University of Massachusets Athletics
Football To Face Rhode Island In Season Finale
November 13, 2000 | Football
Nov. 13, 2000
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GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
THE SERIES WITH RHODE ISLAND: UMass holds a 39-33-2 lead in the all-time series which began in 1903. The Minutemen have won 11 of the last 14 meetings between the schools, including victories each of the last three years (31-9 in 1999, 23-13 in 1998 and 18-14 in 1997). UMass has faced Rhode Island 74 times in its history, more than any other school. For games played in Kingston, the Minutemen hold a slim 18-17 advantage, but Rhode Island has won two of the last three meetings. The last victory for the Rams over UMass came on Oct. 5, 1996, when Rhode Island posted a 41-21 victory at Meade Stadium. UMass head coach Mark Whipple has a career record of 5-1 against Rhode Island, including a 3-1 mark during his four seasons as the head coach at Brown.
Series Quick Facts
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. In the victory over Villanova, he led the team with 13 tackles while also recording his first interception of the season. The previous week at New Hampshire, Ayi recorded a season-best 19 tackles and became the all-time UMass leader for solo tackles. He enters the Rhode Island game with 323 solo stops during his UMass career, breaking the old mark of 298 set by Khari Samuel from 1995-98. Ayi also ranks third at UMass in career total tackles with 465. 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 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.. For the season, he leads the team with 110 total tackles through 10 games. Ayi also has five sacks for 34 yards and 11 tackles for loss on the season.
WHIPPLE LOOKING FOR 100TH WIN: Now in his third season as head coach of the Minutemen, Mark Whipple is looking to pick up the 100th victory of his collegiate coaching career against Rhode Island. Whipple owns a career record of 99-44 (.692) in 13 years as a collegiate head coach, including three seasons at UMass (27-11 / 1998-present), four years at Brown (24-16 / 1994-97) and six seasons at New Haven (48-17 / 1988-93). With the win over Villanova, Whipple became 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 was the fastest coach in school history to record 20 victories, picking up the 20th win of his UMass career against Connecticut last season. He 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'S OFFENSE REMAINS IMPRESSIVE: UMass continues to boast one of the nation's top offenses, averaging 28.3 points and 408.1 yards per game so far in 2000. The Minutemen have over 300 yards of total offense in every game this year, including a season-high 529 yards against William & Mary. 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 20 times during Mark Whipple's tenure, posting a 17-3 record in those contests. The Minutemen have also tallied 400 or more yards of total offense in 26 of their last 37 games, and have topped the 500-yard mark seven times.
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. Against Delaware, Shipp ran 25 times for 81 yards and a touchdown, in addition to catching four passes for 27 yards. The previous week against Villanova, he carried 25 times for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while he carried 30 times for 130 yards and a touchdown at New Hampshire. 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, New Hampshire and Villanova, twice against 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 the 1998 season, Shipp has now rushed for over 100 yards 30 times in his last 34 games. For the year, he has totaled 950 yards and eight touchdowns on 221 carries, while also catching 21 passes for 200 yards. Shipp needs 50 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. Against Delaware last week, Robinson made six tackles and recovered a fumble. In the previous week's win over Villanova, Robinson intercepted a pass in addition to making four tackles. At New Hampshire, he ranked second on the team with 14 total tackles, including three 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 71 tackles, while also posting a sack, four 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.
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 1,087 yards). Shipp is the all-time UMass leader in career rushing yards with 6,094. 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).
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 nine of 10 field goal attempts so far in 2000, with his only miss being a 47-yarder against New Hampshire which was blocked. Against Delaware, he connected on a career-best 40-yard field goal. His previous long was a 36-yard field goal against Maine on Oct. 14, and he also had a 41-yarder which he hit in that game taken off the board when the Black Bears were called for holding. White also connected on a 36-yard field goal against Villanova. In addition, he has been perfect on extra points this season, hitting all 16 of his attempts. For the year, White ranks second on the team in scoring with 43 points. Over the course of his career, he has now hit 11 of 13 field goals and 39 of 40 extra points for a total of 72 points.
