University of Massachusets Athletics
Q&A With Mark Whipple
November 15, 1999 | Football
Nov. 15, 1999
What are your thoughts on last week?s win over William & Mary?
?Both teams played really, really hard. It was a good football game. In the first half, the two defenses pretty much dominated the game. Anytime you hold a team to only nine first downs and under 200 yards of total offense, you have to commend your guys on defense. Jeremy Robinson really had a super game with three sacks. Our offensive line, for their part, did a really good job. Marcel Shipp had over 200 yards, and was not tackled for a loss all day. I think that is a real credit to our line. People have been stacking them up lately, trying to keep Marcel in check, and they have picked it up and done the things necessary to get him the room he needs to run.?
What did you think of Marcel Shipp?s performance?
?We did not practice him all week, and I think that really helped him. I saw on television where the Patriots had the week off and all the guys were talking about how they were just going to lay around the house. We have not had a week off all year, so we decided that this was Marcel?s week off more or less. We told him we would keep him out of practice, and let his legs rest. When he came to practice on Thursday, you could really see the difference. It really helped him.?
What about the strong play of Kole Ayi?
?He had another solid week, even though he did not have as many tackles as he usually has. With our captain, Matt Dawson, out, we had to move Kole to the outside where he has not practiced very much. But he still made some big plays. He made a great play on David Corley. He was scrambling around and Kole ran him down. It showed his athletic ability. He's just playing as solid as I think anybody in the country is right now. He?s played very well. He's one of the top defensive players in the country.?
What are your thoughts on playing Connecticut this Saturday?
?Our guys know what UConn is all about. We have not beaten them in the last three games. They still have a lot of the same guys that played for them last year when they beat us. They are frightening. They know how to take care of business. We know what this game is about. It is about the playoffs, and UConn stands in our way. We are just glad to be home. It seems like we have been on the road a long time. We have been to Maine and Delaware, and to Virginia twice in the last two weeks. I think this is going to be a great football game.?
What do you think about the NCAA Playoff picture?
?I think we need to win to get in. When you look around, Youngstown State played two Division II teams. Villanova played at Air Force and had a touch schedule. Delaware had a tough schedule. I'm not saying anything against Georgia Southern, they've got a great team and great players, but they opened up with Fayetteville State. If we traded Toledo for a Division II team, if Villanova traded Air Force for a Division II team, if James Madison plays Fayetteville State instead of Virginia Tech, you are looking at three teams from the Atlantic 10 getting home berths. I hope the committee looks at that, and I think that our league is very good. When you look at McNeese State, who just beat Troy State, they go to Maine and get beat up there. Stephen F. Austin, who still has a shot to win the Southland Conference, goes to New Hampshire and gets pounded. It says an awful lot about our program and our league and I think it is something that needs to be considered. But when that committee gets behind closed doors, I don?t know what happens. I have never understood it. We are trying to do all we can not to leave it in their hands. Last year, we lost to UConn and didn?t know what was going to happen. We are just worrying about UConn right now, and then we will see from there. But I certainly hope the Atlantic 10 gets three berths.?
