University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Hosts Richmond On Homecoming & 1998 National Champions Reunion
October 13, 2008 | Football
Complete Release in PDF Format
#10/7 UMASS (4-2, 2-1) vs. #9/9 RICHMOND (4-3, 2-2)
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008 • 3:30 p.m.
McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, Mass. (17,000)
TV: CN8 (Scott Graham, Jon Ritchie)
Live Streaming Video: CN8.tv
Radio: WRNX (100.9 FM - Flagship)
WCRN (830 AM), WATD (95.9 FM), WCAP (980 AM)
UMass Hosts Richmond On Homecoming & 1998 National Champions Reunion
• In a match-up of Top 10 teams, No. 10/7 UMass (4-2 overall, 2-1 CAA) hosts No. 9/9 Richmond (4-3, 2-2) on Saturday at McGuirk Alumni Stadium at 3:30 p.m. It will be an action packed day in Amherst as the regionally-televised game is a the centerpiece of Homecoming weekend at UMass. As part of the festivities, the Athletic Department is honoring the 1998 NCAA Championship team. Most of the team members are expected to be on hand for the 10th Anniversary including stars Marcel Shipp, Todd Bankhead, Kole Ayi, Adrian Zullo and Mike Wynne along with head coach Mark Whipple (who has a bye week from his duties as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles).
• With back-to-back wins against Delaware (17-7) and at Northeastern (28-24), the Minutemen put their 16-game home win streak to the test against the Spiders, who were ranked No. 1 in the nation, just three weeks ago.
• UMass is ranked for the 50th week in a row (every week since the first week of the 2005 season) in the Sports Network media poll. The Minutemen are just one of five programs in the nation to have been ranked every week since that point. They are joined by Montana, New Hampshire, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois. This week the Minutemen are 10th in the Sports Network poll and seventh in the FCS Coaches Poll. Richmond is also in the top 10 of both polls at ninth in the media poll and coaches poll.
• Saturday's tilt will be televised live on CN8 and Comcast Charter Southeast (CSS) up and down the east coast. The game will be called by Scott Graham and Jon Ritchie.
• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the UMass Sports Network with Josh Maurer, in his first season as the new "Voice of the Minutemen." Former kicker Matt Goldstein will handle the color commentary. The pregame show begins at 3 p.m. (ET) on WRNX (100.9 FM), the flagship of the network. It will also be carried by WCRN (830 AM), WATD (95.9 FM) and WCAP (980 AM) in the central and eastern parts of Massachusetts. The game can also be heard live online at UMassAthletics.com.
McGuirk Magic
• UMass has been tough to beat in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium and are riding a 16-game home win streak. It is the second-longest streak in FCS as only San Diego (28) has a longer one. In all of Division I football, it is tied for the third-longest streak, also behind Oklahoma (20). Since the start of the 1998 season, the Minutemen have gone 51-11 (.823) at home over the last 10 years, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 159-72-2 (.686). UMass went 6-0 at home last season after going a perfect 8-0 at home in 2006, setting the school-record for best record at home. They were also undefeated at home in 2003.
• Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home mark of 70-23 (.753) during that span. In 2003, UMass went 7-0 at home to set the former record for most home victories in the 43-year history of McGuirk Stadium.
• UMass has won 20 of its last 21 games at home after dropping the 2005 home regular-season finale to New Hampshire on Oct. 29. They are 27-3 dating to 2003.
Homecoming Success
• The Minutemen have been awfully tough on opponents in Homecoming games over the last decade-plus. UMass is 14-2 in Homecoming games the last 16 years. UMass has won six homecoming games in a row, dating to 2002. UMass had a string of seven straight wins from 1992-1998.
• During this run of 16 years, UMass is 7-1 against nationally-ranked teams at the top of the game including three wins over Top 10 teams beating No. 7 Delaware in 1993 (43-29), No. 2 Maine in 2002 (20-10) and No. 4 James Madison in 2005 (10-7).
