University of Massachusets Athletics
Playoff-Bound Minutemen Eye Milestones On Senior Day Saturday
November 13, 2006 | Football
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Nov. 13, 2006
#3 UMASS (9-1, 7-0) vs. HOFSTRA (2-8, 1-6)
Saturday, November 18, 2006 • 12 p.m.
McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Amherst, Mass. (17,000/FieldTurf)
Streaming Video: UMassAthletics.com
Radio: WRNX (100.9 FM - Flagship)
WCRN (830 AM), WATD (95.9 FM) • UMASSATHLETICS.com
Playoff-Bound Minutemen Eye Milestones On Senior Day
• The Atlantic 10 champion No. 3 UMass football comes into Senior Day, the regular-season finale against Hofstra (2-8, 1-6) on Saturday with a chance to make history in several areas. The Minutemen (9-1, 7-0) have clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their 10-9 win over No. 19 Maine last Saturday and a loss by James Madison (8-2, 6-1). UMass holds all the tiebreakers with the Dukes should the teams end up tied. This is UMass' 21st conference championship.
• The NCAA Tournament selection show will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m., and televised live on ESPNews. The Minutemen will gather in their Boyden Gym Weightroom to watch the pairings as they are unveiled. UMass will be making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2003. The others came in 1978, 1988, 1990, 1998 and 1999. UMass won the 1998 national championship.
• With UMass in grand position to host several NCAA Tournament playoff games, here is the schedule with all times to be announced later. The first round of the NCAA Playoffs take place on Nov. 25, followed by the quarterfinals on Dec. 2 and the semifinals on Dec. 8 and 9. The NCAA Division I-AA title game takes place on Dec. 15 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Honoring The Seniors
• UMass will honor the following seniors prior to Saturday's game against Hofstra: linebacker Brad Anderson, tailback Steve Baylark, cornerback Tracy Belton, fullback Kyle Harrington, defensive end John Hatchell, safety James Ihedigbo, punter Christian Koegel, nose tackle Jason Leonard, wide receiver Brandon London, center Alex Miller, defensive back Domenique Milton, tailback Justin Montgomery, safety Brandon Smith, guard David Thompson and graduate student tailback Tim Washington.
• The UMass senior class has posted an overall record of 32-13 (71.1 win percentage) since 2003, that goes down as the most wins by an four-year class in UMass history. Twice before UMass had 31 wins in a four-year span done from 2002-05 (31-16), 1998-2001 (31-19).
Making History
• UMass head coach Don Brown has already made history becoming just the second coach to lead two different teams to A-10 titles, as he coached Northeastern to the 2002 championship. He joined Jim Reid, who won three titles at UMass (1986, 1988 and 1990) and followed that with two titles at Richmond (1998 and 2000).
• On Saturday, UMass will be seeking the following milestones with a win:
- Post the first undefeated season in Atlantic 10 conference play since the 1997 Villanova team. Of note, UMass defensive backs coach Bob Shoop was the defensive coordinator on that team.
- Post just the fifth undefeated season in conference play since the "recent era" when the Yankee Conference/A-10 played eight league games. UMass would join: Boston University in 1993, New Hampshire in 1994, Delaware in 1995 and Villanova in 1997.
- Post UMass' first undefeated season in conference play since 1978, when the Minutemen went 5-0 in the Yankee Conference. UMass has only gone undefeated in conference play nine times (1951, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1977 and 1978) with all of those with five of fewer wins.
- With a 10th regular-season win, UMass would equal the school record for regular-season wins, set in 2003, when UMass was 10-2 before heading to the playoffs. This would go down the best regular-season since 1972 (when 11-game seasons started) with a 90.9 win percentage (10-1) as UMass played 12 regular-season games in 2003. Technically, the best regular-season record came in 1963 when UMass went 8-0-1 (.944). UMass did go "undefeated" in 1889 at 2-0 and 1879 at 1-0.
- This would be the third time in school history UMass has won 10 or more games in a season, winning a record 12 in the title season of 1998 and 10 in 2003.
- A win on Saturday would be UMass' ninth in a row, setting a new school record for longest win streak. The Minutemen have previously won eight games in a row numerous times, most recently in 2003 prior to the current run.
Saturday's Game
• UMass extended its winning streak to eight games as they escaped with a 10-9 victory over No. 19 Maine last Saturday. The Minutemen were victorious against Maine at McGuirk Stadium for the second time in a row by virtue of a missed extra point. Last Saturday, Devin McNeill missed the point after with 1:44 left in regulation to give UMass the win. That came on the heels of a failed attempt for a 2-point conversion by Maine that failed but was penalized allowing the Black Bears another chance which they missed. In the win, defense was the order of the day yet again, as for the second week in a row, UMass had all three starting linebackers rack up 10 or more tackles. Against Maine, Charles Walker had 17 tackles, Brad Anderson 14 and Jason Hatchell 12. Over the last two weeks, the trio of linebackers has 88 total tackles.
• Saturday's game will feature live streaming video for FREE on UMassAthletics.com. The game will also be broadcast live on the UMass Sports Network. Scott Masteller will call the action and former kicker Matt Goldstein will handle the color commentary. The pregame show begins at 11:30 a.m. on WRNX (100.9 FM), the flagship of the network. The game can also be heard live online at UMassAthletics.com.
