University of Massachusets Athletics
Football To Face Connecticut In Regular Season Finale
November 15, 1999 | Football
Nov. 15, 1999
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
The Teams: UMass (7-3, 6-1 A-10) vs. Connecticut (4-6, 3-4 A-10)
Date: November 20, 1999
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Place: Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,000), Amherst, Mass.
TV: Connecticut Public Television (Tony Terzi, play-by-play)
Radio: UMass Football Radio Network (Ted Baker, play-by-play,
Bob Pickett, color, WHMP 1400 AM, Northampton, flagship)
UMass Student Radio (WMUA 91.1 FM, Amherst)
UConn Radio Network (Joe D?Ambrosio, play-by-play,
Wayne Norman, color, WTIC 1080 AM, Hartford, flagship)
Series Record: UMass leads 35-33-2
Last Meeting: Connecticut 28, UMass 27 (Nov. 21, 1998, Amherst, Mass.)
THE SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT: UMass holds a 35-33-2 lead in the all-time series which began in 1897. Connecticut has won five of the last six meetings between the schools, including a pair of close victories last season (44-41 in overtime at Storrs, and 28-27 at Amherst). The teams have met 41 times in Amherst, with the Minutemen holding a slim 21-19-1 advantage in those games. UMass head coach Mark Whipple has gone up against the Huskies three times, with his lone win coming when his New Haven team downed Connecticut 14-13 in the 1992 season opener.
SERIES QUICK FACTS
Overall UMass, 35-33-2 Whipple vs. UConn 1-2 Most UMass points 49 (Oct. 28, 1972) Most UConn points 71 (Oct. 13, 1956) Fewest UMass points 0, nine times (last Oct. 27, 1979) Fewest UConn points 0, eight times (last Oct. 22, 1977) Largest UMass margin 36 (36-0, Nov. 6, 1897) Largest UConn margin 65 (71-6, Oct. 13, 1956) In overtime UConn leads, 2-0
SHIPP CONTINUES STELLAR PLAY: Walter Payton Award finalist Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.) continues to show why he is one of the top running backs in the nation. Last week at William & Mary, Shipp carried 35 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns, marking the seventh time he has gone over 200 yards during his collegiate career. The performance also included a key 20-yard run on third and 17, when UMass led by only two points in the fourth quarter. Following the game, Shipp was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Earlier this season at Delaware, Shipp rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 44 carries. The 44 rushing attempts are the second-highest single game total in school history (behind only Garry Pearson?s 45 against American International College in 1982), and also set a Delaware Stadium record. Previously at Maine, Shipp ran 30 times for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including an impressive 152 yards on only nine carries in the fourth quarter as UMass put the game away. Following the Maine game, Shipp was named the Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week, the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the WHMP / UMass Athlete of the Week, while also receiving the Coca-Cola Gold Helmet as the Division I Player of the Week in New England. Shipp had another 200-yard performance earlier in the year against Hofstra, running 30 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, Shipp has now totaled 1,430 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 303 carries, while also catching 42 passes for 245 yards and another score. He leads the team in rushing, all-purpose yards (1,675 yards) and scoring (108 points on 18 touchdowns), while ranking second in both receptions and total offense (1,430 yards).
SHIPP IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Only a junior, Marcel Shipp has already broken the all-time UMass record for career rushing yards. He set the record during last week?s game at William & Mary, gaining 210 yards to bring his career total to 4,728. He broke the record of Rene Ingoglia, who ran for 4,624 yards from 1992-95, and now stands second on the all-time Atlantic 10 rushing list behind only New Hampshire?s Jerry Azumah (6,193 yards / 1995-98). Earlier in the season at Maine, Shipp broke the all-time UMass record for all-purpose yards, amassing 263 yards in the victory. He now has 5,861 career all-purpose yards, breaking the record of Garry Pearson, who totaled 5,277 yards from 1979-82. This week, Shipp has a shot to break the school single season record for rushing touchdowns. He enters the game with 17 scoring runs on the season, needing only two more to match Ingoglia?s record of 19, set in 1995. Shipp also had a school-record streak of 19 consecutive 100-yard games which began against Buffalo last year and was snapped during the win over Rhode Island. In addition, Shipp ranks first all-time at UMass in rushing yards per game (135.1), second in rushing touchdowns (39) and carries (870), and fifth in yards per carry (5.4).
