haha 777 games
Quanta Services Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
How Trump Voters Learned To Love, And Turn Out, The Mail-In Ballot
Greater Idaho movement asks Trump for his support
An escape from ‘hell’Hallmark fans say Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-inspired film is going to be 'biggest one of the season'
ORONO — Even the presence of a Pro Football Hall of Famer couldn’t spark the University of Maine football team Saturday afternoon against rival UNH. Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss was at Alfond Stadium on Saturday, as his son Montigo Moss was honored with the rest of Maine’s seniors prior to kickoff. On a cold, windy and rainy afternoon, UNH earned its third straight win in this rivalry, 27-9. The Black Bears finish the season 5-7. The improvement made by the Black Bears this season was obvious. Coming off back-to-back season in which they went 2-9, Maine won five games, including victories over Albany and Villanova when each were nationally ranked. Newcomer Carter Peevy, a graduate transfer, had a strong season, showing himself to be a quarterback who makes good decisions when he throws the ball, and one who can gain needed yards with his legs. Moss had the best season of his career. Defensively, Xavier Holmes was a disrupter on the defensive line. Linebacker Christian Thomas improved as the season wore on. Aside from a strong first quarter Saturday afternoon, all that improvement was nowhere to be found. In the first quarter, Moss made a one-handed touchdown catch, getting a foot inbounds in the back of the end zone for the kind of catch that makes his father gush on ESPN. Earlier, Peevy broke off a 29-yard run when the entire UNH defense bit on a fake handoff, setting up the 39-yard field goal by Joey Bryson that gave Maine a 3-0 lead. Maine led 9-0 after a quarter, and it looked like the Black Bears had the formula to fend off their biggest rival and reclaim the Brice-Cowell musket, the trophy awarded annually to the winner of this game. Instead, the musket is going back to the south side of the Picataqua River. The problem, as it often was this season, was consistency. Whatever the Black Bears had working in the first quarter couldn’t be sustained. When asked what needs to happen for Maine to take the next step in improvement, Coach Jordan Stevens was clear. It’s that consistency. “Staying consistent throughout those competitive games. I look back at the Rhode Island game (a 24-14 loss). I look back at the Elon game (a 31-25 loss). And then today. We’re in a position to win and continue to stay competitive,” Stevens said. “In those tight games, of course it’s going to be back and forth, but building that consistent belief, no matter up or down, we continue to play, and we’ll be in the position we want to be in the the end.” With a 9-0 lead in the second quarter, Maine blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt, and took over on the 50 with a chance to increase the lead. The Black Bears went three and out. The Wildcats got the ball back at their own 19, and mounted a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, scoring with 11 seconds left in the quarter and taking all of Maine’s momentum and stuffing in its own pocket for use in the second half. In the first half, Maine held the Wildcats to 16 yards rushing on 18 carries. Exceptional work. But on UNH’s first play of the third quarter, Caleb Mead broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run, giving the Wildcats the lead for good and snapping Maine’s defensive effort like a broken shoelace. Mead just moved from cornerback to running back last week as UNH battles injuries in the offensive backfield. In the second half Saturday afternoon, when he ran for 97 of his game-high 113 yards, Mead looked like a savvy veteran instead of a senior making a late career position change. “That’s how you win. They were able to run the ball and control a lead in the second half,” Stevens said in his postgame press conference, and you got the feeling he’d already said as much to his team. A running game that was Maine’s offensive strength in the first half of the season went flat down the stretch. As a team, Maine ran for at least 112 yards in six of the first seven games. The Black Bears gained more than 100 yards just twice in the last five games, finishing below 60 yards rushing in each of the other three. Against UNH on Saturday, Maine ran for a season-low 30 yards. It’s no surprise that was reflected in UNH’s massive advantage in time of possession. The Wildcats controlled the ball twice as long as the Black Bears, 39:11 to 20:43. “I got here in January, and we’ve made tremendous strides since I got here. Obviously, we’ve got a lot to improve on,” Peevy said. After the game, UNH Coach Rick Santos said something that many opposing coaches said throughout the season. Maine is a tough place to play. It’s not easy to get to Orono. The weather can be a factor, as it was Saturday afternoon. For many years, the University of Maine’s location has been seen as a negative in recruiting. It’s so far from the population centers. When you step off campus, social opportunities are, to put in kindly, limited. To take the next step, Stevens and his assistants need to turn that into a positive. Remind recruits that opponents do not enjoy coming here. Remind them Orono is a place where they can focus on academics and football. Remind them of the ongoing improvements being made to the school’s athletic facilities, including upcoming renovations to Alfond Stadium. Five wins is an improvement. It’s up to Stevens now to ensure that’s a starting point, not a plateau. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousAVAPOW's Black Friday Event: Essential Automotive Tools At Exclusive Prices
