University of Massachusets Athletics
Q&A With Mark Whipple
October 25, 1999 | Football
Oct. 25, 1999
What are your thoughts on last week?s victory at Delaware?
?It wasn?t easy. They have a great football team and a tremendous atmosphere. Our playoff run last year was not as exciting as that. Both teams played very, very hard and laid it on the line. We were just fortunate to come up with some plays in the second half. I don?t think either team played great, but I think we played very hard, and we left it all out on the field. We were fortunate to get it done in the fourth quarter.?
How did you feel about the way your team came from behind for the victory?
?It was a great win for us. We fumbled and bumbled early in the game, but a lot of it had to do with Delaware?s defense. Once you play them, you realize why they?re number one in the conference, against the run and in total defense. Our offense put our defense in a bad situation early on and Delaware took advantage of it. After we fell behind 19-7, our offense settled down, Todd Bankhead played very well and Marcel Shipp just had a huge game. Then our defense stepped it up in the second half. They played really well in the second half after we settled down and made some adjustments. We have three second-half shutouts in a row. That bodes well for us the rest of the year.?
What did you think about Delaware?s defense?
"They are very physical and very strong. I thought they were excellent. Our guys were saying that Mike Cecere was as good as anyone Toledo had. Femi Ayi played very well, and Brian McKenna is a great player. He made an unbelievable interception and was physical. As a whole, their came up and hit.?
How much has your defense improved over the course of the season?
?I think our defense has gained a lot of confidence. I do not think we were confident as a football team early in the year. Our defense has grown and they really believe in one another. They believe the offense is going to get it done, and the offense feels likewise. There has not been any panic. Going back to the Toledo game and the Hofstra game, we learned a lot about ourselves. We learned not to let one bad bounce or one bad play affect us. Our leaders have emerged. Kole Ayi has been great and Jerard White is playing as well as anybody in the conference in the secondary.?
What did you think about Corey Potter?s play last week?
?He played outstanding. We knew coming into the season that he was going to be a very good defensive player. He has great football sense and loves to play the game. He is just a great player. He has come forth in the right spot at the right time, and I think he will just to continue to get better because he?s so young.?
Do you think that having played a Division I-A opponent will hurt your chances at the playoffs?
?Last year, I think the committee just threw out all the teams with four losses. I think that hurt a lot of teams. Northern Iowa played Eastern Michigan. Western Kentucky played two I-A schools in Louisville and Southwestern Louisiana. I think they should look at I-AA losses and see who you have played. And how many I-AA wins do you have. You want to get the best 16 teams in there. Our league is so tough, I just hope we don?t knock each other out. But it will be very difficult for a team with four losses to make the playoffs.?
Looking ahead to this Saturday, how do you feel about playing Rhode Island?
?They are on a roll right now. I think they are playing with a lot of momentum, starting with the second half against Brown, and then with the win last week against Maine. And Maine has a very good football team. Rhode Island is flying around and jumping around ? they are very physical on defense. They have lost some tough games, and a win this week will make their season. We have to get ready for this game. We had a playoff-type game last week and it was intense. Now we need to get back in there and stay focused.?
Does it help Rhode Island that they don?t have anything to lose?
?Yes, and I think that?s a big advantage for them. But they are also very good, and that?s probably more important. They are playing very hard. You look at what can happen in this league. We are going out there to win a football game, whether it?s Rhode Island or Richmond or Connecticut or William & Mary. We are going to play to win.?