ROBINSON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY IN SECONDARY: Sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson (Syracuse, N.Y.) is having another big season in the UMass secondary. Last week at William & Mary, he led the team with 10 tackles, including a career-high three sacks for 29 yards. Two weeks earlier against Rhode Island, Robinson recorded an interception for the fifth straight week, picking off a pass in the UMass end zone to halt a Ram drive late in the first half. He also made eight tackles in the game and broke up three passes. The previous week at Delaware, Robinson made six tackles to go along with one pick. The interception was a key one, as it set up a field goal on the final play of the second quarter to help UMass to its come-from-behind victory. Robinson had four tackles and an interception at Maine, and made a team-high five tackles to go along with an interception in the win over Northeastern. He ranked second on the team in tackles against both Hofstra (10) and Toledo (12), while also making 12 tackles in the victory over New Hampshire. For the season, Robinson ranks third on the team in tackles with 80, including 52 solo stops. He has also made 10 tackles for loss, to go along with four sacks, six interceptions and five pass breakups.
SHIPP AND AYI NAMED FINALISTS FOR NATIONAL AWARDS: Junior tailback Marcel Shipp and junior linebacker Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.) have been selected as finalists for the National Player of the Year awards presented annually by The Sports Network. Shipp has been chosen as one of 16 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in Division I-AA. Ayi is one of 16 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented each year to the best defensive player in the country. The recipients of the awards will be announced at the 13th Annual Division I-AA College Football Awards Banquet, to be held at Mickey Mantle?s Restaurant in New York City on December 6.
DEFENSE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE: During UMass? current six-game winning streak, the play of the defense has been the key to UMass? success. In the last six games, the Minutemen have allowed an average of only 11.2 points per game, while giving up an average of only 228.2 yards. No team has scored more than 19 points against UMass in the last six games, with four of the six teams being held under 250 yards of total offense. In addition, the Minutemen have forced 18 turnovers over the last six weeks, an average of 3.0 per contest. The UMass defense has been particularly dominant in the second half of recent games, shutting out three of its last six opponents in the second stanza. Delaware, Maine and Northeastern were all held scoreless after the intermission, while Richmond and Rhode Island could manage only six second half points each. During the three games in which it posted second half shutouts, the UMass defense allowed an average of zero points, 67 yards and one drive into Minuteman territory during the second half. For the season, UMass is allowing opponents 16.3 points and 302.8 yards of total offense per game, with a pass efficiency rating of 85.97.
WHIPPLE LOOKING FOR 20TH UMASS VICTORY: In only his second season as head coach of the Minutemen, Mark Whipple can pick up the 20th victory of his UMass career against Connecticut this week. Whipple sports an overall mark of 19-6 (.760) during his first two seasons in Amherst, and can reach the 20-win mark faster than any other coach in school history. If the Minutemen defeat the Huskies this week, Whipple will reach the 20-win plateau in only 26 games. Currently, Mike Hodges holds the record for fewest games needed to reach 20 wins, going 20-7 in his first 27 games as UMass head coach. Whipple can also become the first coach in school history to win 20 games in his first two seasons, as Hodges did not record his 20th win until the sixth game of his third season. Whipple owns a career record of 91-39 (.700) in 12 years as a collegiate head coach, including four years at Brown and six seasons at New Haven.
MINUTEMEN RUN WINNING STREAK TO SIX GAMES: UMass enters this week?s game against Connecticut with a six-game winning streak, the longest streak for the Minutemen since the 1993 squad won six straight games. The school record for consecutive victories is eight, which has been accomplished on four previous occasions. The first streak began when the 1963 team won its final seven games, and ended with a victory over Maine in the 1964 season opener. The 1975 squad matched the record by winning its first eight games of the year, while the 1977 team posted an eight-game winning streak after losing its season opener to Army. The last eight-game winning streak was accomplished by the 1990 Minutemen, who won eight straight following a season-opening tie against Holy Cross. There have also been three seven-game winning streaks in school history (in 1964, 1965-66 and 1992) and eight six-game winning streaks (in 1901, 1924, 1931, 1932, 1967, 1972, 1993 and this season).
