University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass To Open At Delaware State
August 30, 2004 | Football
Aug. 30, 2004
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Game Day Quick Facts
The Teams: #19 UMass (0-0, 0-0 A-10) vs. Delaware State (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: September 4, 2004
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: Alumni Stadium (5,200), Dover, Del.
Television: None
UMass Football Radio Network: Bob Behler, play-by-play; Doug White, color; Johnson Owumi, sidelines; WRNX 100.9 FM, Holyoke, flagship
UMass Student Radio: WMUA 91.1 FM, Amherst
Delaware State Radio: Omarr Bashir, play-by-play; Mike Walker, color; WDOV 1410 AM, Dover
Series Record: Massachusetts leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Massachusetts 39, Delaware State 0 (Sept. 27, 1980, Amherst, Mass.)
THE SERIES WITH DELAWARE STATE: This will be the second meeting between the Hornets and the Minutemen on the gridiron. The first game came in 1980, with UMass posting a 39-0 victory over Delaware State in Amherst. The Minutemen also have a 3-0 all-time record against current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, including a pair of victories over Morgan State in 1978 and 1985. In addition, UMass faced former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Florida A&M in the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA championship game, falling 35-28. FOR OPENERS: The Minutemen have posted a 54-56-11 record in season openers in their previous 120 years. UMass has won four of its past five openers, downing New Hampshire in 1999, William & Mary in 2000 and Central Connecticut State in 2002 and 2003, while falling to William & Mary to open up the 2001 season. Prior to 1999, the Minutemen had not won their season opener since the 1993 season. This year marks the first time the Minutemen have opened the year on the road since 1998, when they dropped a 33-30 decision at Delaware. UMASS AIMS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT EIGHT-WIN SEASON: UMass enters the 2004 season looking to post eight or more wins for the third-straight season and the fifth time in the last seven years. The Minutemen have recorded eight or more victories in back-to-back years four times in school history, but have never accomplished the feat in three straight seasons. UMass previously posted eight or more wins in back-to-back years in 1963 (8-0-1) and 1964 (8-2); in 1977 (8-3) and 1978 (9-4); and in 1998 (12-3) and 1999 (9-4). The Minutemen are currently on another two-year streak, with records of 8-4 in 2002 and 10-3 in 2003. All told, UMass has won eight or more games in a season 14 times in its history. MINUTEMEN PICKED THIRD IN NORTH DIVISION: UMass was predicted to finish in third place of the North Division in the 2004 Atlantic 10 preseason poll, voted on by the league's coaches and media. Maine placed first in the poll and collected 12 first place votes, with Northeastern coming in second with seven first place votes. Following the Minutemen, New Hampshire placed fourth (two first place votes), Rhode Island was ranked fifth and Hofstra came in sixth. Villanova was picked to win the South Division with 13 first place votes, followed by Delaware (second, 11 first place votes), William & Mary (third), James Madison (fourth), Richmond (fifth) and Towson (sixth). UMASS STARS EARN PRESEASON HONORS: Five members of the UMass football team have been selected to the 2004 preseason All-Atlantic 10 Conference teams. Junior tailback Steve Baylark (Apopka, Fla.), junior free safety Shannon James (Stratford, Conn.), senior offensive tackle Rob Kane (Londonderry, N.H.) and senior wide receiver Jason Peebler (Modesto, Calif.) were all selected to the first team in voting by the conference's coaches and media. In addition, senior cornerback Steve Costello (Kingston, N.Y.) earned second team honors. The teams were announced at Atlantic 10 Media Day in Richmond on August 4. FOUR STARTERS RETURN TO ANCHOR OFFENSIVE LINE: The UMass offensive line, which posted a solid season in 2003, returns four starters to pave the way for the Minuteman offense this fall. Leading the way is senior tackle Rob Kane, a second team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 2003, who has started 34 games over the last three seasons. Other Minutemen returning to the starting lineup are junior tackle Colin Stoetzel (Grafton, Mass.) with 20 career starts, sophomore center Alex Miller (Fairfax, Va.) with 13 career starts and sophomore guard David Thompson (Norfolk, Va.) with 13 career starts. That group will be joined by junior guard O.J. McBride (Sunrise, Fla.) who started eight times in 2001 and 2002, before missing the entire 2003 season due to injury. Last year, the line allowed the Minutemen to rush for 148.8 yards per game on the year, while supplying pass protection to let UMass throw for 231.6 yards per contest and surrendering only 27 sacks in 13 games. MINUTEMEN LOOKING FOR 20TH CONFERENCE TITLE: This season, UMass will be looking to win the Atlantic 10 Conference title for a record 20th time, while also attempting to repeat as conference champions for the first time since 1981 and 1982. With last year's victory over Rhode Island, the Minutemen won the Atlantic 10 championship for the first time since 1999. UMass finished the 2003 regular season with an 8-1 league record, and tied Delaware for first place in the conference. The Minutemen have won more league titles than any other team in conference history with their 19 championships (1960, '63, '64, '66, '67, '69, '71, '72, '74, '77, '78, '79, '81, '82, '86, '88, '90, '99 and '03). PEEBLER TO ANCHOR UMASS RECEIVERS: Senior wide receiver Jason Peebler, who has been named a preseason second team All-American by I-AA.org, looks to be one of the top offensive threats for the Minutemen this year, after having a breakout season in 2003. Peebler led the team with 50 catches for 1,003 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, while setting a school single season record with an average of 20.1 yards per reception. He also placed third on the UMass single season list for receiving yards, while ranking second on the list for receiving touchdowns. In addition, Peebler led the team with 78 points scored, while ranking second on the squad with 