University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts Official Athletic Site - Football
No. 12 UMass vs. No. 1 Georgia Southern
December 19, 1998 - 2:00 pm
Finley Stadium (20,000) Chattanooga, Tenn.
Game Day Quick Facts
| TV: | ESPN (Charley Steiner, play-by-play; Todd Christensen, color) |
| Radio: | UMass Football Radio Network (Ted Baker, play-by-play; Bob Pickett, color; WHMP 1400 AM, Northampton, flagship) |
| WMUA 91.1 FM (UMass student station) | |
| Georgia Southern Radio Network (Nate Hirsch, play-by-play; Frank Inman, color; WMCD FM 100.1, Statesboro, Ga., flagship) | |
| Series Record: | First meeting |
Notables for Saturday's Game ...
UMass in the Postseason ... The Minutemen are making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, and their first since 1990. UMass has an all-time record of 4-3 in the I-AA Playoffs and an overall mark of 5-5 in postseason games. The Minutemen are making their second-ever appearance in the Division I-AA championship game (UMass lost to Florida A&M 35-28 in the 1978 title game).
The Won-Loss Record ... With a victory in today's game UMass would total 12 wins, which tie for the most wins ever by an Atlantic 10 Conference team. The record of 12 victories has been accomplished three times, by Boston University in 1993 and by Delaware and Villanova in 1997. UMass is currently tied with Delaware for the second-most wins in conference history, as the Blue Hens won 11 games in both 1992 and 1995.
Marcel Shipp ... The sophomore tailback became the third player in school history to rush for over 3,000 career yards during last week's win over Northwestern State. Shipp enters this week's game with 3,054 yards in his two seasons at UMass, joining Rene Ingoglia (4,624 / 1992-95) and Garry Pearson (3,859 / 1979-82) as the only players in school history to run for 3,000 yards. Shipp also enters this week's game with a streak of 11 consecutive 100-yard games, a new school record.
Todd Bankhead ... Bankhead is having the finest passing season ever by a UMass quarterback. He has completed 286 of 500 passes for 3,767 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season. Bankhead has broken the school season records for touchdowns, yards, completions and attempts. He has also moved into the UMass career top three in each of those four categories.
THE SERIES WITH GEORGIA SOUTHERN: This week's game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Minutemen and the Eagles. It will also be the first time UMass has played against a member of the Southern Conference or a school from the state of Georgia. Georgia Southern stands 10-3 all-time against members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, losing two straight (falling to William & Mary 29-28 and Delaware 16-7 last season) before defeating Connecticut 52-30 two weeks ago. Four of the Eagles games against A-10 schools have come in the NCAA Tournament, with wins over Maine in 1987 (31-28) and Villanova in 1989 (52-36) along with last year's loss to Delaware and this year's win over Connecticut. Current members of the Atlantic 10 stand 165-155-7 all-time against schools presently in the Southern Conference, including a 1-9 record in NCAA Tournament games.
MINUTEMEN TAKE HOME LAMBERT CUP: It was announced last week that UMass has won the 1998 Lambert / Meadowlands Football Award for Division I-AA as the top team in the East. The Minutemen received all but one first place vote and 59 total points to finish at the top of the standings. Lehigh finished second with 52 points, while Connecticut was third with 51 points and Richmond came in fourth with 37 points. UMass last won the Lambert Cup in 1978 when it went 9-4 and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA championship game.
MINUTEMEN MAKE FOURTH NCAA I-AA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: UMass is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA Tournament and its first since 1990. The Minutemen advanced to the first-ever Division I-AA championship game in 1978, defeating Nevada-Reno 44-21 in the semifinals before falling to Florida A&M 35-28 in the title game. UMass also took part in the tournament in 1988 (falling to Eastern Kentucky 28-17) and in 1990 (losing to William & Mary 38-0). The Minutemen have an all-time record of 4-3 in the I-AA playoffs and an overall mark of 5-5 in postseason games. In addition to its four I-AA tournament appearances, UMass played in the 1978 Division II Tournament (losing to Lehigh 30-23), in the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl (downing California-Davis 35-14) and in the 1964 Tangerine Bowl (falling to East Carolina 14-13).