MINUTEMEN LOOK TO WIN 18TH CONFERENCE TITLE : With a victory over Connecticut on Saturday, UMass will clinch a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. UMass enters the weekend with a 6-1 league record, and can tie James Madison which has already finished the conference season with a 7-1 mark. The Minutemen have won more league titles than any other team in league history with 17 championships (1960, ?63, ?64, ?66, ?67, ?69, ?71, ?72, ?74, ?77, ?78, ?79, ?81, ?82, ?86, ?88 and ?90). James Madison will claim its first conference title since joining the league prior to the 1993 season.
THE LAST MEETING ? CONNECTICUT 28, UMASS 27 (11/21/98): Ninth-ranked Connecticut took advantage of seven UMass turnovers and came through with some key plays in the second half to come from behind for a 28-27 victory over the seventh-ranked Minutemen at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Huskies managed only 230 yards of total offense on the day, but scored three touchdowns on either defense or special teams to secure the victory. UMass totaled 544 yards of offense, but was unable to translate the offense into enough points for a victory. The Minutemen dominated the game early on, racing out to a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Marcel Shipp scored on a 39-yard run and Jimmy Moore caught a pair of touchdown passes to account for the UMass scoring. Anthony Carter scored on a 37-yard interception return to score the first Connecticut touchdown, then Jeff DeLucia ran back a fumble recovery 63 yards for a score just before the half to cut the UMass lead to 21-14 at the intermission. The Huskies held on to the momentum at the start of the second half, with Jordan Younger running back the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 21-21. Shipp scored again on a two-yard run to give UMass a 27-21 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Jason Cherry was unable to convert on the 35-yard extra point attempt after the Minutemen were penalized for a personal foul. Connecticut concluded the scoring with a four-yard pass from Shane Stafford to Carl Bond on their next drive. UMass had two more scoring chances late in the fourth quarter, but both drives were halted by turnovers. The loss spoiled an excellent day by Shipp, who ran 38 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first back in school history to rush for over 200 yards in consecutive games. Moore also had a big day for the Minutemen, catching nine passes for 172 yards and two scores. Khari Samuel led the UMass defense with 13 tackles on the day, while Matt Dawson had five tackles, an interception and a sack. Eric Rogers made a team-high 16 tackles for Connecticut, while Ron Gamble had five tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
ZULLO MAKES HIS MARKS IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Sophomore wide receiver Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) tied the all-time school record for career touchdown receptions at Richmond. Zullo caught a 26-yard scoring strike from Todd Bankhead for the 16th touchdown reception of his UMass career. He is now tied with Jimmy Moore, who set the record last season when he caught 16 touchdowns during his only year with the Minutemen. With his 61 catches for 971 yards and eight scores so far this season, Zullo also ranks second on the UMass single season list for receiving yards, and fourth on the lists for catches and touchdowns. With 29 more yards this week, he will join Jimmy Moore (1,494 yards last season) as the only players in school history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. For his career, Zullo also has totals of 90 receptions for 1,440 yards, ranking fifth in school history in yards and sixth in catches.
AYI CONTINUES TO PLAY WELL IN THE MIDDLE: Junior Buck Buchanan Award finalist Kole Ayi continues to be the top tackler on the UMass defense and in the Atlantic 10 Conference. At Richmond, he led the team with 16 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack for 12 yards. His performance against the Spiders marked the eighth time this season he has led the team in tackles and the eighth time he has reached double figures. A week earlier against Rhode Island, Ayi led the team with 17 tackles, including two sacks for 21 yards and four tackles for loss. He also picked up 21 yards on an interception return against Rhode Island, after Paul Bolden intercepted a pass and lateraled to him. Following the game, Ayi was selected as the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week. At Delaware, he led the team with 11 tackles, while also making a key interception in the third quarter to set up the field goal which gave UMass the lead at 20-19. Earlier this year, Ayi recorded 13 tackles at Maine, 14 stops against Hofstra, 15 tackles against Toledo, 15 stops at Villanova, and a season-high 17 tackles in the season opener against New Hampshire. He has reached double figures in tackles 16 times in his last 24 games. For the season, Ayi has totaled 126 tackles, including 91 solo stops. He has also moved into fifth place on the all-time UMass list for solo tackles, with 236 during his career as a Minuteman, while also ranking sixth in total tackles with 334. Ayi is only the fifth player in school history to make over 200 career unassisted tackles.