• Prior to a 1999 setback against Hofstra, UMass had not lost a Homecoming contest in Amherst since 1991 (a 17-14 loss to Rhode Island). In the last 16 years, the Minutemen have outscored their opposition 433-292, an average game score of 27-18.
The Series: UMass vs. Richmond
• UMass holds a 13-9 lead in the all-time series against the Spiders, which began in 1984. The teams played every season for the 21 years as members of the Yankee and then Atlantic-10 Conference from 1984 to 2005, before not playing the last two seasons. The teams have split 10 games in Amherst with Richmond winning the last, 24-14 in 2004, an upset over the No. 9 Minutemen. The Minutemen hold a 7-4 series lead for games played at UR Stadium where the teams open the 2005 season on Thursday night, Sept. 1.
• Among the memorable games in the series history was the 1987 game, a 52-51 Richmond win in four overtimes. It stands as the longest game in UMass history. It was equalled by the four-overtime win over Villanova last season, 32-24 on Oct. 13, 2007.
Connections Between UMass/Richmond
• Richmond coach Mike London is quite familiar with UMass and head coach Don Brown as his son Brandon London played four years for the Minutemen from 2003-06. Brandon is currently with the Miami Dolphins after spending 2007 with the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Brandon finished his career third in career receptions with the Minutemen, hauling in 148. He is also fourth in career receiving yards with 2,022.
• UMass features six players from the state of Virginia including Richmond natives senior DB Sean Smalls and sophomore WR Ke'Mon Bailey along with fellow Virginia residents: senior LB Darrlyn Fenner (Hampton), freshman TB Korrey Davis (Lynchburg), freshman LB Tyler Holmes (Blacksburg) and junior WR Joe Sanford (Charlottesville).
• Richmond doesn't have a Massachusetts native on the team.
About UMass Coach Don Brown
• The 2006 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and AFCA Region I Coach of the Year, Don Brown is in his fifth year at UMass and has a 40-16 (.714) record. All-time, he is in his 12th year as a head coach and has a 92-42 all-time mark, winning 68.7 percent of his games, 71.4 percent while at UMass. Brown moved to third on the career wins list at UMass with the season opening win against Albany (8/30). He broke a tie with Bob Pickett (36-28) and Jim Reid (36-29-2). Next on the list is Mark Whipple, who went 49-26 in his six seasons (1998-2003).
UMass Football History Thumbnail
• This is the 126th season of UMass football. UMass has an all-time record of 537-506-51 (.514) in 1,094 all-time games. The Minutemen come off their second straight conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. UMass went 10-3 last season, going 7-1 in the inaugural season of the CAA. The Minutemen are 27-7 since the start of 2006, including a 13-2 season in 2006 in which they advanced to the National Championship game of Division I-AA/Football Championship Subdivision. UMass finished last season ranked No. 7 and was in the Top 8 all season long. With 23 wins over the last two years, UMass has the best two-year mark in school history.
Senior Class Seeking Wins Record
• The 2008 seniors came into the season seeking a program mark for most wins a four-year period. The record of 36 wins was set by the 2006 seniors, who went 36-14. Last year's senior class also went 36-14 in four years.
• The 2008 class led by senior captains quarterback Liam Coen, offensive lineman Sean Calicchio and cornerback Sean Smalls has a 34-11 record with six regular-season games remaining. They need just three wins to set the new mark.
• The seniors are also seeking to lead UMass to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, which would set a new UMass mark. They are also looking for a third straight conference crown, which would be the first occurrence in the Yankee/Atlantic 10/CAA since Boston University in 1982-84. The last time UMass won three conference crowns in a row was from 1977-79, winning three Yankee Conference titles in a row.
• Prior to 2006, twice before UMass had 31 wins in a four-year span done from 2002-05 (31-16), 1998-2001 (31-19).
