University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Football Heads Back South To Face William & Mary
November 08, 1999 | Football
Nov. 8, 1999
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
The Teams: UMass (6-3, 5-1 A-10) vs. William & Mary (5-4, 4-2 A-10)
Date: November 13, 1999
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field (13,100), Williamsburg, Va.
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)
Tribe Radio Network (Jay Colley, play-by-play, Bob Sheeran, color,
WXGM 99.1 FM, Glouchester, flagship)
Series Record: William & Mary leads 3-2
Last Meeting: William & Mary 30, UMass 6 (Nov. 9, 1996, Williamsburg, Va.)THE SERIES WITH WILLIAM & MARY: William & Mary holds a slim 3-2 lead in the all time series with UMass. The Tribe won the first two contests in 1990 and 1993, then the Minutemen rebounded to claim victories in both 1994 and 1995. The last time the teams met, in 1996, William & Mary claimed a 30-6 victory. The schools first played in the first round of the 1990 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, with the Tribe winning 38-0 in Williamsburg. In games played at William & Mary, the Tribe holds a 2-1 advantage over the Minutemen.
SERIES QUICK FACTS
Overall William & Mary, 3-2 Whipple vs. William & Mary 0-0 Most UMass points 28 (Nov. 13, 1993) Most William & Mary points 45 (Nov. 13, 1993) Fewest UMass points 0 (Nov. 24, 1990) Fewest William & Mary points 9 (Oct. 21, 1995) Largest UMass margin 11 (20-9, Oct. 21, 1995) Largest William & Mary margin 38 (38-0, Nov. 24, 1990) In overtime n/a
ZULLO HAS ANOTHER BIG DAY AT RICHMOND: Sophomore wide receiver Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.), who has been the top receiver for the Minutemen all season, had another outstanding game at Richmond last week. Zullo caught 11 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown against the Spiders, 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. A week earlier against Rhode Island, Zullo caught four passes for 96 yards, while also running 49 yards for a touchdown on a reverse. The previous two weeks, he had a team-high seven receptions for 83 yards at Delaware and four receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown at Maine. Zullo also had 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 nine games, Zullo has totaled 55 receptions for 899 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing six times for 90 yards and another touchdown.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Senior defensive end Chris Price (Boxboro, Mass.) turned in another outstanding performance for the Minutemen at Richmond last week. 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 (for a total loss of 19 yards), 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 35 tackles through nine games, including 15 tackles for loss (for 48 yards) and four sacks (for 26 yards). Price currently leads all players in the Atlantic 10 Conference with his total of 15 tackles for loss. He now has career totals of 212 tackles (including 113 solo stops), 14 sacks and 30 tackles for loss.
BANKHEAD HAS ANOTHER BIG DAY: Senior All-America quarterback Todd Bankhead (Escondido, Calif.) has turned in his top two performances of the season over the last two weeks. 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. The previous week 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 now completed 168 of 271 passes for 2014 yards and 12 touchdowns. With 30 more yards, he will move into second place on the UMass single season list for passing yards.
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 5,933 yards and 796 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 471, 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 (5,775 yards).
DEFENSE BECOMES DOMINANT: During UMass? current five-game winning streak, the play of the defense has been the key to UMass? success. In the last five games, the Minutemen have allowed an average of only 10.2 points per game, while giving up an average of only 235.8 yards. No team has scored more than 19 points against UMass in the last four games, with three of the five teams being held under 250 yards of total offense. In addition, the Minutemen have forced 18 turnovers over the last five weeks, an average of 3.6 per contest. The UMass defense has been particularly dominant in the second half of recent games, shutting out three of its last five 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 315.3 yards of total offense per game, with a pass efficiency rating of 85.6.
ZULLO TIES RECORD FOR RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS: Adrian Zullo, who is only in his sophomore season, tied the all-time school record for career touchdown receptions at Richmond last week. 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 55 catches for 899 yards and eight scores so far this season, Zullo also ranks fourth on the UMass single season lists for receptions, yards and touchdowns. For his career, Zullo also has totals of 84 receptions for 1,378 yards, ranking sixth in school history in both catches and yards.
UMASS ON THE 13TH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 7-5-2 in games played on November 13. The last time UMass played on this date came during the 1993 season when it was defeated by William & Mary 45-28 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. That contest also marks the only time the Minutemen and the Tribe have ever met on Nov. 13. UMass has won five of its last seven games played on Nov. 13, including four victories over New Hampshire (in 1965, 1971, 1982 and 1985) and a win over Tufts (in 1954). In road games played on Nov. 13, UMass? all time mark is 5-2-2 with four straight wins (against New Hampshire in 1965, 1971 and 1985 and Tufts in 1954). The last time UMass lost a road game on this date came during the 1920 season, when it fell at Springfield College 28-7.