THE LAST MEETING: The 20th-ranked Minutemen used another dominating defensive performance to post a 31-9 victory over Rhode Island on Family Day at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. UMass surrendered only 249 total yards in the game, while holding an opponent to less than 10 points for the second time on the season. Todd Bankhead led a balanced offensive effort for the Minutemen by completing 16 of 27 passes for 322 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Rams scored the first points of the game early in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Szczesniak after the Minutemen turned the ball over in their own territory on a fumbled lateral. UMass came back with two touchdowns before the end of the first period, with Adrian Zullo scoring from 49 yards out on a reverse and Jimmie Howard taking in a 21-yard pass from Bankhead. Bankhead and Howard hooked up again early in the second quarter on a 68-yard scoring play, giving the Minutemen a 21-3 lead before the Rams had even gained a first down. Marcel Shipp added a one-yard touchdown run later in the period, while Jeremy Robinson intercepted a Vince Nedimyer pass in the end zone to keep the Rams from scoring any more points before halftime. UMass would score its final points on a 23-yard field goal by Jason Cherry in the third quarter, then Rhode Island concluded the scoring when Matt Birkett caught a nine-yard pass from Ken Mastrole in the fourth quarter. Zullo led a trio of UMass receivers with over 80 yards, catching four passes for 96 yards. Eric Bross had three catches for 81 yards and Howard made his two scoring catches for 89 yards, while Steve Ley had a career-high four receptions for 38 yards. Mastrole led the Ram offense by completing 18 of 30 passes for 134 yards and a score. Kole Ayi had a game-high 17 tackles and a pair of sacks for the Minutemen, while Aaron Parker added eight tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Jerard White broke up four passes, recovered a fumble and made eight tackles, while Robinson added three pass breakups and eight tackles to go with his interception. Lance Small led the Ram defense with 10 tackles and an interception.
SMITH A TOP STUDENT-ATHLETE: Senior defensive back Brian Smith (Wilmington, Del.) looks to be a candidate for both All-America and Academic All-America honors this season. Smith, who has started both at cornerback and strong safety this year, totaled five tackles with an interception against Delaware last week. In the win over Villanova, he made six tackles and forced a fumble, while holding Murle Sango to only one catch for 17 yards. He had six solo tackles against New Hampshire, and held Kamau Peterson to one catch for five yards. He made four tackles in the victory over Maine, with three tackles for loss and a pass breakup, and totaled six tackles at Northeastern, with a key interception in the end zone during the third quarter. Against Hofstra, Smith tallied five tackles with one tackle for loss, while he had five tackles and a sack for four yards in the win over New Haven. At Richmond he ranked third on the team with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss, and against William & Mary in the season opener he tied for second on the team in tackles with six. On the season, Smith now ranks fourth on the team with 57 total tackles, including 11 tackles for loss. Last year, Smith ranked third on the team in total tackles with 102, including 73 solo stops. He also had 10 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and four pass breakups. In addition, Smith carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.36 in Accounting.
SHIPP JOINS ELITE COMPANY: With 6,094 rushing yards and 1,087 receiving yards during his UMass career, Marcel Shipp has become only the sixth player in collegiate history with 6,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. He is only the third Division I player to accomplish the feat, along with Ricky Williams (Texas / 1995-98) and Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire / 1995-98). Other players to have totaled over 6,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards during their collegiate careers are Brian Shay (Division II Emporia State / 1995-98), Kavin Galliard (Division II American International College / 1996-99) and Carey Bender (Division III Coe / 1991-94).