• Two weeks ago, UMass posted a huge 28-20 win at then-No. 9 New Hampshire on Oct. 4. Defense was on display as junior linebacker Jason Hatchell was honored as the Bill Knight MVP, the game's top player, after he made a career-high 18 tackles. Hatchell was also named the UMass Athlete of the Week and named a I-AA.org Weekly All-Star. Brother John Hatchell made the play to save the game as he swatted down UNH's Ricky Santos' lateral in the backfield with 15 seconds remaining and 4th-and-goal from the UMass 3-yard line. Senior Brad Anderson made a career-high 15 tackles and junior Charles Walker made 11 stops. Tailback Steve Baylark had 89 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, his 12th career game with two scores.
During UMass' 8-Game Win Streak...
• The Minutemen have won eight games in a row, their longest streak since the 2003 season. During the last seven wins, UMass has outscored its opponents 217-59 (28-7 average), including two shutouts of A-10 opponents after the 7-0 win at Northeastern on Oct. 28. The last time UMass had two conference shutouts in a season was 1979.
• The Minutemen have three 40-point efforts in the win streak. The last time UMass scored more than 40 points in three games in a year came in 1998, when they did it six time on the way to the NCAA Championship. UMass had at least 450 yards of offense in each of the first five games of the win streak. That streak includes back-to-back 48-7 wins over Stony Brook on Sept. 23 and William & Mary on Oct. 7, both at McGuirk Stadium. UMass posted a 35-0 win at then-No. 22 Towson on Oct. 14.
• UMass has outscored its last seven opponents 150-19 in the first half alone (average 21-3).
Looking at The Leading Statistics
• The Minutemen are clicking on both offense and defense. They lead the Atlantic 10 in five statistical categories. They lead the league and nation in scoring defense (10.8), pass efficiency (176.49), net punting (35.52), pass efficiency defense (107.90) and fewest sacks allowed (1.1). UMass ranks in the top 10 in the nation in four categories. That includes the nation's best scoring defense (10.8 points per game), second-best pass efficiency rating, they are fifth kickoff returns (224.38) and 10th in net punting.
You Need To Know These Guys
• Senior Payton Award Candidate Steve Baylark reached an NCAA milestone on Oct. 28 as he became the ninth Division I player and third in I-AA with 1,000 career yards in four different seasons. He comes into the Hofstra game with a 1,183 yards this season and 4,555 in his career. Baylark has been sensational of late, posting 100 yards or more in four of the last six games and five of the last eight. He is averaged 169.0 yards over four games from Oct. 7-28. That was keyed by his career-high 235 vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 21. He has risen to 13th in the nation this season with 118.3 per game, which leads the A-10. He was honored as the A-10 Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row after the URI game. He broke the 1,000 yard barrier with his 152 at Northeastern on Oct. 28. He became the third player in UMass history with more than 4,000 career rushing yards as he racked up 102 at Towson on Oct. 14. He is second among all active players in Division I-AA and third among all players in Division I. With his four 100-yard games in a row, he now has 21 career 100-yard games at UMass and the Minutemen are 18-3 in those games. Baylark has at least one touchdown in 13 of the last 16 games, totaling 22 in those games. He is now fourth in career rushing TDs with 42 and third in career rushing TDs with 37. He leads the A-10 in touchdowns with 13 and scoring (7.8 points per game). Baylark leads the A-10 in all-purpose yards at 130.3.
• Sophomore quarterback Liam Coen led the nation in pass efficiency until Week 10. he is now second to San Diego's Josh Johnson with a 178.41 mark. He has completed an amazing 67.0 percent of his passes (130-of-194) and has 18 TD passes and just four interceptions. He has not thrown an interception in the last four games (since Towson). Coen played one of the best games by a UMass signal caller in history at Towson on Oct. 14. In the win over the Tigers, he threw a school-record tying five touchdown passes and 303 yards as he completed 21-of-27. Coen was bestowed with numerous honors in the wake of his performance. He was honored for the second time this season with the Golden Helmet, presented by the New England Football Writers of New England, as the week's top player in the region. He was also named the A-10's Offensive Player of the week for the second time in 2006. Additionally, he was one of four named to I-AA.org's Weekly All-Stars in the nation.
• Senior wide receiver Brandon London leads the team in catches (30) with and receiving yards with 520. His receiving yards of 57.8 ranks eighth in the league. London is now second in career catches (128) and is third career receiving yards at UMass (1,761). Also in the Towson game, London tied the school record for touchdown catches in a game with four. He was named the UMass/Dinn Brothers Athlete of the Week for his showing. He finished with seven catches for 100 yards with the TDs from 3, 20, 34 and 8 yards out. It was his fifth career 100-yard game.
• The defense has been equally awesome as the offense. Buchanan Award Candidate James Ihedigbo is the senior captain on the defensive side. He is vying for the national defensive player of the year award, following in the footsteps of two-time All-American Shannon James, who was in Baltimore Ravens camp in 2006 and has been starring with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders. Ihedigbo has 50 tackles this season along with 5.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, four pass break-ups and an A-10 leading four forced fumbles. Ihedigbo was named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week back on Sept. 10 after UMass narrow loss at I-A Navy. Ihedigbo's performance in the fourth quarter at Northeastern sealed the UMass win. He tackled NU's Maurice Murray for no gain on a 4th-and-1 at UMass' 8-yard line in the fourth. Then with 1:40 left in regulation he picked up his interception of the season to secure the win.