UMass Dominating FCS & CAA Foes
• The Minutemen finished 2007 at 10-3 overall, 10-2 vs. FCS opponents. UMass has a 27-4 record since the start of 2006, in games against FCS teams. Prior to the loss at Rhode Island on Nov. 3, 2007, UMass had won 17 games in a row against FCS teams in regular-season games. Since the 2006 opener, UMass is 27-7 overall, with three losses to FBS teams (Navy, Boston College and Texas Tech). Other than the URI loss, the lone intra-division losses were to Appalachian State in the NCAA Division I Championship game in 2006, Southern Illinois in 2007 Quarterfinals and James Madison in 2008, the current No. 1 team in the nation. UMass began the 2007 season at 4-0 for the first time since 1986, losing to Boston College, the current second-ranked team in FBS, by a narrow 24-14 score in Chestnut Hill.
• The Minutemen are 17-2 in conference games over the last three seasons. The Minutemen finished at 7-1 in the CAA last season and were the last undefeated team in league play prior to the loss to Rhode Island. UMass went 8-0 in conference in 2006 (becoming the first undefeated team in league since Villanova in 1997).
Coen's Super Senior Season
• Senior quarterback and Walter Payton Award Candidate Liam Coen has emerged as one of the top signal callers in the nation. Now in his fourth year as a starter, he is in the midst of re-writing the UMass passing record book. After three seasons with the Minutemen, Coen is listed on more than 30 passing lists for career, single-season and single-game.
• Coen is just 254 yards from becoming the 21st passer in NCAA FCS history with 10,000 career passing yards. Towson's Sean Schaefer went over the mark last week and leads all active FCS passers with 10,211. Prior to Schaefer, New Hampshire's Ricky Santos was the last with 10,000 career passing yards. There have been 50 passers in FBS with 10,000 career yards.
• Coen is first on the career active touchdown passes list in FCS with a UMass record 76 passes. Coen is third to Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (209) and Missouri's Chase Daniels (78) on the overall Division I list including both FBS and FCS. Harrell is also the career active leader in passing yards (12,993) and completions (1,139). Coen is sixth (9,746) and seventh (736) on those lists among all of Division I. He ranks second in all of FCS in those categories to Towson's Sean Schaefer.
• Coen is also the FCS career active leader in the following statistics: touchdowns responsible for (78) and yards per offensive play (7.63).
• Heading into the Texas Tech game on Sept. 20, Coen was the active career leader in passing efficiency with 153.53 mark including both FCS and FBS of players with more than 20 games. He is now sixth on the list at 151.09.
• Coen became UMass' career passing leader with 191 yards vs. New Hampshire (11/10/07). He now has 9,746 yards. He passed Todd Bankhead (7,018) with an 8-yard pass to Ian Jorgensen in the third quarter of the New Hampshire game last season. Coen became UMass' career touchdown passing leader on Oct. 27, 2007 in the 48-34 win at William & Mary. He tossed four scoring strikes at Hofstra (11/17/07) to pass Bankhead's 51 and Coen took over as the all-time completion leader that same game with 22, moving him ahead of Bankhead's 561. He now has 76 career touchdown passes and 736 completions to own both of those records.
• Coen is UMass' career leader in pass efficiency (151.09), completion percentage (64.2), yards per attempt (8.56) and total yards per play (7.63).
• The Rhode Island native has started the last 43 games in a row with UMass holding a 33-10 record in those games since he drew his first start against Albany on Sept. 17, 2005. Of those 10 losses, four games been to FBS teams, so Coen is 33-6 against FCS teams.
• Coen was blazing hot to start the season, which picked up after a strong end to last season. Over six games (last three of 2007 and first three of 2008), Coen averaged 329 yards per game, throwing for 1,975 yards on 135-of-209.
• Coen threw for 300 or more yards in five of the last nine games including two this year with 395 at Holy Cross (9/6) and 339 at #7 James Madison (339). Coen now has 10 career 300-yard passing games. • The signal-caller has 10 TD passes this season, with three in each of the first three games, giving him 10 career games with three or more TD passes.
