University of Massachusets Athletics
Football Prepares For 2000 Season
July 17, 2000 | Football
July 17, 2000
Having won the national championship in his first season and a conference title in his second season, UMass head coach Mark Whipple takes his squad into the 2000 campaign looking to build another championship team. As one of the favorites for both the 2000 NCAA and Atlantic 10 titles, the Minutemen will look to improve upon the success which they have established over the last two years.
The UMass offense has been the best in the Atlantic 10 Conference and among the best in the country each of the last two years. The Minutemen averaged 471.6 yards and 34.9 points per game during the 1998 season, then followed that up with averages of 436.4 yards and 31.9 points per contest in 1999. Seven starters return along with a number of key backups to keep UMass among the nation's elite. And even though there will be a new quarterback at the helm of Whipple's high-octane offense, there is not likely to be a drop off.
"I think all of our experienced skill position players will really help the quarterbacks this year," says Whipple. "Last year Todd Bankhead had to help out a lot of younger guys who were getting playing time, and this year it will be the other way around. We are looking for those guys to supply a little more leadership and playmaking early in the season.
"Looking at the offense overall, we will be disappointed if this is not one of the top units in the Atlantic 10. I think we are more talented than we were last season, and we also have more depth."
The defense should also pick up right where it left off in 1999, a season where it allowed opponents an average of only 18.8 points per game and forced 38 turnovers. Five starters are back, in addition to many players who saw action off the bench as backups.
"Our defense played so well last year, that it made everything else a lot easier for our team," says Whipple. "When they are forcing turnovers and stopping the opposing team after only three downs, the offense gets to work with a short field. That takes a lot of pressure off both the offense and the special teams.
"This year, we have a chance to be even better. Our defensive players have more speed and physical ability than we have had in the past, which allows us to expand our overall defensive package. We will have a lot more options defensively this season."
Here is a position-by-position breakdown of how the Minutemen should look in 2000.
RUNNING BACK
On the offensive side of the ball, UMass will once again be led by Walter Payton Award candidate Marcel Shipp. An All-America selection each of the last two seasons, Shipp rushed for 1,846 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1999, setting a school single season record for rushing touchdowns. He will once again be the top back for the Minutemen, as he attempts to become the first three-time first team All-American in UMass history.
"Marcel Shipp is one of the best players in the country," says Whipple. "He is a very elusive runner who has deceptive speed, and we are going to get him the ball in as many different ways as we can. He is going to be the focus of our offense, and he has a chance to establish himself as one of the top backs in Division I-AA history."
Providing another threat out of the UMass backfield will be junior tailback Kevin Quinlan, the backup to Shipp each of the last two seasons. Quinlan rushed for 413 yards last year with three touchdowns, including 100-yard performances against both Northeastern and Connecticut. Senior Troy Lockman, sophomore Tre Brady and freshman Cabral Edley will provide added depth at tailback.
"We need to have Kevin Quinlan more involved in the offense this season, and definitely earlier than we did last year," says Whipple. "Health becomes a concern over the course of a full season, and if Quinlan can share time with Shipp throughout the year, they should both be in prime shape down the stretch. In addition, Troy Lockman, Tre Brady and Cabral Edley are all players who can provide us with quality snaps at tailback."
The Minutemen also return their top two fullbacks, led by junior Pete Cariello. In his first season on offense in 1999, Cariello ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 23 for 239 yards and one score. He is joined by junior Brian Kozikowski, at a position where UMass looks for a solid blocker and a dependable receiver.
"Fullback is a position where we will be much improved this season," says Whipple. "Both Pete Cariello and Brian Kozikowski moved over from the defensive side of the ball last year, and it took time for them to really get in the flow of the offense. They have both played a full year at fullback now, and will be important parts of our offense."
QUARTERBACK
At quarterback, there will be a four-way battle for the starting spot during preseason practice, with two returnees joined by a pair of players who joined the Minutemen in the spring. Sophomore Kelly Seibert served as the backup to All-American Todd Bankhead last season, completing 12 of 18 passes on the season for 122 yards and one score. Senior Ed Campbell, who served as Bankhead's backup in 1998, also returns to give UMass two experienced signal callers.
Joining the battle is junior college transfer Richard Lucero, who completed 258 of 421 passes for 2,964 yards and 24 touchdowns last season at Phoenix (Ariz.) College. Also in competition is incoming freshman Matt Guice, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns during his senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) H.S. Although none of the four candidates has much experience in the UMass system, all four are capable of leading the high-powered Minuteman offense.
"Any of the four quarterbacks could win the starting job this fall," says Whipple. "Ed Campbell and Kelly Seibert have the most experience in our system, and that gives them a little edge. Richard Lucero came on strong in the spring and was really grasping the system, but he was held back by getting injured. And Matt Guice probably made the most progress of anyone with the way he developed during the spring. It is going to come down to who earns the job during fall practice."