• Linebackers Jason Hatchell and Charles Walker are the top tacklers at 86 and 71, respectively. Hatchell has lead of tied for the team lead in tackles in 15 of the last 20 games. He posted a career-high 18 tackles at New Hampshire as he was named the Bill Knight MVP of the game.
The Series: UMass vs. Hofstra
• This year's game is the 10th between UMass and Hofstra with the Pride holding a 6-3 lead in the series which has been played each of the last nine years. It's the third year in a row the game is the regular-season finale for both teams.
• The visiting team has won five of the nine games played in the series, but the home team has been victorious four of the last five years including last season's 21-10 loss at Hofstra. In the last game at McGuirk Stadium UMass' 40-30 in the season finale in 2004. The Pride played at Amherst for the third straight season in 2004, and the sixth time in the nine-year history of the series.
Connections Of Note Between UMass/Hofstra
• Sophomore defensive back Brian Ellis is the brother of one of Hofstra's all-time great receivers Devale Ellis, who graduated this past year and is now playing for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL.
• UMass has seven players from the state of New York, two from Long Island: junior offensive lineman Nick Diana (North Bellmore, N.Y.) and junior kicker Chris Koepplin (Kings Park, N.Y.). Other New York natives are: redshirt sophomore OL Sean Calicchio (Brooklyn, N.Y.), sophomore DB Brian Ellis (Brooklyn, N.Y.), sophomore DB Michael Meggett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) along with Rochester natives TE Matt Silver and DT Matt Stolte.
• Hofstra has one player from the state of Massachusetts in freshman Brian Frederick from Dracut, Mass.
UMass Vs. Ranked Teams
• Last weekend's 10-9 win over No. 19 Maine was UMass' third against a ranked team this season and UMass is 3-0 in those games. UMass downed No. 9 New Hampshire on Nov. 4, 28-20. The Minutemen blanked No. 22 Towson back on Oct. 14, 2006. UMass has won seven of its last eight games against ranked teams, with the lone loss coming to New Hampshire last season, 34-28. In the last 17 games against ranked teams, UMass is 12-5 going back to mid-way through the 2002 season. The Minutemen have now won eight of their last 12 games against top-10 teams.
• UMass is 5-2 in its last seven games against a Top 5 team after is lost to No. 4 New Hampshire last year on Oct. 29, 2005. Earlier in the 2005 season, UMass beat No. 4 James Madison, 10-7, on Oct. 15. The Minutemen were 2-1 against ranked teams last season, also beating No. 25 Rhode Island on Sept. 24.
• In 2004, UMass had three wins over Top 20 teams after beating No. 4 Colgate, 30-20 on Sept. 11 and No. 7 New Hampshire on Oct. 16 along with No. 19 Maine on Oct. 30. The Minutemen went 3-2 last season against ranked teams.
• UMass faced four ranked opponents in 2003 going on the road for all four games. The Minutemen earned victories in the first two games against ranked foes that season.
• In 2003, they downed No. 16 Maine, 24-16 on Sept. 20, 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.
48-7, 48-7: Are You Kidding?
• With its 48-7 win over William & Mary on Oct. 6, UMass won consecutive games by the same score for the first time since 1969. What makes it amazing is that UMass won both of the those games by the same score of 48-7; and those games were separated by a bye week which is also the case in 2006. Back on Nov. 1 and No. 15, 1969, UMass beat Vermont and New Hampshire. If you were wondering, UMass has never played three games in a row with the same score. With the back-to-back 48-point efforts, its the first time since those games in 1969, that UMass has scored 48 or more points in consecutive games.
UMass Team Capsule
• UMass is 9-1 after a 28-7 season-opening win over Colgate on Sept. 2 , a narrow 21-20 loss at Navy on Sept. 9, a solid 31-21 win at Villanova to open the Atlantic 10 schedule on Sept. 16 and back-to-back 48-7 poundings of Stony Brook on Sept. 23 and William & Mary on Oct. 7, the 35-0 whitewash of Towson on Oct. 14, a 41-16 win over Rhode Island on Oct. 21, the 7-0 rain-soaked win at Northeastern, the 28-20 win at No. 9 New Hampshire and the 10-9 win over No. 19 Maine which helped clinch the Atlantic 10 championship. UMass has two shutouts this season, both against A-10 teams. It is the first time since 1979 that UMass has shutout two conference opponents.
• The Minutemen are ranked No. 3 this week in the Sports Network and CSN Coaches Poll. The Minutemen are No. 2 in the Don Hansen poll. UMass has been in the top 25 every week since the start of last season. UMass had been ranked No. 9 in the Sports Network poll for four weeks in a row (from Sept. 4-25). The Minutemen were steady (four weeks in a row from Sept. 11-Oct. 2) at No. 9 in Don Hansen's poll after starting the year at No. 13. UMass was No. 10 in preseason poll of the Sports Network. In the annual magazines, UMass was ranked the following: No. 6 by Athlon, No. 12 by I-AA.org Consolidated, No. 14 by AnyGivenSaturday.com, No. 16 by Lindy's and No. 23 by Street & Smith's.