• Week two was huge for Coen, who was named the Sports Network National Player of the Week, ECAC Player of the Week, CAA Offensive Player of the Week and captured the Golden Helmet as the top player in New England. Coen threw for 395 yards, going 25-for-37 including three passing touchdowns. The Newport, R.I., native also ran for a one-yard score in the first quarter. The Walter Payton Award candidate tallied his ninth-career 300-yard passing game, as well as his ninth-career 3TD game. Coen's 25 completions rank 12th most in UMass' single-game record book, while his 395 yards through the air were the sixth-best single-game total in school history.
• Coen threw 30 touchdown passes in 2007 after tossing 26 the previous season. Bankhead holds the record with 34 in 1998, one of the only major records he doesn't hold.
• Coen holds UMass single-season records in completion percentage (65.0 in 2006), passing efficiency (160.5 in 2006), total average offense per play (8.1 in 2006).
UMass Turns To Nelson
• With the graduation of CAA first team selection Matt Lawrence, the bulk of the ball-carrying workload falls on the shoulders of junior Tony Nelson. Nelson replaces Lawrence, who was recently on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad, after piling up 1,585 yards on 318 carries and scoring 16 touchdowns in 2007.
• Nelson leads the CAA in rushing with 123.5 yards per game. He has 741 yards, on 137 carries and six touchdowns.
• He gained 100 yards in four of six games this season and ranks ninth in FCS in average per game. Most recently, He piled up a career-high 175 yards on 37 carries at Northeastern (10/11). Nelson ran for 163 yards on 23 carries in the win over #16 Delaware (10/4). That includes his 109-yard game at #7 James Madison (9/13). Nelson also scored two touchdowns for the second week in a row with the pair at the Dukes.
• Nelson was a stud in his first game as a starter at tailback as he gained 171 yards, a then-career-best vs. Albany (8/30). Nelson scored two touchdowns including a 64-yard rush, the longest running play by a Minuteman since R.J. Cobbs' 84-yard run in 2002. Nelson earned the first New England Football Writers Player of the Week Award after the Albany game.
• Nelson followed that up with a 82-yard, two-touchdown effort at Holy Cross (9/6), in a game that the Crusaders were clearly stacking the line to try to stop the run.
Receivers Step It Up
• Coming into the season, there was a lot of talk about the Minutemen and their big holes to fill at wide receiver in 2008 after graduating a pair of 1,000-yard pass-catchers in All-CAA selections J.J. Moore and Rasheed Rancher. Additionally, Michael Omar also graduated after a 44-catch season, so UMass needed to replace its top three wideouts.
• Entering the season, UMass' receivers had a combined 18-career receptions, 12 by Jeremy Horne, four by Joe Sanford, and one each by Victor Cruz and Ke'Mon Bailey.
• Well six games into the season, there are answers including an all-time record performance by Cruz. At #7 James Madison (9/13), Cruz set a school-record with 262 receiving yards on a school-record tying 13 receptions. That yardage mark is fourth-most in conference history. Cruz was amazing in the second half as over the final 30 minutes, he had 11 catches for 248 yards. Through his first 10 1/2 games at UMass, Cruz had eight catches for 129 yards.
• Cruz leads UMass in catches with 38 receptions for 620 yards. He is first in the CAA in yards per game with 103.3, which is 11th in the NCAA. He is also second in the CAA in receptions per game and 18th in the nation with 6.3.
• Cruz had his second huge game in the win at Northeastern (10/11), as he had 10 catches for 139 yards. Both were his second double-figure catch game and 100-yard game.
• Just behind Cruz on the list is Horne, who has 27 catches for 411 yards. Horne, one of Coen's go-to targets in the early going, had his breakout performance at Holy Cross (9/6) where he set career-highs in catches (10), yards (172), touchdowns (2), and long reception (47). Horne has his second 100-yard receiving game against #16 Delaware (10/4) with eight catches for 114 yards including a 40-yard bomb on the first series of the game.
