University of Massachusets Athletics
Football Looks To Bounce Back Against Villanova
October 29, 2000 | Football
Oct. 29, 2000
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THE SERIES WITH VILLANOVA: Villanova holds a slim 10-7 lead in the all-time series which began in 1961. The Wildcats have won three of the last four meetings between the schools, with the lone UMass win during that time coming in 1998 by a score of 36-26. UMass does hold a 6-2 advantage against Villanova in games played in Amherst, including victories in each of the last five meetings. The Wildcats have not won a game in Amherst since 1978, when they posted a 25-21 victory. In fact, the away team has won only three of the previous 17 meetings in the series, and none since Villanova's victory in Amherst in 1978.
Ayi Among Nation's Best: Senior linebacker Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.), one of the favorites to win the 2000 Buck Buchanan Award, continues to lead the UMass defense in tackles. Last week at New Hampshire, Ayi recorded a season-best 17 tackles and became the all-time UMass leader in solo tackles. He now has 299 solo stops during his UMass career, breaking the old mark of 298 set by Khari Samuel from 1995-98. Ayi also ranks fourth at UMass in career total tackles with 439, and needs 21 more to move into third place on the all-time list. Earlier this season against AIC, Ayi made a team-high 12 tackles with two tackles for loss. In the victory over Northeastern he totaled nine tackles, including a career-best three sacks for 16 yards. Against Hofstra, Ayi totaled a season-high 17 tackles, including seven solo stops and one tackle for loss. He also recorded a team-best 11 tackles at Richmond, including one tackle for loss, had five tackles and a 12-yard sack against New Haven, and made six tackles against William & Mary and five tackles against Maine. For the season, he leads the team with 84 total tackles through eight games. Ayi also has four sacks for 28 yards and nine tackles for loss on the season.
HEAD COACH MARK WHIPPLE: Now in his third season as head coach of the Minutemen, Mark Whipple has posted an overall record of 26-10 (.722) during his UMass career. He was the fastest coach in school history to record 20 victories, picking up the 20th win of his UMass career against Connecticut last season. Whipple needed only 26 games to reach the 20-win mark. Previously, Mike Hodges held the record for fewest games needed to reach 20 wins, going 20-7 in his first 27 games as UMass head coach. Whipple also became the first coach in school history to win 20 games in his first two seasons, as Hodges did not record his 20th victory until the sixth game of his third season. Whipple needs one more victory in 2000 to become the first UMass coach in 20 years to lead his team to three consecutive winning seasons. The last Minuteman coach to accomplish the feat was Bob Pickett, who led UMass to four straight winning years from 1978-81. Whipple owns a career record of 98-43 (.695) in 13 years as a collegiate head coach, including four years at Brown (24-16 / 1994-97) and six seasons at New Haven (48-17 / 1988-93).
HOMECOMING SUCCESS: The Minutemen have been awfully tough on opponents in Homecoming games over the last few years. UMass is 7-1 in Homecoming games over the last eight years, winning seven in a row before falling to Hofstra last season. During that time, the Minutemen stand 3-1 against nationally ranked opponents in Homecoming games, including a win over No. 20 Villanova in 1998. Prior to last season, UMass had not lost a Homecoming contest in Amherst since 1991 (a 17-14 setback to Rhode Island). Over the last eight years, the Minutemen have outscored their opposition 214-144, an average game score of 27-18. Here's a look at how UMass has fared on Homecoming since 1992:
SHIPP CONTINUES TO SAIL: Senior tailback Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.) is having yet another fine season for the Minutemen, despite being slowed by a sprained ankle. In last week's game at New Hampshire, he carried 30 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. The previous week in the victory over AIC, Shipp rushed 23 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a team-high six passes for 37 yards. Against Maine, he rushed 20 times for 114 yards and caught three passes for 20 yards. Shipp rushed 31 times for a season-best 147 yards against New Haven, while carrying 27 times for 112 yards and a touchdown at Richmond. Over the course of his career, Shipp has now rushed for 100 yards in a single game against every team in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He has accomplished the feat three times against Maine and New Hampshire, twice against Villanova and William & Mary, and once each against Delaware, James Madison, Northeastern, Rhode Island and Richmond. Shipp also rushed for over 100 yards four times against former Atlantic 10 member Connecticut. Dating back to last season, Shipp has now rushed for over 100 yards 29 times in his last 32 games. For the year, he has totaled 764 yards and five touchdowns on 171 carries, while also catching 16 passes for 159 yards. Shipp needs 236 yards to become only the third player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, joining Garry Pearson (1980-82) and Rene Ingoglia (1993-95).