• The Minutemen finished the 2005 season with a 7-4 overall record, 6-2 in the Atlantic 10 good for second in the North Division. UMass was ranked as high as No. 5 last season after beating handing Delaware its worst home loss in two decades on Nov. 5. But UMass lost its final two games to fall to No. 19 in the final poll and miss out on the NCAA playoffs for the second year in a row. UMass defeated two ranked teams last season, beating No. 25 Rhode Island on Sept. 24 and No. 4 James Madison on Oct. 15.
• In the 2006 preseason poll, UMass was picked second to defending champ New Hampshire in the Atlantic 10 North Division.
• Don Brown leads UMass into his third season at the helm of the Minutemen. The defensive coordinator of the 1998 National Championship team is 22-10 at UMass and 74-36 overall as a head coach, now in his 10th season as a head man. He has a an 68.8 win percentage at UMass. He coached his 100th career game in the 2005 finale at Hofstra. • This is the 124th season of UMass football. UMass now has an all-time record of 519-500-51 in 1,060 all-time games. The Minutemen won the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA Championship with a 55-43 win over Georgia Southern. The Minutemen have won 20 conference championships, most recently taking the Atlantic 10 title in 2003. UMass has played in six NCAA Tournaments, with the last coming in 2003.
UMass' Stevie Wonder
• Senior captain and two-time Atlantic 10 First-Team tailback Steve Baylark is one of the most prolific rushers in UMass history. In his final season in Amherst, he has made NCAA history. He became the third player in I-AA history to gain more than 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons. Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire 1995-98) and Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern, 1998-2001) were the only ones to accomplish the feat in I-AA prior to this season. Harvard's Clifton Dawson joined the group on Nov. 4, 2006. Six players have done it in Division I-A: Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh, 1973-76), Amos Lawrence (North Carolina, 1977-80), Denvis Manns (New Mexico State, 1995-98), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin, 1996-99) Cedric Benson (Texas, 2001-04), DonTrell Moore (New Mexico, 2002-05).
• Baylark gained 1,177 as a freshman, 1,138 as a sophomore and 1,057 last season as a junior. He has 1,183 in his senior season, his best season total with more football to come.
• He broke the 1,000-yard barrier at Northeastern on Oct. 28 as he gained 152 yards. He went over 1,000 on a 16-yard run with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter.
• He has joined current Arizona Cardinal Marcel Shipp (6,250) and Rene Ingoglia (4,624) as the only UMass players with 4,000 career rushing yards, standing with 4,555.
• In UMass history, he ranks third in career rushing (passing All-American Garry Pearson vs. William & Mary) and second in career carries with 983 (he broke a tie with Pearson at Villanova). He is also third in career rushing touchdowns with 37 after two rushing scoring vs. Stony Brook (9/23), William & Mary (10/7), Rhode Island (10/21) and at New Hampshire (11/4) along with single TD scores against Colgate (9/2) and at Villanova (9/16).
• On UMass' all-time touchdown and scoring lists, Baylark is fourth with 42, scoring a league-high 13 this season (three vs. Stony Brook, two vs. Colgate, William & Mary, URI and UNH and one at Villanova and Towson). With his three-TD game vs. the Seawolves, he passed Adrian Zullo (1998-2002), who had 33 scores. Baylark is also fourth in career scoring with 254, passing Pearson with two scores vs. Rhode Island.
• Baylark had his fourth-career three-TD game vs. Stony Brook. UMass is 4-0 in those games. He had his 12th career two-TD game at New Hampshire. UMass is 11-1 in those games.
• Baylark has 21 career 100-yard games, including four weeks in a row (Oct. 7-28) and five of the last eight weeks. The first this year came at Villanova (9/16) followed by 187 yards vs. William & Mary, 102 at Towson and his career-high 235 vs. Rhode Island. Last year he had five century-running games. UMass is 18-3 in his 100-yard games and 12-10 when he doesn't gain 100.
• Baylark has touchdowns in 13 of UMass' last 16 games. Prior to the Navy game, when he was blanked, Baylark had scored at least one rushing touchdown in seven games in a row dating back to last season when he had at least one in the final six games of the year. In the last 15 games, he has 17 rushing scores along with five receiving TDs for 22 total. He also did not score at Northeastern (10/28) in the 7-0 win nor did he score against Maine (11/11).
• On the active career rushing list in Division I-AA, Baylark is third behind Harvard's Clifton Dawson (4,781) and Drake's Scott Phaydavong (4,702). In all of Division I-A and I-AA, Baylark is fourth with Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe standing second (4,769) to Dawson.
• Baylark is now third all-time at UMass in all-purpose yards as well with 5,204. He passed Ingoglia at 4,941 in the Northeastern game. Baylark's number is second among all active players to Harvard's Dawson (6,167).
• Baylark is first among all active players in career plays with 1054 and carries with 983.
• Off the field, Baylark is an Art major and is an avid artist both with charcoal, pastels as well as with PhotoShop. This summer he did an internship with the UMass Video Services and helped produce and design a commemorate video for the Minuteman lacrosse team which made the 2006 NCAA championship. He also worked on the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame video for 2006.