Prof. Toyin Falola: Corruption hinders governance and institutional growth in NigeriaA leaked letter signed by 13 B.C. Conservative MLAs attacking a fellow caucus member has exposed a rift within the upstart party, just weeks after it became the Official Opposition following a swift rise from political obscurity. The group of MLAs, which comprises almost one-third of the 44-member B.C. Conservative caucus, sent a letter dated Nov. 29 to leader John Rustad raising concerns about public comments MLA Elenore Sturko made to on Nov. 23. Sturko, a former RCMP officer who represents Surrey Cloverdale, said she thought it was appropriate for the Vancouver Police Board to accept the resignation of vice-chair Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba following comments made on social media. In screenshots shared to Reddit, one of Sakoma-Fadugba's posts discusses how "mass immigration" and "a growing aversion to assimilation" are "transforming Canada into a place where a shared identity is disappearing." B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad speaks to reporters in late October. (Mike McArthur/CBC) Another post questions Diwali celebrations at schools, saying the "push for secular education isn't about religion — it's about erasing Christian values from the lives of our children." A third references "gender transitions" while criticizing a "woke culture that pits children against their parents." Sturko said the comments were offensive, particularly to the transgender community. However, many B.C. Conservatives have rallied behind Sakoma-Fadugba, saying she is a victim of "cancel culture" and has been attacked for supporting traditional family values. The party's president, Aisha Estey, wrote on social media: "Cancel culture is alive and well at the Vancouver Police Board. She should never have resigned and shame on those who pressured her to do it." B.C. Conservative party president Aisha Estey comments on the resignation of Vancouver Police Board vice-chair Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba. (X.com) The MLAs' letter to Rustad says they believe Sturko spoke out of turn. "It is our view that the statements caused undue harm to Ms. Sakoma and called into question our commitment to the core values shared by Conservatives," they wrote. The MLAs also said under Rustad's leadership, the B.C. Conservative Party "has consistently denounced 'cancel culture' and stood for the Charter rights British Columbians enjoy to free expression and freedom of religion." They called for Rustad to ask Sturko to send a written apology to Sakoma-Fadugba and "encourage the Vancouver Police Board to advance conciliatory discussions" with the former board member. The letter's signatories are: Tara Armstrong, Rosalyn Bird, Dallas Brodie, Brent Chapman, Reann Gasper, Sharon Hartwell, Anna Kindy, Jordan Kealy, Kristina Loewen, Macklin McCall, Heather Maahs, Korky Neufeld and Ward Stamer. B.C. Conservative MLAs convened virtually for an emergency caucus meeting Friday morning. Sturko told CBC News she won't comment, since the letter was addressed to Rustad. She added she has no plans to change her statement regarding Sakoma-Fadugba, nor has Rustad asked her to do so. Sturko said she first learned about the letter on Thursday. CBC News has contacted Rustad and Estey for comment but has yet to hear back. Rustad's party campaigned on socially conservative issues including what it calls parental rights. It voiced its opposition to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI 123) guidelines in schools, saying parents should have more of a say in what's taught to their children. Rustad then created a new critic portfolio called parental rights and sports, signalling the issue will continue to be a priority for the party. SOGI 123 is not a curriculum but provides guides and resources to help teachers address discrimination and bullying, create supportive and inclusive environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students and acknowledge varying genders and sexual orientations. Sturko, a former B.C. United MLA, in June to join Rustad amid poor polling numbers and flagging confidence in B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon. A month later, Falcon made a deal with the B.C. Conservatives to suspend the party's election campaign and throw his support behind Rustad.No. 7 Tennessee dispatches UT Martin to remain undefeated