Robinson PLAYS BIG at Safety: Junior free safety Jeremy Robinson (Syracuse, N.Y.) is having yet another big year in the UMass secondary. In last week's game at New Hampshire, he ranked second on the team with 14 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. In the victory against AIC, Robinson also ranked second on the team with 10 total tackles, while making one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Against Maine, he made five total tackles while also intercepting a pass and recording two pass breakups. At Northeastern, Robinson led the team with 10 tackles, in addition to intercepting a pass during the fourth quarter. In the victory over New Haven, he totaled three tackles with a sack, three pass breakups and his first interception of the season. At Richmond, Robinson ranked second on the team with 10 tackles, along with one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. On the year, he now ranks second on the team with 61 tackles, while also posting a sack, three interceptions and eight pass breakups. Last season, Robinson ranked second on the team in tackles with 103, including 69 solo stops. He also made 12 tackles for loss, to go along with four sacks, six interceptions, six pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen have faced one ranked opponent so far this season, falling to No. 10 Hofstra 51-36. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 8-7 against ranked opponents. The Minutemen faced five ranked teams last season, posting an overall mark of 2-3. UMass defeated No. 18 Delaware 26-19 and No. 8 Furman 30-23 in overtime, while falling to No. 22 Villanova 26-21, No. 6 Hofstra 27-14 and No. 2 Georgia Southern 38-21. In 1998, 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.
SHIPP AND AYI AMONG FAVORITES FOR NATIONAL AWARDS: Marcel Shipp and Kole Ayi both have good chances of winning the National Player of the Year awards presented by The Sports Network. Last year, Shipp finished fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award (given to the top player in Division I-AA), and is one of only four returning players to finish in the top 10 last season. Ayi placed second in last year's voting for the Buck Buchanan Award (presented to the best defensive player in the country), and is the only one of the top four finishers from last season to return.
SHIPP STARTS 1,000-1,000 CLUB: Against Maine on Oct. 14, senior tailback Marcel Shipp became the first player in school history to break the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving yards. He caught three passes for 20 yards against the Black Bears, giving him 1,009 receiving yards in his UMass career (he now has 1,046 yards). Shipp is the all-time UMass leader in career rushing yards with 5,908. The previous school record for most career receiving yards by a 1,000-yard rusher was 632 by Matt Jordan (1,278 rushing yards / 1995-98). The most career rushing yards by any UMass 1,000-yard receiver is 496 by Chip Mitchell (1,680 receiving yards / 1986-89).
BROSS HAS BIG GAME AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: Junior wide receiver Eric Bross (Palm Coast, Fla.) had one of the top games of his career last week at New Hampshire. He caught a team-best five passes against the Wildcats for 52 yards and a touchdown. The game marked the fifth time this season Bross has caught at least three passes in a game. He also had three catches for 47 yards and a score against New Haven, three receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown against Maine, and three catches for 34 yards against Hofstra. For the season, Bross now ranks fourth on the team with 18 receptions for 229 yards and three touchdowns.
MCGUIRK MAGIC: Since Mark Whipple took over as the head coach of the Minutemen prior to the start of the 1998 season, UMass has been almost unbeatable in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Minutemen have gone 13-3 (.813) at home from 1998 to present, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 121-64-2 (.652). Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home record of 34-16 (.680) during that time. The Minutemen also have a mark of 9-1 at McGuirk Stadium against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents under Whipple, and have never lost consecutive home games in his tenure.
Shipp in the Record Books: Senior tailback Marcel Shipp, who already owns a number of all-time UMass records, broke two school career scoring records against New Hampshire. Shipp currently has career totals of 56 touchdowns and 336 points. Last week he broke Rene Ingoglia's record of 55 career touchdowns, as well as Ingoglia's mark of 332 career points (set from 1992-95). Shipp also has a career total of 5,908 rushing yards, placing him second on the all-time Atlantic 10 list, only 285 yards behind New Hampshire's Jerry Azumah (6,193 yards / 1995-98). Here is a look at every UMass record currently owned by Shipp:
WHITE ENJOYING SOLID SEASON: Sophomore placekicker Doug White (Claremont, Calif.) has been remarkably consistent for the Minutemen so far this season. White has connected on six of seven field goal attempts so far in 2000, with his only miss being a 47-yarder against New Hampshire which was blocked. He hit a career-best 36-yard field goal against Maine on Oct. 14, and also had a 41-yarder which he hit in that game taken off the board when the Black Bears were called for holding. White has also been perfect on extra points this season, hitting all 13 of his attempts. For the season, White ranks third on the team in scoring with 31 points. Over the course of his career, he has now hit eight of 10 field goals and 36 of 37 extra points for a total of 60 points.