Coen Managing To Be No. 1
• Sophomore Liam Coen has been solid since taking over as the starting quarterback in the third game of last season vs. Albany (Sept. 17, 2005). He has "managed the game well" according to coach Don Brown. Until Week 10, he managed to place himself atop the nation in passing efficiency in 2006. He now stands at No. 2 with a 178.41.
• This year, Coen is 130-of-194 for 1961 yards with 18 touchdowns in 10 games. He has a sparkling 67.0 completion percentage. His averaging an amazing 15.1 yards per completion this season.
• In just his second season, Coen is ranked among some all-time leaders in UMass history. He is first in completion percentage (65.2) while he is fifth in both passing yards (4,136), completions (305) and fifth in TD passes (28).
• Coen has not thrown an interception in four weeks, the last coming at Towson (Oct. 14).
• With 20 career games, Coen is now listed among the active career leaders in Division I-AA. He is fourth in passing efficiency (154.45), sixth in completion percentage (65.2) and 12th in passing yards per game (208.6).
• Coen tied the UMass record for TD passes in a game with five at Towson (10/14). He completed 21-of-27 for 303 yards. His huge game led to numerous honors: New England Football Writers Golden Helmet, A-10 Offensive Player of the Week and the I-AA.org Weekly All-Stars of the four best players in the nation.
• He was incredibly efficient against William & Mary (10/7) as he completed 12-of-17 for 275 yards, an average of 23 yards per completion.
• In first-half action vs. Stony Brook (9/23), Coen was 6-of-8 for 177 yards. The highlight came as he hit Rasheed Rancher from 89 yards out, the second-longest play in UMass history. Coen also hooked up with Rancher for the third-longest play, 84 yards at Delaware (11/5/05).
• Coen had perhaps his finest game at Villanova (9/16) in the third week of this season. He completed 21-of-28 for 350 yards and two touchdowns. His great day earned him numerous honors: the New England Football Writers Golden Helmet, Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week and UMass Athlete of the Week all for the week ending September 18.
• In the opener vs. Colgate, he was 11-of-19 for 117 yards and two touchdowns. He started the game off hot, throwing for 7-of-8 in the first quarter.
• Last season, he completed 63.9 of his passes to rank second among all freshmen in the nation. The three-time A-10 Rookie of the Week in 2005 threw for 2,175 yards -- sixth-most in UMass history. His pass efficiency rating of 139.60 ranked third in the league and 19th nationally.
• He was named the Atlantic 10's Rookie of the Week each week from Oct. 22-Nov. 5, 2005.Coen captured the Golden Helmet as the top player in all of New England College football on Nov. 8, 2005 after his performance against Delaware. He threw for 318 yards on 21-of-26 passing and one touchdown in leading UMass to a 35-7 win at Delaware, the Blue Hens worst loss at home since 1986.
What A Defense!
• UMass had the nation's top defense last season in terms of scoring defense, giving up just 13.3 points per game. In 2006, UMass is allowing just 10.8 points per game, once agains first in the nation. UMass blanked Towson, 35-0, on Oct. 14, for the first shutout by the Minutemen in over a year, when they beat Northeastern on Oct. 8, 2005. UMass posted a 7-0 win at Northeastern on Oct. 28 for their second whitewash of the season. Its the first time since 1979 that UMass had shutouts of two conference games during the season. The Minutemen have allowed just seven points in three of first five games this season, against Colgate (9/2), Stony Brook (9/23) and William & Mary (10/7).
• The Minutemen have dominated their last seven opponents, winning by a combined score of 217-59 (an average score of 28-7). That streak includes back-to-back 48-7 wins over Stony Brook on Sept. 23 and William & Mary on Oct. 7, both at McGuirk Stadium. UMass has outscored its last seven opponents 150-19 in the first half alone (average 21-3).
• UMass has kept six opponents to fewer than 10 points this season, most recently allowing just nine points to Maine.
• They started off on the right foot against Colgate and Navy, giving up just seven points to the Raiders and 21 to the Mids. That 21-point defensive showing vs. Navy was equal to the fewest Navy had scored in more than a year. Last season Notre Dame held them to 21 points in October, but the last time they had less than 21 points was when they had 20 against Maryland on Sept. 3, 2005. UMass led the Atlantic 10 and finished in the top five in the nation in several defensive stats last season.
• In addition to the top scoring defense, UMass is again in the top part of the nation in the season in several defensive stats. The Minutemen are 13th in total defense (268.7), 14th in rushing defense (106.1) yards per game), 23rd in pass efficiency defense (107.9).
• Junior linebacker Jason Hatchell has picked up where he left off this season with a team-best 98 tackles (9.8 per game). He ranks third in the A-10 in tackles. He has led UMass in tackles in 15 of the last 21 games. He also has 10-career 10-tackle games and UMass is 7-3 in those games. Over the last three games, he has 42 tackles (14.0 per game). He had 12 vs. Maine (11/11) after he posted a career-high 18 at New Hampshire (11/4) and 12 at Northeastern (10/28). Hatchell was named the Bill Knight MVP after his huge game at New Hampshire. In 2005, Hatchell led UMass in tackles with 107 (9.7 per game) in his first season as a starter.
