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Breaking down the Black Bears
BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 - 09:35:17 am CDT
HuskerExtra.com's Curt McKeever looks at Nebraska's first opponent of the 2005 season, the Maine Black Bears.
Quarterbacks: Ron Whitcomb (6-2, 212) has started all 22 games after redshirting his first season, and ranks No. 5 in passing at Maine with 4,746 yards. That’s well ahead of A career-record pace. As a sophomore, Whitcomb completed 60.9 percent of his throws (213-of-350) with 22 TDs, but he threw 13 interceptions (three more than as a freshman). He’s no threat to run. His backup is Chris Legree, a senior who has thrown just 32 passes and has 26 carries during his career.
Running backs: Senior Montell Owens (5-10, 221) takes over for decorated tailback Marcus Williams (1,077 yards, 14 TDs last season and Maine’s career leader with 3,940 yards). Owens got 49 carries his junior season and averaged 3.8 yards per tote. He played a key role during Maine’s game-winning drive at Mississippi State. His backup is true freshman Jerron Pearson (5-10, 180). Senior fullback Dzigbodi Ababio (6-3, 248) is more of an H-back. He had 10 receptions and no rushes last year.
Wide receivers: This is probably Maine’s strongest position, even though it’s replacing Christian Pereira (58 catches, 818 yards, 10 TDs). The Black Bears might be based in the I, but they’ll also run plenty of three-receiver sets. They have size and athleticism in senior WRs Kevin McMahan (6-2, 200) and Ron Waller (6-0, 190), and a burner in junior Arel Gordon (5-9, 175). Waller (1,459 yards) and McMahan (1,102) rank Nos. 10 and 17, respectively, at Maine and could crack the top five. True freshman Rodney Salomon (6-5, 210) will back up McMahan. The Black Bears also have a sure-handed tight end in senior Josh Radulski (6-5, 250). He was second on the team with 29 receptions and 5 TDs while earning second-team all-Atlantic 10 Conference honors last season.
Offensive line: Major questions here, although not at center with senior Ben Lazarski (6-1, 278), an All-Atlantic 10 pick last year. Left tackle Ryan Bird (6-3, 302) is the only other returning starter. Left guard Shawn
Demaray (6-2, 270) and right guard Justin Roberts (6-3, 285) have switched sides since spring practice. The Black Bears also have three true freshmen and another redshirt frosh playing on the second unit.
Defensive line: Very young group, with just one senior and five sophomores among the top eight. End Matt King
(6-3, 226) and nose tackle Mike DeVito (6-3, 275) return as starters. King had 3.5 sacks last year.
DeVito was in on 35 tackles. End Patrick McCrossan (6-4, 233) played in all 11 games and tackle Bruno Dorismond (6-4, 281) played in seven as redshirt freshmen.
Linebackers: Jermaine Walker (6-0, 232) might feel like an old man when he sees true freshman Jovan Belcher (6-2, 205) and sophomore John Wormuth (6-2, 226) on his flanks. The senior will need to have even bigger impact than he did a year ago, when he was second on the team with 98 tackles and was named second-team all-conference. Maine opened nine of its games last season in a 4-2-5 look, giving Walker a lot of room to make plays.
Defensive backs: Strong safety Brandon McGowan thrived in this system, but he’s gone after leading the Black Bears in tackles and earning all-league honors. Maine will rely heavily on senior strong safety Joan Quezada (6-2, 222) and junior cornerback Daren Stone (6-3, 212) to lead a far-from-ripe unit.
Specialists: Arel Gordon has the kind of open-field speed and shake that makes him a nightmare to corral. Last year, he averaged 27 yards on kickoffs and took two the distance. He also blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for another score. Rocco Navarro (punter) and Bobby Donnelly (kicker) will make their Maine debuts.
Scouting report: This won’t be as demented a report as what you’d probably get from Maine alum and horror author Stephen King, but James Madison coach Mickey Matthews has a few nonfiction tales about the Black Bears.
Last year, Matthews’ club rallied from a 20-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 24-20 at Maine, scoring the game-winner with 48 seconds to play.
Here’s what Matthews, a part-time coach at Kansas State in 1978-79, thinks Husker fans ought to know about the Black Bears:
“Maine will be better than people in Nebraska want them to be. Last year, we went out and played West Virginia. The stadium was very quiet in the first half. I like to say they had that ESPN mentality. If you’re not on ESPN, you can’t play. Maine’ll have some good players and they will challenge Nebraska. The biggest thing Maine is worried about is handling the crowd. Maine really had some active defensive players last year that did a lot of damage at (Mississippi State). I did not think Mississippi State prepared for them very well. There were some strong tendencies that Maine had (defensively) and Mississippi State was running some plays right into the teeth of the blitz. ... I’m sure they thought it would be an easy game.
“This is the least-experienced team Jack’s got. They’re really young. But they’ll have some good-looking kids and have their guys ready. They had as good-looking receivers as anyone in college football last year. They lost Christian Pereria, but the Waller kid, McMahan — when they do a pre-game warmup they’d be as pretty as anyone in the Big 12. ... Their quarterback didn’t play as well last year. He played really well as a freshman. I thought their receivers were the best part of their offense. They can run. Waller’s a physically-impressive guy and the other guy (Arel Gordon) can run fast. He can play in the Big 12.
“(Defensively) they played bad the last half of the season, and I’m really not for sure why. It was almost like it was two defenses. They got all over Mississippi State and they had us. ... They do (gamble). They actually run the same defense that Nebraska does — exactly the same same scheme.
“They’re good enough to make it interesting for a while. And if Nebraska goes asleep at the wheel, it’ll be closer than they want. But he’s not going in with as good a team as he had going into Starkville, (Miss.)”
BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 - 09:35:17 am CDT
HuskerExtra.com's Curt McKeever looks at Nebraska's first opponent of the 2005 season, the Maine Black Bears.
Quarterbacks: Ron Whitcomb (6-2, 212) has started all 22 games after redshirting his first season, and ranks No. 5 in passing at Maine with 4,746 yards. That’s well ahead of A career-record pace. As a sophomore, Whitcomb completed 60.9 percent of his throws (213-of-350) with 22 TDs, but he threw 13 interceptions (three more than as a freshman). He’s no threat to run. His backup is Chris Legree, a senior who has thrown just 32 passes and has 26 carries during his career.
Running backs: Senior Montell Owens (5-10, 221) takes over for decorated tailback Marcus Williams (1,077 yards, 14 TDs last season and Maine’s career leader with 3,940 yards). Owens got 49 carries his junior season and averaged 3.8 yards per tote. He played a key role during Maine’s game-winning drive at Mississippi State. His backup is true freshman Jerron Pearson (5-10, 180). Senior fullback Dzigbodi Ababio (6-3, 248) is more of an H-back. He had 10 receptions and no rushes last year.
Wide receivers: This is probably Maine’s strongest position, even though it’s replacing Christian Pereira (58 catches, 818 yards, 10 TDs). The Black Bears might be based in the I, but they’ll also run plenty of three-receiver sets. They have size and athleticism in senior WRs Kevin McMahan (6-2, 200) and Ron Waller (6-0, 190), and a burner in junior Arel Gordon (5-9, 175). Waller (1,459 yards) and McMahan (1,102) rank Nos. 10 and 17, respectively, at Maine and could crack the top five. True freshman Rodney Salomon (6-5, 210) will back up McMahan. The Black Bears also have a sure-handed tight end in senior Josh Radulski (6-5, 250). He was second on the team with 29 receptions and 5 TDs while earning second-team all-Atlantic 10 Conference honors last season.
Offensive line: Major questions here, although not at center with senior Ben Lazarski (6-1, 278), an All-Atlantic 10 pick last year. Left tackle Ryan Bird (6-3, 302) is the only other returning starter. Left guard Shawn
Demaray (6-2, 270) and right guard Justin Roberts (6-3, 285) have switched sides since spring practice. The Black Bears also have three true freshmen and another redshirt frosh playing on the second unit.
Defensive line: Very young group, with just one senior and five sophomores among the top eight. End Matt King
(6-3, 226) and nose tackle Mike DeVito (6-3, 275) return as starters. King had 3.5 sacks last year.
DeVito was in on 35 tackles. End Patrick McCrossan (6-4, 233) played in all 11 games and tackle Bruno Dorismond (6-4, 281) played in seven as redshirt freshmen.
Linebackers: Jermaine Walker (6-0, 232) might feel like an old man when he sees true freshman Jovan Belcher (6-2, 205) and sophomore John Wormuth (6-2, 226) on his flanks. The senior will need to have even bigger impact than he did a year ago, when he was second on the team with 98 tackles and was named second-team all-conference. Maine opened nine of its games last season in a 4-2-5 look, giving Walker a lot of room to make plays.
Defensive backs: Strong safety Brandon McGowan thrived in this system, but he’s gone after leading the Black Bears in tackles and earning all-league honors. Maine will rely heavily on senior strong safety Joan Quezada (6-2, 222) and junior cornerback Daren Stone (6-3, 212) to lead a far-from-ripe unit.
Specialists: Arel Gordon has the kind of open-field speed and shake that makes him a nightmare to corral. Last year, he averaged 27 yards on kickoffs and took two the distance. He also blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for another score. Rocco Navarro (punter) and Bobby Donnelly (kicker) will make their Maine debuts.
Scouting report: This won’t be as demented a report as what you’d probably get from Maine alum and horror author Stephen King, but James Madison coach Mickey Matthews has a few nonfiction tales about the Black Bears.
Last year, Matthews’ club rallied from a 20-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 24-20 at Maine, scoring the game-winner with 48 seconds to play.
Here’s what Matthews, a part-time coach at Kansas State in 1978-79, thinks Husker fans ought to know about the Black Bears:
“Maine will be better than people in Nebraska want them to be. Last year, we went out and played West Virginia. The stadium was very quiet in the first half. I like to say they had that ESPN mentality. If you’re not on ESPN, you can’t play. Maine’ll have some good players and they will challenge Nebraska. The biggest thing Maine is worried about is handling the crowd. Maine really had some active defensive players last year that did a lot of damage at (Mississippi State). I did not think Mississippi State prepared for them very well. There were some strong tendencies that Maine had (defensively) and Mississippi State was running some plays right into the teeth of the blitz. ... I’m sure they thought it would be an easy game.
“This is the least-experienced team Jack’s got. They’re really young. But they’ll have some good-looking kids and have their guys ready. They had as good-looking receivers as anyone in college football last year. They lost Christian Pereria, but the Waller kid, McMahan — when they do a pre-game warmup they’d be as pretty as anyone in the Big 12. ... Their quarterback didn’t play as well last year. He played really well as a freshman. I thought their receivers were the best part of their offense. They can run. Waller’s a physically-impressive guy and the other guy (Arel Gordon) can run fast. He can play in the Big 12.
“(Defensively) they played bad the last half of the season, and I’m really not for sure why. It was almost like it was two defenses. They got all over Mississippi State and they had us. ... They do (gamble). They actually run the same defense that Nebraska does — exactly the same same scheme.
“They’re good enough to make it interesting for a while. And if Nebraska goes asleep at the wheel, it’ll be closer than they want. But he’s not going in with as good a team as he had going into Starkville, (Miss.)”
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