, the A-10 appears to be wacky again this year

Find a year where the A-10/Yankee/CAA ISN'T wacky!

[blur2005]

37 seconds, 3rd and 7, at Richmond 48

[blur2005]

32 seconds to go

first down Maine to the 37 yard line

[blur2005]

24 seconds left

3rd and 10

[blur2005]

4th down, clock running

[blur2005]

To the endzone...NO, Spiders win 26-21.

[mainejeff]

Richmond 26 Maine 21.....Final.

Bitter loss for Maine.....horrible coaching, horrible cloack management, Whitcomb played like a pee-wee.

Maine plays spoiler this season :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Hoo-ah]

Congrats Spiders :beerchug:

[DTSpider]

It feels great to get a win. The defense played amazing. 5 turnovers forced and some big returns. Here's the first campaigning for Lance Gray for defensive player of the week. 7 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD.

Glad to see us hold up for the A10 South with W&M and Towson falling.

[89Hen]

Wow, bad loss for Maine. Richmond is really not very good IMO.

[bainsey]

This is a struggle for me, but let's get the positives out first...

Richmond played very strong defense, especially in the second half. The Spiders read Maine well, and kept the Bears from scoring for 30 minutes on their own turf, though come to think of it, an NAIA did the same thing last week.

I have to give the Maine defense credit, too. Considering the hand dealt to them by the Maine offense, the sum of giving up three second-half points, holding UR to 6-for-22 passing (2 INTs), and giving the Spiders a ton of three-and-outs is pretty impressive.

And now, for the :bang: portion of this post...

FIVE turnovers! A slippery ball on a rainy night is one thing, but to throw three INTs -- one for a UR TD, one in the UR end zone, and one in the Maine backfield :eek: -- is just plain inexcusable. Whitcomb's poise was erratic, and it turned into a big factor. His 19-for-35 passing performance (200 yards) is hardly a comfort in light of the hole he dug Maine along the way.

While Kevin McMahan had a decent night (7 receptions, 117 yards), he seems to be too much of Maine's receiving corps. Maine certainly doesn't have the depth in receiving it once did. Maine needs more than one weapon in the secondary if it has any chance to contend for a playoff spot.

Here's hoping the week off makes for a big turn-around.

[ccd494]

How is Cosgrove still coaching this team?

Off the field incidents, on field mediocrity.

It takes one play to realize that if Legree is behind center, it is a run.

Whitcomb has shown no improvement in decision making in 3 years.

If you have a back averaging 7 yards a carry, one quarterback who hits more defenders in the numbers than receivers, another quarterback who apparently doesn't have a throwing arm as when he enters the game its a draw play everytime, receivers who drop more passes than they catch and an offensive line that allows a sack a possession,

RUN THE FRICKEN BALL.

[mainejeff]

Great post ccd494. Amen brotha.

Cosgrove will be at Maine until HE decides to leave or retire. He has had 10 poor/mediocre seasons and 2 playoff seasons.

That is the crux for those Maine fans that wish the university held onto coaches for longer than 3-5 years in any sport. Be careful waht you wish for......... :(

[MR. CHICKEN]

AHHH!..........DUH SOUND O' RATS......LEAPIN' OFF DUH....TITANIC!......REMEMBER DUH MAINE?........xlolx...........BRAWK!

[mainejeff]

Glug...glug...glug......someone throw me a life preserver!

[Husky Alum]

I would if I could, Jeffie, but the Good Ship Rocky Hager is springing more leaks than the Big Dig.

[RadMann]

I was curious if NU's success in recent years was primarily a result of Brown and if that success would diminish when he left. Looks like the answer to that question is becoming clearer...

[mainejeff]

Read it (and weep Maine fans)

http://goblackbears.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2005-2006/ur-maine.html

[mainejeff]

You know.....wine numbs the pain.

[blukeys]

I would if I could, Jeffie, but the Good Ship Rocky Hager is springing more leaks than the Big Dig.

NU is a REALLY young team with a difficult opening schedule. This is I-AA where on Any Given .............. You know the rest. All 3 of the teams you played look solid. Defense appears to be an issue and this will always cost a team wins at any level of football. It is way to early to give up on Hager. He is a proven winner at other programs. Many NU posts in the last 6 months have speculated that the Huskies could be 0-3 at this juncture. No one should panic because a difficult schedule and situation proves to be difficult. ;) ;)

[Tubby Raymond]

Richmond 26 Maine 21.....Final.

Bitter loss for Maine.....horrible coaching, horrible cloack management, Whitcomb played like a pee-wee.

Maine plays spoiler this season :mad: :mad: :mad:

Thought WHITCOMB was "the future of black bears football", or something like that

[mainejeff]

Whitcomb is heading in the wrong direction. My spy on campus tells me that the kid is as dumb as a rock......that may explain some of his decision making.

[PapaBear]

Black Bears were CLEARLY the better team on that wet field Saturday night. Better talent. Better coaching. They had an answer for everything Richmond did offensively and defensively. If you couldn't see that, you're really not qualified to be criticizing.

BUT ... they did not play the better game. That honor goes to Richmond. They made the key plays when they had to ... helped along by some very careless and very timely errors by our Black Bears.

I know this loss hurts. But the leagure is absolutely up for grabs this year, and I hardly think its final standings are already carved in stone.

In the words of one of those powdered-wig guys that helped found our country: "We must all hang together or we will surely hang seperately."