UMASS PASSES ALL-TIME POSTSEASON WIN TOTAL: Last weekend the Minutemen won their third postseason game of the year, surpassing the number of postseason contests UMass had won in the previous 115 years of the program. The Minutemen downed Northwestern State 41-31 last Saturday, after defeating Lehigh 27-21 and McNeese State 21-19 the previous two weeks. With those wins, UMass posted three consecutive postseason victories for the first time ever, while the win over Lehigh was the first-ever home playoff victory for the Minutemen. Prior to this year, UMass' only postseason wins were over Nevada-Reno 44-21 on Dec. 9, 1978, in the Division I-AA Semifinals, and 35-14 over California-Davis in the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl.
ELEVEN WINS BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD: With the victory over Northwestern State last weekend, UMass has an overall record of 11-3 on the season. The Minutemen have now broken the school record for victories in a single season and reached the 11-win mark for the first time ever, with the old record of nine wins being accomplished three times. UMass first won nine games in the 1901 season when it posted a 9-1 mark. The Minutemen also accomplished the feat in 1972 with a 9-2 record and in 1978 with a 9-4 mark. With a win this weekend, UMass can tie the all-time Atlantic 10 Conference single season record of 12 wins, which has been accomplished only three times (by Boston University in 1993 and both Villanova and Delaware in 1997). UMass has also broken the school single season record for most games played, with the Northwestern State game being the 14th contest of the season. UMass had previously played 13 games only once before, when it went 9-4 in 1978.
ATLANTIC 10 PLACES TEAM IN TITLE GAME FOR SECOND TIME: With UMass advancing to face Georgia Southern this Saturday, the Atlantic 10 Conference has a team in the NCAA Division I-AA championship game for the second time in league history. The Minutemen also made the Atlantic 10's first appearance in the title game, when they lost to Florida A&M 35-28 in 1978. The A-10 also advanced a team to the semifinals for the second year in a row and the fifth time ever. UMass previously reached the semifinals in 1978, while Rhode Island advanced in 1984, and Delaware made the semis in 1992 and 1997. In addition, the Atlantic 10 placed a total of three teams in this season's NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. UMass, seeded No. 11, is the only remaining team and will face No. 1 Georgia Southern this weekend. No. 8 Connecticut downed No. 9 Hampton 42-34 in its first round game, before losing at Georgia Southern 52-30 in the quarterfinals. Richmond also advanced to the tournament and was seeded third, but fell to Lehigh 24-23 in the opening round. The Atlantic 10 and the Southland Conference tied for the most teams in the tournament with three each. This season marks the fifth time the Atlantic 10 (formerly the Yankee Conference) has placed three teams in the NCAA Tournament, with all five occasions coming in the 1990s. The A-10 first qualified three teams in 1991 (Delaware, New Hampshire and Villanova), then repeated the feat in 1993 (Boston University, Delaware and William & Mary), 1994 (Boston University, James Madison and New Hampshire) and 1996 (Delaware, Villanova and William & Mary).
MINUTEMEN TIE FOR NEW ENGLAND DIVISION TITLE: UMass and Connecticut finished in a tie for first place in the New England Division of the Atlantic 10, as both schools had 6-2 marks in conference games. This marks the first division title for the Minutemen since the league split into two divisions in 1993 (the A-10 will return to a one-division format next season). Richmond claimed the overall Atlantic 10 title with a 7-1 record in conference games. The Minutemen have won more league titles than any other team in league history with 17 championships (1960, '63, '64, '66, '67, '69, '71, '72, '74, '77, '78, '79, '81, '82, '86, '88 and '90).