ZULLO KEEPS BRINGING IN THE CATCHES: Sophomore wide receiver Adrian Zullo, who has been the top receiver for the Minutemen all season, had another solid game during last week?s victory at William & Mary. He caught six passes in the game for 72 yards, leading the team in receiving yards and tying for the team lead in catches. The previous week at Richmond, Zullo caught 11 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, setting a new school single-game record for receiving yards and tying the record for receptions. The previous record for receiving yards was held by Milt Morin with 181 against Vermont Oct. 30, 1965, while the record for most catches was shared by Tim Berra (against Holy Cross in 1973), Jimmy Moore (at Hofstra in 1998) and Zullo (at Villanova earlier this year). Following the contest, Zullo was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the WHMP / UMass Athlete of the Week, while also receiving the Coca-Cola Gold Helmet as the Division I Player of the Week in New England. A week earlier against Rhode Island, Zullo caught four passes for 96 yards, while also running 49 yards for a touchdown on a reverse. He also had a team-high seven receptions for 83 yards at Delaware, and four receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown at Maine. Zullo had two other games with over 100 yards receiving earlier this season against Northeastern (seven catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns) and Villanova (11 catches for 125 yards). 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. Through 10 games, Zullo has totaled 61 receptions for 971 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing seven times for 100 yards and another touchdown.
UMASS ON THE 20TH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 1-3-0 in games played on November 20. The last time UMass played on this date came during the 1971 season when it was defeated at Boston College 35-0. The Minutemen have lost their last three games played on Nov. 20, including a 7-0 lost to Tufts in 1937 and a 45-13 loss at Tufts in 1926. UMass? lone victory on this date came in 1920, when it downed Tufts 21-0. For games played in Amherst on Nov. 20, the Minutemen stand 1-1 (downing Tufts in 1920 and falling to Tufts in 1937.
BANKHEAD HAS ANOTHER BIG DAY: Senior All-America quarterback Todd Bankhead (Escondido, Calif.) has turned in some of his best performances of the season over the last few weeks. Last week at William & Mary, he completed 22 of 37 passes for 250 yards, marking the third straight game and fourth game this season with at least 250 yards. In the victory at Richmond, Bankhead hit on 21 of 27 attempts (good for a 77.8 completion percentage) for 296 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He also rushed five times against the Spiders for 26 yards and a pair of scores, including a touchdown run of 28 yards on a scramble in the third quarter. Against Rhode Island, Bankhead completed 16 of 27 passes for a season-best 322 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 15 yards on seven carries with a career-best run of 29 yards. The 322 yards passing against the Rams mark the fifth-best performance of Bankhead?s career and the sixth-best game in school history. He has now thrown for over 320 yards in a game five times in his career, and is the only player in school history other than Brian McNally (389 yards against Connecticut in 1976) to ever throw for over 320 yards. For the season, Bankhead has completed 190 of 308 passes for 2,264 yards and 12 touchdowns. He currently stands second on the UMass single season lists for passing yards, completions and completion percentage (61.7).
WYNNE NAMED NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION SCHOLAR ATHLETE: On October 28, senior offensive guard Mike Wynne (Somerdale, N.J.) was named a National College Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation. The distinction is reserved for the 15 best and brightest college football playing seniors in the nation at all levels. Wynne is the first UMass football player to ever receive the award, while also being only the third player in Atlantic 10 history to be so honored, and one of only three Division I-AA players to earn the award this season. Wynne will be awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored at the Foundation?s 42nd Annual Awards Dinner, held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Dec. 7. Earlier this year, Wynne 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 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.
