The Brice-Cowell Musket, the prize of the Maine-New Hampshire football rivalry, will be on the line when the Black Bears and Wildcats have their 100th meeting Saturday night (6 p.m., Alfond Stadium CW Network).

More importantly, though, Maine’s season may be on the line, more from a mental standpoint than where its conference record may be headed.

The Black Bears are 1-3 after last week’s crushing 24-21 loss to William & Mary in their Colonial Athletic Association opener. Maine led that game, 14-10, early in the fourth quarter before an avalanche of mistakes, including penalties and turnovers, allowed William & Mary to roar back to win. It was the Bears’ second heartbreaking defeat in as many games at Alfond this season, including a 3-0 loss to Albany in the season-opener.

Maine coach Jack Cosgrove downplayed the significance of Saturday’s game to Maine’s overall prospects for this season, but added it is important for his team to show it can bounce back.

“Each and every week in this league is an opportunity to win,” he said. “It’s a fact that we’re 0-1. William & Mary came up here 0-1 and they certainly responded. We’re going to go into this game with New Hampshire wanting to respond, to get better, to improve during the course of the week so we can play a full 60 minutes on Saturday.”

Cosgrove admitted it seemed a bit strange to have UNH (2-2), which is also 0-1 in the CAA, so early in the schedule. The Wildcats have been the Bears’ final regular season opponent for the last decade.

“It’s different. It’s been at the end of the year, so all of a sudden, here it is,” Cosgrove said. “It’s a rivalry that they’ve owned. They’ve beaten us seven straight years, so I don’t know if they consider us a rival anymore because of the success they’ve had against us.”

The last two games in the series have been tight, with the Wildcats winning in overtime in their last visit to Orono two years ago, then pulling out a 27-24 victory on the last drive in Durham last year.

The Wildcats come to Orono with an 0-1 conference record themselves, having lost by three points at Rhode Island two weeks ago.

“These last two games (against Maine) have been just what you want. There’s been something on the line for both games,” said UNH coach Sean McDonnell, “whether it’s been the North Division championship of the CAA or an opportunity to go to the playoffs. When you play those kind of games at the end of the year, everybody’s antennas are up. I heard Jack say, and I agree with him 100 percent, you can’t wait and worry about this one. We’ve got to go play Maine, we’ve got to play them at their place and it’s imperative that we get a win on the road, some way, somehow.”

Maine’s offense will be closer to full strength this week with the return of junior running back Jared Turcotte, who missed last week’s game to be present for the birth of his daughter. Turcotte is 85 yards shy of the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his career.

Pushaun Brown, who filled in for Turcotte with a fine 104-yard, two TD day, could also get some carries against the CAA’s sixth-ranked rush defense.

“For me, it starts with their running backs,” McDonnell said. “They’re all really, really good football players. Jared Turcotte was a hell of a player two years ago, didn’t play (last year), 6-foot-2, 230, physical, hard runner with great athleticism and great speed. Pushaun Brown had an unbelievable game against William & Mary.”

McDonnell said he is concerned with Maine’s size and speed at the skill positions and the fact that UNH did not play against QB Warren Smith last year. Smith was injured and was replaced by current back-up Chris Treister.

Maine has seen plenty of UNH senior quarterback R.J. Toman, a three-year starter who completed 26 of 37 passes for 348 yards and four TDs last week in a 31-10 victory over Lehigh and earned CAA and ECAC player of the week honors. Terrance Fox (23 catches, 294 yards, three TD) is his top target. Sophomore running back Dontra Peters is UNH’s top rusher, averaging 5.6 yards per rush with three scores.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 48-43-8.

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