POSTSEASON RECORDS FALL IN 1998: The Minutemen have set a number of new records for single game postseason performances during their three playoff games this season. In last week's victory over Northwestern State, UMass set four team postseason records and tied two others, while three individual marks were set and one other tied. The Minutemen set new team postseason records for rushing yards (237), rushing touchdowns (four), total offense (474 yards) and most combined points (72), while tying the records for touchdowns (six) and touchdown passes (two). TB Marcel Shipp broke individual records for rushing attempts (38) and rushing yards (190), while PK Jason Cherry set a new mark for extra points (five) and QB Todd Bankhead tied the record for touchdown passes (two). A week earlier against Lehigh, UMass set five team records and tied one other, while five individual marks were broken and one tied. As a team, the Minutemen set new school postseason single game records for completions (22), pass attempts (37), passing yards (270), total plays (84) and first downs (25), while tying the record for touchdown passes (two). Bankhead set records for completions (22), pass attempts (36) and passing yards (270) and tied the record for touchdown passes (two), while WR Jimmy Moore set a new UMass postseason record for receptions (eight) and Cherry kicked the longest postseason field goal in school history at 33 yards. In the first round against McNeese State, UMass broke two team postseason records and tied two others, while one new individual mark was set and one other tied. As a team, the Minutemen set new school postseason single game records for punts (nine) and punting yards (392). UMass also tied the records for most points in a quarter (21 in the second) and most touchdown passes (two). Bankhead tied the record for touchdown passes (two), while TE Kerry Taylor broke the UMass single game postseason record for receiving yards (119).
SHIPP HAS ANOTHER BIG DAY AGAINST NORTHWESTERN STATE: Sophomore TB Marcel Shipp (Paterson, N.J.), who missed the NCAA first round game against McNeese State, has turned in outstanding performances against Northwestern State and Lehigh the last two weeks. At Northwestern State, Shipp carried 38 times for 190 yards, with a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The previous week against Lehigh, he rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. In the 13 games he has played this year Shipp has run for 2,298 yards and 15 touchdowns on 393 carries, breaking the school rushing record by nearly 700 yards. Garry Pearson had previously held the record with 1,631 yards in 1982 (Shipp passed Pearson during the Maine game). Shipp now has 3,054 rushing yards in his UMass career, becoming only the third player in school history to break the 3,000-yard mark during the Northwestern State game. With two full seasons remaining in his collegiate career, Shipp trails only Rene Ingoglia (4,624 yards / 1992-95) and Pearson (3,859 yards / 1979-82) on the all-time UMass rushing list. In the regular season finale against Connecticut, Shipp carried 38 times for 257 yards and two scores. That performance marked Shipp's second consecutive 200-yard game, as he carried 38 times for a career-high 270 yards and three touchdowns a week earlier against Maine. He has now rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last 11 contests, and became the first player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season during the Lehigh game. In addition to breaking the UMass rushing record, Shipp has also set school single season records for carries and all-purpose yards. He now has 355 carries on the year (breaking Pearson's record of 312 in 1982) and 2,537 all-purpose yards (breaking Jerome Bledsoe's record of 2,016 yards).
SHIPP SAILS TO 11TH STRAIGHT 100-YARD GAME: Marcel Shipp has rushed for 100 yards in each of his last 11 games and just missed a 12th (he rushed for 99 yards in the game at Richmond). Last week he broke the UMass record for consecutive 100-yard games. Shipp moved ahead of Jerome Bledsoe, who had 10 straight 100-yard performances in the final 10 games of the 1991 season. Garry Pearson has the third longest streak in school history with six straight 100-yard games at the end of the 1982 season. Here is a look at all the streaks of five games or more in UMass history:
| Rank | Name | Streak | Dates |
| 1. | Marcel Shipp | 11 games | 9/26/98-present |
| 2. | Jerome Bledsoe | 10 games | 9/14/91-11/23/91 |
| 3. | Garry Pearson | 6 games | 10/16/82-11/20/82 |
| 4. | Rene Ingoglia | 5 games | 11/20/93-10/1/94 |
| Garry Pearson | 5 games | 11/14/81-10/2/82 |
ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE KHARI SAMUEL: Middle linebacker Khari Samuel (Framingham, Mass.), one of the top defensive players in I-AA, had another excellent performance in last week's win over Northwestern State. He led the team in tackles with 11, while also making a huge interception in the fourth quarter to turn the game around. With UMass trailing 24-21 and less than 11 minutes remaining, Samuel picked off a Brad Spangler pass at the UMass 34 and returned it for 17 yards. That interception set up a Minuteman touchdown on the next play, giving UMass the lead for good. Samuel also had a big game against Lehigh the previous week with 11 tackles, including two tackles for loss, a sack for seven yards and a pass breakup. A week earlier at McNeese State he recorded a team-best 14 tackles, while also forcing a fumble. In the regular season finale against Connecticut, Samuel recorded a team-best 13 tackles, including one for loss and six solo stops. He also had a huge game in the victory at Rhode Island and was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Minutemen with 11 tackles and a fourth quarter interception return for a touchdown. A week earlier at New Hampshire, Samuel made 11 solo stops to become the all-time UMass leader in unassisted tackles (he now has 317). The record had previously been held by Vito Perrone, with 261 solo tackles from 1984-87. Samuel now ranks second all-time at UMass in career total tackles (480) and seventh in sacks (18.0). Even though he missed a game and a half due to injury earlier this year, Samuel still ranks among the school and conference leaders in tackles. Entering the postseason, he stood third in the A-10 and second on the team with an average of 10.9 tackles per game. He has also forced seven fumbles on the season, including the fumble late in the Richmond game which set up the winning touchdown drive. Last year, Samuel was one of 10 finalists (and one of just two non-seniors, along with Richmond's Marc Megna) for the Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the top defensive player in I-AA. Here is a look at where Samuel stands on the UMass career lists.
All-Time UMass Career Tackles
| Rank | Name (Years) | Total Tackles |
| 1. | John McKeown (1985-88) | 543 |
| 2. | Khari Samuel (1995- ) | 480 |
| 3. | Vito Perrone (1984-87) | 460 |
| 4. | Justin Reimer (1993-96) | 358 |
All-Time UMass Career Solo Tackles
| Rank | Name(Years) | Solo Tackles |
| 1. | Khari Samuel (1995- ) | 317 |
| 2. | Vito Perrone (1984-87) | 261 |
| 3. | John McKeown (1985-88) | 245 |
| 4. | Justin Reimer (1993-96) | 238 |
SCHNEIDER SACKS THE DEMONS: Sophomore DE Dan Schneider (Fitchburg, Mass.) had one of the best games of his career in the victory over Northwestern State last week. Schneider recorded three sacks for 15 yards against the Demons, the most sacks in a game by a UMass player this season. The school record is five sacks by Scott Assencoa against Connecticut in 1992. Schneider finished the Northwestern State game with a total of seven tackles, most among defensive linemen. For the season he is now second on the team in sacks with six for 30 yards, to go along with 51 total tackles and four pass breakups.
WHIPPLE NAMED NEW ENGLAND COACH OF THE YEAR: UMass first year head coach Mark Whipple (Brown, 1979) has been named the 1998 New England Coach of the Year in Division I by the New England Football Writers and the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. This marks the second time Whipple has been named New England Coach of the Year, as he also won the honor in 1992 for the Division II level while coaching at the University of New Haven. Whipple was also named the GTE Region I Coach of the Year in Division I-AA by the American Football Coaches Association, and was the runner-up for the 1998 Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in Division I-AA. He was the only coach from the Atlantic 10 Conference and the only first year head coach to be among the Robinson Award finalists. Whipple, who spent the previous four years as the head coach at Brown University, became the 26th head coach in the 115-year history of the UMass program on Dec. 16, 1997. During his four years at Brown, his teams won more games (24-16 overall record) than the previous eight seasons at Brown combined. Whipple's career record stands at 82-36 (.695), including six years at New Haven, where his teams twice qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
JORDAN KEEPS DOING THE DIRTY WORK: Although his stats may not be impressive, senior FB Matt Jordan (Derry, N.H.) has been a key ingredient in the success of the UMass offense this season. Jordan has been a key blocker out of the backfield, helping pave the way for Marcel Shipp to rush for an average of 176.8 yards per game. He also came up with some big plays of his own during last week's victory over Northwestern State. Jordan caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Todd Bankhead in the fourth quarter, to give UMass the lead for good at 27-24. He finished the game with three receptions for 77 yards, while also rushing for 20 yards on his only carry. For the season, Jordan is UMass' third-leading rusher with 208 yards on 43 carries. As a reciever, he ranks third on the team with 46 catches for 552 yards and two touchdowns. Even though the majority of Jordan's receptions have come on screen passes or dump offs, he has averaged 12.0 yards per catch.