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 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 59 touchdowns and 354 points. 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 6,094 rushing yards, placing him second on the all-time Atlantic 10 list, only 99 yards behind New Hampshire's Jerry Azumah (6,193 yards / 1995-98). Here is a look at every UMass record currently owned by Shipp:
UMASS ON THE 18TH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 7-5-1 in games played on Nov. 18. UMass stands 4-5 in road games played on this date, losing at Connecticut 20-7 in 1995 in its last outing. The Minutemen are 5-1 against Yankee Conference / Atlantic 10 opponents on Nov. 18, defeating New Hampshire five straight times (1961, 1967, 1972, 1978 and 1989) before falling to Connecticut five years ago. The first-ever game for UMass on this date came during the 1905 season, a 15-0 road victory over Springfield College.
MINUTEMEN BRING IN ACADEMIC HONORS: Senior defensive back Brian Smith was honored last week for his work both on the field and in the classroom. Smith was named to the Verizon / CoSIDA Academic All-District I first team, marking the third straight year he has been selected to the squad. In addition to starting every UMass game since the beginning of the 1998 season, Smith carries a 3.36 grade point average in Accounting. Last season, Smith was joined on the team by graduated senior Mike Wynne, who was also named a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, a Burger King Division I-AA Scholar Athlete and a first team Academic All-American. Wynne and Smith were also joined by graduated senior Todd Bankhead, senior wide receiver Steve Ley (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior defensive end Dan Schneider (Fitchburg, Mass.) on the 1999 Academic All-Atlantic 10 team, with both Bankhead and Wynne also being named to the 1999 Division I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star team.
BOLDEN 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. For the season, Bolden ranks sixth on the team and second among defensive linemen with 50 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and four sacks.
SANGER IS A WEAPON: Sophomore punter David Sanger (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) has punted 35 times this year, landing 14 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. On the year, he has averaged 40.0 yards per punt, helping UMass to an Atlantic 10-best (and fifth in Division I-AA) net average of 37.7 yards per punt. Over the course of his UMass career, Sanger has now punted 97 times for 3,914 yards, and his average of 40.4 yards per punt ranks as the best in UMass history. Thirty-three of his 97 career punts have pinned opponents inside the 20.
MINUTEMEN PLAY 1,000TH GAME: UMass played the 1,000th football game in school history when it traveled to New Hampshire on Oct. 28. 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 475-476-51. 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).
UMASS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Minutemen are currently ranked 21st in the nation by The Sports Network, 21st by ESPN / USA Today, and 19th by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. UMass has now been ranked in at least one national poll 40 straight weeks since Oct. 5, 1998, when it broke into the rankings for the first time since the 1995 season. The Minutemen finished the 1998 season 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 4 2 3 Sept. 4 3 no poll 2 Sept. 11 3 3 1 Sept. 18 11 11 10 Sept. 25 11 12 9 Oct. 2 19 20 17 Oct. 9 16 20 16 Oct. 16 15 19 14 Oct. 23 14 19 13 Oct. 30 22 21 24 Nov. 6 21 21 19
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 67, including a team-high 12 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 10 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.
SHIPP MOVES UP ON ALL-TIME NCAA RUSHING LIST: Senior tailback Marcel Shipp enters the Rhode Island game in ninth place on the all-time NCAA Division I-AA career rushing list. Shipp comes into this week's game with a total of 5,227 rushing yards in regular season games (the NCAA does not include statistics from postseason games in its totals, but the Atlantic 10 does). Here is a look at the top 15 rushers in Division I-AA history (active players listed in bold):
1. Charles Roberts, Cal State Sacramento (1997- ) 6,553 2. Jerry Azumah, New Hampshire (1995-98) 6,193 3. Charles Dunn, Portland State (1997- ) 5,737 4. Matt Cannon, Southern Utah (1997- ) 5,423 5. Reggie Greene, Siena (1994-97) 5,415 6. Thomas Haskins, VMI (1993-96) 5,355 7. Frank Hawkins, Nevada (1977-80) 5,333 8. Rick Sarille, Wagner (1995-99) 5,290 9. Marcel Shipp, UMass (1997- ) 5,227 10. Kenny Gamble, Colgate (1984-87) 5,220 11. Markus Thomas, Eastern Kentucky (1989-92) 5,149 12. Adrian Peterson, Georgia Southern (1998- ) 5,100 13. Erik Marsh, Lafayette (1991-94) 4,834 14. Rich Lemon, Bucknell (1993-96) 4,742 15. Charles Mathis, Southwest Texas State (1994-97) 4,691
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 22-6 in games played in October, November or December. The Minutemen have an 8-2 record in the month of November over the last two years, including a 6-2 mark against Atlantic 10 foes.
