Who: Rhode Island (8-2, 6-0 CAA) at Maine (6-4, 5-1)

Where: Alfond Stadium, Orono

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Streaming: FloCollege

All-time series: Maine leads, 62-37, with three ties. Rhode Island has won the last three meetings; the Black Bears’ last victory was in 2021.

Key stat: Maine’s offensive line has allowed just 14 sacks this season, and just one in the last four games.

Outlook: Maine has clinched a winning record in Coastal Athletic Association play. A win over the Rams would put the Black Bears in a tie for first place, with a chance to win the conference outright with a victory at rival UNH next week. This game features the top two defenses in the league. URI leads the conference in points allowed (20.7 points per game), while Maine is second (21.3 ppg). The Black Bears allow the fewest yards per game, 300.8, and the Rams are second at 315. In his weekly conference call, URI coach Jim Fleming called this game monstrous.

An improved pass rush has been a key for Maine. The Black Bears have 24 sacks, fourth-most in the CAA, with Elias Sherman (5 1/2 sacks) and Christian Thomas (5) leading the way. Thomas has been the Black Bears’ leading tackler, and his 92 tackles are sixth-most in the league. Safety Devin Vaught has 49 tackles and a team-high three interceptions. Maine faces a Rams offense averaging just under 400 yards per game. Devin Farrell leads the league with 2,714 passing yards while completing 66% of his throws. Marquis Buchanan has 53 catches for 902 yards and four touchdowns, and Greg Gaines has 45 catches for 704 yards and four TDs. Antwain Littleton leads the Rams with 745 rushing yards. Maine coach Jordan Stevens called the Rams a mature team that will not make mistakes and beat themselves. Third down will be a key, Stevens said. URI converts just under 50% of its third-down opportunities and was 7 for 13 in last week’s win at Elon.

Maine quarterback Carter Peevy is coming off a four-touchdown effort in last week’s win at Hampton. Peevy has eight touchdown passes over the last three games, and 11 Maine players have at least one touchdown catch this season. Scott Woods is seventh in the league in receptions with 46, and his four touchdown catches lead the Black Bears. Running backs Sincere Baines (666 yards) and Rashawn Marshall (634 yards) have split the carries in recent games and will continue to do so. Linebackers Moses Meus (83 tackles, five sacks), Rohan Davy (80 tackles, six sacks), and AJ Pena (54 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks) lead URI’s defense.

Both teams have a special teams weapon. For Maine, it’s Woods, who leads the CAA in punt returns with an average of 25.9 yards. For the Rams, it’s kicker Garth White, who made field goals of 48, 52 and 54 yards in the last three games.

Of note: The Rams are the only unbeaten team in CAA play. Maine, Villanova and Monmouth each have one loss. Monmouth is at North Carolina A&T this week, while Villanova hosts Stony Brook … This is the 102nd meeting between Maine and URI. The first game was in 1911 … A Maine loss would give the Black Bears their first four-game losing streak against URI since the early 1980s … Maine is seeking its first seven-game winning streak since 2013.