University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Football To Take On Northeastern
October 04, 1999 | Football
Oct. 4, 1999
GAMEDAY QUICK FACTS
The Teams: UMass (1-3, 1-1 A-10) vs. Northeastern (1-3, 0-2 A-10)
Date: October 9, 1999
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,000), Amherst, Mass.
TV: None
Radio: ? UMass Football Radio Network (Bob Behler, play-by-play,
Bob Pickett, color, WHMP 1400 AM, Northampton, flagship)
? UMass Student Radio (WMUA 91.1 FM, Amherst)
? Huskies Radio Network (Rob Rudnick, play-by-play, Nate Long, color,
WJIB 740 AM, Boston, flagship)
? Northeastern Student Radio (WRBB 104.9 FM, Boston)
Series Record: UMass leads, 20-7-1
Last Meeting: UMass 21, Northeastern 14 (September 28, 1996, Amherst, Mass.)THE SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN: UMass holds a 20-7-1 lead in the all-time series with the Huskies, with the Minutemen winning the last 13 games between the schools. Northeastern has not defeated UMass since Nov. 19, 1983, when it posted a 31-14 victory at Parsons Field. Even though the Minutemen have dominated the series in recent years, a number of the games have been close. In the last 13 meetings between UMass and Northeastern, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less nine times. The Minutemen hold an 11-3 advantage in games played in Amherst, having won the last eight. The last time the Huskies won in Amherst came on Oct. 25, 1958, when Northeastern posted a 12-0 victory at Alumni Field (UMass did not begin playing at McGuirk Alumni Stadium until 1965). The series between the schools resumes this season following a two-year layoff. Prior to 1997, UMass and Northeastern played every year since 1983.
SERIES QUICK FACTS
Overall UMass leads, 20-7-1 Whipple vs. Northeastern 0-0 Most UMass points 37 (Nov. 10, 1934) Most Northeastern points 41 (Oct. 24, 1953) Fewest UMass points 0 (three times) Fewest Northeastern points 0 (four times) Largest UMass margin 37 (37-0, Nov. 10, 1934) Largest Northeastern margin 39 (39-0, Oct. 23, 1954) In overtime n/a
SHIPP CONTINUES STELLAR PLAY: Walter Payton Award candidate Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.) turned in another impressive performance in last week?s game against Hofstra. He carried 30 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns against the Flying Dutchmen, while also tying a career-high with eight receptions for 47 yards. The rushing performance marked the fifth 200 yard game of Shipp?s career. A week earlier against Toledo, Shipp rushed 29 times for 111 yards, while also catching four passes for 10 yards. In the previous game at Villanova he rushed 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, while catching eight passes for 70 yards and another score. In the season opener against New Hampshire, Shipp carried 35 times for 145 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a pair of passes. For the season, Shipp has now totaled 558 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries, while also catching 22 passes for 124 yards and another score.
SHIPP IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Only a junior, Marcel Shipp has already established himself as one of the top running backs in school history. He currently ranks third all-time at UMass in career rushing yards with 3,856, needing only four more yards to move past Garry Pearson (3,859 yards / 1979-82) for second place. Once Shipp passes Pearson, he will trail only Rene Ingoglia (4,624 yards / 1992-95) on the all-time UMass rushing list. Shipp is also closing in on the all-time UMass record for all-purpose yards, currently ranking third with 4,923. He needs only 19 more yards to move past Ingoglia (4,941 yards) for second place, and 77 yards to become only the second player in school history with 5,000 career all-purpose yards. Pearson currently holds the record with 5,277 yards. In addition to his standing on the rushing and all-purpose yard lists, Shipp ranks first all-time at UMass in rushing yards per game (133.0), third in carries (683), and fourth in rushing touchdowns (26) and yards per carry (5.6).
