2018 Maine Black Bears football team

The 2018 Maine Black Bears football team represented the University of Maine in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They played their home games at Alfond Stadium. They were a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They were led by third-year head coach Joe Harasymiak.[1] They finished the season 10–4, 7–1 in CAA play to be crowned CAA champions. They received the CAA's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where, after a first round bye, they defeated Jacksonville State in the second round, and Weber State in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to Eastern Washington.

2018 Maine Black Bears football
CAA champion
FCS Playoffs Semifinals, L 19–50 vs. Eastern Washington
Conference	Colonial Athletic Association
Ranking
STATS	No. 4
FCS Coaches	No. 5
2018 record	10–4 (7–1 CAA)
Head coach	Joe Harasymiak (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Nick Charlton (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Corey Hetherman (3rd season)
Home stadium	Alfond Stadium (Capacity: 10,000)

2018 CAA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Maine $^		7	–	1					10	–	4
No. 9 James Madison ^		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 16 Stony Brook ^		5	–	3					7	–	5
No. 20 Towson ^		5	–	3					7	–	5
No. 24 Delaware ^		5	–	3					7	–	5
No. 19 Elon ^		4	–	3					6	–	5
Rhode Island		4	–	4					6	–	5
William & Mary		3	–	4					4	–	6
New Hampshire		3	–	5					4	–	7
Villanova		2	–	6					5	–	6
Richmond		2	–	6					4	–	7
Albany		1	–	7					3	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Previous season

The Black Bears finished the 2017 season 4–6, 3–5 in CAA play to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place.

Preseason

CAA Poll

In the CAA preseason poll released on July 24, 2018, the Black Bears were predicted to finish in eighth place.[2]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	James Madison	241 (21)
2	New Hampshire	206 (2)
3	Delaware	182
4	Stony Brook	169
5	Elon	168 (1)
6	Villanova	164
7	Richmond	127
8	Maine	81
9	Albany	78
10	Towson	74
11	William & Mary	55
12	Rhode Island	39

Preseason All-CAA Team

The Black Bears had three players selected to the preseason all-CAA team.

Defense Kayon Whitaker – DL Special Teams Earnest Edwards – KR Mozai Nelson – Specialist

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	7:00 p.m.	No. 7 New Hampshire		Alfond Stadium Orono, ME (Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket)	FCS/FSGO	W 35–7	6,597
September 8	7:30 p.m.	at Western Kentucky*	No. 22	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	W 31–28	15,178
September 22	3:00 p.m.	at Central Michigan*	No. 13	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN+	L 5–17	16,474
September 29	1:00 p.m.	at Yale*	No. 16	Yale Bowl New Haven, CT	ESPN+	L 14–35	7,889
October 6	3:30 p.m.	No. 19 Villanova	No. 25	Alfond Stadium Orono, ME	FCS/WVII/WIPL	W 13–10	6,894
October 13	12:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Rhode Island	No. 21	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	CAA.tv	W 38–36	7,301
October 20	3:30 p.m.	at William & Mary	No. 16	Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA	Cox Yurview	L 20–27	10,462
October 27	1:00 p.m.	Albany	No. 24	Alfond Stadium Orono, ME	FCS/WVII/WIPL	W 28–9	9,248
November 3	4:00 p.m.	at No. 15 Towson	No. 23	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	CBSI Digital/CBS SportsLive	W 35–28	7,356
November 10	3:00 p.m.	at Richmond	No. 16	Robins Stadium Richmond, VA	NBCS WA+	W 28–9	7,820
November 17	12:00 p.m.	No. 14 Elon	No. 16	Alfond Stadium Orono, ME	FCS/WVII/WIPL	W 27–26	6,584
December 1	12:00 p.m.	No. 8 Jacksonville State	No. 12	Alfond Stadium Orono, ME (FCS Playoffs Second Round)	ESPN3	W 55–27	6,145
December 7	8:00 p.m.	at No. 3 Weber State	No. 12	Stewart Stadium Ogden, UT (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)	ESPN2	W 23–18	7,726
December 15	2:00 p.m.	at No. 4 Eastern Washington	No. 12	Roos Field Cheney, WA (FCS Playoffs Semifinals)	ESPN2	L 19–50	7,529
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source:[3]

Game summaries

New Hampshire

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Wildcats	0	0	0	7	7
Black Bears	0	22	7	6	35

See also: 2018 New Hampshire Wildcats football team and Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
44–56–8	2017	L, 23–24

at Western Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Black Bears	0	14	14	3	31
Hilltoppers	21	0	0	7	28

See also: 2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Central Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Black Bears	0	0	3	2	5
Chippewas	0	10	0	7	17

See also: 2018 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Yale

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Black Bears	0	0	7	7	14
Bulldogs	7	7	14	7	35

See also: 2018 Yale Bulldogs football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–8–1	2015	L, 10–21

Villanova

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Wildcats	3	0	7	0	10
No. 25 Black Bears	0	3	7	3	13

See also: 2018 Villanova Wildcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
9–12	2017	L, 0–31

at Rhode Island

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Black Bears	7	7	8	16	38
No. 16 Rams	10	6	14	6	36

See also: 2018 Rhode Island Rams football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
59–34–3	2017	W, 51–27

at William & Mary

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Black Bears	10	7	0	3	20
Tribe	7	7	3	10	27

See also: 2018 William & Mary Tribe football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–7	2017	W, 23–6

Albany

	1	2	3	4	Total
Great Danes	0	0	3	6	9
No. 24 Black Bears	14	7	0	7	28

See also: 2018 Albany Great Danes football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–5	2017	W, 12–10

at Towson

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Black Bears	7	14	7	7	35
No. 15 Tigers	0	7	14	7	28

See also: 2018 Towson Tigers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–5	2015	L, 7–10

at Richmond

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Black Bears	14	7	7	0	28
Spiders	0	3	0	6	9

See also: 2018 Richmond Spiders football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
13–13	2015	L, 17–48

Elon

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Phoenix	0	10	10	6	26
No. 16 Black Bears	0	14	13	0	27

See also: 2018 Elon Phoenix football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
1–1	2015	L, 22–27

FCS Playoffs

Maine received a bye in the first round.
Box scores:[4][5][6]

Jacksonville State–Second Round

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Gamecocks	7	7	10	3	27
No. 12 Black Bears	21	21	7	6	55

See also: 2018 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Weber State–Quarterfinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Black Bears	0	7	7	9	23
No. 3 Wildcats	0	3	9	6	18

See also: 2018 Weber State Wildcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Eastern Washington–Semifinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Black Bears	0	0	19	0	19
No. 4 Eagles	21	7	15	7	50

See also: 2018 Eastern Washington Eagles football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
STATS FCS	NR	22	17	13	16	25	21	16	24	23	16	16	12	4
Coaches	NR	25	20	16	16	25	22	20	RV	RV	21	19	14	5

References

1. "Football Announces 2018 Schedule". goblackbears.com. University of Maine Athletics. November 1, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
2. Washburn, Rob (July 24, 2018). "James Madison Favored To Win Fourth Straight CAA Football Title in 2018". Colonial Athletic Association. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
3. "2018 Maine Football Schedule". goblackbears.com. University of Maine Athletics. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
4. "Jacksonville State vs. Maine - Game Summary - December 1, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN. December 9, 2018.
5. "Maine vs. Weber State - Game Summary - December 8, 2018 - ESPN". December 9, 2018.
6. "Maine vs. Eastern Washington - Game Summary - December 15, 2018 - ESPN". December 9, 2018.