• Behind Hatchell is junior Charles Walker who has 88 tackles in his return to action, 8.8 per game. Walker has been a monster of late with 28 tackles in the last two games after a season-high 17 vs. Maine (11/11).
• Senior linebacker Brad Anderson has also emerged with 29 total tackles in the last games. He is third on the team with 70 total tackles, 7.0 per game. He had a career-high 15 at New Hampshire and 14 vs. Maine.
• Senior captain and Buchanan Award Candidate James Ihedigbo is a leader on defense. Last season he broke out with a career-year. He was among the national leaders in tackles for a loss (12.5) and sacks (7.5), playing from a safety position. With great blitzing Ihedigbo was constantly in opponents' backfield. He continued to dominate in the 2006 with 50 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 5.5 TFLs, four pass break-ups, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. His forced fumbles mark is first in the A-10.
• The defensive line has received great play from seniors John Hatchell and Jason Leonard along with junior David Burris. Burris has 48 total tackles and a team-high 8.5 TFLs. Hatchell also has 6.0 TFLs of his 28 tackles. Leonard a force at the line as four pass deflections.
• Last year, UMass finished third in the nation in total defense giving up just 261.18 yards per game. The Minutemen gave up just 145.09 passing yards per game in 2005, fifth-best in the country.
• In 2005, UMass held two opponents to fewer than 100 yards of offense. The Minutemen set the school record for fewest yards allowed in a game holding Albany to just 31. Against Northeastern, UMass held the Huskies to just 72 yards matching the best performance by the Minutemen against an A-10 team in 1982, when they held New Hampshire to just 67 yards .
5 Strong, The Line Of Protection
• UMass has one of the best offensive lines in Division I-AA led by a pair of seniors who have started every game in their careers art UMass. Captain center Alex Miller and left guard David Thompson have started both games this season to have 45 straight starts in a row. The school record for career starts is 47, done three times, most recent was Shannon James, who finished in 2005.
• This season has seen UMass continue a trend of the last two seasons, as the Minuteman line has allowed just 11 total sacks (only 10 of quarterback Liam Coen) in 10 games (1.1 per game). UMass is 19th in the nation in fewest sacks allowed this year and first in the A-10.
• Last season, UMass was eighth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed with just 11 in 11 games (1.0). Dating back to the start of the 2004 season, UMass has allowed just 32 sacks in 32 games (1.0 per game).
• UMass has allowed just one sack every 28 pass attempt over the last three seasons (32 in 876 pass attempts). In 2004, UMass led the nation in fewest sacks per pass attempt with just one every 38 attempts in giving up just nine sacks all year.
• UMass offense has clicked all season. In five games from Sept. 16-Oct.21, UMass picked up more than 450 yards of offense in each game.
• Miller and Thompson are joined by junior Matt Austin, who is starting at left tackle this year after playing left guard last year. Sophomore Sean Calicchio was stable at right tackle since being inserted into the line-up last season, but was injured in the season-opener vs. Colgate. He has been replaced by a group including junior college transfer Nick Diana, junior Chris Hopkins and sophomore Biff Gottehrer. The three of them have split time at left guard and right tackle so far this year.
• The line has been solid in leading the way for Steve Baylark has 21 career 100-yard rushing games. He had a career-high 235 yards against Rhode Island on Oct. 21.
Go Koegel Go
• Senior All-American punter Christian Koegel is UMass' all-time leading punter. He continues to add to his legacy at the school. With his 40.3 average this season, Koegel increased his school record average to 40.9 in his four seasons. He would rank 22nd in the nation this year, but does not have the requisite 3.6 punts per game, he only has 3.1 per game (31 in 10 games).
• In 2005, he was named the Atlantic 10 Special Teams Player of the Year in earning numerous accolades. He finished third in the nation in punting average with a mark of 43.02.
• ESPN's NFL Draft Expert Mel Kiper Jr., has Koegel ranked among his top 10 punting prospects heading into the 2007 NFL Draft. That list includes all of Division I-A.
• Koegel was named the Atlantic 10's Special Teams Player of the Week on Sunday, Sept. 3. The All-American punted four balls for a 46.8 average in UMass' 28-7 win over Colgate. In the win over Colgate, he had a long of 55 yards which was his one punt inside the 20-yard line -- that punt landed at the Colgate 3-yard line.
• Over his last 29 games, he has at least one punt of 50 or more yards in 18 of those games.
• Led by Koegel and great kick coverage, UMass led the nation in net punting average last season with a mark of 38.35. Again this season, the Minutemen have showed their great prowess on punt coverage with a 35.52 net punting mark to rank 10th in the nation and first in the A-10.
• The all-time A-10 record holder for punt yardage in the game (set vs. Boston College in 2004), Koegel has 55 career punts inside the 20-yard line. He opened the season with a punt that landed at the Colgate 3-yard line for his first such kick this season. He has three this year. • UMass has had a long line of great punters who have been four-performers. Koegel is just the third punter for the Minutemen since 1995, starting with Andrew Maclay from 1995-98, then David Sanger from 1998-2002.
