CASTINE — Main Maritime Academy will be traveling to Worcester State in a clash of undefeated Bogan Division teams on Saturday.

Maine Maritime Academy (3-0, 1-0 Bogan) at Worcester State (4-0, 1-0 Bogan)
October 24, 2011 • John Coughlin Stadium • Worcester, Massachusetts • 12:00 p.m.

Live Stats courtesy of WSU Sports Information.

For complete content, including NCAA rankings and the New England Football Poll, visit marinersports.org.

Series History: Today's game marks the 22nd renewal of the series. Maine Maritime took a one-game lead in the series, 11-10, with last year's win. The Mariners have taken five of the last six meetings including two-straight. The last pair played out in Castine. The last meeting in Worcester was a 32-31 win for the home team on October 11, 2008. MMA's last win at Worcester came on October 7, 2006, 12-3.

The Last Meeting: Senior fullback Jim Bower scored three touchdowns and ran for 239 yards, carrying Maine Maritime to a 61-32 victory over Worcester State University. MMA improved to 3-1 (1-1 Bogan), while Worcester State dropped to 3-2 (1-1 Bogan).

Maine Maritime Last Week: Maine Maritime Academy exploded for 34 first half points en route to a 40-7 win over Fitchburg State in the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division opener. The Mariners (3-0, 1-0) scored on each of their first five possessions, piling up 316 yards off offense in the first half to the delight of the homecoming crowd. The early run on the scoreboard left the Falcons (1-3, 0-1) in a hole they could not escape.

Worcester State Last Week: Marcus Price scored the game-tying touchdown in the third and final overtime, completing a day where he rushed 37 times for 149 yards and a pair of scores to lead Worcester State to a 42-40 victory in a wild one against Westfield State.

On the Line: Two teams with seven wins and nary a loss between them collide to see who will hold the top spot in the NEFC's Bogan Division once the dust settles.  Framingham State and Coast Guard, both 1-0 in Bogan play, will look to hold the line. Framingham is at Mass. Maritime, while Coast Guard is at Fitchburg State.

Road Warriors: Maine Maritime is 7-3 in its last ten road games dating back to a 35-15 win over Fitchburg State on November 7, 2009. MMA is 11-4 in its last 15 on the road dating back to an October 2008, 51-0 whitewashing of Framingham State.

Still Running Second: Averaging 379.67 yards per game, Maine Maritime Academy's offense remains the second most prolific rushing unit among the 239 teams in Division III. Only Springfield rates higher than the Mariners at 404.67 ypg. The Mariners offense is ranked 38th in Division III gaining 431 yards per game and 45th in scoring offense at 34.33 points per game.

Don't Forget the Passing Game: The Mariners don't hurl the ball much, but they do it efficiently.  Maine Maritime sports a 160.97 pass efficiency rating, which ranks 25th in the nation and first in the NEFC.

Getting a Bit Defensive: Maine Maritime ranks in the top 40 in the NCAA in total defense. The 276.67 yards allowed per game ranks 39th in DIII. The Mariners have done outstanding work disrupting the passing game, limiting opponents to a 78.41 pass efficiency rating. That ranks 15th in the NCAA. The Mariners 2.67 sacks per game ranks 48th in DIII. All of that adds up to 11.00 points per game for the opposition,  leaving MMA with the 17th ranked scoring defense.

Legs of a Champeon: MMA's sophomore fullback, Ian Champeon, ranks seventh in Division III in rushing yards per game. The first-year starter has piled up 150.33 per game over the first three contests this season. Despite the gaudy numbers, he only ranks second in the NEFC. Champeon is running neck-and-neck with Endicott's senior, Mike Lane, who puts up 151.25 per outing. A Division III school most of the nation is familiar with, Mt. Union, features the nation's top back, Jeremy Murray. He runs for 182.0 yards per contest.

Champeon and Regis Recognized: Sophomores, Ian Champeon and John Regis, were named to the New England Football Conference's Weekly Honor Roll when it was released on Sunday.

Champeon, the Mariners fullback, averaged 10.5 yards per carry on 12 touches for 126 yards, including a 79-yard score. Regis had three sacks for losses of 15 yards and an additional 1.5 tackles for losses from his spot on the defensive line.

What's your Point? Fitchburg State's touchdown that prevented the MMA shutout last week marked the first points scored against Maine Maritime in any quarter that is not the second. Maine Maritime entered last week's contest having surrendered 26 points, all in the second 15 minutes of play. The upside for Mariners' fans is that MMA has scored 40 points in the second quarter this season.

2,500-yard Plateau: With his seventh-career, 100-yard rushing game Bourassa reached the 2,500-yard plateau in his career during the win at Mass.-Dartmouth. He enters today's game with 2,575 net rushing yards in his career. He has reached that mark on just 243 carries, meaning he is solid for 10.6-yards per clip over his three-plus years at the Academy.

Matthew Rende is closing in on the 2,500-yard mark. He enters today's contest with 2,269 career-rushing yards.  He needs 231 yards to join Bourassa on the north side of the 2,500-yard mark.

Playing with Fire: Maine Maritime has treated the football like a hot potato at times. The Mariners have fumbled the ball 20 times this year, losing possession eight times.

50th Win: Chris McKenney picked up his 50th career win with the victory over Anna Maria. Already the most victorious coach in the Academy's history, he is the first to that milestone.

285 on the Books: The Homecoming win over Fitchburg State marked the 285th victory in Maine Maritime Academy's history.

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