BANKHEAD KEEPS CLIMBING THE CHARTS: This week, senior All-America quarterback Todd Bankhead (Escondido, Calif.) could break the all-time UMass record for completions. He enters the Northeastern game with 385 career completions, needing only 25 more to break Dave Palazzi?s all-time record of 409, set from 1985-88. Earlier this season, Bankhead took sole possession of first place on the all-time UMass list for career touchdown passes during the Villanova game. Bankhead hit Marcel Shipp with a 39-yard scoring strike during the fourth quarter for the 39th touchdown pass of his career. He moves ahead of Peil Pennington, who tossed 38 touchdown passes from 1971-73. Bankhead also ranks in the UMass career top 10 in a number of other statistical categories. After connecting on 82 of 142 passes for 816 yards and five touchdowns in the first four games of the season, he now stands first in completion percentage (.577), second in passing yards (4,735), third in attempts (667), and fifth in total offense (4,568 yards).
UMASS ON THE NINTH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 8-6 in games played on October 9, having won five of the last seven. UMass last played on this date in 1993 when it posted a 36-14 victory over Rhode Island at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. In home games played on Oct. 9, UMass? all-time mark is 6-3, with the wins coming against Rhode Island in 1993, Connecticut in 1954 (20-13), Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1948 (26-7), Bates in 1920 (21-7), Colby in 1915 (26-0) and Norwich in 1909 (6-0). The last time the Minutemen lost on Oct. 9 came in 1982, when Delaware posted a 14-13 win in Amherst.
SHIPP KEEPS 100-YARD GAME STREAK ALIVE: Marcel Shipp enters this week?s game against Northeastern with a streak of 16 straight games in which he has rushed for over 100 yards. In last year?s Northwestern State game, he broke the UMass record for consecutive 100-yard games. Shipp moved ahead of Jerome Bledsoe, who had 10 straight 100-yard performances in the final 10 games of the 1991 season. Garry Pearson has the third longest streak in school history with six straight 100-yard games at the end of the 1982 season. Here is a look at all the streaks of five games or more in UMass history:
Rank Name Streak Dates
1. Marcel Shipp 16 games 9/26/98-present
2. Jerome Bledsoe 10 games 9/14/91-11/23/91
3. Garry Pearson 6 games 10/16/82-11/20/82
4. Rene Ingoglia 5 games 11/20/93-10/1/94
Garry Pearson 5 games 11/14/81-10/2/82WYNNE NAMED BURGER KING SCHOLAR ATHLETE: On September 29, senior offensive guard Mike Wynne (Somerdale, N.J.) was named a Division I-AA College Football Scholar Athlete by Burger King. In honor of Wynne?s outstanding athletic and academic achievements and his commitment to mentoring the community?s youth, Burger King has donated $10,000 to the University of Massachusetts general scholarship fund in his name. An official presentation was made to Wynne prior to UMass? game against Hofstra on October 2. A three year starter on the offensive line for the Minutemen, Wynne carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.93 in Accounting, and will graduate in December.
UMASS IN THE RANKINGS: The Minutemen are currently ranked 16th in the nation by The Sports Network and ESPN / USA Today and 14th by Don Hansen?s Football Gazette. UMass has now been ranked in every national poll since Oct. 5, 1998, when it broke into the rankings for the first time since the 1995 season. The Minutemen finished last year on top of the Sports Network, ESPN / USA Today and Don Hansen?s Football Gazette polls, marking the first time the Minutemen had ever been ranked No. 1. Here is a look at where UMass has been ranked so far this season:
Poll Sports Network ESPN / USA Today Don Hansen Preseason 2 2 1 Sept. 6 2 no poll 1 Sept. 13 2 2 1 Sept. 20 9 11 11 Sept. 27 16 16 14
THE LAST TIME ? UMASS 21, NORTHEASTERN 14 (9/28/96): Matt Jordan rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries to lead the Minutemen to a 21-14 victory over Northeastern at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. UMass took advantage of some costly turnovers by the Huskies on special teams to win their third straight game before a live NESN television audience. With the victory, UMass extended its winning streak over Northeastern to 13 consecutive games, dating back to the 1983 season. After the Huskies opened the scoring with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jamison Starling early in the second quarter, Jordan tied the game on the following play from scrimmage, racing 70 yards for a score. UMass took a 14-7 lead into the intermission, after a 16-play, 88-yard drive was capped off with a one yard scoring plunge by Jordan with 17 second left in the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Northeastern?s Dave Edmundson made the score 14-14 with an 11-yard run. But the Huskies ruined their chances by fumbling three consecutive punts, and Jamie Holston scored the winning touchdown by rumbling 40 yards with just under nine minutes remaining. The UMass defense and special teams units came up big all day, forcing five Northeastern turnovers and recording five sacks. Jim Murphy paced the Husky attack, completing 20 of 31 passes for 223 yards with one interception, with Matt Quinn posting 13 tackles.