Keep the faith. This is a quality team and a quality organization.

[bainsey]

Black Bears were CLEARLY the better team on that wet field Saturday night. Better talent. Better coaching. They had an answer for everything Richmond did offensively and defensively.

Better talent and better coaching, maybe. Still, I've always measured the better team by the scoreboard. It's the only truly objective way of doing so.

An answer for Richmond's offense? Definitely. An answer for Richmond's defense? No way. Let's be honest and intelligent about this. Five turnovers and zero second-half points are no answers.

[PapaBear]

As I said, Maine was the better team, but Richmond played the better game -- as evidenced by the score. So I believe we agree on how to measure success.

But you missed the point on the rest of my post.


An answer for Richmond's defense? No way. Let's be honest and intelligent about this. Five turnovers and zero second-half points are no answers.

The turnovers were born of poor execution, not poor scheme. As was the "zero second half points." Having a guy open is the scheme. Hitting him with the pass, and then having him catch it, is execution.

Maine got guys open and blocked Richmond's defensive alignments without a problem. If anything, our second-half protection and run blocking were BETTER than the first half. Translation: We had an answer.

But, as you very accurately pointed out, we did not score enouigh to win.

Translation, Richmond overcame our superior talent and coaching with superior will to win.

It's not a crticism. Maine almost did exactly the same thing to Nebraska.

[blukeys]

I know this loss hurts. But the leagure is absolutely up for grabs this year, and I hardly think its final standings are already carved in stone.

In the words of one of those powdered-wig guys that helped found our country: "We must all hang together or we will surely hang seperately."




1. I know this loss hurts. But the leagure is absolutely up for grabs this year, and I hardly think its final standings are already carved in stone.

Agree with you 100% PAPA. I think you can say all of I-AA is wide open. ;)

2. In the words of one of those powdered-wig guys that helped found our country: "We must all hang together or we will surely hang separately."

Ben Franklin who is credited with this quote rarely[B] wore a powdered wig. While ambassador to France during the Revolution he avoided wigs and and instead assumed the role of the simple, rustic, authentic American. He dressed in plain attire and wore his hair naturally which only increased his popularity with the French intelligentsia and aristocrats of the time as this demonstrated his genuineness. After he returned home Franklin continued not to wear a wig. (Very few Quakers in Pa. ever wore wigs as this was against their conviction that one shoud wear "plain" clothes) I know I am being picky but us History teachers just hate seeing the facts messed up. :D :D :D

[TheValleyRaider]

2. In the words of one of those powdered-wig guys that helped found our country: "We must all hang together or we will surely hang separately."

Ben Franklin who is credited with this quote rarely wore a powdered wig. While ambassador to France during the Revolution he avoided wigs and and instead assumed the role of the simple, rustic, authentic American. He dressed in plain attire and wore his hair naturally which only increased his popularity with the French intelligentsia and aristocrats of the time as this demonstrated his genuineness. After he returned home Franklin continued not to wear a wig. (Very few Quakers in Pa. ever wore wigs as this was against their conviction that one shoud wear "plain" clothes) I know I am being picky but us History teachers just hate seeing the facts messed up. :D :D :D

So History teacher, let me ask you this: Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? ;)

[blukeys]

So History teacher, let me ask you this: Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? ;)
According to Bluto "It's never over till we say it's over!!!!!" ;) ;) ;) :D :D :D

[blukeys]

So History teacher, let me ask you this: Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? ;)

"Don't stop him he's on a roll."

Now VR who said that!! :D :D :D

[mainejeff]

Defintiely disagree on the "better coaching" argument. I'll take Clawson over Cosgrove ANYDAY.

[PapaBear]

My son spent lots of time with both during recruiting. They're both competent teachers and strategists, as well as first class people, according to him. I trust his judgment.

BUT ... Coaching always bears some of the blame for losses and overall program progress.

Being a bit of a newbie, here, MJ, what do you consider to be Coach Cos's downfall? Game prep? Personnel decisions? Recruiting?

I know you're not a big Cosgrove fan. You must have a reason. And you know the program longer than I do. Educate me. What would you like to see him change?

[ccd494]

I look at there being a kind of pattern with Maine being the better team but losing the game in the past few years.

The talent is there but it seems that they play to the levels of their opponents, be it a better team (Mississippi St, Nebraska, Delaware) or worse team (Richmond the last two years, UMass last year, etc.).

[bainsey]

The turnovers were born of poor execution, not poor scheme. As was the "zero second half points." Having a guy open is the scheme. Hitting him with the pass, and then having him catch it, is execution.

Maine got guys open and blocked Richmond's defensive alignments without a problem. If anything, our second-half protection and run blocking were BETTER than the first half.

All valid points, Papa. That being said, I have a hard time with the "we were the better team even though we lost" paradigm. I usually find it to be a self-serving statement, but your evidence of scheme proves otherwise.

Still, your company could have the best products and the best service, but they don't mean squat unless you close the sale.

[mainejeff]

PapaBear.....I don't want to say too much since your son is on the team, but I'll throw out what I see as his biggest strength and biggest weakness:

Strength: Recruiting......He has gotten the talent to come to Orono since they rebuilt the stadium. He and his staff must impress the heck out recruits and their parents.

Weakness: Gameday Coaching Ability......I have seen the worst decision making over the years. I talked to my father back in Maine tonight (he went to the Richmond game), and he just can't get over the play calling.