DEFENSE COMES UP BIG IN PLAYOFF GAMES: The UMass defense turned in another outstanding performance during last week's victory over Northwestern State. With the Minutemen trailing 24-21 in the fourth quarter and the Demons driving into UMass territory, Khari Samuel came up with a huge interception to set up the go-ahead touchdown. The defense then helped seal the win by stopping Northwestern State on downs and forcing a fumble on the Demons' next two possessions. Prior to a meaningless 67-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the game, the Minutemen allowed Northwestern State only 283 yards of total offense. The defense also came up big in the fourth quarter a week earlier against Lehigh, making two huge stops in the final five minutes with UMass leading 27-21. After Lehigh had reached midfield on its next to last drive of the game, the Minutemen recorded a tackle for loss and forced two incompletions to make the Mountain Hawks punt. Lehigh had the ball again in the final minute and drove to the UMass nine yard line, but the Minutemen came up big again with a tackle for no gain, a sack and two forced incompletions to end Lehigh's final threat. UMass also held the Mountain Hawks to 77 rushing yards on the afternoon, the first time this season UMass has held an opponent under 100 yards on the ground. A week earlier at McNeese State, the Minutemen held the Cowboys to only 19 points, more than 14 points below their season scoring average. The defense also came up with a number of key stops in the red zone, causing one fumble and forcing the Cowboys to kick four field goals in six trips inside the UMass 20 yard line.
DEFENSE TURNS STONE COLD: Since the beginning of November, the UMass defense has stepped up its play. In the last six games, the Minutemen are allowing only 333.8 yards of total offense, 24.3 points and 17.8 first downs per game. Prior to the Rhode Island game, UMass had been allowing 449.3 yards, 29.3 points and 22.9 first downs per game. In addition to its excellent play in the three postseason games, the defense had some big days to close out the regular season. In the regular season finale against Connecticut, UMass held the Husky offense, which entered the game ranked 15th in the nation in total yards, to 230 yards and only one offensive touchdown. The 230 yards by Connecticut are the fewest by an opponent of the Minutemen since Rhode Island gained only 217 yards in Amherst last season (UMass won 18-14). Another big performance by the UMass defense came on Nov. 7 at Rhode Island. The Minutemen held the Rams to only 231 yards and 13 points, with the point total being a season low for UMass opponents. The Minutemen had not held an opponent to fewer than 13 points since downing Boston University 43-12 midway through the 1996 season.
MINUTEMEN BREAK SINGLE SEASON SCORING RECORD: With 55 points in the Maine game on Nov. 14, UMass broke the school single season scoring record. The Minutemen now have 469 points on the year (33.5 per game), breaking the old record of 343 points set by both the 1978 and 1988 teams. The 1998 team surpassed the old record in only 10 games, while the 1978 squad set the record in 13 games and the 1988 team needed 12 games. UMass entered the postseason averaging 34.5 points per game, the 12th-best mark in the nation. The Minutemen have also totaled more than three times as many points as they scored all of last year (149).
BANKHEAD WIPES OUT THE RECORD BOOK: Junior QB Todd Bankhead (Escondido, Calif.), a transfer from Palomar (Calif.) Junior College, has completed 286 of 500 passes on the season for 3,767 yards and 34 touchdowns. He has already set new UMass single season records for passing yards, touchdowns, completions, attempts and total offense (3,619 yards). Bankhead broke the record for touchdown passes in the Villanova game with a strike to Jimmy Moore at the end of the first quarter for his 21st scoring pass. That record had been held by Noel Reebenacker with 20 touchdown passes in 1952. Bankhead broke the UMass single season records for both completions and passing yards during the New Hampshire game. Both records had previously been held by Dave Palazzi, who completed 150 passes in 1987 and threw for 2,043 yards in 1988. The record for passing attempts fell next, with Bankhead breaking it at Rhode Island. The old mark of 313 attempts had been set by Jim Simeone in 1984. Finally, he broke the total offense record during the regular season finale against Connecticut. Dave Palazzi previously held the record with 2,743 yards in 1988. Bankhead's performance this season has been so impressive, he has already entered the UMass career top 10 lists for completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and total offense. Going into the Georgia Southern game, Bankhead stands in second place for career touchdowns, third for career yards, completions and attempts, and sixth for career total offense.