1,187 all-purpose yards. At the conclusion of the season, Peebler earned second team All-America honors from College Sports Television, in addition to being a second team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection. Over the course of his UMass career, he now has 75 catches for 1,419 yards and 17 touchdowns. MINUTEMEN AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: UMass faced four ranked opponents in 2003 going on the road for all four contests. The Minutemen earned a victory in each of their first two games of 2003 and have posted a win in four of their last six against ranked teams. UMass faced their first Division I-AA ranked opponent on Sept. 20, downing No. 16 Maine, 24-16, then defeated No. 2 Villanova on Oct. 25, 19-14. The squad then lost a triple overtime affair at No. 6 Delaware and the NCAA Playoff contest at No. 6 Colgate. The Minutemen played three games against ranked foes in 2002, defeating No. 2 Maine, 20-10, and No. 4 Villanova, 17-16, while falling at No. 18 Northeastern 42-17. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 14-14 against ranked opponents. The Minutemen concluded the 2001 season 1-3 and the 2000 season with a 1-2 record against ranked opponents, while going 2-3 against ranked teams in 1999 and 6-3 in 1998. UMass' six victories over ranked opponents in 1998 set a school single season record. The Minutemen also stand 8-10 against ranked teams at home over the last 10 years, including a 3-8 mark against top 10 teams at home. Prior to back-to-back victories in 2002 over Maine and Villanova, UMass had lost eight straight home games to top 10 opponents, since a 43-29 win over No. 7 Delaware on Oct. 23, 1993. COSTELLO LOOKS TO FINISH CAREER STRONG: Senior cornerback Steve Costello, who has been one of the top cover men in the Atlantic 10 Conference for the last two years, should be a strong candidate for All-America honors in 2004. Last year, Costello led the Atlantic 10 and ranked fourth in the nation with six interceptions, despite missing three games due to injury. Over the course of the year, he also recorded 53 total tackles, five pass breakups, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a sack. During the 2002 season, Costello also had a fine year, tying for the team lead in interceptions with four, while ranking second on the squad with seven pass breakups. He also totaled 39 tackles and two forced fumbles in 2002. Over the course of his UMass career, Costello now has 96 total tackles and 10 interceptions, to lead all active Minutemen in career picks. He would need eight picks in 2004 to tie the all-time UMass record of 18 career interceptions, currently shared by Grady Fuller (1980-1983) and Steven Rogers (1967-1969). JAMES SET FOR ANOTHER BIG SEASON: Junior defensive back Shannon James should be among the top players on the UMass defense once again in 2004. After spending the majority of last year at cornerback, James is expected to return to his natural position of free safety. During the 2003 season, James ranked fourth on the team with 100 total tackles, while also totaling five pass breakups, four interceptions, four tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. In 2002, he led the team with 10 pass breakups, while tying for the team lead in interceptions with four. James also ranked third on the team in total tackles with 111, while posting five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Over the course of his career, he now has 211 tackles, eight interceptions, 15 pass breakups, nine tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. MINUTEMEN LOOKING FOR 500TH ALL-TIME WIN THIS SEASON: This year, UMass has a chance to post the 500th victory in school history. The Minutemen enter the Delaware State game with an all-time mark of 497-491-51, needing only three more wins for victory No. 500. Last season, UMass pushed its all-time record over .500 for the first time since the 1887 season. Prior to the victory over James Madison on Sept. 27, 2003, the last time UMass had an overall record over .500 came following a 17-10 victory over Williston Academy on Oct. 8, 1887, which made its all-time record 11-10-3. In fact, UMass was once 87 games under .500 (218-305-46) in its all-time record, following a 20-6 loss to Boston University of Oct. 31, 1959. Since then, the Minutemen have posted an impressive 279-186-5 record to move over the .500 mark. McGUIRK MAGIC: UMass has been tough to beat in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium since the start of the 1998 season. The Minutemen have gone 29-8 (.784) at home over the last six years, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 137-69-2 (.659). Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home mark of 50-21 during that span. Last year, UMass went 7-0 at home to set a new record for most home victories in the 39-year history of McGuirk Stadium. The 2003 squad also became the first UMass team to go undefeated at home since 1993, when it posted a 5-0 mark at McGuirk Stadium. MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen finished the 2003 season ranked among the Atlantic 10 leaders in various statistical categories. Wide receiver Jason Peebler led the league in receiving yards (91.2 yards/game), and was fifth in scoring (7.1 points/game). Quarterback Jeff Krohn ranked second in the Atlantic 10 in passing yards (227.8 yards/game) and fourth in total offense (220.0 yards/game), while tailback Steve Baylark was fourth in rushing yards (90.5 yards/game) and punter Christian Koegel (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) placed fifth in punting (39.2 yards/punt). In addition, cornerback Steve Costello led the conference in interceptions with six, while fellow defensive backs Tracy Belton (Landover, Md.), James Ihedigbo (Amherst, Mass.) and Shannon James all tied for third in the league with four interceptions. As a team, UMass ranked third in the league in net punting (36.5 yards/punt). MINUTEMEN NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Five Minutemen were ranked among the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders at the conclusion of the 2003 season. As a team, UMass finished the season ranked second in the nation in turnovers caused and fourth in passes intercepted. The rankings:
Category NCAA Rank Player/Team Avg.