• In the season opener against Albany, Horne led the way with four catches for 37 yards including a game-icing 17-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Horne played his first year at Syracuse before transferring and caught 12 balls last season for 146 yards and scored three touchdowns. He showed a knack against top competition in 2007, scoring touchdowns against Boston College (9/29/07) and #4 Southern Illinois in the NCAAs (12/1/07).
• Redshirt freshman Julian Talley has 13 catches for 177 yards. Talley logged CAA Football Rookie of the Week honors after teaming with Coen, in the Minutemen's 45-42 win on the road at Holy Cross (9/6). The Winslow, N.J., native had four catches for 71 yards against the Crusaders. Talley also had four catches at Northeastern (10/11) for 68 yards.
• Sanford, who came to UMass as a quarterback in 2006 after a year at Virginia, has seven catches for 71 yards this season including a touchdown against Holy Cross (9/6). will be vying for one of the wideout spots as well. A big target at 6-3, 208 lbs., he is also one of the team's top stalk blockers and a force on special teams as well. He caught two passes for 31 yards at Holy Cross (9/6), including his first TD catch of the season. Sanford saw action in all 13 games in 2007, catching four balls for 71 yards, two of which for touchdowns. He caught the first pass of his career, which was a touchdown, against Holy Cross (9/1/08). He added 22-yard TD grab against Southern Illinois in the NCAAs.
A Defense That Won't Be Denied
• UMass' defense has been of the nation's best over the last four seasons. This year, the defense was much-maligned early on for allowing some big days by opponents. But a quick check shows Texas Tech is a Top 10 team in FCS with the nation's top offense in all of football and James Madison is No. 1 in FCS football with one of the top offense in the division.
• The Minutemen got on track in a major way against one of the top teams in FCS history, Delaware (10/4). UMass held the Blue Hens to just 167 yards of total offense in a 17-7 win. Most impressive was that UMass allowed just 88 total yards following a game-opening 79-yard drive. In the second half, UMass gave up just 63 total yards and the Blue Hens completed just one pass for five yards.
• Last year, the Minutemen were tough against the run and the pass, ranking 13th in the country in both pass efficiency defense (115.62) and rushing defense (115.62), numbers that ranked first and second, respectively, in the conference. In 2007, UMass ranked 13th in the country and first in the CAA in total defense in 2007, allowing 309.62 yards per game. UMass ranked first in the conference and 15th nationally in scoring defense last year, allowing just 19.15 points per game.
• Over 26 games in 2005-06 the Minutemen allowed just 13.3 points per game. UMass ranked first in the nation in scoring defense for most of 2006 until the NCAA final, when they gave up 28 points to National Champ Appalachian State. UMass finished fifth in the country in scoring defense in 2006 after being first in 2005.
Jennings Leads Top Tacklers
• This season, the defense's top tackler has been middle linebacker Josh Jennings, who tops the team with 56 tackles to rank second in the CAA with 9.3 tackles per game. That mark also ranks 33rd in the NCAA. He also has a team-high 5.0 TFLS for 17 yards. Jennings has been honored as the CAA's Defensive Player of the Week twice (Sept. 1 and Oct. 6). He racked up a career-best 16 tackles against #16 Delaware (10/4) to earn his second accolade. Jennings grabbed a share of the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week honor after making a career-high 13 stops in the Minutemen's 28-16 win over Albany (8/30) in Amherst, Mass. The New Britain, Conn., native also snagged his first career interception and returned it three yards.
• Behind Jennings is fellow linebacker George Byrd, who has started every game at WILL. Byrd has 43 tackles and 4.5 TFLs for eight yards.
• The SAM linebacker has been manned by both senior Andrew Resende-Gomes, who has 21 tackles and junior Anthony Rouzier, who has 20 stops. Rouzier has been limited due to a knee injury and missed the Delaware game.
