ORONO — It may be one of the few communities in the state whose population declines during the summer, but Orono has been jumping for the University of Maine football team.

Just don’t take that to mean it’s been Vacationland for the Black Bears.

“This is a place that doesn’t provide quite what Viriginia Beach might, or the Jersey Shore or Cape Cod, Mass., in the summer,” head coach Jack Cosgrove noted.

Yet the Black Bears turned out in record numbers, 62 to be exact, to participate in the team’s off-season strength and conditioning program, a slight increase over the previous high of 59 from last year.

“That’s been real inspiring,”  said Cosgrove, who is entering his 19th season as head coach. “I’m excited about the return we’ll get because we saw that (commitment) last year.”

Maine formally began preparations for the 2012 season this week with the start of training camp. The season opens Sept. 8 at Boston College. The home-opener is Sep. 22 against Albany.

The Black Bears are ranked 19th in the College Sporting News and 21st in The Sports Network preseason polls. A poll of coaches and sports information personnel picked them sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association. Maine also had a league-high five players named to the preseason All-CAA team.

Coming off a 9-4 season that ended in the FCS quarterfinals and a No. 8 final ranking, the Black Bears aren’t content to match those preseason expectations: Just like last year’s team, which began the year unranked nationally and picked to finish ninth in the conference.

“We had a great senior group last year,” said senior wide receiver Maurice McDonald, a preseason All-CAA selection who led Maine with 58 receptions for 591 yards last year. “They really painted a great picture, and now we know what it takes to be successful and take it to the next level.”

This year, Maine’s senior core includes all-conference offensive linemen Chris Howley and Josh Spearin, as well as standout linebacker Donte Dennis, who missed all of 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“There’s definitely some momentum carrying over (from last year),” said Spearin, who is from Limington and played for Bonny Eagle. “Everyone wanted to stay up here this year and work our butts off and hopefully have another great season.”

The offensive line returns four of five starters from last year, plus another former starter, junior Joe Hook, who missed all of last season. Turner’s Doug Nash also figures to see action on the line and has even been taking reps at tight end during practice.

McDonald and tight end Justin Perillo lead a veteran receiving corps.

While the offensive front has plenty of experience, the backfield is mostly unproven. Sophomore David Hood is the leading returning ball-carrier.

As has almost become a training camp tradition, Cosgrove has a pair of quarterbacks battling for the starting nod. The last two years, it was Warren Smith and Chris Treister competing for the job. This year, it’s a duel of untested juniors, Marcus Wasilewski and John Ebeling, who are vying for the right to replace Smith, who became the first 3,000-yard passer in school history last year.

“For the past two years, there have been quarterback competitions and we’ve been able to watch them and see how they handle everything,” said Ebeling, who saw time as a slot receiver last year. “It’s been extremely helpful watching Chris and Warren.”

One of the things Ebeling and Wasilewski learned from their predecessors was the importance of working with receivers over the summer so they can use training camp to refine the offense.

“We can focus on some more detailed things, whether it be formation-wise or play-call-wise, rather than worry about the little things such as timing,” Wasilewski said.

Most of the question marks for the defense are up the middle. The Bears lost interior linemen Raibonne Charles and Kevin Phanor and safeties Trevor Coston and Jerron McMillian to graduation,

“It’s big losing those guys, but we’re going to fill those spots in,” said senior defensive end Kris Enslen. “We’re not going to skip a beat. It’s not rebuilding; it’s reloading.”

Matt Pellerin of Turner is competing with sophomore Matt Wilson to replace Charles at nose guard. The 295-pound junior had to sit out last season after transferring from Maine Maritime Academy.

Junior defensive end Michael Cole was the defense’s lone preseason all-conference selection. But Cosgrove thinks the group still could be a strength with linebackers Dennis, Troy Eastman and Troy Russell and cornerbacks Darlos James and Kendall James.

“We’re going to be a good defensive football team because we have very good linebackers and very good corners,” Cosgrove said. “I think that’s a pretty good staple of defense.”