Week 3 Opponent Preview: Maine

Arguably the biggest surprise of Boston College's 2022 schedule reveal was a non-conference game against an FCS opponent: Maine.

Only because of the game's kickoff time.

BC and Maine are set to play Week 3 under the lights of Alumni Stadium at 7:30 p.m. As of right now, the out-of-league matchup is one of BC's four night games—the others being last week's road game at Virginia Tech, next week's road game at Florida State and a Nov. 4 home game against Duke.

FCS opponents typically travel to Power Five schools to play at noon and, in the process, collect their six-figure pay stub. This time around, however, the Eagles and Black Bears will face off in prime time, albeit on NESN.

BC is paying Maine $400,000 to participate, according to the Portland Press Herald. It will be the Black Bears' second FBS test in the Jordan Stevens era. They lost to New Mexico, 41-0, on the road in Week 1.

Stevens took over as head coach in December after former Maine frontman Nick Charlton left to become UConn's new offensive coordinator. Stevens, a former Black Bear player himself, most recently served as Yale's co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

He's trying to restore a Maine defense that ranked 75th in total defense (386.9 yards per game allowed) and 63rd in the FCS in scoring defense (27.0 points per game allowed) last year.

Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

BC and Maine have played 10 times, most recently in 2015. That season, the Eagles defeated their FCS regional foe, 24-3. BC's defense, which ranked first nationally in yards per game allowed that year, gave up just 91 yards to the Black Bears. Then-sophomore quarterback Darius Wade threw his first career touchdown pass, and running back Tyler Rouse rushed for a pair of scores. BC has won six straight games in the series, and Maine's last win over the Eagles occurred in 1915.

Maine's Record: 0-2 (Last year: 6-5 (4-4 CAA), 5th in CAA)

Offense: Joe Fagnano is back. If he's healthy, Maine's offense is much better off. The senior quarterback missed most of last season with a high ankle sprain. That said, in the four games he did play, Fagnano completed 60.2% of his attempts for 794 yards, six touchdowns and just two interceptions. Accuracy was the biggest discrepancy between Fagnano and backup Derek Robertson, whose completion percentage hovered around a meager 50% in 2021. Fagnano, a 6-foot-3 signal caller, broke onto the scene in 2019 when the was the two-time CAA Rookie of the Week. In five of Fagano's six starts that season, he tossed at least two touchdowns. Additionally, he recorded the three-longest touchdown passes in program history (87, 88 and 90 yards).

The Black Bears lost their top-two receivers from last season. Andre Miller, an all-conference performer in 2021, is gone, and so is Devin Young, who also averaged north of 50 receiving yards per game last year. Attention turns to tight end Shawn Bowman. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound target was reliable in the red zone last season, as he led the team with four touchdown grabs. He was third with 282 receiving yards. So far this year, he has more than double the receiving yards (113) of any other Black Bear. At wideout, though, Maine will need more production from the likes of Montigo Moss and Zavier Scott, who have combined for 11 catches and 95 receiving yards in the first two games. Kobay White—who caught 97 passes in a roller coaster, six-year career at BC—is also with Maine this season, although he missed last week's game against Colgate with injury, and his status is in question for Saturday's matchup.

Up front, Maine was in the top half of the FCS last year in both pass blocking and run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. The Black Bears posted a pass blocking grade of 62.1 (66th nationally) and a run blocking grade of 59.6 (58th nationally). They returned four O-Linemen who logged 400-plus snaps last season. The name to know is Michael Gerace. Now a grad student, the center was an All-CAA first-team selection in 2021. He's now started 37 games since 2018, and he is the anchor of a group that has to pave the way for running backs Freddie Brock, who starred with 10 total touchdowns for Maine last year, and Rutgers transfer Elijah Barnwell, who leads the team with 20 carries and 75 rushing yards this season.

Defense: This is the unit to watch in the first year of Stevens' stay. After all, it's where the former defensive end's background lies. Maine's "Black Hole" defense was underwhelming last season. The Black Bears gave up 5.94 yards per play, which was 11th in the CAA.

Stevens has some pieces to play with in Year One. Even though Maine lost stud linebacker Ray Miller—he totaled 103 tackles in his graduate year—the Black Bears still have a good bit of talent in the second level. The upperclassmen tandem of Xavier Nurse and Adrian Otero combined for 123 tackles and 6.5 TFLs last year. Maine has the makings of a decent CAA front seven, with Khairi Manns holding down the fort on the defensive line. Manns piled up six TFLs and was tied with Miller for the team lead with three sacks last year. He also posted the second-best PFF passing rushing grade (77.5) of any Black Bear in 2021. This year's early sack leader is senior D-Lineman Justin Sambu, who has two sacks and 2.5 TFLs.

The Black Bears are sixth in the FCS in passing yards allowed (116 per game) right now, but that's largely because they haven't been able to stop the run. Maine is giving up 229 yards per game on the ground, which is tied for 93rd in the FCS. The Black Bears are fine at safety, where it has the pairing of Shakur Smalls and Robbie Riobe. Smalls, in particular, shined last year, tallying six pass break-ups, 53 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. Corner is a greater area of concern, although the Black Bears did bring back Kahzir "Buggs" Brown—a 6-foot-3 defensive back from Trenton, New Jersey, who nabbed a team-high three picks last season. Maine currently ranks 78th in the FCS in PFF coverage grade (59.5).

Special Teams: Maine doesn't have its top punter (David Gelb) and place kicker (Johnny Messina) from 2021. Instead, Brian Cooey and Cole Baker are their respective placements. Both saw the field last season. Cooey averaged 36.7 yards per punt on 13 boots, while Baker made his lone field goal attempt, which was a 24-yarder. This year, Cooey has excelled, averaging 43.4 yards per boot with a long of 70 and six punts inside the 20. Baker is 1-of-2 on field goals, as he missed a potential game-tying, 47-yard kick with 30 seconds remaining last week against Colgate. The Black Bears brought back Jacob Hennie, their leading punt returner from last year, except he hasn't done much in 2022.

56.1% — the completion percentage of veteran quarterback Joe Fagnano, who has completed 37-of-66 attempts for 342 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first two games this season.

229.0 — rushing yards the Black Bears are giving up per game this season. BC, on the other hand, is last in the FBS with 16.5 rushing yards per game through two weeks.

11 — turnovers committed by Maine since the start of last season. The Black Bears were tied for second in the FCS in 2021 when it came to fewest giveaways (nine).

The database gives BC a 96.4% chance of beating Maine in Week 3.

Continuity at quarterback and a few skill positions is always essential for an FCS team hunting for a "buy game" upset. And, while Maine has pieces to fit the bill, it's unlikely to pull off that kind of heist in Alumni Stadium.

As bad as it's been playing offensively, BC will likely have this matchup in the bag by halftime. Whether Saturday is truly successful for the Eagles, however, will be measured by their margin of victory and the play of their depleted and much-criticized O-Line.