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ORONO  — As the University of Maine football practice ended shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, temperatures in the low 90s felt like the high 90s thanks to the humidity and turned the Morse Field turf into Orono’s largest barbecue grill. Quarterback Carter Peevy didn’t seem to mind. A native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Peevy will take the heat any day. When it’s cold and his hands get dry, it’s harder to get a good grip of the football.

“I’ve had so much more fun year two than year one. Year one, I was still trying to learn the offense. Even in the season, I was still trying to get comfortable with it,” Peevy said.

Last year was about adjusting for Peevy and his wife, Addy, who married shortly before he left Mercer via the transfer portal and committed to Maine. Adjusting to winter after arriving in January to enroll in classes and get to know his new team. Adjusting to a new offense under a new offensive coordinator, Mikahael Waters, and a new head coach, Jordan Stevens.

“I’d never played football in weather that cold that consistently. That first spring, honestly, was not great for me,” Peevy said. “At this point last year, I knew I was in a good place with good people, but I was still trying to figure out my role.”

Like any good quarterback, Peevy made the adjustments. Now he’s ready to build on what turned into a solid 2024 season, even as he was getting used to, well, everything. With his second season at UMaine set to kick off Aug. 30 at Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Liberty, Peevy’s confidence is contagious.

“He really has a command of the offense. You see him out there directing traffic, getting the guys (in the right place). He has more personality when he’s running the offense, which is what we need,” Stevens said. “I think he was a little bit in awe of the weather and consistency. ‘Hey, we’re still going to go today and we got four inches of snow. We still have a workout this morning.’ One thing with Carter, he’s a really tough kid. Resilient. He’s got a positive attitude. Over time, he adapted, and I think he’s grown to love it here.”

Peevy finished second last season in the Coastal Athletic Association in passing yards (2,422), third in completion percentage (66.6%), and third in touchdown passes (18), with just five interceptions, all while being unable to use his legs as a weapon and run as much as he’d like because he was playing through a minor knee injury.

Unlike last season, when Peevy entered training camp in a battle for the starting job, he’s the unquestioned leader of the offense. That’s showing up in his play, Waters said.

“When you’re not in a battle, and you don’t feel like you have to do everything perfect to make sure you can win the job, you can be a little bit more aggressive,” Waters said. “One of his greatest qualities is the amount of snaps he’s taken. He sees things our other … quarterbacks might not see.”

Waters took over the recruiting of Peevy when previous offensive coordinator Steve Cooper moved on to Boise State. Peevy had just led Mercer to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and was looking for a school where he could showcase his skill set. He took his first phone call from Waters when he was on his honeymoon cruise, and agreed to visit Orono as soon as possible. He called around, and nobody had a bad word to say about Waters. He came away from his first meeting with Stevens equally impressed. Addy was on board for a Maine adventure. Weather aside, this could work.

“Coming up north for a few years, for two people who have always lived in Georgia, would be pretty cool,” Peevy said. “We’ve really enjoyed the state of Maine. We’ve explored everything. Maine is a great state. I will say, we’re still not big fans of the 5 feet of snow we’ll get in the winter, but Maine has been a big blessing for us.”

Eventually, you get used to throwing on an extra layer to go outside. You get used to driving slick roads. The Peevys went snow tubing and loved it, and he wants to try snowmobiling. Stevens got his quarterback a parka. Now when he goes home, Peevy finds himself slipping into Maine slang sometimes. He’ll say “yeah yeah yeah” in rapid fire when “yes” would do. He’ll say “oh yeah bub” just to get the reaction from friends and family.

“Now he’s out here plowing. He works with the grounds crew on campus. You’ll see him weed whacking. You’ll see him plowing. This guy does it all,” Stevens said.

Peevy doesn’t embrace the cold. He’s not about to take up skiing or ice skating, but like playing quarterback, mental focus makes it better. Days like the sauna Maine is experiencing this week are rare. When you play football here, it’s cold. You’ve still got to play, he said. This year, Peevy feels like he and Waters are consistently on the same page. Peevy can guess what play Waters will call before he gets it. The offensive coordinator listens to his suggestions.

“Any idea I bring to him, he never shuts them down. I’m not saying we’re going to do it, but he’s very open-minded,” Peevy said.

The quarterback from Georgia isn’t a Mainer yet, but he’s close. Speaking will always give away Peevy’s Georgia roots, though.

“I’ve always had that southern drawl. I don’t think I’m going to lose that,” Peevy said. “I’d have to live up here for 20 years.”