University of Massachusets Athletics
Football Prepares For Delaware
November 06, 2000 | Football
Nov. 6, 2000
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2000 UMass Football
UMass (6-3, 4-2 A-10)
vs. Delaware (8-1, 5-1 A-10)
THE SERIES WITH DELAWARE: Delaware holds a 19-3 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1958. The Blue Hens won the first 14 games of the series, but the Minutemen have come back to win three of the last eight. Delaware holds a 9-1 lead over UMass for games played in Amherst, with UMass' only victory coming in 1993, 43-29. The Blue Hens have won three of the last four meetings, with the lone victory for the Minutemen during that time coming last season, 26-19 on the road.
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 against Villanova, he led the team with 12 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 Delaware game with 311 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 453, and needs seven 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 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 98 total tackles through nine 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 Delaware. Whipple owns a career record of 99-43 (.695) in 13 years as a collegiate head coach, including three seasons at UMass (27-10 / 1998-present), four years at Brown (24-16 / 1994-97) and six seasons at New Haven (48-17 / 1988-93). With last week's 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 29.3 points and 410.7 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 Villanova last week, he carried 25 times for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In the previous game at New Hampshire, he carried 30 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. 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 last season, Shipp has now rushed for over 100 yards 30 times in his last 33 games. For the year, he has totaled 869 yards and seven touchdowns on 196 carries, while also catching 17 passes for 173 yards. Shipp needs 131 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 win over Villanova, Robinson intercepted a pass in addition to making four tackles. A week earlier 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 65 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.
UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen enter this week's contest with a 1-1 record against ranked opponents this season. UMass downed No. 23 Villanova 38-17, while falling to No. 10 Hofstra 51-36. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 9-7 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.
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 14-3 (.824) at home from 1998 to present, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 122-64-2 (.654). Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home record of 35-16 (.686) during that span. The Minutemen also have a mark of 10-1 at McGuirk Stadium against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents under Whipple, and have never lost consecutive home games in his tenure.
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 seven of eight 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 tied his career long with another 36-yard field goal against Villanova. He has also been perfect on extra points this season, hitting all 15 of his attempts. For the season, White ranks second on the team in scoring with 36 points. Over the course of his career, he has now hit nine of 11 field goals and 38 of 39 extra points for a total of 65 points.
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 1,060 yards). Shipp is the all-time UMass leader in career rushing yards with 6,013. 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).
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 58 touchdowns and 348 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 6,013 rushing yards, placing him second on the all-time Atlantic 10 list, only 180 yards behind New Hampshire's Jerry Azumah (6,193 yards / 1995-98). Here is a look at every UMass record currently owned by Shipp:
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. He has also come up with a number of big plays in recent weeks, making six tackles for loss in UMass' last four games. For the season, Bolden ranks sixth on the team and second among defensive linemen with 47 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and four sacks.
UMASS ON THE 11TH: The Minutemen have an all-time record of 4-6-1 in games played on Nov. 11. UMass has played only two previous home games on this date, falling to Springfield College 26-0 in 1950 and downing Rutgers 30-7 in 1967. The Minutemen are also 1-1 against Yankee Conference / Atlantic 10 opponents on Nov. 11, losing at Villanova 29-26 in 1989 and defeating Boston University on the road 28-23 in 1995. During that victory over the Terriers in 1995, the last game played by UMass on this date, Frank Allessio rushed 21 times for three touchdowns and a school and conference record 337 yards. Alessio's mark still ranks as the sixth-best single-game performance in Division I-AA history.
FOURTH AND GO: Over the last three seasons, UMass has made a habit of going for it on fourth down. In nine games so far this season, the Minutemen have been successful 18 of the 28 times (.643) they have gone for it on fourth down. During last week's victory over Villanova, UMass converted on all five of its 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 60.8 percent (62 of 102) of its fourth down conversions since the beginning of the 1998 season. By comparison, UMass opponents converted on only 26 of 65 fourth down attempts over the last three years, good for 40.0 percent.
SANGER IS A WEAPON: Sophomore punter David Sanger (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) has punted 33 times this year, landing 13 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. On the year, he has averaged 40.3 yards per punt, helping UMass to an Atlantic 10-best net average of 38.2 yards per punt. Over the course of his UMass career, Sanger has now punted 95 times for 3,843 yards, and his average of 40.5 yards per punt ranks as the best in UMass history. Thirty-two of his 95 career punts have pinned opponents inside the 20.
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 59, 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.
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 above the .500-mark, as they enter this week's game with an all-time record of 475-475-51. 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).
RECEIVING CORP COMES UP BIG AGAIN: In last Saturday's victory over Villanova, the Minutemen had eight different players catch passes, with three of them scoring touchdowns. Junior fullback Pete Cariello (Yorktown, N.Y.) led the way with three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown, while junior wide receiver DeShon Hardy (Neptune, N.J.) added two receptions for 74 yards and a score. On the season, UMass has now had at least seven different players catch passes in a game eight times this season, with eight players picking up receptions against William & Mary, AIC and Villanova. Twelve different players have at least one reception on the year, with seven Minutemen already in double figures in catches.
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 173.1 yards per game, while also providing pass protection which has allowed the Minutemen to throw for 237.6 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.
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 22-5 in games played in October, November or December. The Minutemen have an 8-1 record in the month of November over the last two years, including a 6-1 mark against Atlantic 10 foes.
LUCERO PLAYING BIG AT QUARTERBACK: Junior quarterback Richard Lucero (Phoenix, Ariz.) had another solid game for the Minutemen against Villanova last week, completing 13 of 19 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Earlier in the season against Hofstra, he completed 22 of 36 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. A week earlier against New Haven, Lucero hit on 18 of 30 passes for 263 yards and five touchdowns. The five touchdown passes tied a UMass single-game record, which was set by Mike Fallon against Youngstown State in 1977 and tied by Todd Bankhead against Maine in 1998. At Richmond, Lucero completed 18 of 32 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns, while he completed 18 of 30 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns against William & Mary. Following the win over the Tribe, Lucero was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the WHMP / UMass Athlete of the Week. His 376 passing yards were the second-most in school history, behind only Brian McNally's 389-yard performance against Connecticut in 1976. Lucero also set school records for most passing yards in a debut and most passing yards in a victory, breaking Bankhead's marks of 323 yards at Delaware and 353 yards against Maine, respectively, both in 1998. In addition, Lucero rushed four times for 14 yards and a touchdown, giving him 390 yards of total offense on the evening. He recorded the third-most yards of total offense in school history, and the most ever by a UMass player at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. For the year, Lucero has completed 103 of 175 passes for 1,647 yards and 16 touchdowns. He currently stands eighth on the UMass single season list for passing yards and fifth on the list for touchdown passes.
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 637 yards and six touchdowns on 122 carries, while catching 11 passes for 115 yards. He also broke the 1,000-mark in career rushing yards against Northeastern, and enters the Delaware game with 269 career carries for 1,357 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. Last week 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 28 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 fourth on the team with 50 total tackles, including five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
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.
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:
SACK PACK: The Minuteman defense leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in sacks this season, with 36 for 214 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 37 straight games dating back to the final game of the 1997 season.
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 ranks fourth on the team with 19 receptions for 252 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.