RECEIVING CORP COMES UP BIG AGAIN: In last Saturday's game against Delaware, the Minutemen had eight different players catch passes for the second straight week. Junior fullback Pete Cariello (Yorktown, N.Y.) led the way with five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, while senior wide receiver Jeff Howard (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) added five receptions for 43 yards. On the season, UMass has now had at least seven players catch passes in a game nine times this season, with eight players picking up receptions against William & Mary, AIC, Villanova and Delaware. Twelve different players have at least one reception on the year, with seven Minutemen already in double figures in catches.
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 665 yards and six touchdowns on 126 carries, while catching 12 passes for 133 yards. He also broke the 1,000-mark in career rushing yards against Northeastern, and enters the Rhode Island game with 273 career carries for 1,385 yards and 16 scores.
FOURTH AND GO: Over the last three seasons, UMass has made a habit of going for it on fourth down. In 10 games so far this season, the Minutemen have been successful 22 of the 33 times (.667) they have gone for it on fourth down. Over the last two weeks, the Minutemen are nine out of 10 on fourth down attempts. 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 61.7 percent (66 of 107) of its fourth down conversions since the beginning of the 1998 season. By comparison, UMass opponents converted on only 27 of 66 fourth down attempts over the last three years, good for 40.9 percent.
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 168.5 yards per game, while also providing pass protection which has allowed the Minutemen to throw for 239.6 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.
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. Against Villanova, McKenzie had a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and two tackles. 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. In the victory over Maine, McKenzie recorded seven total tackles and two sacks for 11 yards. For the season, McKenzie has now totaled 33 tackles, with a team-best six sacks for 38 yards.
BROWER ENJOYING FINE ROOKIE SEASON: Redshirt freshman defensive end Valdamar Brower (Florence, Mass.) has been a solid force for the Minutemen along the defensive line this season. At New Hampshire, Brower recorded a career-high 12 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 52 total tackles, including five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
SACK PACK: The Minuteman defense leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in sacks this season, with 37 for 222 yards. The UMass sack leaders are Anton McKenzie, who has recorded six sacks for 38 yards this season, and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Doran Davis (Elmont, N.Y.), with six sacks for 43 yards. The UMass defense has recorded at least one sack in every game this season, and has at least one sack in 38 straight games dating back to the final game of the 1997 season.
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:
BROSS HAS BIG GAME AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: Junior wide receiver Eric Bross (Palm Coast, Fla.) had one of the top games of his career at New Hampshire on Oct. 28. 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 receptions for 42 yards against Delaware, 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 ranks fourth on the team with 22 receptions for 294 yards and four touchdowns.
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.
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 14-4 (.778) at home from 1998 to present, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 122-65-2 (.651). Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home record of 35-17 (.673) during that span. The Minutemen also have a mark of 10-2 at McGuirk Stadium against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents under Whipple, and have never lost consecutive home games in his tenure.
UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen will conclude the 2000 season with a 1-2 record against ranked opponents. UMass downed No. 23 Villanova 38-17, while falling to No. 4 Delaware 31-19 and No. 10 Hofstra 51-36. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 9-8 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.