SANGER IS A WEAPON: Sophomore punter David Sanger (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) has punted 30 times this year, landing 12 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. On the year, he has averaged 40.2 yards per punt, helping UMass to an Atlantic 10-best net average of 38.0 yards per punt. Over the course of his UMass career, Sanger has now punted 92 times for 3,721 yards, and his average of 40.4 yards per punt ranks as the best in UMass history. Thirty-one of his 92 career punts have pinned opponents inside the 20.
B
OLDEN PLAYING BIG ON LINE: Senior defensive tackle Paul Bolden (Edison, N.J.) has been a solid force this season for the Minutemen in the middle of the defensive line. His top game so far this year came against Hofstra, when he totaled a career-best 12 tackles. Bolden also made eight tackles at Richmond, while totaling seven tackles against both New Hampshire and New Haven. He has also come up with a number of big plays in recent weeks, making two tackles for loss in each of UMass' last three games. For the season, Bolden ranks fourth on the team and first among defensive linemen with 46 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and four sacks.
WHIPPLE'S OFFENSE REMAINS IMPRESSIVE: UMass continues to boast one of the nation's top offenses, averaging 28.3 points and 411.5 yards per game so far in 2000. Last season, UMass finished the year with 415 points (31.9 per game), second-most in school history behind only the 524 points scored in 1998 (33.5 per game). The third highest scoring total in school history is 343 points set by both the 1978 and 1988 teams (the 1978 squad set the record in 13 games and the 1988 team needed 12 games). UMass also recorded the second highest single-season mark in school history for total offense last year with 5,673 yards. The record of 7,074 yards was set by the 1998 Minutemen in 15 games, while the 1988 team had the third-highest total with 4,638 yards in 12 games. In addition, UMass has scored 30 or more points in a single game 19 times during Mark Whipple's tenure, posting a 16-3 record in those contests. The Minutemen have also tallied 400 or more yards of total offense in 25 of their last 36 games, and have topped the 500-yard mark seven times.
OFFENSIVE LINE CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE PLAY: The UMass offensive line has been a key reason why the Minutemen rank near the top of the Atlantic 10 in both total offense and scoring. The line has paved the way for UMass to run for 170.3 yards per game, while also providing pass protection which has allowed the Minutemen to throw for 241.3 yards per contest. Sophomore Maikel Miret (Miami, Fla.) is the starting center for the Minutemen, flanked by senior Tyler Lauback (Weston, Mass.) and redshirt freshman Carmen Collins (Syracuse, N.Y.) at the guard spots. Junior Corey Mitchell (Utica, N.Y.) and senior Joe Frawley (Waltham, Mass.) start at tackle for UMass, while freshman Matt Kier (Honey Brook, Pa.) has also seen a good deal of action as the first player off the bench.
FERRER STEPS UP ON DEFENSE: Senior linebacker Joe Ferrer (Casselberry, Fla.) has been a key part of the success for the UMass defense so far this season. He currently ranks third on the team in total tackles with 53, including a team-high 11 tackles for loss. Ferrer's top game so far this season came at Northeastern when he totaled nine tackles, including one tackle for loss. He also had a big game at Richmond, making three tackles for loss among his seven total tackles. At New Hampshire, Ferrer made nine total tackles, while against AIC, he had eight tackles with a sack and three tackles for loss. Ferrer is a transfer from the University of Notre Dame, where he totaled 67 tackles during his first three years of collegiate competition.
FAST FINISH: Over the last three years, UMass has a combined record of 5-5 in games played before Oct. 1, but the Minutemen have come on to record strong finishes every year. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass has a mark of 21-5 in games played in October, November or December. The Minutemen have a 7-1 record in the month of November over the last two years, including a 5-1 mark against Atlantic 10 foes.
UMASS ON THE FOURTH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 5-9 in games played on Nov. 4. UMass does stand 4-3 in home games played on this date, including a 17-14 victory over Richmond in 1989. The Minutemen are also 3-1 against Yankee Conference / Atlantic 10 opponents on Nov. 4. The last time the Minutemen took the field on Nov. 4 came during the 1995 season, when they fell at Maine 24-21 in overtime. The first-ever game for UMass on this date came in 1885, an 8-0 loss at Amherst College.