DEFENSE MAKES MORE PICKS: The UMass defense has forced opposing quarterbacks into a number of mistakes this season, making nine interceptions in only four games. This included at least two picks by the Minutemen in the first three games, marking the first time since the 1991 season UMass has intercepted multiple passes in three consecutive games (the Minutemen did it against Holy Cross, Maine and Boston University in ?91). Last week against Hofstra, sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson (Syracuse, N.Y.) came up with the lone interception for the Minutemen, picking off Giovanni Carmazzi at the Hofstra 38-yard line late in the first half. A week earlier at Toledo, both senior cornerback Jerard White (Fort Washington, Md.) and senior cornerback Willie Hemmer (San Diego, Calif.) had interceptions. In the Villanova game, the Minutemen also had two interceptions. Junior linebacker Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.) had the first pick, while White added the second. In the season opener against New Hampshire, the Minutemen came up with four interceptions. White led the way with a pair of picks, while Hemmer and Robinson had one interception each. The team total of four interceptions against New Hampshire was the most by UMass since Oct. 9, 1993, when the Minutemen picked off four passes in a 36 14 victory over Rhode Island. The school record for interceptions in a single game is six, set against Nevada-Reno on Dec. 9, 1978, in the NCAA semifinals.
AYI CONTINUES TO PLAY WELL IN THE MIDDLE: Junior Buck Buchanan Award candidate Kole Ayi had another outstanding game against Hofstra last week. He led the team in tackles for the fourth straight game totaling 14 on the day, including a sack for 15 yards. Ayi also had 15 tackles a week earlier against Toledo, recorded 15 tackles and an interception against Villanova, and made a season-high 17 tackles in the season opener against New Hampshire. He has now reached double figures in tackles 12 times in his last 19 games. For the season, Ayi has now totaled 61 tackles, including 46 solo stops. He has also moved into fifth place on the all-time UMass list for solo tackles, with 191 during his career as a Minuteman. With nine more solo stops Ayi will become only the fifth player in school history to make 200 career unassisted tackles.
ROBINSON STARTS SOPHOMORE SEASON STRONG: Sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson appears to be well on his way to another big season in the UMass secondary. In last week?s game against Hofstra, Robinson ranked second on the team in total tackles with 10, while also picking up his second interception of the season. A week earlier at Toledo, he ranked second on the team in tackles with 12, while also coming up with a fumble recovery. In the Villanova game he recorded nine tackles, with one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. In the season opener against New Hampshire, Robinson ranked third on the team with 12 tackles, while also recording an interception and breaking up a pass. For the season, Robinson currently ranks third on the team in tackles with 43, including 27 solo stops. He has also made three tackles for loss, to go along with two interceptions and two pass breakups.
WHITE PICKS OFF ANOTHER PASS: Senior cornerback Jerard White registered his fourth interception of the season in the Toledo game, while also recording three tackles and a pass breakup. He picked off a Dan Cole pass in the first quarter, when the game was scoreless and the Rockets were driving in UMass territory. The previous week against Villanova, White picked off a Chris Boden pass at the UMass one-yard line early in the second half, ending a scoring threat by the Wildcats. In the season opener against New Hampshire, White came up with two interceptions. His first interception came midway through the second quarter when the Wildcats were driving into UMass territory, while his second pick came in the third quarter when he deflected a Ryan Day pass into the air and then corralled it for the interception. The second interception was named the Compaq National Interception of the Week. White now has six interceptions in his last six games (He also intercepted passes against Northwestern State in the 1998 NCAA semifinals and Georgia Southern in the championship game). He also ranks seventh on the team in total tackles with 18, and has broken up three passes.
