ORONO -- They would be lying if they claim to have projected this.

At 6-foot-nothing and 237 pounds, former Windham High standout Raibonne Charles is a starting defensive tackle for the University of Maine defense as a redshirt freshman.

"He's undersized. But he's a classic example of a guy who made us play him," Maine coach Jack Cosgrove said. "He's an undersized overachiever. I tell a lot of young men from the state of Maine you've gotta have some Raibonne Charles in ya."

Charles has played a vital role in a defense that has allowed an average of 83.8 rushing yards during a five-game win streak that has helped to breathe life back into the program.

Maine (7-3, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association) heads to Rhode Island (2-8, 0-6) today chasing a playoff berth with a cast of characters that seems to improve by the week. Maine is off to its best start after 10 games since 2002, the last year it made the playoffs.

Charles, a recruited walk-on from a high school team that had losing records, is one of those characters.

"You grow up in Maine and are a good football player you're a big fish in a small pond," he said. "It's easy to play football when the glory matches the work. Here you start from zero. It's more talent than you've ever seen. And the kids with a good work ethic stick it out."

Maine first stumbled upon Charles at a summer camp in Orono that he attended while in high school. Dwayne Wilmot, now Maine's defensive line coach, was working at the camp. He liked what he saw.

"He's a kid who's not tall enough or big enough. But he's 100 miles an hour every rep," Wilmot said. "He's really been like that since I first met him at that youth camp."

Charles was named the scout team player of the year last season as a redshirt and, during spring football, secured his place in the lineup. Sophomore Ryan Nani was coming off an injury and Charles earned the nod as starter.

"The timing helped. We happened to not be stocked well in defensive linemen," Cosgrove said. "But he's made us play him. And he's earned a scholarship in a very short amount of time."

Cosgrove said he often hears opposing coaches quip that Maine has a defense with no tackles.

Lining up next to Charles is 6-3 nose tackle Jonathan Pirruccello, just 251 pounds. Behind him on the depth chart is 6-3 transfer Erik Lee, 260 pounds. Most interior defensive linemen in the CAA weigh at least 280 pounds.

"They see heights and weights and think they can get the measure of a player," Wilmot said. "He's a rare example of all the clichŽs -- a step too slow, too small. He's simply overcome them."

Charles' breakout game this season was in a 24-10 loss to top-ranked James Madison on Sept. 27. Charles had eight tackles that game, but more importantly, say his coaches, he seemed to grasp his role. Maine held the Dukes at 10-10 deep into the fourth quarter that game. They haven't lost since.

"He's really earned everything he's gotten here," Cosgrove said. "A lot of young people don't understand how hard this is. You really have to make sacrifices in your life."

Some of Charles' work ethic comes from his parents.

His father, also named Raibonne, grew up on the island of Grenada in the southern Caribbean, working on a cruise line. He came to Maine looking for work in the 1980s and met his wife Pamela.

He's brought his son to Grenada and showed him the work ethic of the people where he comes from.

"He's one of the hardest working people I know," Charles said of his father. "And they really impressed me they way they do things there. My mom is a run-around, detail-oriented person. She did everything for us."

When Charles came to Maine he looked around and saw faster, bigger players on scholarships from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"There weren't a lot of guys in my shoes and I used that as motivation," he said. "I figured my destiny was in my own hands."