MINUTEMEN PLAY 1,000TH GAME: UMass played the 1,000th football game in school history when it traveled to New Hampshire last week. The Minutemen are currently looking to push their all-time record to the .500-mark, as they enter this week's game with an all-time record of 474-475-51. This year marks the 118th season of UMass football, with the first game in school history being played on Nov. 22, 1879 (a 4-0 victory over Amherst College).
MINUTEMEN BRING IN ACADEMIC HONORS: A number of UMass players received honors last season for their work both on the field and in the classroom. Graduated senior Mike Wynne led the way by being named a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, a Burger King Division I-AA Scholar Athlete and a GTE / CoSIDA first team Academic All-American. Both Wynne and current senior Brian Smith were selected to the GTE / CoSIDA Academic All-District I first team, marking the second straight season both players were named to that squad. Wynne and Smith were joined by graduated senior Todd Bankhead, senior wide receiver Steve Ley (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior defensive end Dan Schneider (Fitchburg, Mass.) on the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team, with both Bankhead and Wynne also being named to the Division I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star team. This year Smith will be a top candidate for Academic All-America honors, as he currently carries a 3.36 grade point average in Accounting.
FOURTH AND GO: Over the last three seasons, UMass has made a habit of going for it on fourth down. In six games so far this season, the Minutemen have been successful 13 of the 23 times (.565) they have gone for it on fourth down. Last season, UMass was successful on 23 of 37 fourth down attempts for a 62.2 percent success rate. In 1998, the Minutemen converted 21 of the 37 times they went for it on fourth down for a 56.7 percent success rate. UMass has now been successful on 58.8 percent (57 of 97) of its fourth down conversions since the beginning of the 1998 season. By comparison, UMass opponents converted on only 25 of 63 fourth down attempts over the last three years, good for 39.7 percent.
BROWER ENJOYING FINE ROOKIE SEASON: Redshirt freshman defensive end Valdamar Brower (Florence, Mass.) has been a solid force the the Minutemen along the defensive line this season. In last week's game at New Hampshire, Brower recorded a career-high 11 total tackles. Two weeks earlier in the victory over Maine, he led the UMass defense with eight tackles, including five tackles for loss and four sacks for 20 yards. The four sacks came just one shy of the school single-game record, held by Scott Assencoa with five sacks against Connecticut in 1992. Following the Maine game, Brower was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week and the Teamlink / CFAA National Newcomer of the Week. For the season, Brower ranks fifth on the team with 45 total tackles, including five sacks and nine tackles for loss.
QUINLAN PRODUCTIVE OFF THE BENCH: Junior tailback Kevin Quinlan (Somerville, Mass.), who has been a dependable backup to Marcel Shipp over the course of his career, had another outstanding game in the victory over AIC with 16 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Earlier in the season at Northeastern, Quinlan rushed 38 times for 241 yards and two touchdowns, recording the ninth-best single game rushing performance in school history. Following that performance, Quinlan was honored as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week and received the Coca-Cola Gold Helmet as New England's Division I Player of the Week. During his UMass career, Quinlan has now rushed for 100 yards in a game on five occasions, and UMass is 5-0 in those contests. His previous best game came against McNeese State in the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, when he had 147 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Quinlan also totaled 127 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries against Northeastern last year, and had 16 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown against Connecticut in 1999. For the season, Quinlan now has 583 yards and six touchdowns on 110 carries, while catching 10 passes for 107 yards. He also broke the 1,000-mark in career rushing yards against Northeastern, and enters the Villanova game with 257 career carries for 1,303 yards and 16 scores.
MCKENZIE MAKES MOST OF PLAYING TIME: Sophomore strong safety Anton McKenzie (Medford, N.Y.), who has earned a great deal of playing time this season as a nickel back, has come through with some outstanding performances. He earned the first start of his career against New Haven, with UMass using five or six defensive backs to counteract the Chargers' four wide out attack, and totaled a team-best eight tackles with three quarterback sacks for a total of 25 yards. McKenzie also had a big game in the victory over Maine, recording seven total tackles and two sacks for 11 yards. For the season, McKenzie has now totaled 26 tackles, with a team-best six sacks for 38 yards.