WYNNE AND SMITH NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM: Senior offensive guard Mike Wynne and junior strong safety Brian Smith (Wilmington, Del.) have both been named to the 1999 GTE / CoSIDA Academic All-District I team. Wynne and Smith will now be on the ballot for Academic All-America honors, which will be announced in December. A number of UMass players earned academic honors last season, led by Wynne, who was a GTE / CoSIDA second team Academic All-American. In addition, both Wynne and 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, junior wide receiver Steve Ley (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior defensive end Dan Schneider (Fitchburg, Mass.) 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 entered 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.
BANKHEAD BREAKS MORE RECORDS: Senior quarterback Todd Bankhead became the all-time UMass leader in career passing yards and attempts during the victory over Rhode Island. Bankhead currently has career totals of 6,183 yards and 833 attempts. He broke the records of Dave Palazzi (1985-88), who threw for 5,402 yards and attempted 766 passes during his career. Two weeks earlier against Maine, Bankhead broke the all-time UMass record for completions. He now has a career total of 493, breaking Palazzi?s record of 409. Earlier in the season, Bankhead took sole possession of first place on the all-time UMass list for career touchdown passes. He hit Marcel Shipp with a 39-yard scoring strike at Villanova for the 39th touchdown pass of his career. He now has 46 career scoring strikes, breaking the old record of Peil Pennington, who tossed 38 touchdown passes from 1971-73. Bankhead also ranks first all-time at UMass in completion percentage (.592) and second in total offense (6,012 yards).
DEFENSE MAKES MORE PICKS: The UMass defense has forced opposing quarterbacks into a number of mistakes this season, making 23 interceptions in nine games. The Minutemen enter the Connecticut game ranked second in the nation in interceptions, behind only Davidson (28 picks). During the victory over Rhode Island two weeks ago, UMass picked off three passes. Sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson made the first pick, intercepting a Vince Nedimyer pass in the end zone late in the second quarter to halt a Ram scoring drive. Junior strong safety Brian Smith added an interception in the third quarter, while junior defensive tackle Paul Bolden (Edison, N.J.) made the first pick of his career during the fourth period. Earlier in the season against Northeastern the Minutemen made six interceptions, tying the school single-game record set against Nevada-Reno in 1978. Redshirt freshman linebacker Corey Potter (Doylestown, Pa.) led the way with a pair of interceptions in the game, while senior linebacker Matt Dawson (Pepperell, Mass.), Robinson, senior cornerback Willie Hemmer (San Diego, Calif.) and junior defensive back Bill Barry (Bedford, N.H.) all had one interception each. The UMass defensive backfield also had a big day in the season-opener against New Hampshire, coming up with four interceptions. Senior cornerback Jerard White (Fort Washington, Md.) led the way with a pair of picks, while Hemmer and Robinson had one interception each. For the season, Robinson leads the team with six interceptions, while White stands close behind with five.
UMASS IN THE RANKINGS: The Minutemen are currently ranked 17th in the nation by The Sports Network, 17th by ESPN / USA Today and eighth by Don Hansen?s Football Gazette. UMass has now been ranked in at least one national poll every week 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 Oct. 4 ? ? 24 Oct. 11 25 ? 20 Oct. 18 24 ? 19 Oct. 25 20 20 15 Nov. 1 17 19 13 Nov. 8 17 17 8
THE CLASS OF THE ATLANTIC 10: Since Mark Whipple took over as the head coach of the Minutemen prior to the start of the 1998 season, UMass has been the top team in the Atlantic 10 Conference. During the Whipple era, the Minutemen have an overall record of 19-6 (.760) and a 12-3 (.800) mark in conference games. For that time period, UMass leads all Atlantic 10 schools in victories and winning percentage, for marks including both conference and overall records. In addition, the Minutemen have scored 826 total points and 511 points against league foes over the last two years to lead all Atlantic 10 schools in scoring.