LUCERO NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Junior quarterback Richard Lucero (Phoenix, Ariz.) heads a list of six different UMass players who are currently ranked among the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders, through games of Nov. 11. Lucero currently stands 13th in passing efficiency and 31st in points responsible for. The rankings:
Category NCAA Rank Player/Team No./Avg. Net Punting 5 UMass 37.7 Passing Efficiency 13 Richard Lucero 145.0 Punt Returns 22 DeShon Hardy 11.3 46 Troy Lockman 9.4 Pass Defense 26 UMass 162.8 Rushing Yards 30 Marcel Shipp 105.6 Total Defense 30 UMass 297.0 Points Responsible For 31 Richard Lucero 12.0 All-Purpose Yards 34 Marcel Shipp 127.8 Field Goals 35 Doug White 0.9 Total Offense 36 Richard Lucero 213.9 Completions 44 Richard Lucero 14.2 Interceptions 47 Jeremy Robinson 0.4
ABOUT THE RAMS: Rhode Island enters this week's game with an overall record of 3-7 and a 2-5 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams lost their first five games of the season, but have come back to win three of their last five, including a 26-21 victory at Division I-A Connecticut last week. Rhode Island has one of the top rushing attacks in the Atlantic 10, averaging 207.9 yards per contest, but the Rams have thrown for only 95.4 yards per game. Junior tailback David Jamison leads the team with 961 yards and four touchdowns on 205 carries, while junior quarterback Vince Nedimyer has 482 yards and six scores on 175 rushes. Through the air, Nedimyer has connected on 78 of 159 attempts for 882 yards and two touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His top target has been junior wide receiver Salim Wellington, with 18 catches for 168 yards. The Rhode Island defense is led by junior linebacker Keith Heineman with 88 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while junior free safety Lance Small has 79 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups.
RHODE ISLAND HEAD COACH TIM STOWERS: In his first season as the head coach at Rhode Island, Tim Stowers has guided the Rams to an overall mark of 3-7 and a 2-5 record in Atlantic 10 Conference games. Prior to taking over the program at Rhode Island, Stowers spent two seasons as the offensive line coach at Temple. He also served as the head coach at Georgia Southern from 1990-95, posting an overall record of 51-23 and leading the Eagles to the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. Stowers was named the Division I-AA National Coach of the Year in 1990, and the Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1993. He is a 1980 graduate of Auburn University, where he earned two letters as a linebacker and offensive and defensive lineman.
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen rank among the Atlantic 10 leaders through games of Nov. 11. Marcel Shipp ranks third in rushing (105.6 yards/game) and fourth in all-purpose yards (127.8 yards/game). Richard Lucero stands third in passing efficiency (145.0 rating), while David Sanger ranks third in punting (40.0 yards/punt). Doug White leads the league in extra point percentage (1.000), while standing second in both field goal percentage (.900) and field goals made (0.0 field goals/game). DeShon Hardy ranks third in punt returns (11.3 yards/return), and Jeremy Robinson is second in interceptions (0.4 picks/game). As a team, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in net punting (37.7 yards/punt) and pass defense (162.8 yards/game), while ranking third in total offense (408.1 yards/game), passing offense (239.6 yards/game), scoring offense (28.3 points/game) and punt returns (10.3 yards/return).
EXTRA POINTS: UMass senior defensive tackle Compton Webster (Brooklyn, N.Y.) attended the same high school (Brooklyn Tech) as two members of the Rhode Island squad: senior defensive end Kareem Hinckson and freshman linebacker Danny Miller ... 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 68 straight games since a 34-0 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 30, 1995 ... The Minutemen have scored in 97 consecutive home games since a 17-0 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, 1983 ... The Minutemen played 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 ... With one more win this year, UMass would record seven or more victories in three straight seasons for the first time since 1963-65, when the Minutemen went 8-0-1 ('63), 8-2 ('64) and 7-2 ('65) ... Mark Whipple is only the fourth coach in UMass history, and the first since Bob Pickett, to open his Minuteman career with three consecutive winning seasons (Mel Taube and Vic Fusia were the others).