Decorated Secondary
• UMass shapes up to possess perhaps the best defensive backfield in all of FCS with senior captain All-American and NFL prospect Sean Smalls leading the way. The cornerback joins Jeromy Miles and Courtney Robinson as preseason All-CAA selections and preseason All-Americans by various publications.
• In 2007, the group played a leading role in UMass holding its opponents to the lowest passing efficiency (107.98) in the CAA and also their run support helped the Minutemen be the second-toughest team to run on in the conference (115.62 yds/g).
• Smalls has been named a preseason All-American by many media outlets and currently has 17 tackles and two pass break-ups. After an incredible junior campaign that saw him rack up 49 tackles, half a sack, and two interceptions, including a 90-yard return for touchdown vs. Towson (9/5/07), Smalls received several awards, including: Sports Network Honorable Mention All-American, All-CAA first team and New England Writers All-Star.
• A junior, Miles returns for his second season after transferring from Navy in 2007. Miles is fourth on the team in tackles with 34 this season. He leads UMass with two interceptions including a game-sealing 52-yard runback for a touchdown against #16 Delaware (10/4). At Northeastern (10/11), he also made the game-sealing play with a fumble recovery lost by Husky quarterback Anthony Orio with 1:30 left in a 28-24 victory. A preseason All-American by Draft Consensus, Miles recorded 67 tackles last year from his free safety position, good for fourth on the team. He also had 10 passes defended and forced four fumbles, second-most in the CAA.
• Robinson was actually named All-CAA last season twice, as a first team cornerback and as a third team kick returner. He recorded three interceptions last season.
• The newcomer to this year's starting unit is strong safety Brian Ellis, a converted linebacker. Overall in 2008, Ellis is third in tackles on the team with 37. Ellis showed strong in his first game as a starter in as he racked up a career-best 10 tackles against Albany (8/30).
Defensive Line Creates Chaos
• UMass' defensive line prides itself on creating chaos and it did that very well last season. Graduated senior and CAA first-teamer David Burris led the group along with three now-juniors in CAA third-teamer Brandon Collier, Michael Hanson and Kyle C. Harrington. UMass finished first in the CAA in sacks with 44, which ranked fourth in the nation in sacks per game with 3.38 per game. UMass also had 92 TFLs (9.64 per game), which led the CAA. UMass had a season-best eight sacks vs. New Hampshire and Walter Payton Award winning quarterback Ricky Santos (11/10/07).
• The major tackler for loss on the defensive side is Hanson. He led the Minutemen in tackles for loss with 16 last season for a total of -83 yards, ranking second in the CAA. He also recorded seven sacks that sent the opposition 67 yards backwards. That total was second on the team to Burris' 9.5 and eighth-best in the conference. Hanson had a career-high 13 tackles against Villanova (10/13/07).
• Collier recorded his first sack of the season against Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph (9/6). Collier had 4.5 sacks in 2007 and made 6.5 stops for losses. His big games came against Villanova (10/13/07), where he recorded 10 assists and half a sack, and Rhode Island (11/3/07), where he finished with 11 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and had half a tackle for loss. Collier also recovered two fumbles against Northeastern (10/20/07). He had 62 tackles for the season.
Robinson: Always A Threat On KR
• Courtney Robinson said during training camp last season that he was, "Going to take one to the house!" Well he made good on his first kickoff return of the season when he brought a kick back 100 yards just 24 seconds into the second quarter against Holy Cross (9/1/07). Robinson had UMass' first kickoff return for a touchdown since Richard Jenkins had a 97-yarder at Maine on Oct. 16, 1982. Robinson's 100-yard return tied for third longest return at UMass. Noel Reebenacker (1951 vs. Springfield) and Dennis Dent (1978 vs. Morgan State) had 102-yard returns for scores.