WHITE CONTINUES TO LEAD DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Senior cornerback Jerard White has established himself as one of the top cover men in the nation this season. White has broken up 13 passes and picked off five others, while also shutting down some of the top receivers in the country. William & Mary?s all-time leading receiver Dave Conklin (198 career catches for 3,116 yards and 27 touchdowns), was held to only one catch for 19 yards by White last week. Earlier in the year, Northeastern?s all-time leading receiver Dave Klemic (158 career catches for 2,564 yards and 32 touchdowns) could manage only three catches for 27 yards when matched up against White. All told, none of the 10 receivers in the Atlantic 10 have caught more than four passes against White all season. Some of White?s other big performances this season came at Maine (one interception, four tackles and four pass breakups) and against Rhode Island (four more pass breakups). White broke the UMass career record for pass breakups during the Rhode Island game and now has 38 in his career, shattering the old school record of 34 held by Garrick Amos (1986-89). Earlier this year, White made two interceptions against New Hampshire, while also picking off passes against Villanova and Toledo. His second interception in the UNH game was named the Compaq National Interception of the Week.
SMITH MAKES BIG PLAYS IN SECONDARY: Junior strong safety Brian Smith continues to show why he is one of the top defensive backs in the Atlantic 10. At Richmond, Smith recorded his second interception of the season, while also ranking second on the team in total tackles with 10. A week earlier against Rhode Island, he made 10 tackles while also recording his first interception of the season. At Delaware, Smith had two tackles for loss among his three tackles, while at Maine he totaled seven tackles, including one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Against Hofstra, Smith ranked third on the team in total tackles with eight, while also blocking an extra point. He also ranked second on the team in total tackles against Toledo (12), Villanova (12) and New Hampshire (a season-high 14). For the year, Smith stands second on the team in total tackles with 82, including 56 solo stops. He also has seven tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and two pass breakups.
POTTER PLAYING BIG AS A STARTER: Redshirt freshman linebacker Corey Potter, a starter in each of the last six games, has come through with a number of big plays for the Minutemen. Against Rhode Island, he made eight tackles with a sack for 10 yards and a forced fumble. Earlier at Delaware, Potter ranked second on the team with a career-high tying 10 tackles, including three sacks for 20 yards. All three of his sacks came in the fourth quarter, helping UMass come from behind for the victory. Following the game, Potter was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week and the ECAC / Budget Division I-AA Rookie of the Week. In the Maine game Potter totaled a career-best 10 tackles, while against Northeastern he recorded a pair of interceptions, while also coming up with one tackle. Potter?s second interception against the Huskies came late in the third quarter, when he picked off Jason Quinlan and ran the ball back 37 yards for a touchdown. Following the Northeastern game, Potter was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week. For the season, Potter now has 45 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and three pass breakups.
UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen have faced three ranked teams so far this season, defeating No. 18 Delaware 26-19 and falling to No. 22 Villanova 26-21 and No. 6 Hofstra 27-14. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 7-5 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.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Senior defensive end Chris Price (Boxboro, Mass.) turned in another outstanding performance for the Minutemen at Richmond two weeks ago. Price recorded six tackles in the game, two of them for loss, with a blocked field goal and a quarterback sack. His blocked field goal came on Richmond?s first possession and kept the game scoreless, while his sack came in the fourth quarter when the Spiders were trying to convert on a fourth and six at the UMass 43-yard line. The performance against Richmond marked Price?s fourth straight game with at least two tackles for loss and his third straight contest with a sack. A week earlier against Rhode Island, Price tied his season high with three tackles for loss, including a sack for 13 yards. Price also recorded three tackles for loss earlier this season in the victory over New Hampshire. For the season, he has totaled 39 tackles through 10 games, including 16 tackles for loss and four sacks. He now has career totals of 216 tackles (including 115 solo stops), 14 sacks and 31 tackles for loss.
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: Today?s game against Connecticut is the last of five live television appearances for the Minutemen during the 1999 season. The game is being shown on Connecticut Public Television in the state of Connecticut. UMass? first four televised games this year came against New Hampshire, Hofstra, Maine and Delaware. The New Hampshire game was carried by the Atlantic 10 Television Network and was shown on Fox Sports New England and WBGN TV (Pittsburgh, Pa.), while the Hofstra game was carried by Fox Sports New York. The Maine game was shown on WABI TV (Bangor) and WPME TV (Portland) in Maine, and the Delaware game, which was carried by the A-10 Network, was shown by Fox Sports New England, Comcast SportsNet, Home Team Sports, WBGN TV (Pittsburgh) and WDRL TV (Roanoke, Va.). The Minutemen have a record of 7-1 in televised games since the beginning of the 1998 season. Last year UMass defeated Hofstra, Rhode Island, Lehigh and Georgia Southern.