Zullo Makes His Mark: Junior wide receiver Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) had a strong start this season, before being lost for the year due to knee surgery as the result of an injury suffered at Northeastern. Zullo totaled 25 receptions for 398 yards and six touchdowns in the first five games of the season. Against Hofstra, he had seven catches for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Against New Haven, Zullo caught a team-high seven passes for 113 yards and a score. He also had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against William & Mary, and five receptions for 82 yards and two scores at Richmond. Zullo has caught at least one pass in each of his last 19 games and has multiple receptions in 25 of 32 career contests. He already holds a number of UMass records, including career marks for both receptions and receiving yards. Here is a look at every school record currently held by Zullo:
MINUTEMEN HAVE TWO 100-YARD RUSHERS AGAIN: In the victory over AIC, UMass had two players rush for over 100 yards for the third time in the last two seasons. Kevin Quinlan led the Minutemen with 120 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, while Marcel Shipp added 111 yards and a score on 23 carries. Shipp and Quinlan also teamed up to each break the century mark twice in the 1999 season, accomplishing the feat against Northeastern and Connecticut. In the Northeastern game, Shipp ran 24 times for 110 yards and four touchdowns, with Quinlan rushing 24 times for 127 yards and two scores. Against Connecticut, Shipp had 24 carries for 142 yards and three scores, with Quinlan running 16 times for 100 yards and a touchdown.
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen rank among the Atlantic 10 leaders through games of Oct. 28. Marcel Shipp ranks third in rushing (109.1 yards/game) and fourth in all-purpose yards (131.9 yards/game). Richard Lucero stands first in passing efficiency (149.9 rating), while David Sanger ranks third in punting (40.2 yards/punt). Doug White leads the league in both extra point percentage (100.0), while standing second in field goal percentage (85.7) and fifth in field goals made (0.8 field goals/game). DeShon Hardy ranks third in punt returns (11.3 yards/return), Jeremy Robinson is third in interceptions (0.4 picks/game) and senior tailback Troy Lockman (Newport News, Va.) stands fourth in punt returns (10.5 yards/return). As a team, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in net punting (38.0 yards/punt), while ranking second in total offense (11.5 yards/game) and pass defense (166.8 yards/game), and standing third in pass offense (241.2 yards/game), total defense (307.4 yards/game) and punt returns (11.0 yards/return).
VILLANOVA HEAD COACH ANDY TALLEY: Andy Talley is in his 16th year at the helm of the Wildcat football program. He sports a 106-63-1 (.627) record during his time at Villanova, including 12 winning seasons in his first 15 years. The all-time winningest coach in Villanova history, Talley led the Wildcats to a 12-1 record in 1997, and has guided his team to five NCAA I-AA playoff appearance in the last 11 years. Talley holds a 134-81-2 (.622) overall mark in his 21st year as a head coach at the collegiate level, including five seasons at Division III St. Lawrence.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Villanova enters this week's game with an overall record of 5-3 and a 3-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Wildcats had won five out of their last six games, before suffering a 28-18 setback against Richmond last week. Villanova has struggled on the road this season, going only 1-2 in games played away from home. Sophomore quarterback Brett Gordon has led the offense by completing 124 of 194 passes for 1,494 yards and 15 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Junior tailback Brian Westbrook is also enjoying a fine season for the Wildcats, rushing 136 times for 969 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also catching a team-high 36 passes for 385 yards and scores. Villanova has looked suspect on defense this season, allowing 26.4 points and 404.6 yards per game. Sophomore linebacker Jason McMillon leads the team with 65 total tackles on the season, while senior free safety Braheem Powell has totaled 58 tackles with two interceptions and four pass breakups.
SACK PACK: The Minuteman defense leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in sacks this season, with 34 for 197 yards. The UMass sack leader is Anton McKenzie, who has recorded six sacks for 38 yards this season, while six other players have at least four sacks on the year. The UMass defense has recorded at least one sack in every game this season, and has at least one sack in 36 straight games dating back to the final game of the 1997 season.
EXTRA POINTS: UMass head coach Mark Whipple began his coaching career as an assistant on Andy Talley's staff at St. Lawrence in 1980. In addition, Talley served as the offensive backfield coach at Brown during Whipple's days as the Bears' quarterback ? UMass and James Madison, which tied for the 1999 Atlantic 10 Conference title without facing each other, will not meet again this season. Beginning in 2001, the Atlantic 10 will play a full round-robin schedule, with each team playing nine league games ? UMass has scored in 66 straight games since a 34-0 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 30, 1995 ? The Minutemen have scored in 95 consecutive home games since a 17-0 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, 1983 ? The Minutemen will play seven home games this season in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The only other time UMass played seven contests at home in a single season came in 1993, with the Minutemen posting a 6-1 record at McGuirk. If UMass should play host to an NCAA playoff game this year, it would set a new school single-season record for most home games played.