• This season, Robinson has not had the ball kicked his way. When it has come to him -- just seven times, he has made opponents pay -- with a 25.9 yard average. Robinson had a season-best 59-yard return at Holy Cross (9/6), on the only ball kicked his way.
• 2007 CAA All-Conference third team kick-returner Robinson, who was an All-Conference second-team kickoff returner in 2006, is third all-time at UMass with a 24.7 career kickoff return average.
• His 1,165 career kickoff yardage is fourth all-time on the UMass charts. Next on the career kick return yardage list for Robinson is Dennis Dent with 1,178 from 1975-78.
• Robinson is third on the career return average list as well at 24.7.
O-Line Of Protection
• UMass has retooled its offensive line in 2008 as just one player returns in his starting spot from a season ago (Vladimir Ducasse at left tackle). The team also replaced All-CAA performers Matt Austin and Nick Diana, who both graduated.
• Senior captain Sean Calicchio is the undisputed leader of the O-line. The All-CAA player makes the move from right tackle to center this season, where he will be responsible for keeping blocking assignments organized and snap the ball to roommate and close friend Coen. While Calicchio has been on the field this season, UMass has allowed one sack (at Northeastern).
• The line was has been stellar early on this season, allowing just four total sacks; two on the final drive of the James Madison (9/13) game, one at Texas Tech (9/20) and one at Northeastern (10/11). UMass ranks tied for first in the CAA in fewest sacks allowed and tied for eighth in the NCAA allowing just 0.67 sacks per game.
• Tailback Tony Nelson has gained 100 yards on the ground in four games this season behind the mammouth line.
• Ducasse, a native of Haiti, continues to flourish at left tackle. He won the spot protecting Coen's blind-side in the preseason in 2007 has only improved. In his 18 games over the last two seasons, UMass has allowed only 19 sacks and UMass has had a 100-yard rusher in 14 of those 18 games.
• Outside of Ducasse, the line was been a rotation of five players due to injuries.
• Senior Ben Coblyn started the first five games, between right guard and right tackle. The local native from Amherst, returned to football in 2007 after playing basketball at Boston University. At 6-8, he is the tallest Minuteman and at 300 pounds is an imposing and athletic figure.
• Converted tight end Rob Getek, now a junior, has started five times on the right side. He made the move to tackle in the spring and is one of the team's most improved players according to Coach Brown.
• Sophomore John Ihne started the opener at left guard, missed the second game and played nearly all of the James Madison (9/13) game at center after Calicchio was injured. He started at center at Texas Tech (9/20).
• Redshirt freshmen Josh Samuda and Brian Ostaszewski has both filled in admirably this season. Samuda has started the last three games at left guard while "Ozzie" started at right tackle at Holy Cross (9/6).
• The line did not allow a sack in the first two games this season. Over the last two seasons, spanning 19 games, UMass has had 14 100-yard rushers.
• With giving up 17 sacks in 13 games last season, UMass has allowed just 58 sacks in 56 games since 2004.
Arnold and Cuko Kick Back To Form
• UMass kicking game as a been strong early on this season. Both players are back to top form after different type of struggles to return to their starting roles.
• Placekicker Armando Cuko had to wait behind two-time all-conference kicker Chris Koepplin for the last two seasons after starting as a true freshman in 2005. Cuko has been nearly perfect on kicks this season with 23-of-23 on extra points and making 3-of-4 field goals attempts. He made the go-ahead 38-yard field goal in the win over #16 Delaware (10/4). Cuko kicked a career-long game-winning 42-yard field goal to beat Holy Cross (9/6) in week two. That was his first kick of the season and his second game-winning kick. Back in 2005, he booted a 41-yarder to beat James Madison in the mud at McGuirk Stadium.
• UMass' other reclamation project on special teams is punter Brett Arnold. A starter in 2007 as a junior college transfer, Arnold lost his job at the end of the season to back-up quarterback Scott Woodward. Now, Arnold has returned to start in 2008 and is sixth in the nation in punting average with a 44.5 mark. Arnold leads the CAA.