HIGGINS BECOMES A TOP RECEIVING THREAT: Senior tight end Sean Higgins (Brewster, N.Y.) has turned in some solid performances for the Minutemen so far this season. He had the best game of his career against New Hampshire in the season opener, catching a team and career-high seven passes for 74 yards. Higgins came back at Villanova with four catches for 47 yards, made four receptions for 32 yards at Toledo, then had six catches for 63 yards against Hofstra. He ranks third on the team in catches this season, with 21 receptions for 216 yards through four games. A transfer from Cayuga Community College prior to the 1998 season, Higgins is replacing Kerry Taylor in the starting lineup (Taylor is currently on the New England Patriots? practice squad).
DAWSON ALL-AROUND LEADER ON DEFENSE: Senior linebacker Matt Dawson (Pepperell, Mass.), who is in the UMass starting lineup for the third straight season, has made a number of big plays in the first four games of the season. Last week against Hofstra he made six tackles, including a sack for 15 yards. Dawson made six tackles in the season opener against New Hampshire, including three for loss (totaling a loss of 14 yards), while also recovering a fumble, breaking up a pass and recording a sack for nine yards. He followed that up with a 10-tackle game in the Villanova contest, and made five tackles at Toledo. For the year, Dawson ranks fourth on the team in total tackles with 30, including 17 solo stops. He has also totaled four tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
SMITH MAKES BIG PLAYS IN SECONDARY: Junior strong safety Brian Smith (Wilmington, Del.) continues to show why he is one of the top defensive backs in the Atlantic 10. Last week against Hofstra, Smith ranked third on the team in total tackles with eight, while also blocking an extra point. A week earlier at Toledo, he ranked second on the team with 12 tackles, including one tackle for loss. In the Villanova game, Smith ranked second on the team in tackles with 12, including nine solo stops. In the season opener against New Hampshire, he once again ranked second on the team in tackles with 14, including two for loss (totaling a loss of 10 yards) and a sack. For the year, Smith stands second on the team in total tackles with 46, including 33 solo stops. He also has three tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup.
ZULLO AMONG OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Sophomore wide receiver Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) has been the top receiver for the Minutemen this season. He had 11 catches for 125 yards at Villanova, tying the school single-game record for receptions. The record was originally set by Tim Berra with 11 catches against Holy Cross in 1973, and was tied by Jimmy Moore with 11 receptions at Hofstra last season. Zullo also had a big day against New Hampshire in the season opener, catching five passes for 92 yards and four touchdowns. With the four scoring catches, he tied the UMass single-game record which was set by Jimmy Moore last season at Connecticut. Following that contest, Zullo was awarded the Bill Knight Trophy as the most valuable player of the game. He was also named the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the ECAC / Budget Division I-AA Offensive Player of the Week and the WHMP / UMass Athlete of the Week, while receiving the Coca-Cola Gold Helmet as the Division I Player of the Week in New England. Through four games, Zullo has totaled 22 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen rank among the A-10 leaders through games of Oct. 2. Marcel Shipp stands first in rushing (139.5 yards/game), second in all-purpose yards (170.5 yards/game), third in scoring (7.5 points/game) and tied for fifth in receptions (5.5 catches/game), while Adrian Zullo is also tied for fifth in receptions (5.5 catches/game). Todd Bankhead is fifth in passing yards (204.0 yards/game), while freshman Doug White (Claremont, Calif.) ranks first in extra point percentage (100.0). Jerard White stands first in interceptions (1.0 picks/game), while Willie Hemmer and Jeremy Robinson are tied for fifth (0.5 picks/game). Kole Ayi leads the conference in tackles (15.3 tackles/game), while Brian Smith ranks fourth (11.5 tackles/game). As a team, UMass ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in pass efficiency defense (102.9 rating), while standing third in turnover margin (+0.8 turnovers/game) and net punting (36.0 yards/punt).
UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen have faced two ranked teams so far this season, falling to No. 22 Villanova 26-21 and No. 6 Hofstra 27-14. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 6-5 against ranked opponents. Last year, the Minutemen posted wins over No. 5 Hofstra (40-35), No. 20 Villanova (36-26), No. 6 McNeese State (21-19), No. 13 Lehigh (27-21), No. 2 Northwestern State (41-31) and No. 1 Georgia Southern (55-43). The 1998 losses to ranked teams were against No. 3 Delaware (33-30), No. 15 Connecticut (44-41 in overtime) and No. 9 Connecticut (28-27). UMass? six victories over ranked opponents in 1998 set a school single-season record.
WHITE, SHIPP NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Cornerback Jerard White and tailback Marcel Shipp head a list of eight different UMass players who are ranked in the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders through games of Oct. 2. White ranks second in the country in interceptions, while Shipp stands fourth in the nation in rushing.
Category NCAA Rank Player/Team No./Avg.
Interceptions 2 Jerard White 1.0
40 Willie Hemmer 0.5
40 Jeremy Robinson 0.5
Rushing Yards 4 Marcel Shipp 139.5
Pass Efficiency Defense 30 UMass 102.9
All-Purpose Yards 9 Marcel Shipp 170.5
Receptions 36 Marcel Shipp 5.5
36 Adrian Zullo 5.5
47 Sean Higgins 5.3
Scoring 45 Marcel Shipp 7.5
Total Offense 39 Todd Bankhead 203.0
Punting 44 David Sanger 39.5LAST-MINUTE MEN: In its 19 games since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass has seen the outcome decided in the closing minute or overtime 10 times. The Minutemen are 6-4 in those games, all of which were decided by six points or less. Last year, UMass defeated Richmond 22 17, downed Hofstra 40-35, topped James Madison 28-26, knocked off New Hampshire 27-26, beat McNeese State 21-19 and defeated Lehigh 21-19. The Minutemen fell at Delaware 33-30 and to Connecticut twice (44-41 in overtime on the road and 28-27 at home) last season, and lost 26-21 at Villanova earlier this year.
MINUTEMEN BRING IN ACADEMIC HONORS: A number of UMass players earned academic honors last season, led by offensive guard Mike Wynne, who was a GTE / CoSIDA second team Academic All-American. In addition, both Wynne and strong safety Brian Smith were named to the 1998 GTE / CoSIDA Academic All-District I team and the Division I-AA Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team. Wynne and Smith were also joined by quarterback Todd Bankhead, wide receiver Steve Ley and defensive end Dan Schneider on the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team, while a total of 27 Minutemen had grade point averages of 3.0 or higher during the spring 1999 semester. This year, Bankhead, Wynne and Smith should all be top candidates for Academic All-America honors. Bankhead enters the fall semester with a 3.33 grade point average in Sport Management, while Wynne has a 3.93 grade point average in Accounting and Smith carries a 3.31 grade point average in Computer Science.
UMASS FOOTBALL ON THE RADIO: All University of Massachusetts football games can be heard live on the UMass Football Radio Network, with WHMP 1400 AM (Northampton) serving as the flagship station. Bob Behler has taken over as the play-by-play announcer this season, while former UMass head coach Bob Pickett is in his second year as color analyst. The list of affiliates on the UMass Radio Network includes WXKS 1430 AM (Boston), WGAM 1520 AM (Greenfield), WUHN 1110 AM (Pittsfield) and WNEB 1230 AM (Worcester). In addition, WMUA 91.1 FM, the UMass student station, will carry most Minuteman football games during the 1999 season.