• Among active punters in Division I-AA, Koegel has the eighth-highest career average behind Mike Dragosavich of North Dakota State (44.39), David Simonhoff of Southeast Missouri (43.93), Rhian Madrid of Northern Arizona (43.50), Neal Bainbridge of South Dakota State (42.07), Jon Mahan of Tennessee Tech (41.84) and Tyson Johnson of Montana (41.38).
• Off the field, Koegel has a tremendous personality and is an aspiring model. He has an electric wardrobe featuring a white and teal suit with tails which he wore to the team's end-of-year banquet this past spring.
Many Making Catches
• UMass' receiving corps returns its top three from last season in senior Brandon London and juniors J.J. Moore and Rasheed Rancher.
• This season, London leads the team with 30 catches and 520 receiving yards. Moore is right behind with 25 catches for 363 yards. Rancher has 17 catches for 315 yards and leads in average at 18.5 per catch.
• London became the seventh UMass player with 100 career catches this season. He has 128 to date to stand second all-time at UMass. He passed Marcel Shipp (126) vs. Maine and passed Jason Peebler (123) with four catches at New Hampshire. He had his fifth career 100-yard game at Towson. He had his fourth career 100-yard game at Villanova (9/16) with 104 yards on five catches.
• He is also third on the all-time yards list with 1,761. He passed Chip Mitchell (1680) with 89 yards at New Hampshire. With 55 yards vs. Rhode Island, he passed Bob Simeone (1,571). In the Towson game, he passed Jimmy Moore (1,494 -- all in 1998) and Tim Berra (1,486 -- Yogi's son). London passed 2006 UMass Hall of Fame inductee Steve Schubert who had 1,435 from 1970-72 in the William & Mary game on Oct. 7, the night after Schubert went into the UMass Hall of Fame.
• London took over as the top receiver once Moore went down last season and racked up 60 catches and earned All-A-10 Third Team honors. He led the team in catches as well as yards (774) and TD receptions (3). London tied Moore's single-game reception record of 13 in the 2005 finale vs. Hofstra. He had his second 100-yard game in that game with a career-high 122 yards.
• London is also rising the career receiving touchdowns charts. With 13, he ranks tied for seventh with Kerry Taylor. With each of his next TD catches he will rise the list.
• Moore posted his biggest game of the season vs. William & Mary (10/7) with five catches for 118 yards and a spectacular 29-yard TD.
• Moore returned to action this season after fracturing his left ankle vs. Northeastern on Oct. 8, 2005. He missed the remainder of the season. He was ranked among the top five in the nation in catches and catches per game in the first few weeks.
• Despite playing in just five games a season ago, he was still second on UMass with 27 catches and third in 337 receiving yards.
• Moore set a UMass record when he caught 13 passes in the loss at Colgate in 2005. Moore broke the record of 11 set by Tim Berra (Yogi's son) in 1973 and later tied by Jimmy Moore in 1998 and twice by Adrian Zullo in 1999.
• Rancher's total is aided by his 89-yard reception from Liam Coen against Stony Brook (9/23), the second-longest play in UMass history.
• Rancher was the biggest surprise of last season. After barely playing in his first season in 2004, he had 27 catches for 425 yards becoming a vital receiver for Liam Coen.
• Rancher had a career-high 126 receiving yards including an 84-yard scoring pass from Liam Coen at Delaware. That play was the third-longest in UMass history.
• Rancher had a career-high six catches for his first 100-yard game, with 108 against New Hampshire. He broke out for his first real action in the game at Colgate, when he made four catches for 39 yards.
• Junior college transfer Michael Omar has blended in nicely and has five catches after a big game at Villanova.
• UMass' passing game took off in the game at Villanova (9/16) as seven different players made catches including four pass-plays of more than 30 yards to four different receivers.
The Right Tight End
• In addition to the top-level receivers, UMass has received outstanding play from transfer Brad Listorti. After two seasons at Rutgers where he did not catch a pass, Listorti has emerged as a weapon, starting every game at tight end this season. He has 22 catches for 358 yards for a 16.3 per catch average. He is third on the team in catches and yards and yards per catch.
• He has at least one catch in each of the last nine games.
• Listorti had his first-career touchdown with a 1-yard grab at Villanova (9/16). In that game, he had a career-high four catches for 49 yards as well. He had a career-best 54 receiving yards at Towson (10/14). He had a career-long 44-yard catch vs. Rhode Island.
• In the rain at Northeastern (10/28), Listorti was Liam Coen's top target making a career-high tying four catches for 29 yards.
• He had a career-high 70 receiving yards on three catches at New Hampshire.
Return To Big Kick Returns
• UMass is off to a sensational start in the kickoff return game. UMass is returning kickoffs 24.38 per return, which ranks fifth in the nation. Last season, UMass was 95th in the nation out of 116 teams at 17.3 per return. Leading the way is UConn transfer Courtney Robinson, who is second in the A-10 and is 10th nationally in average return at 26.0 per run back.
• UMass had two returns of more than 55 yards this season in the first three games after the season long for all of 2005 was just 28 yards.
• Robinson had a 57-yard return at Villanova (9/16) while Matt Lawrence had a 65-yard run back against Colgate in week one. That 65-yarder was the longest by any UMass player since Jerome Bledsoe had a 66-yarder on Sept. 23, 1989.