OFFENSE KEEPS PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS: UMass turned in one of its top offensive performances ever in the win over Maine, totaling 647 total yards. That marked the third-most yards the Minutemen have ever gained in a single game, behind only a 651-yard performance against New Hampshire in 1965 and a 649-yard day against New Hampshire in 1988. With its 647 against Maine, UMass also broke the school single season record for total offense. Entering the Georgia Southern game, the Minutemen have now gained 6,612 yards this season, breaking the record of the 1988 team which totaled 4,638 yards in 12 games. UMass ranks among the top offensive teams in the nation this season, averaging 472.3 total yards per game. The Minutemen have averaged 194.4 yards per game on the ground, and 277.9 through the air. Entering this postseason, UMass stood third in the nation in total offense (482.7). The Minutemen also ranked eighth nationally in passing offense (284.5) and 21st in rushing offense (198.2). In its first 14 games, UMass has already gone over the 400-yard mark in total offense 11 times, surpassing the 500-yard mark four times and the 600-yard mark once. The Minutemen tied a school record with four consecutive 400-yard games to open the season. UMass has also broken the school single season record with 11 400-yard games in a season and four 500-yard games.
BANKHEAD PLAYING BIG IN POSTSEASON: Junior QB Todd Bankhead has turned in three clutch performances in UMass' two postseason victories. Last week at Northwestern State, he completed 17 of 30 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a pair of scores. With UMass trailing 24-21 in the fourth quarter, Bankhead executed a perfect play-action fake, then hit a wide-open Matt Jordan with a 49-yard touchdown pass. The previous week against Lehigh, Bankhead hit on 22 of 36 passes for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He hit Jimmy Moore for a 30 yard score to put UMass up 10-7 in the second quarter, then found Adrian Zullo with a 37-yard scoring strike to give the Minutemen the lead for good at 20-14 in the third quarter. In the first round at McNeese State, Bankhead completed 19 of 35 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest play of the game came midway through the second quarter, when he hit Adrian Zullo for a touchdown on fourth and 15 at the McNeese State 31. Bankhead had his best performance of the season in the Maine game, after which he was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Bankhead completed 20 of 29 passes on the afternoon for 353 yards and five touchdowns against the Black Bears. He tied the school single game record for touchdown passes, which had been set by Mike Fallon against Youngstown State in 1977. Bankhead also set a new career-high for passing yards, with his 353 yards being the second-highest single game total in UMass history (Brian McNally threw for 389 yards against Connecticut in 1976). What makes his performance against the Black Bears even more impressive is that Bankhead did not even attempt a pass in the fourth quarter, and he accomplished the feat against the top pass defense in the Atlantic 10 Conference. On the year, Bankhead has thrown for over 300 yards in a game four times, including games against Hofstra (348 yards), Delaware (323 yards) and Richmond (323 yards). With his four 300-yard performances, he now has four of the top five passing games in UMass history.
MOORE BREAKS 1,000-YARD MARK IN RECEIVING YARDS: Senior WR Jimmy Moore (Austin, Texas), a transfer from Southern Methodist University, became the first player in school history to break the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards during the regular season finale against Connecticut. Moore caught nine passes for 172 yards and two scores against the Huskies, going over the 1,000-yard mark on his first reception of the game. He broke the UMass single season record for receiving yards the previous week against Maine, catching seven passes for 107 yards and two scores. Moore now has 86 catches on the season for 1,431 yards and 16 touchdowns. Prior to this season the UMass single season record for receiving yards was held by Tim Berra, who had 922 yards in 1973 and went on to play in the NFL.
