1989 Maine Black Bears football team

The 1989 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their first and only season under head coach Tom Lichtenberg, the Black Bears compiled a 9–3 record (6–2 against conference opponents), tied for the Yankee Conference championship, and lost to 1989 Southwest Missouri State Bears football team in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs. Scott Hough and John Gibson were the team captains.^[1]

1989 Maine Black Bears football
Yankee Conference co-champion
NCAA Division I-AA First Round, L 35–38 at Southwest Missouri State
Conference	Yankee Conference
Record	9–3 (6–2 Yankee)
Head coach	Tom Lichtenberg (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Jack Cosgrove (1st season)
Captain	Scott Hough, John Gibson
Home stadium	Alumni Field
Seasons ← 1988 1990 →

1989 Yankee Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 8 Maine +^	6	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 18 Connecticut +	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
No. 16 Villanova +^	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
New Hampshire	5	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Delaware	5	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Boston University	4	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
UMass	3	–	5	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
Rhode Island	1	–	7	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Richmond	0	–	8	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	Youngstown State*		Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 28–14	8,050	[2]
September 9	at New Hampshire		Cowell Stadium Durham, NH	W 24–7		[3]
September 16	Villanova		Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 47–14	8,650	[4]
September 23	UMass	No. 9	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 40–23	10,389
September 30	Richmond	No. 8	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 41–16	7,169	[5]
October 7	Lock Haven*	No. 8	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 56–0
October 14	at Rhode Island	No. 6	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	W 47–21	8,847
October 21	Connecticut	No. 4	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 30–8
October 28	at Delaware	No. 4	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	L 28–35	22,805
November 4	at Boston University	No. 8	Nickerson Field Boston, MA	L 28–30
November 11	at Northeastern*	No. 10	Parsons Field Brookline, MA	W 29–26
November 25	at No. 9 Southwest Missouri State*	No. 8	Briggs Stadium Springfield, MO (NCAA Division I-AA First Round)	L 35–38	7,270	[6]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

After the season

The following Black Bears were selected in the 1990 NFL draft after the season.^[7]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
6	156	Mike Buck	Quarterback	New Orleans Saints
7	183	Scott Hough	Guard	New Orleans Saints
11	293	Justin Strzelczyk	Tackle	Pittsburgh Steelers

References

1. "2019 Maine Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Maine. 2019. p. 88. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
2. "Smith runs Maine past Penguins". Sun-Journal. September 3, 1989. Retrieved March 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Maine 24, New Hampshire 7". The Berkshire Eagle. September 10, 1989. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Turnovers are costly to 'Nova in 47–14 setback". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 17, 1989. Retrieved April 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Bears continue winning ways". Sun-Journal. October 1, 1989. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Dan O'Neill (November 26, 1989). "SWMO Wins Wild Opener". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 9F – via Newspapers.com.
7. "1990 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.