• Both players have benefitted from the addition of new long snapper Travis Tripucka, who is a two-sport athlete, also playing defense on the men's lacrosse team. Tripucka, has been a welcome addition snapping to both players. He is the son of long-time NBA star Kelly Tripucka and grandson of NFL legend Frank Tripucka. His uncle Mark was a quarterback with UMass in the 1970s.
UMass Pick To 3-Peat As CAA Champs
• UMass, which returns 12 starters off last year's CAA Football Championship team, is picked to capture the overall CAA Football Championship in 2008. Richmond, also a 2007 CAA Football Champion, edged out James Madison for the top spot in the South Division race according to a vote of the league's 12 head coaches and selected media. The results of the poll, along with the Preseason All-Conference squads were announced during the CAA Football Media Day at the ESPNZone in Baltimore, Md., in late July.
• UMass' senior quarterback Liam Coen and Maine's senior defensive lineman Jovan Belcher headlined the 2008 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference squad as both were selected as Preseason Players of the Year. Coen, who passed for 3,091 yards and had an efficiency rating of 156.3 in 2007, earned Offensive honors while Belcher, who led the league in sacks with 10 last year, picked up defensive honors.
• Massachusetts, which has won two-straight league crowns, placed a total of five on the Preseason All-Conference squad this season. Coen was joined by offensive lineman Sean Calicchio on the offense. UMass filled three of the four preseason defensive backfield spots with safety Jeromy Miles and cornerbacks Courtney Robinson and Sean Smalls.
Quartet of Captains In 2008
• UMass has four team captains in 2008. On the offensive side of the ball, the Minutemen will be led by senior offensive lineman Sean Calicchio and senior quarterback Liam Coen. On defense, the leaders will be senior cornerback Sean Smalls and junior defensive lineman Brandon Collier. Collier is UMass' first junior captain since linebacker Serge Tikum in 2004.
Under The Lights
• UMass played its first-ever game under the new permanent lights at McGuirk Alumni Stadium in the season opening win against Albany (8/30). At a cost of roughly $1.8 million, the lights were installed over the summer and first lit on Monday, August 25. The Minutemen had their first night practice under the new lights on Tuesday, August 26.
• UMass played four night games under temporary lights at McGuirk and won all four games. The first game under the lights came in the 2000 opener, a 36-16 win over William & Mary on Aug. 31. That game was also the only other game played in August.
• The Minutemen played the 2004 home opener under the lights -- Don Brown's first home game as UMass head coach -- a 30-20 win on Sept. 11, 2004. UMass played two home games under the lights in 2005, beating Albany, 40-0 on Sept. 17 and Rhode Island, 14-6 on Sept. 24.
• Lights were installed for the 2006 NCAA I-AA Playoffs for UMass' 24-17 win over New Hampshire on Dec. 2. That game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. and the lights did not take effect until the second half.
Looking Back At 2007
• UMass won an NCAA Playoff game for the second-consecutive season before succumbing to Southern Illinois in a hard-fought 34-27 contest in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Dec. 1. The Minutemen finished 10-3 on the season (7-1 in conference play), marking the second-straight conference championship (they shared the crown with Richmond) while finishing with a double-figure victory total for the second-straight year. The conference title was UMass' 22nd overall, propelling the Minutemen into the CAA record books as an inaugural conference champ. In total, the Minutemen have earned 17 Yankee Conference titles, four Atlantic 10 Conference championships, and one in the CAA.
• The Minutemen were a perfect 6-0 at home to extend their home winning streak to 14 games. The team hasn't lost a home tilt since the 2005 campaign. The Minutemen finished the season at No. 6 in the Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the Sports Network Poll.
• For the second year in a row, the UMass football team was the most decorated team in terms of all-conference selections. Last year, UMass set an all-time league record with 20 members of the All-Conference team. UMass led the league with 17 All-CAA selections.