MOORE BREAKS RECEPTION AND TOUCHDOWN MARKS: Jimmy Moore set new UMass single season records for total receptions and touchdown receptions during the final regular season game against Connecticut, then broke the career touchdown record in the Northwestern State game. With his touchdown catch against Northwestern State, he now has 16 on the season. The previous single season record of 12 touchdown receptions was set by Tim Berra in 1973, while the career mark of 15 scoring receptions was shared by Lou Bush (1931-33) and Berra (1971-73). Moore, who has 86 catches on the year, totaled nine receptions in the Connecticut game to break Berra's record of 62 (also set in 1973). Last week Moore had another big game, catching a team-leading six passes for 98 yards and a score. A week earlier against Lehigh he caught eight passes for 117 yards and one touchdown, giving him a total of six games this season with at least 100 yards receiving. Two of his top performances came in the first game against Connecticut (eight catches for 151 yards and a school single-game record four touchdowns) and at Hofstra (a school single game record tying 11 catches for 164 yards).
TAYLOR CONTINUES TO SHINE: All-America candidate Kerry Taylor (Mansfield, Mass.) had another solid game in the victory over Northwestern State. Taylor caught five passes for 39 yards against the Demons, with three of his receptions being good for first downs. Two weeks earlier at McNeese State, Taylor had one of the biggest games of his career. He led the team with seven receptions against the Cowboys for a career-high 119 yards and one touchdown. Three weeks earlier at Rhode Island he led the team in receptions, catching eight passes for 81 yards. That marked the third consecutive week Taylor led the team in receptions, including the victories over both New Hampshire (five catches, 97 yards) and Villanova (eight catches, 67 yards). On the season, he has now caught 70 passes for 832 yards and five touchdowns. Taylor has more than doubled the number of catches he totaled in his first three years combined (26), and his 832 yards are more than three times the number from his first three seasons (244). He currently stands in second place on the UMass single season list for most receptions, while ranking fourth for most receiving yards in a year. Taylor also stands fifth all-time at UMass in career touchdown catches (13), fourth in career receptions (96) and ninth in career receiving yards (1,076). Entering the postseason, Taylor was among the national and conference leaders in receptions. He ranked ninth in the Atlantic 10 and 39th nationally with an average of 5.2 catches per game.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT IN THE POSTSEASON: Junior DE Chris Price (Boxboro, Mass.) has been one of the main reasons for the success of the UMass defense over the last three weeks. Last Saturday at Northwestern State Price made four tackles, one for loss, while also forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and breaking up a pass. A week earlier in the victory over Lehigh he totaled 10 tackles with three tackles for loss and two sacks for 12 yards. Price had two key plays late in the game, helping secure the win for UMass. After Lehigh had driven to the 50 yard line with under five minutes to play, Price hit TB Ron Jean for a five yard loss, and the Mountain Hawks eventually had to punt. On the next drive Lehigh had second and goal on the UMass nine with less than two minutes remaining, when Price sacked QB Phil Stambaugh for a six yard loss. A week earlier in the win at McNeese State, Price had five tackles and two sacks for five yards. On the season, he now has 53 tackles and is tied for the team lead with eight sacks for 40 yards.
UMASS DOWNS ANOTHER RANKED TEAM: With the victory over No. 2 Northwestern State last weekend, UMass defeated a ranked team for the fifth time this season. This marks the first time the Minutemen have ever downed five ranked opponents in a single season. UMass' first win over a ranked team this season came on Oct. 3 at No. 5 Hofstra. The Minutemen then posted a 36-26 victory over No. 20 Villanova on Oct. 24, downed No. 6 McNeese State 21-19 on Nov. 28, and topped No. 13 Lehigh 27-21 on Dec. 5. Prior to this season, UMass had not defeated a ranked team since Oct. 21, 1995, when it downed No. 12 William & Mary 20-9 at McGuirk Stadium. The win over Hofstra was also UMass' first over a top 10 team since beating No. 7 William & Mary 23-14 on Oct. 15, 1994.
