Philadelphia, PA – When it comes to winning games in the fourth quarter, it's hard to say any team closes the deal better than the Maine Black Bears.
Improving to 6-1, and a perfect 4-0 in CAA Football, Maine rallied back with 23 fourth quarter points to defeat Richmond, 23-22.
Rallying from a 16-0 deficit at the end of the third quarter, Maine not only struck for three touchdowns but also returned a blocked extra point for two points, which proved to be the difference in a one-score contest.
"It was really special (to come back). This team has demonstrated some resolve," Maine coach Jack Cosgrove said. "We always thought we could do this. The defense came up big for us in the second half, with stop after stop. As good as Richmond's offense was, I think our defense did a tremendous job in the second half."
It was the Black Bears' fourth straight CAA game in which they made key plays in the fourth quarter or later.
Maine, the CAA co-leader with surprising Towson, visits struggling Villanova next week.
PALADINS SUBDUE TERRIERS
Perhaps there is a fourth Southern Conference team to look out for this season: the Furman Paladins.
One week after a tough, 50-20 loss to Georgia Southern, the Paladins upset Wofford, 26-21, in a game dominated by rushing performances.
Running for 225 yards on 46 carries, Furman may not have topped Wofford in the yardage department, but it did account for three rushing touchdowns.
Even with the victory, it will be tough for Furman to make the playoffs. At 4-3, the Paladins would need to win three of their final four games with a very tough schedule: Chattanooga, Elon, Appalachian State and Florida.
TOP 5 SHOWDOWNS ON TAP FOR WEEK 9
Yes, we're recapping Week 8, but with what's coming next you can't help but look ahead to Week 9.
With Wofford's loss to Furman, Appalachian State should jump into the top five of The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25, setting up a pair of highly ranked showdowns next week.
The Mountaineers will take on top-ranked Georgia Southern, which defeated Presbyterian 48-14, in a battle with huge SoCon title implications. Meanwhile, the Missouri Valley will also have championship implications played out, when third-ranked North Dakota State hosts No. 2 Northern Iowa.
GREAT WEST FAVORITE?
Perhaps Cal Poly is the new favorite in the Great West after a 23-19 victory against North Dakota.
Improving to 2-0 in the conference, the Mustangs have now defeated arguably the two toughest teams in the conference - North Dakota and Southern Utah.
The Mustangs host fellow Great West leader South Dakota next week, with a chance to clinch at least a share of the final league title.
Even though it's unlikely, Cal Poly is also the Great West's best chance of getting a playoff team, even though it would take an undefeated streak over the remainder of the season.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Before the season, everyone thought that DeAndre Presley would be putting up impressive numbers against Samford; they just didn't expect it to come on the defensive side of the ball.
After having his starting quarterback position slip away due to injury (shoulder) and the outstanding play of redshirt sophomore Jamal Jackson, Presley lined up at cornerback in the 35-17 win against Samford.
Forcing a fumble and recording six solo tackles, the former All-America quarterback made his presence felt in a different way on Saturday.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Towson Tigers: Perhaps these guys are for real and a legitimate contender in the CAA.
Going on the road to defeat William & Mary, 38-27 and in impressive fashion, Towson is on the verge of both a conference title and a playoff berth -- two things you would never have associated with the Tigers before the start of the season.
If Towson can continue its impressive run next with a win next week against Delaware, the Tigers could then be preparing for a battle of CAA unbeatens with Maine on Nov. 5.
PARTING SHOTS
Jacksonville State couldn't knock off another Southeastern Conference opponent, falling to Kentucky 38-14...Talk about efficient defense. Stony Brook allowed only three drives to last longer than five plays in a 42-14 victory against VMI...Dartmouth scored its biggest victory this century, defeating Columbia 37-0. It was the largest margin of victory since a 40-0 win against Columbia in 1996...Georgia Southern scored 31 points in the second quarter of a 48-14 win against Presbyterian. It was the second consecutive week the Eagles amassed a huge halftime lead and then let off of the pedal...UT-Martin's defense made a big stop on fourth-and-two late against Eastern Illinois, sealing a 24-23 victory...Liberty continued its roll against Big South competition, defeating Charleston Southern 38-16...Jacksonville set the all-time PFL consecutive win streak with its 16th consecutive victory. The Dolphins defeated Campbell, 48-24...Elon receiver Aaron Mellette's streak of eight consecutive games with a TD catch came to an end. He did catch eight passes for 107 yards in a 42-18 loss to Chattanooga...Sam Houston State cruised to 7-0 with a 38-14 win against McNeese State...Despite losing 57-21 to Stephen F. Austin, Nicholls State still got a record-setting performance from Chika Madu. Madu took back a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns, a 91- and a 94-yarder.