Turnovers Caused 2 UMass 3.1
Interceptions 4 UMass 1.7
4 Steve Costello 0.6
Receiving Yards 16 Jason Peebler 91.2
Net Punting 17 UMass 36.5
Points Responsible For 20 Jeff Krohn 13.2
Completions 28 Jeff Krohn 17.2
Turnover Margin 28 UMass +0.7
Rushing Defense 30 UMass 125.1
Total Offense 32 Jeff Krohn 220.0
Punting 39 Christian Koegel 39.2
Rushing Yards 43 Steve Baylark 90.5
Scoring 44 Jason Peebler 7.1
Passing Efficiency 45 Jeff Krohn 126.6
UMASS ON THE FOURTH: In this week's game against Delaware State, the Minutemen will be playing on September 4 for the first time in school history. The games also marks the sixth earliest date that UMass has played its season opener. The only five times that the Minutemen began their season prior to September 4 came in 1984 (a 26-10 victory over Ball State on September 1), 1997 (a 21-6 loss to Richmond on Aug. 30), 1998 (a 33-30 loss at Delaware on September 3), 2000 (a 36-16 win over William & Mary on August 31) and 2001 (a 31-10 loss to William & Mary on September 1).
DELAWARE STATE HEAD COACH ALTON LAVAN: Alton Lavan is entering his first season at Delaware State, where he was named head coach on January 2. He came to the Hornets from Eastern Michigan University, where he served as assistant head coach for two years, in addition to taking over the interim head coach for the final three games of the 2003 season. Lavan previously served as an assistant coach at Washington, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville and Colorado State, in addition to stints in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. Lavan is a 1970 graduate of Colorado State, where he played defensive back before going on to a three-year career in the NFL.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS: Delaware State returns 14 starters and 36 letterwinners from the 2003 squad which posted an overall record of 1-10, and placed seventh in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 1-6 mark in league games. The offense will be led by senior quarterback Andre Smith, who completed 37 of 69 passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions last season. He will be joined in the backfield by senior tailback Afumiya McFadden, who rushed for 206 yards and a score on 66 carries in 2003. The top returning receiver for the Hornets is senior wide out Thomas Bolden, who had 40 catches for 586 yards and five scores a year ago. Defensively, the top returning tacklers for Delaware State are defensive end Brent Davis (47 tackles and four sacks last season) and cornerback Deon Rheubottom (36 tackles and six pass breakups in 2003).
MINUTEMEN TO HAVE FOUR CAPTAINS IN 2004: This fall, UMass will have four captains for the first time since the 1993 season and only the second time in school history. The four players who have been elected to serve as captains this fall are senior cornerback Steve Costello, senior offensive tackle Rob Kane, senior wide receiver Jason Peebler and junior linebacker Serge Tikum (Silver Spring, Md.). Here is a list of players who have served as captains for the Minutemen over the last 11 years.
Year Record Captains 1993 9-2 Scott Assencoa, Bill Durkin, Mario Perry, Matt Rajotte 1994 5-6 Ben Albert, Rene Ingoglia 1995 6-5 Vernard Fennell, Rene Ingoglia 1996 6-5 Kory Blackwell, Mark Shalala 1997 2-9 Mike Sawson, Khari Samuel, Geoff Thomas 1998 12-3 Khari Samuel, Kerry Taylor 1999 9-4 Todd Bankhead, Matt Dawson 2000 7-4 Kole Ayi, Marcel Shipp, Brian Smith 2001 3-8 Kevin Quinlan, Jeremy Robinson 2002 8-4 Maikel Miret, Corey Potter 2003 10-3 Jeremy Cain, Jeff Krohn, Anton McKenzieEXTRA POINTS: UMass has scored in 105 straight games since a 34-0 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 30, 1995 ... The Minutemen have scored in 116 consecutive home games since a 17-0 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, 1983 ... UMass linebackers coach Brian Smith is a native of Wilmington, Del. ... When UMass plays host to Colgate next week, it will mark only the second home night game in school history. The first came on Aug. 31, 2000, when UMass downed William & Mary by a score of 36-16.
