For four consecutive weeks, the Massachusetts football team was on the move. Friday mornings consisted of bus trips and plane rides, afternoons of practices on unfamiliar fields and evenings of hotel check-ins and position meetings in uninspiring conference rooms. Saturdays, meanwhile, brought new challenges of every shape and size from locales as far away as Virginia and as close as Eastern Massachusetts.

For a young football team in the first year of a new system, it was a difficult yet valuable stretch – one that will undoubtedly go a long way in the maturation processes of the team’s many inexperienced players.

At the same time, however, UMass coach Don Brown and his players will never shy away from the fact that all they ever want to do is win football games – wherever, whenever and against whomever they may be. On Saturday, that opportunity will be there; the opportunity to win a football game that matters significantly in any context or situation, and to do so on Homecoming in front of the friends, family and fans that love and support the Minutemen no matter their record.

For the 51st time in the storied history of two of Division I-AA’s elite programs, UMass and Maine will meet on the gridiron again in a series that dates back to 1908. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

“It’s been a very difficult stretch for us, there’s no doubt about that,” Brown said. “The one thing I’ve been pleased with is that the effort has always been there; the guys have always played hard and given it their all.

“It’s good for us as a team to finally be home and play in front of our fans, and it will certainly help us to be back in familiar surroundings.”

While the Minutemen will certainly relish the chance to return home, the challenge on the football field this weekend may be as great as any they’ve faced in I-AA play this year. Despite a somewhat misleading 4-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in A-10 play, Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears are a force to be reckoned with, especially on offense where the young UMass defenders will be facing their third drastically different system in as many weeks.

“Having to give the guys another completely different look to defend is obviously difficult for them,” Brown said. “We went from New Hampshire where they threw the ball all over the place, to Rhode Island and the triple option and now this weekend where they shift and move all over the place.

“It’s going to be a challenge for our guys.”

Maine’s offense, which features a myriad of shifts and motion before every play, is complemented by a collection of skill position players that rival any in the conference and in I-AA as well. Led by former Amherst Regional star tailback Marcus Williams and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Ron Whitcomb, along with speedy wide receiver Christian Pereira, the Black Bears are a dynamic force moving the football, one that Brown sees as similar in style to his own attack.

“What they try to do in terms of establishing the run is a lot like how our offense is designed,” Brown said. “They want to establish the run with Williams and base their passing game off of that. It’s up to us to play our game and stop the run and look to throw them off passing the ball.”

Stopping Williams will clearly be easier said than done. A preseason second team All-American, a 2003 All-Conference first team selection and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given to the best offensive player at the I-AA level, Williams was voted team MVP by his teammates last season after rushing for 1,284 yards and moving up to third on the school’s all-time rushing list.

This season, Williams has rushed for 732 yards and six touchdowns, and has combined with Perreira to score nearly twice as many touchdowns as the rest of the squad collectively.

“He’s a good back, a guy who runs hard and is tough to bring down,” Brown said. “We need to play physical, know what we’re doing out there and finish our tackles to be successful.”

Whitcomb also posses a major challenge for UMass, as the second-year quarterback has grown considerably since last season’s 24-16 UMass victory in Orono. Having completed 121-of-194 passes for 1,243 yards and 16 touchdowns, Whitcomb’s efficiency rating sits at a whopping 134.13.

“He’s a good player in their system,” Brown said. “He manages the game well, makes his throws and gets the ball in the hands of his playmakers.

“Our defensive backs are going to be ready, and have to play a solid game to keep their guys in front of them.”

NOTES: Linebacker Charles Walker is back practicing with the team, and may see action on Saturday. In addition, defensive lineman Jason Leonard will once again be out with a separated shoulder while defensive back R.J. Cobbs is back in practice but may not play Saturday.