University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Challenge Ball State In Halloween Game Saturday
October 26, 2015 | Football
| University of Massachusetts Football Weekly Release | |
| Game Eight | Massachusetts (1-6, 0-3 MAC) at Ball State (2-6, 1-3) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Scheumann Stadium (22,500; FieldTurf) | Muncie, Ind. |
| Live Statistics | NeuLion |
| Watch | Available on ESPN3.com |
| Listen (Radio) | 105.5 FM WEEI (Western Massachusetts), 830 AM WCRN (Worcester), 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Manchester, Providence) |
| Listen (Online) | WEEI Streaming Player | TuneIn App (mobile devices) |
| Series History | UMass leads, 2-1. Last meeting: UMass 24, Ball State 10; Nov. 12, 2014 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | Ball State | Mid-American Conference |
| Team Information | Massachusetts | Ball State |
| @UMassAthletics | @UMassFootball | #GoUMass | #BeatBallState | #UMASSvsBALL | |
| UMass Athletics | UMass Football | |
| Buy Tickets | Information available through BallStateSports.com |
UMass Hits Ball State For Halloween Showdown
University of Massachusetts football treks to Muncie, Ind., to challenge Ball State in a mid-day Halloween game between the teams as the Minutemen battle the Cardinals at 1 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 31.
Tajae Sharpe posted a career-high 239 yards receiving on 13 receptions in the 2014 edition to the series when UMass came away from McGuirk Stadium with a 24-10 victory on Nov. 12, 2014. The defense, led by Jovan Santos-Knox's 14 tackles, two pass breakups and forced fumble, limited the Cardinals to 286 offensive yards with only 69 on the ground over 30 rushing attempts (2.3 per carry).
Despite the gaudy numbers through the air, it was the ground game that converted drives for the Minutemen as each of the three touchdowns came via short rushing attempts. Lorenzo Woodley scored on a one-yard dive while Shadrach Abrokwah ran in from three yards away and Elgin Long converted from the seven yard line through a wildcat formation play.
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Instant information on the football program, including an inside look at key points and statistics in each game as well as updates from practice and other team events are available via the Twitter handle @UMassFootball. Follow the Minutemen there and catch information about each University of Massachusetts Athletic Department program through @UMassAthletics.
Sharpe Sets Program Receiving Yardage Record
Tajae Sharpe reset another UMass career receiving record during his senior season when the wideout from Piscataway, New Jersey, surpassed Adrian Zullo (2,982; 1998-2002) for the top spot on the program's all-time receiving yards listing. Sharpe accomplished the feat against Kent State on Oct. 17 with 46 yards and finished the day with 2,905 over 41 appearances as a Minuteman.
Sharpe previously set the mark for most receptions in a career when he topped Zullo (187) against Temple on Sept. 19. He is also current first all-time for career receptions per game (5.79) as he owns 243 over 42 games played entering the weekend at Ball State.
"Pop" Strengthens UMass Kick Return Game
James Oliphant, nicknamed "Pop" by his grandfather, produced 238 kickoff return yards over seven attempts at Bowling Green on Oct. 10, the second-most yards in a single game in program history behind only Jesse Julmiste's 252 versus Boston College on Sept. 24, 2011. Tim Berra recorded the only other 200-yard return performance with as many yards vs. Rhode Island on Oct. 20, 1973.
Santos-Knox With 20 Stops
Jovan Santos-Knox provided 20 tackles (five solo, 15 assisted) during the Oct. 24 game against No. 19 Toledo, the most by a Minuteman in more than a decade. The last UMass football player to reach at least 20 tackles in a game was current outside linebackers coach Charles Walker, who had a program-record-tying 23 versus Delaware on Sept. 25, 2004.
It was 133 games between Santos-Knox and Walker's 20-plus tackle performances. Combined with his high-energy performance a week earlier against Kent State, Santos-Knox owns 37 tackles in the previous two games.
Keeping Their Legs Moving
Led by true freshman Marquis Young, the six-man running back committee averages 5.3 yards per carry in 2015 via 742 yards over 141 attempts split between Young (48), Jamal Wilson (38), Sekai Lindsay (34), Lorenzo Woodley (10), Shadrach Abrokwah (nine) and Andy Isabella (two).
Young has the most yards of the half-dozen Minutemen with 371 and an average of 53.0 per game. Wilson holds the lead in touchdowns on three scored over 143 yards recorded while Lindsay reached the endzone once through 114 yards gained. Abrokwah tallied all 56 of his rushing yards against Colorado while Woodley sports 36 yards picked up. Isabella travelled 22 yards on his two carries.
Sharpe Becomes The Go-To Guy
In Tajae Sharpe's freshman and sophomore seasons he provided 886 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 81 receptions (10.9 yards per catch) during 23 appearances for an average of 38.5 yards and 3.5 receptions per game. Since becoming an upperclassman, Sharpe has amped up his production to 2,178 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 162 catches in 19 games, an average of 114.6 yards through the air and 8.5 receptions per appearance.
Young Bursts Onto The Scene
True freshman running back Marquis Young provided 103 yards rushing over only five carries vs. the defense of No. 6 nationally ranked Notre Dame on Sept. 26. The game was Young's first 100-yard performance in college and the first-such by a UMass running back in 2015.
Young leads the Minutemen in rushing yards (371) and yards per attempt (7.7) with 48 carries over the opening seven games of his career. He provided an 83-yard touchdown run against the Irish, the longest carry by a UMass true-freshman in the modern era of the program - dating back to 1978 - and also the longest since R.J. Cobb scampered 84 yards against Delaware on Nov. 2, 2002. It was 149 games between Cobb and Young's 80-plus yard carries.
It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint
UMass football is one of six teams nationally that will play 12 consecutive contests during the 2015 season. The other five are Arizona, Colorado, Florida International, Hawai'i and North Texas. Colorado plays 13 games in a row while the rest play one dozen.
Stout UMass Defense Grounds Florida International
The University of Massachusetts defensive front kept FIU to just 188 yards of total offense during the 24-14 Maroon and White victory on Oct. 3. It was the fewest yards allowed to an UMass opponent since the Minutemen held Northeastern to 145 total offensive yards on Nov. 7, 2009. The Maroon and White also limited opponents to less than 200 yards on offense on Oct. 16, 2012 versus Richmond (196) and Oct. 4, 2008 against Delaware (167). All four defensive efforts occurred in front of a friendly crowd at McGuirk Stadium.