RECEIVERS
UMass will have a deep wide receiver corps, with all eight players who caught at least one pass a year ago returning. Leading the way is first team All-Atlantic 10 selection Adrian Zullo, who caught a team-best 81 passes in 1999 for 1,253 yards and nine scores. He will be joined in the starting lineup by senior Steve Ley, who has made 31 career receptions for 375 yards and three scores. The top backups are junior Eric Bross, who had 13 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns in 1999, and sophomore Jimmie Howard, who totaled eight receptions for 147 yards and two scores a year ago.
"Adrian Zullo is our all-time leading receiver, and he could be among the best in the nation," says Whipple. "Zullo has the kind of game-breaking speed that really stretches out defenses. Steve Ley and Eric Bross also have a good deal of experience in our system, and they work well to compliment Zullo as possession receivers with good hands. And Jimmie Howard should see a lot more playing this year, as another deep threat with excellent speed."
A number of other players with experience will be looking to break into the rotation at wide receiver. Senior Jeff Howard and juniors DeShon Hardy, Eddie Bowman, Rafael Santos and Paul Tupa can all help the Minutemen as wide outs.
At tight end the Minutemen will have to overcome the loss of All-American Sean Higgins, who caught 51 passes for 615 yards last season. Sophomore Greg Ward, who started twice in 1999 as the top backup to Higgins, will look to win the starting position. Sophomore Darrell Shabazz, who made the transition from fullback to tight end during spring practice, should push Ward for the starting role during preseason practice. Senior Rich Palmese, who started one game last season, will also battle for playing time, while freshmen Eugene Sigmund and Sean Young could also contribute.
OFFENSIVE LINE
There are two holes for the Minutemen to fill on the offensive line with the graduation of All-America guard Mike Wynne and tackle Cliff Bolden. UMass still returns three starters up front, led by a two-year starter at right guard in senior Tyler Lauback. Also back in the starting lineup from a group which allowed UMass to average 436.4 yards of total offense per game in 1999, are junior Corey Mitchell at left tackle and sophomore Maikel Miret at center. A top candidate to step into the starting lineup is senior Joe Frawley, who played in every game last season at tackle as UMass' top reserve lineman. Redshirt freshman Carmen Collins is the likely candidate to win the final starting spot, while senior Ryan Woods, junior Bryah Gifford, junior college transfer Jeremiah Williams and freshman Matt Kier will also compete for playing time.
"Corey Mitchell and Tyler Lauback are both very experienced players, who should be among the best in the conference this season," says Whipple. "Maikel Miret has really come on with a year of experience as a starter, and Joe Frawley played enough last year that he will have no trouble stepping in as the starter at the other tackle. We have a number of hard workers at the position, and we will be better experience wise, and they are all good workers. This unit should be at least as good as the ones which have helped us lead the conference in offense the last two seasons."
DEFENSIVE LINE
On the defensive line, a pair of two-year starters return to stop the run and put pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Senior Dan Schneider will man one of the defensive end spots, after ranking second on the team with 17 tackles for loss and five sacks in 1999. Senior Paul Bolden returns at defensive tackle, where he has totaled 91 tackles and six sacks over the past two years. Senior Compton Webster, who moves over from linebacker, looks to win the other defensive tackle spot, while redshirt freshman Valdamar Brower is expected to start as the other defensive end.
A number of other players will look to push the starters for playing time up front. Senior Mike Cirullo, junior Joel Sarapin, junior Pierre Alfred and sophomore Khalil Blakey all have experience in the UMass system, while redshirt freshman Doran Davis is a bright young star looking to burst onto the scene.
"We have great senior leadership along the defensive line in Dan Schneider and Paul Bolden, who will be starting for the third year," says Whipple. "Valdamar Brower, who is a very athletic and instinctive player, was our most improved defensive player during spring practice. And Compton Webster, who is a tireless worker, moves over from linebacker, to give us a solid front four. We are more athletic up front, but we are losing a little experience. I think this group is faster, and I expect them to rush the passer better."
LINEBACKER
The Minutemen will once again have one of the top linebacking corps in both the Atlantic 10 and the nation. UMass returns one of the nation's top players in 1999 Buck Buchanan Award runner-up Kole Ayi. The starting middle linebacker for the Minutemen, Ayi led the team with 147 tackles a year ago, and his 355 career tackles rank fifth all-time at UMass. Joining Ayi will be Notre Dame transfer Joe Ferrer, who has one season of eligibility remaining. Ferrer, who started six games and made 27 tackles for the Fighting Irish last year, will take over as a starter at one of the outside spots.
Playing alongside Ayi and Ferrer as the other outside linebacker will be sophomore Corey Potter, who had 46 tackles a year ago while starting six games. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Cain is also expected to see a good deal of playing time, rotating in as the third outside linebacker. Others expected to supply depth off the bench are sophomore Anthony Louis and freshmen Ian Dyche and Leron Ancle.
"Kole Ayi is just an awesome player, and our whole defense starts with him," says Whipple. "Then we add Joe Ferrer, who should be a real impact player and supply us with great leadership due to his experience. Corey Potter is an outstanding playmaker who will only get better, and Jeremy Cain is someone who could easily be a starter. We have so much depth at linebacker that we could move Compton Webster to the line."
