When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Cadet Memorial Field, New London.

Last season’s records: University of New England 4-5 overall, Coast Guard 2-8 overall.

Players to watch: UNE, QB Jarrett Henault (40-for-71, 454 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs last season), RB Jack Mahoney (112 carries, 457 yards, 4 TDs), WR Shane LaPorte (18 catches, 128 yards, 2 TDs), WR AJ DeFilio (10 catches, 78 yards), WR Mikey Brennan (18 catches, 221 yards, 2 TDs), LB Keegan Stanton-Meas (47 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble), LB Antonio Giano (36 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles).

Coast Guard, QB Joey Armentrout (59-for-114, 666 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTs), RB Spencer McMillion (46 carries, 305 yards, 3 TDs), TE Matt Ross (38 catches, 336 yards), WR Tafari Wall (4 catches, 39 yards, 2 TDs), DL Andrew Rizzo (36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss), DL Conner McGuire (56 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks), LB Connor Healy (59 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks), LB Ethan Lasher (28 tackles, 4 INTs), SS Logan Morris (55 tackles, 1 INT), K-P Finnegan Hall (52 punts, 37.9 yards per kick; 15-for-18 PATs, 5-for-12 FGs).

Analysis: Coast Guard’s C.C. Grant, in his third season as head coach, was formerly the Bears’ defensive coordinator. He jokingly referred this week to the offense “cheating” by running plays at such a rapid pace during practice. “This tempo seems like it’s always fast,” said Grant, who brought on a new offensive coordinator this year in veteran college coach JB Wells. “Obviously, I was kidding around when I said they were cheating but sometimes they’re snapping the ball and we’re still ... generally when you change personnel, the referee’s supposed to stand over the ball until the defense gets a chance to change. These guys are changing and running on the fly; it’s like Canadian football.” Grant believes the pace at which the Bears have practiced will help them as they open the season. “I told them, ’If we can practice at this pace and get lined up and get our checks done, then once game time comes, it’ll be like it’s moving in slow motion,’” Grant said. ... Coast Guard won last year’s season opener at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, 16-0, the Bears’ first season-opening shutout since 2016. “They return the same offensive coordinator, the same defensive coordinator, so we’re expecting to see probably the same stuff they’ve done in the past,” Grant said. “Last year we were more flying blind because we didn’t play them the year before (due to COVID). We had no idea.” ... Armentrout, a sophomore, begins his first full season as Coast Guard’s starting quarterback after taking over for Tafari Wall with three games remaining last season, as Wall moved to wide receiver. Armentrout possesses a great deal of arm strength — “There’s no throw he can’t make,” Grant said. ... Henault, a sophomore, accounted for six touchdowns in UNE’s 55-43 victory over Curry to finish the 2021 season, throwing for five and running for one, as he was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference Rookie of the Week and was recognized by the New England Football Writers with the weekly Golden Helmet Award. ... Coast Guard will try to snap a seven-game losing streak.

— Vickie Fulkerson