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen rank among the A-10 leaders through games of Nov. 13. Marcel Shipp stands second in both rushing (143.0 yards/game) and scoring (10.8 points/game), and fourth in all-purpose yards (167.5 yards/game). Adrian Zullo ranks first in receiving yards (97.1 yards/game) and third in receptions (6.1 catches/game), while Todd Bankhead stands third in passing yards (226.4 yards/game) and pass efficiency (127.2 rating) and fourth in total offense (225.6 yards/game). Jeremy Robinson ranks second in the conference in interceptions (0.6 picks/game) with Jerard White ranking fourth (0.5 picks/game), while freshman Doug White (Claremont, Calif.) ranks first in extra point percentage (100.0). Kole Ayi leads the conference in tackles (12.6 tackles/game), while senior defensive end Chris Price ranks second in the league in tackles for loss with 16 and White leads the conference in pass breakups with 13. As a team, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in pass efficiency defense (86.0 rating), scoring defense (16.3 points/game), scoring offense (30.2 points/game) and total defense (302.8 yards/game), while ranking second in total offense (418.8 yards/game) and turnover margin (+0.9 turnovers/game), and third in rushing defense (132.2 yards/game) and passing offense (231.0 yards/game).
HEALEY GETS BACK IN THE FLOW: Senior linebacker Dan Healey (Marblehead, Mass.) made a triumphant return to the UMass lineup during the victory over Richmond. He tied his career high with 10 tackles in the win over the Spiders, while seeing his first action on defense in over a month. Healey had missed the Northeastern and Maine games with a sprained right knee, then played only on special teams against Delaware and Rhode Island. He had another solid game in last week?s victory over William & Mary, ranking fourth on the team with five total tackles. Earlier this season, Healey had a huge game at Villanova with 10 tackles and two sacks for 15 yards. For the season, Healey has now totaled 40 tackles, including five tackles for loss.
ROBINSON, SHIPP NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Jeremy Robinson and Marcel Shipp head a list of seven different UMass players who are ranked in the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders through games of Nov. 13. Robinson ranks sixth in the country in interceptions, while Shipp stands sixth nationally in rushing yards.
Category NCAA Rank Player/Team No./Avg.
Pass Efficiency Defense 3 UMass 86.0
Interceptions 6 Jeremy Robinson 0.6
16 Jerard White 0.5
Rushing Yards 6 Marcel Shipp 143.0
Scoring 8 Marcel Shipp 10.8
Scoring Defense 12 UMass 16.3
Receiving Yards 13 Adrian Zullo 97.1
All-Purpose Yards 14 Marcel Shipp 167.5
44 Adrian Zullo 127.6
Turnover Margin 15 UMass +0.9
Receptions 20 Adrian Zullo 6.1
Total Defense 23 UMass 302.8
Total Offense 29 UMass 418.8
32 Todd Bankhead 225.6
Pass Efficiency 39 Todd Bankhead 127.2
Punt Returns 40 Troy Lockman 9.4
Punting 43 David Sanger 39.0
MINUTEMEN TIE SCORING RECORD AGAINST HUSKIES: UMass tied the school single-game records for both points scored and margin of victory in the win over Northeastern. The 77-0 victory over the Huskies matched the marks set in a 77-0 win over Wagner on Nov. 14, 1931. The Minutemen tied a school record with eight rushing touchdowns, equaling the mark set against Wagner in 1931 and tied against Cooper Union on Sept. 24, 1932. UMass also set a school record for most extra points made by kick with 11. In addition, four Atlantic 10 Conference records were broken in the game. The Minutemen set new records for points scored and margin of victory in a conference game, breaking the marks held by Connecticut in a 71-6 win over UMass on Oct. 13, 1956. UMass also set new league records for touchdowns and extra points with 11 of each. The old mark of nine touchdowns was shared by New Hampshire (vs. Maine on Sept. 25, 1993), Delaware (vs. Maine on Oct. 28, 1995) and Maine (vs. Boston University of Oct. 18, 1997), while New Hampshire and Maine shared the record of nine extra points from those same games.
