Maine at Towson: CAA Week 0 Opener

Towson hosts Maine Thursday night to kick off the 2026 CAA football season in Week 0.

The 2026 college football season begins Thursday, August 27, with Maine traveling to Towson for a CAA conference matchup at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM ET, and the game will be streamed on FloCollege. Both programs are looking to build on 6-6 finishes in 2025, with Towson picked sixth and Maine seventh in the CAA preseason poll, according to College Sports Wire. It is the first Week 0 game for Maine under Head Coach Jordan Stevens and the program's first conference opener since 2021.

Towson returns a key advantage under center in quarterback Andrew Indorf, who earned CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a true freshman in 2025. According to FanDuel Research, Indorf started 12 games, completing 59.6% of his passes for 2,344 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. College Sports Wire notes that this returning experience at quarterback gives the Tigers an edge in a season opener, particularly at home. Towson also brings back preseason all-conference offensive lineman KJ Brooks to protect Indorf.

Maine fields the opposite strength: the Black Bears were the CAA's top defense in 2025, allowing just 325.1 total yards per game, according to University of Maine Athletics. Maine also ranked fourth in the league in scoring defense at 24.1 points allowed per game and surrendered only 37 touchdowns all season. The Black Bears return four of five starting offensive linemen, led by All-CAA lineman and preseason All-American Anthony Iliano. However, Maine will debut a new starting quarterback in redshirt sophomore Eddie Buehler, who earned the job coming out of camp.

Towson is favored across outlets, though the margin varies. According to Dimers, its predictive model gives Towson a 58.0% chance to win with a projected final score of 25-22. Dimers lists the spread at Towson -2.5. College Sports Wire reports BetMGM's spread at Towson -3.5 with a prediction of Towson 28, Maine 24, and its best bet is Towson -3.5 and the over at 44.5. FanDuel Research also picks Towson -3.5, citing Indorf's experience and the home-field advantage at Johnny Unitas Stadium as decisive factors in what is essentially a toss-up.

Both teams enter 2026 seeking a breakthrough. Maine posted its best record under Stevens at 6-6 and went 5-3 in CAA play, but closed 2025 with losses to ranked opponents Rhode Island and New Hampshire. According to University of Maine Athletics, a win would give Stevens his first conference-opening victory and the program's first opening-week win since 2019. Maine's last trip to Towson came in 2018, when the Black Bears won 35-28. For Towson, a strong home opener behind an experienced quarterback could establish momentum in a competitive CAA race where the Tigers were tabbed just one spot ahead of Maine in the preseason poll.

Thursday's game marks the first of several FCS openers on the Week 0 slate, with additional CAA matchups and games across Division II streaming on FloCollege throughout the evening. Maine will look to lean on its standout running back Rashawn Marshall, who amassed 831 all-purpose yards as a Freshman All-American in 2025, according to University of Maine Athletics. Towson will rely on Indorf and a home crowd at the 11,198-seat Johnny Unitas Stadium. With both teams projected near the middle of the CAA standings, an early conference win could prove pivotal for positioning in a league where the margin between sixth and seventh is razor thin.