THE MARK WHIPPLE SHOW: Head coach Mark Whipple?s weekly radio show, ?The Mark Whipple Show,? is on live from Rafter?s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Amherst each Thursday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. during the season on WHMP 1400 AM. Bob Behler serves as the show?s host. The show is open to the general public.
COACH?S CORNER WITH MARK WHIPPLE: Every Sunday night at 11:30 p.m., the Coach?s Corner with Mark Whipple can be seen on WGGB TV, channel 40 in Springfield. The short segment, which runs at the tale end of the Sunday night news, features highlights from Saturday?s game and a look ahead to the next week?s opponent. The show will run through the end of UMass? season.
UMASS FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION: Last week?s game against Hofstra was the second of five live television appearances for the Minutemen during the 1999 season. The game was carried live by Fox Sports New York. UMass? other televised games this year are against new Hampshire, Maine, Delaware and Connecticut. The season opener against New Hampshire was carried by the Atlantic 10 Television Network and was shown on Fox Sports New England and WBGN TV (Pittsburgh, Pa.), while the Maine game will be shown on WABI TV (Bangor) and WPME TV (Portland) in Maine. The Delaware game, on the A-10 Network, will be shown on Fox Sports New England, Comcast SportsNet, Home Team Sports, WBGN TV (Pittsburgh) and WDRL TV (Roanoke, Va.), and the Connecticut game will be carried by CPTV in Connecticut. The Minutemen have a record of 5-1 in televised games since the beginning of the 1998 season. Last year UMass defeated Hofstra, Rhode Island, Lehigh and Georgia Southern.
MINUTEMEN TAKE ON I-A FOE FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER 10 YEARS: When UMass faced Toledo earlier this year, it marked the first game for the Minutemen against a Division I-A foe since the 1988 season. Prior to the 24-3 loss to the Rockets, UMass? last game against a I-A team came when Ball State posted a 44-17 victory over the Minutemen in Muncie, Ind., on Sept. 17, 1988. Since Division I-AA was formed in 1978, UMass now has a record of 8-12 against I-A foes, with the last victory being a 26-10 triumph over Ball State on Sept. 1, 1984, at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Northeastern enters this week?s game with an overall record of 1-3 and an 0-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Huskies downed American International College 44-7 in their season opener, but have since lost to James Madison (29-21), William & Mary (42 30) and Boston College (33-22). Northeastern has a potent offense, averaging 462.5 yards of total offense per game, including 279.0 yards through the air. Quarterback Jason Quinlan has completed 55 of 97 passes on the year for 628 yards and five touchdowns with five interceptions, while Fred Vallett has hit on 41 of 71 passes for 453 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. Wide receiver Dave Klemic leads the team with 26 receptions for 339 yards and three scores, while running back L.J. McKanas has rushed for 272 yards on 54 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Brian Hayden has a team-high 29 tackles with six tackles for loss, while cornerback T.J. Hill has 28 tackles and two pass breakups.
NORTHEASTERN HEAD COACH BARRY GALLUP: Barry Gallup is in his ninth year as head coach at Northeastern, and has an overall record 37-54-1. Prior to coaching the Huskies, Gallup served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Boston College, from 1971-1991. During his undergraduate days, Gallup was a two-sport phenom for the Eagles. He graduated as the school?s all-time leading pass receiver with 87 catches for 1,325 yards, while also playing basketball under head coach and former Boston Celtics great Bob Cousy .
EXTRA POINTS: UMass strength and conditioning coach Bob Otrando is a 1979 Northeastern graduate, and was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame this past May ? The 24-3 loss to Division I-A Toledo on Sept. 25 and the 27-14 loss to Hofstra last week mark the two largest margins of defeat during the Mark Whipple era at UMass ? The UMass defense allowed Villanova to gain only 86 yards of total offense in the second half of the game on Sept. 18. The Minutemen did a particularly good job of shutting down quarterback Chris Boden, who completed only four of 15 passes for 25 yards with an interception after the break.