DEFENSE DOMINATES NORTHEASTERN: The UMass defense turned in one of its finest performances of all-time in the victory over Northeastern. The Minutemen shut out the Huskies while allowing only 72 total yards on the day. In fact, the Huskies managed to cross midfield only once in the game, advancing to the UMass 47-yard line on their second possession of the game. But on its only snap inside UMass territory, Northeastern was forced to punt. The Minutemen also intercepted six passes in the game, while forcing the Huskies into eight total turnovers. Thanks to those turnovers, the offense had an average starting field position of the Northeastern 47-yard line. The shutout was the first by the Minutemen since Sept. 16, 1995, when UMass downed Holy Cross 51-0 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The 72 yards of total offense are the third fewest the Minutemen have ever surrendered, ranking behind only a 27-0 win over New Hampshire on Nov. 13, 1982 (67 total yards) and a 42-0 victory over American International College on Nov. 9, 1963 (70 total yards). UMass also held the Huskies to -11 rushing yards and an average of -0.65 yards per carry, the fourth lowest average rushing gain the Minutemen have ever allowed (the record of -1.48 was set against Maine in 1963 and matched against North Carolina Central in 1979). In addition, the six interceptions tied the school record set against Nevada-Reno on Dec. 9, 1978.
ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Connecticut enters today?s game with an overall record of 4-6 and a 3-5 mark in the Atlantic 10. The Huskies coming off a 43-18 loss against New Hampshire last week, in what was their final home game of the season. UConn is second to UMass with 15 Atlantic 10 / Yankee Conference championships, and is playing its final game as a member of the league before moving to Division I-A next season. The Huskies rank last in the Atlantic 10 in both total offense and total defense, gaining only 313.9 yards per contest while surrendering 420.0 yards. Sophomore tailback Taber Small has rushed for 700 yards and 14 touchdowns on 186 carries this season, while junior quarterback Brian Hoffman has completed 114 of 255 passes for 1,568 yards and nine touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Junior wideout John Fitzsimmons leads all Connecticut receivers with 58 catches for 774 yards and five scores. Junior linebacker Jamar Wilkins leads the Husky defense with 80 total tackles on the season, while sophomore cornerback Roy Hopkins has 70 tackles and five pass breakups.
CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH RANDY EDSALL: The 27th coach in school history, Randy Edsall has posted an overall record of 4-6 in his first year at the helm of the Connecticut football program. Edsall came to UConn from Georgia Tech, where he served as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach during the 1998 season. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as the secondary coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League. Edsall also coached the defensive backfield at Boston College from 1991-93, and spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Syracuse from 1980-1990. A native of Glen Rock, Pa., Edsall graduate from Syracuse in 1980.
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.
EXTRA POINTS: With wins at Richmond and William & Mary the last two weeks, UMass posted two victories in the state of Virginia in a single season for the first time in school history ? On November 8, UMass Director of Football Operations Frank Forcucci was inducted into the Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame. Forcucci, who was nominated by the Wolcott Circle of Sports, received an official citation from the Connecticut State General Assembly ? UMass senior offensive lineman Scott Shearer (Orlando, Fla.) and freshman offensive lineman Doug Donahue (Orlando, Fla.) attended the same high school (Boone) as Connecticut redshirt freshman fullback Tony Wallace, while UMass freshman defensive back Corey Edwards (Orlando, Fla.) went to the same high school (Lake Highland Prep) as Husky junior quarterback Brian Hoffmann ? A number of UMass players saw game action for the first time in their collegiate career during the victory over Northeastern on Oct. 9. Two players who made the most of their appearances were sophomore defensive end Joel Sarapin (East Brunswick, N.J.) and junior defensive back Bill Barry. Sarapin recorded three sacks during the final quarter of the game, while Barry came up with an interception on the game?s final play.