SECONDARY
In the defensive backfield, the Minutemen may have three of the nation's best safeties. Junior All-American Jeremy Robinson and senior Brian Smith return to their starting roles, while senior Lance Overby will once again serve as the nickel back. Robinson ranked second on the team in tackles last season with 103, while finishing the regular season ranked 11th in the nation with six interceptions. Smith finished just behind Robinson with 102 tackles a year ago, and has career totals of 247 tackles and six interceptions. Overby posted 39 tackles and tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries with seven, while starting two games in 1999. Senior Bryan King, sophomore Anton McKenzie and junior Dammon McLaren will all provide depth at safety.
"Even though he has not received a lot of recognition, Brian Smith is one of the top players on this team," says Whipple. "He is the glue of our secondary, and has the flexibility to move from safety to corner if we need him to. Jeremy Robinson is coming off an outstanding season, and there probably is not a better pair of safeties in the nation than Smith and Robinson. We also have Lance Overby, who started eight games for the 1998 national championship team, serving as our nickel back."
The Minutemen do need to replace both of their starting cornerbacks, but a number of talented candidates will look to prove themselves during preseason practice. Sophomore Shawn Murray, who saw limited action during his first year at UMass, and junior college transfer Rob Green are the top prospects following their strong play during the spring. Junior Nelson Ovalles, redshirt freshman Corey Edwards and freshman Rob Williams, a transfer from Auburn, should also contend for playing time.
"Shawn Murray was one of our most improved players during the spring," says Whipple. "He has the potential to be as good as Jerard White by the end of his career. Rob Green also has a lot of talent and should be able to start. Corey Edwards and Nelson Ovalles will also see action, and Rob Williams is a guy who really improved during the spring. Even if they do not play much on defense, these guys will all see action on special teams. Overall, we will be much deeper and faster in the secondary than we have been the last two years."
SPECIAL TEAMS
UMass returns all of its kickers from last year's squad, at a position which looks to become a strength this season. Sophomore David Sanger is back as the starting punter, after averaging 40.5 yards per punt as a freshman. He already owns the top career punting average mark in school history. At placekicker, the Minutemen will once again rely on the duo of junior Jason Cherry and sophomore Doug White. The two split time last year, with Cherry hitting on eight of 11 field goals and 28 of 30 extra points, while White connected on two of three field goals and 23 of 24 extra points.
"Jason Cherry and Doug White will continue to rotate as our kickers, and they have both improved a lot since last year," says Whipple. "Cherry has much better leg strength, but White will probably still take the longer field goals and most of the kickoffs. Overall, we will have better range on field goals than we did last year. David Sanger had a great year for us as a freshman, and is probably the best coffin corner kicker I have ever coached. With a year of experience, he should be even better and improve his average. I expect him to be one of the top punters in the conference this year."
As for kick returners, the Minutemen seem to have an unlimited number of options. Lockman, Quinlan, Zullo and Jimmie Howard are all capable of serving as the primary kick returner, while Santos could also emerge into a factor. Hardy looks to return to his role as the top punt returner, where Lockman will push for playing time.
SCHEDULE
The 2000 schedule looks to be a favorable one for the Minutemen. UMass plays seven of its 11 games in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, where it is 9-2 over the last two seasons. Most of the top teams in the conference invade Amherst, as Delaware, Villanova, Maine and William & Mary are all scheduled to pay UMass a visit. Non-conference home games include a battle with traditional Northeast power Hofstra, as well as games against New Haven and American International College.
"It should be a real benefit for us to be playing seven home games this season," says Whipple. "Last year we outscored our opponents 143-13 in the first half in our five home games. We scored 20 touchdowns to one for our opponents in the first half of play at home. We have great fans, our stadium is a great place and our kids take a lot of pride in defending our home turf."
The road schedule includes only one long trip, with all four games coming against teams which had losing records in 1999. The toughest road game will likely come at Richmond, where the Minutemen will travel for the third straight season. Away contests later in the season will come against Northeastern, New Hampshire and Rhode Island
"Our away schedule may not look as tough as it has been the last few years, but we are not afraid of playing anyone on the road," says Whipple. "No one in the nation has played a road schedule like we have the last two years, and we have already proven we can win those games. In the last two years alone, we have road wins over Delaware, William & Mary, Richmond, Furman, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Hofstra."
CLOSING THOUGHTS
With 14 starters returning and a number of quality backups hoping to win starting jobs, the Minutemen look to once again build one of the nation's top teams. Both the offense and defense ranked near the top of the Atlantic 10 last season, and there should be no drop off on either side of the ball in 2000. With a favorable home schedule for the first time in the Mark Whipple era, UMass has a chance to put up an impressive record and earn a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs for the first time ever, continuing the championship tradition.
"We have a chance to be a really good team this year," says Whipple. "Chemistry is always a concern, but we have some great leaders on this squad. And all of our guys know what it takes to be successful. This team will be mentally focused to play 15 games, one week at a time."
