WHERE: Wildcat Stadium, Durham, New Hampshire
WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday
STREAMING: FloFootball
ALL-TIME SERIES: UNH leads, 57-45-8
KEY STAT: 5,796, the combined passing yards for UNH quarterback Max Brosmer (3,178) and Maine QB Derek Robertson (2,618). Brosmer leads the FCS in passing yards, while Robertson is 10th nationally.
OUTLOOK: This is the 111th meeting between Maine and New Hampshire. Neither team is moving on to the FCS playoffs, but with the Brice-Cowell Musket as the trophy to the winner of this rivalry game, neither needs to dig deep to find motivation. A win not only comes with the musket trophy and bragging rights over your biggest rival, it’s a high point on which to enter the offseason. The Wildcats won a thriller last season, 42-41 in overtime, when the Black Bears failed on a 2-point conversion on the final play.
Maine is coming off a rare late-season bye week, and last played two weeks ago when it squandered a two-touchdown lead in the second half to lose to Hampton, 42-35. The time off was a chance to rest and get healthy, Coach Jordan Stevens said. Robertson threw five touchdown passes against Hampton to give him 22 on the season. With 30 passing yards, Robertson will move into fourth place for most passing yards in a single season for Maine. Robertson has spread the ball around, with Joe Gillette, Jamie Lamson and Rohan Jones each with five touchdown catches. Maine does a good job changing up its offensive game plan from week to week, said UNH Coach Rick Santos, and the Wildcats need to be ready to see multiple formations. Linebacker Ryan Toscano leads the Wildcats with 71 tackles. Josiah Silver has five sacks. Along with Brosmer, UNH has a weapon in running back Dylan Laube, who leads the FCS in all-purpose yards with 209.5 per game. Both Brosmer and Laube left last week’s 31-24 win over Monmouth with injuries. The Wildcats lead the Coastal Athletic Association in scoring, averaging 36.8 points per game. Maine and UNH have struggled defensively, both allowing an average of at least 30 points. Linebacker Tyshawn Stewart leads the Black Bears with 55 tackles, while cornerback Buggs Brown has 54 tackles and six pass breakups.
OF NOTE: Both head coaches played in this rivalry game. As UNH’s quarterback from 2004-07, Santos went undefeated against the Black Bears. As a defensive end at Maine from 2006-09, Stevens went 0-4 against the Wildcats. … UNH’s roster includes four Mainers: junior defensive tackle Nate Kapongo of Westbrook, redshirt freshman cornerback Sam Rumelhart of Scarborough, sophomore linebacker Kristian Larouche of Fairfield and sophomore long snapper Kevin Gallic of Lewiston. Maine’s roster includes two New Hampshire natives: redshirt freshman quarterback Ayden Pereira of Auburn and Stone Compton, a sophomore running back from Exeter. … Since Maine snapped an eight-game losing streak to UNH with a win over the Wildcats in 2018, these teams have alternated victories. … Last season, Maine and UNH combined for 1,010 yards of offense in the Wildcats’ 42-41 win.
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