THE LAST TIME ? WILLIAM & MARY 30, UMASS 6 (11/9/96): UMass hung with 13th ranked William & Mary for the better part of three-and-a-half quarters, but the Tribe wore down the Minutemen late in the contest en route to a 30-6 victory in Williamsburg. William & Mary, which sported the fourth-best defense in the nation against the run heading into the game, held the UMass offense to just 218 yards of total offense, including a season-low 77 yards on the ground. Trailing 6-0 in the second quarter, the Minutemen orchestrated a 13-play, 67-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a three-yard run by freshman quarterback Jeff Smith. UMass placekicker Matt Murphy failed twice to give the Minutemen the lead, as his extra point attempt was blocked and a 28-yard field goal try at the end of the first half was also blocked. The Tribe broke the 6-6 tie midway through the third quarter on a 15-yard pass from Mike Cook to Dave Conklin, before adding 17 points in the final frame to close out the scoring. Smith was 13 of 26 for 141 yards in the air for UMass, but was picked off three times by Tribe free safety Darren Sharper. Cook was sharp all afternoon, connecting on 15 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. The combination of Josh Whipple (six catches for 109 yards) and Conklin (five catches for 107 yards and a score) proved to be too much for the Minuteman secondary to contain. UMass freshman wide receiver Ralphael Quinn made a career-best five catches for 47 yards, while Justin Riemer led all tacklers with 17 stops (12 solo), including one fumble recovery, two tackles for loss and one sack.
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.
SHIPP CONTINUES STELLAR PLAY: Walter Payton Award candidate Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.) continues to show why he is one of the top running backs in the nation. Three weeks ago 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. A week earlier 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. The rushing performance marked the sixth 200-yard game of Shipp?s career, and his third-highest single game total. 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 this year, running 30 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns against Hofstra. For the season, Shipp has now totaled 1,220 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 268 carries, while also catching 38 passes for 204 yards and another score. He leads the team in rushing, all-purpose yards (1,334 yards) and scoring (84 points on 14 touchdowns), while ranking second in both receptions and total offense (1,220 yards).
SHIPP IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Only a junior, Marcel Shipp is closing in on the all-time UMass record for career rushing yards. Shipp enters this week?s game against William & Mary with 4,518 yards during his three years with the Minutemen, needing only 107 more yards to pass all-time leader Rene Ingoglia (4,624 yards / 1992-95). Three weeks ago at Maine, Shipp broke the all-time UMass record for all-purpose yards, amassing 263 yards in the victory. He now has 5,610 career all-purpose yards, breaking the record of Garry Pearson, who totaled 5,277 yards from 1979-82. 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 (132.9), second in rushing touchdowns (36) and carries (835), and fifth in yards per carry (5.4).
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 William & Mary game tied with Davidson for the national lead in interceptions, and have a chance to break the school single season record of 30, set in 1978. During the victory over Rhode Island two weeks ago, UMass picked off three passes. Sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson (Syracuse, N.Y.) 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 (Wilmington, Del.) 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.
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. Last week 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 third on the team in total tackles with 79, including 53 solo stops. He also has seven tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and two pass breakups.
ROBINSON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY IN SECONDARY: Sophomore free safety Jeremy Robinson is having another big season in the UMass secondary. Two weeks ago 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 70, including 43 solo stops. He has also made six tackles for loss, to go along with six interceptions and five pass breakups.
AYI CONTINUES TO PLAY WELL IN THE MIDDLE: Junior Buck Buchanan Award candidate Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.) 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 120 tackles, including 87 solo stops. He has also moved into fifth place on the all-time UMass list for solo tackles, with 232 during his career as a Minuteman. Ayi is only the fifth player in school history to make over 200 career unassisted tackles.
POTTER MAKING BIG PLAYS AS A STARTER: Redshirt freshman linebacker Corey Potter, a starter in each of the last five games, has come through with a number of big plays for the Minutemen. Two weeks ago 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 41 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 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 18-6 (.750) and a 11-3 (.786) 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 801 total points and 486 points against league foes over the last two years to lead all Atlantic 10 schools in scoring.
UMASS IN THE RANKINGS: The Minutemen are currently ranked 17th in the nation by The Sports Network, 19th by ESPN / USA Today and 13th 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
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen rank among the A-10 leaders through games of Nov. 6. Marcel Shipp stands second in both rushing (135.6 yards/game) and scoring (10.0 points/game), and fourth in all-purpose yards (158.2 yards/game). Adrian Zullo ranks first in receiving yards (99.9 yards/game), third in receptions (6.1 catches/game), and fifth in all-purpose yards (132.7 yards/game), while Todd Bankhead stands third in passing yards (223.8 yards/game) and pass efficiency (130.2 rating) and fourth in total offense (224.3 yards/game). Jeremy Robinson ranks second in the conference in interceptions (0.7 picks/game) with Jerard White ranking third (0.6 picks/game), while freshman Doug White (Claremont, Calif.) ranks first in extra point percentage (100.0). Kole Ayi leads the conference in tackles (13.1 tackles/game), while Chris Price leads the league in tackles for loss with 15 and White leads the conference in pass breakups with 12. As a team, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in pass efficiency defense (85.6 rating), scoring defense (16.3 points/game), scoring offense (30.8 points/game), turnover margin (+1.2 turnovers/game) and total defense (315.3 yards/game), while ranking third in total offense (411.6 yards/game) and pass efficiency (127.4 rating).