Ball Hawks Picking off Passes
• UMass has had one of the top secondaries in the nation over the past three seasons. Last year UMass ranked among the nation's best with 18 interceptions, which ranked third in the A-10.
• UMass graduated its all-time interception leader and two-time All-American Shannon James, who had 20 interceptions in his four years in Amherst. James' 20 picks were the most by an player in all over college football over a four-year span from 2002-04. James signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens and is now starring for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.
• Even with James gone, the Minutemen have a sensational corps of "Ball Hawks" as they call themselves. Seniors strong safety James Ihedigbo and cornerback Tracy Belton lead the way. Ihedigbo has made his name with a blitzing style that racked him up 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last season. Belton is among the national leaders in career interceptions, now in his senior year. After his interception at Navy (9/9) and vs. Maine (11/11), he has 13 picks, he ranks tied for fourth in the nation in I-AA among all players behind Ken Chicoine of Cal Poly (18), who tops the list.
• In the secondary, senior Brandon Smith has taken over for James as free safety while true sophomore Sean Smalls is manning the other corner. Smith has played in many packages over the last two seasons and was the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 3, 2005. Smalls is a versatile player who was an impressive freshman last season playing on both sides of the ball as a receivers as well.
• Smith has been in the right place at the right time -- twice. He has two fumble returns for touchdowns, the first two scores of his career. He had a 3-yard TD return vs. Stony Brook on Sept. 23 and a 21-yard run back vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 21.
Koepplin, A Keeper At Kicker
• Junior college transfer Chris Koepplin has been a tremendous addition for the Minutemen. The kicker is already on the all-time charts at UMass in career field goals made with 10 this season. He is also fourth in single-season field goals and single-season extra points, as he is a perfect 37-of-37.
• Koepplin has three field goals of 40 or more yards this season including a season and career-long 48-yarder against Stony Brook. That was the third-longest in UMass history and longest since 1978 at UMass.
• Koepplin is third in the A-10 in scoring with 6.8 points per game on 68 points with 10-of-15 on field goals. He is second in field goals made per game with 1.0 per.
McGuirk Magic
• The Minutemen return home for the third of six home games in 2006. 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 40-11 (.784) at home over the last six years, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 148-72-2 (.671).
• Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home mark of 60-23 (.723) during that span. In 2003, UMass went 7-0 at home to set a new record for most home victories in the 40-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.
• UMass has won nine of its last 10 games at home after dropping the 2005 home regular-season finale to New Hampshire on Oct. 29. They have won 16 of the last 19 dating to 2003.
UMass Piles Up I-A Transfers
• UMass' roster features 15 transfers from Division I-A including 10 new ones for the 2006 season: FB E.J. Barthel (Rutgers), OL Carlos Feliciano (Rutgers), TE Rob Getek (UConn), OL Heath Heekin (UNLV), DE Andrew Krevis (Eastern Michigan), TE Brad Listorti (Rutgers), DB Courtney Robinson (UConn), LB Anthony Rouzier (UConn), QB Joe Sanford (Virginia) and TB Tim Washington (Syracuse). They join OL Jon Carnes (Rutgers), TB Matt Lawrence (UConn), DB Michael Meggett (West Virginia -- also, cousin of former NFL returnman Dave Meggett), DL Patrick Powell (Maryland), and LB Brad Anderson (Vanderbilt).
• UMass has four transfers from both Rutgers and UConn along with one from Syracuse, one from and West Virginia forming a mini-Big East connection in Amherst. Syracuse transfer Tim Washington is actually a graduate student at UMass after earning his Bachelor's Degree from Syracuse in May 2006 in information management and technology. He is pursuing a Mater's in Sports Management at UMass. He earned numerous academic awards while with the Orange as well.
Pair Return To Action In 2006
• Two Minutemen made triumphant returns to the line-up in the opener vs. Colgate after missing most of the 2005 season and taking redshirt years with injuries. Junior linebacker Charles Walker played in just three games a season ago but redshirted with a knee injury. Junior tailback Matt Lawrence was injured on his first carry as a Minuteman, a 9-yard gain at Richmond and did not play again all year with a knee injury.
• In the opener vs. Colgate (9/2), Walker tied for the team lead in tackles with nine and was perhaps the top defender as UMass allowed just 183 yards of total offense. Walker had seven tackles each at Navy (9/9) and at Villanova (9/16). Back in 2004, Walker tied the UMass record for tackles in a game with 23 vs. Delaware -- the first sign of his prowess.
• Lawrence was similarly productive vs. Colgate, in many facets of the game. The UConn transfer ran for 38 yards on six carries and scored his first touchdown as a Minuteman. He also had a catch for 12 yards and returned two kickoffs for 85, which included a 65-yard return, the longest by a UMass player since 1989 when Jerome Bledsoe had a 66-yard return vs. Maine on Sept. 23, 1989. Lawrence came to UMass prior to last season after two seasons at UConn, where he gained 267 yards on the ground.
Three Captains In 2006
• UMass has three captains for the 2006 season in senior tailback Steve Baylark, senior center Alex Miller and senior safety James Ihedigbo.
Extra Points
• UMass has scored in 135 straight games since a 34-0 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 30, 1995 ... The Minutemen have scored in 129 consecutive home games since a 17-0 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, 1983.