HEALEY GETS BACK IN THE FLOW: Senior linebacker Dan Healey (Marblehead, Mass.) made a triumphant return to the UMass lineup during last week?s 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. 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 36 tackles, including five tackles for loss.
WHITE CONTINUES TO LEAD DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Senior cornerback Jerard White registered his fifth interception of the season during the victory at Maine, while also recording four tackles and setting a career high with four pass breakups. Two weeks ago against Rhode Island, White once again broke up four passes, breaking the UMass career record for pass breakups in the process. He now has 37 in his UMass 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. White currently leads the team in pass breakups (12), while ranking second in interceptions (five) and seventh in tackles (36).
FRESHMEN STEPPING UP ON OFFENSE: Two players who have made valuable contributions to the UMass offense over the last few weeks are freshman wide receiver Jimmie Howard (Camden, N.J.) and freshman fullback Darrell Shabazz (Manchester, Conn.). Howard had a big day in the victory over Rhode Island with two catches for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns, marking the first two scores of his collegiate career. He followed up that performance by catching two more passes for 29 yards in the win over Richmond. Shabazz saw his first offensive action of the season against Richmond, making three receptions for 22 yards as the second-string fullback. Prior to the Richmond game, Shabazz had only played on special teams.
ROBINSON, ZULLO NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Jeremy Robinson and Adrian Zullo head a list of seven different UMass players who are ranked in the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders through games of Nov. 6. Robinson ranks fourth in the country in interceptions, while Zullo stands ninth nationally in receiving yards.
Category NCAA Rank Player/Team No./Avg.
Pass Efficiency Defense 3 UMass 85.6
Interceptions 4 Jeremy Robinson 0.7
10 Jerard White 0.6
Turnover Margin 4 UMass +1.2
Receiving Yards 9 Adrian Zullo 99.9
Scoring Defense 10 UMass 16.3
Rushing Yards 11 Marcel Shipp 135.6
Scoring 11 Marcel Shipp 10.0
All-Purpose Yards 18 Marcel Shipp 158.2
37 Adrian Zullo 132.7
Receptions 20 Adrian Zullo 6.1
Total Offense 29 Todd Bankhead 224.3
30 UMass 411.6
Total Defense 30 UMass 315.3
Pass Efficiency 36 Todd Bankhead 130.2
Punting 38 David Sanger 39.3
Punt Returns 39 DeShon Hardy 9.4UMASS 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: The Minutemen are making a total of five television appearances during the 1999 season. The final television appearance will come against UConn, with CPTV carrying the game in 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 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, 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.
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.
LAST-MINUTE MEN: In its 24 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.
ABOUT THE TRIBE: William & Mary enters this week?s game with an overall record of 5-4 and a 4-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Tribe is currently on a three-game winning streak, having defeated Virginia Military Institute (35-14), Maine (37-13) and Rhode Island (24-6). William & Mary has one of the top offensive attacks in the Atlantic 10 Conference, ranking second in the league with an average of 422.9 yards per game. Freshman quarterback David Corley has completed 103 of 183 passes on the season for 1,425 yards and 15 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Senior wideout David Conklin has been the top receiver on the squad, catching 39 passes for 692 yards and five scores. The balanced William & Mary rushing attack is led by sophomore Komlan Lonergan (89 carries for 565 yards) and junior Hameen Ali (120 carries for 544 yards and two touchdowns). Sophomore defensive end Chris Stahl leads the Tribe defense with 75 tackles and three sacks, while junior cornerback Khari Reynolds has a team-high three interceptions to go along with 32 tackles. William & Mary also has one of the top kickers in the nation in junior Brent Sterba, who has connected on 16 of 21 field goal attempts and 27 of 27 extra points.
WILLIAM & MARY HEAD COACH JIMMYE LAYCOCK: The all-time winningest coach in school history, Jimmye Laycock is in his 20th season as head coach at William & Mary. Laycock sports a 134-89-2 overall record during his tenure with William & Mary, leading the Tribe to five NCAA I-AA playoff appearances. He was a quarterback at William & Mary between 1967-69, and played for former Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy and South Carolina mentor Lou Holtz in his collegiate career with the Tribe.
THE MINUTEMEN IN VIRGINIA: UMass has an all-time record of 7-7 in games played in Virginia, including victories in each of its last two contests (against Richmond in both 1998 and 1999). This season marks only the fourth time in school history the Minutemen will play two games in Virginia. In each of the previous three seasons, UMass split its two games in the Commonwealth. In 1990, the Minutemen defeated Richmond 26-9, but lost to William & Mary three weeks later in the first round of the NCAA playoffs 38-0. In 1994, UMass opened the season with a 14-13 loss to the Spiders, but came back to defeat the Tribe 23-14 five weeks later. And in 1996, the Minutemen downed Richmond 23-17 in overtime early in the year, before falling to William & Mary 30-6 late in the season.
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: The William & Mary game marks the second of two straight weeks in which junior tailback Troy Lockman (Newport News, Va.) will play in his home state of Virginia. ? Lockman attended the same high school (Denbigh) as William & Mary sophomore wide receiver Hasani Cameron, but the two players were not in high school at the same time ? 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.