AYI BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD FOR SOLO TACKLES: Sophomore linebacker Kole Ayi (Nashua, N.H.) had another big game in the quarterfinal victory over Lehigh, making a team high 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, while forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass. With that performance he broke the UMass single season record for solo tackles, passing Justin Riemer's mark of 102 in 1996 (Ayi now has 107 solo stops this season). Ayi also had an excellent game in the first round win at McNeese State, making nine tackles while forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and breaking up a pass. Earlier this season, Ayi came through with one of the top performances of his career while playing in his home state of New Hampshire. He made a career-high 21 tackles against the Wildcats, two for loss, while also recovering a fumble to set up a UMass touchdown in the first quarter. For his performance, Ayi was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week. For the season, Ayi has now led the team in tackles six times. He tied for the team lead with 10 tackles against Villanova, while leading UMass with 16 tackles in the first Connecticut game, 12 tackles against Buffalo, and 15 tackles at Richmond. Entering the postseason, Ayi led the team in tackles and ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with an average of 11.5 tackles per game.
ZULLO NAMED A-10 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Freshman WR Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) has been selected as the 1998 Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year. Zullo has caught 27 passes on the season for 465 yards and seven touchdowns, with an impressive 17.2 yard average per catch. He has also been effective for the Minutemen as a kickoff returner, bringing back 31 kicks for 681 yards, good for a 22.0 yard average, and has averaged 96.5 all-purpose yards per contest. In the win over Lehigh, Zullo caught four passes for 51 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown reception to give UMass the lead for good in the third quarter. Zullo becomes the first UMass player to be named the A-10 Rookie of the Year since Rene Ingoglia won the award in 1992, and the fifth Minuteman overall (including Dave Palazzi in 1985, Tim Bryant in 1986 and John Johnson in 1990).
WYNNE AND SMITH EARN ACADEMIC HONORS: Two key members of the UMass squad have been honored by GTE / CoSIDA for their academic and athletic accomplishments this season. Starting OG Mike Wynne (Somerdale, N.J.), who has a 3.95 GPA in Accounting, was chosen to the 1998 GTE / CoSIDA Academic All-America second team. Wynne was also named to the 1998 GTE / CoSIDA Academic All-District I team, where he was joined by starting SS Brian Smith (Wilmington, Del.), who owns a 3.38 GPA in computer science. UMass was one of five schools to have more than one player selected to the 20-man all-district squad, along with Buffalo, Cornell, Harvard and Yale. The District I team included players from Division I schools in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
OFFENSIVE LINE CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE PLAY: The UMass offensive line has been a key reason why the Minutemen rank among the top teams in the nation in both total offense and scoring. The line has paved the way for UMass to run for 194.4 yards per game, while also providing pass protection which has allowed the Minutemen to throw for 277.9 yards per contest. The UMass offense did not even miss a beat when TB Marcel Shipp missed the McNeese State game, with the line allowing backup Kevin Quinlan to run for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Senior Deyate Hagood (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is the starting center for UMass, flanked by junior Mike Wynne and sophomore Tyler Lauback (Weston, Mass.) at the guard spots and senior Mim Hill (Somerset, N.J.) and junior Cliff Bolden (Shirley, Mass.) at the tackle positions.
QUINLAN GETS KEY CARRIES AT NORTHWESTERN STATE: Freshman TB Kevin Quinlan (Somerville, Mass.) made a pair of key plays to help the Minutemen to victory over Northwestern State last week. On his first carry of the game, Quinlan rushed 20 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 21-21 early in the third quarter. Then with UMass leading 27-24 in the fourth quarter, he ran for seven yards on third and five at the Demon 36 yard line, keeping alive a drive which would end with a Marcel Shipp touchdown. Two weeks earlier, Quinlan received the first start of his young career in the McNeese State game and came through with a huge performance. Taking the place of the injured Shipp, Quinlan rushed 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown to help lead UMass to victory. The majority of his yards came in the first half, including a long run of 40 yards to set up the opening touchdown of the game. What makes Quinlan's performance even more impressive is that he carried more times and for more yards against McNeese than he had totaled all season heading into the game. Quinlan, who had rushed 21 times for 73 yards and four touchdowns prior to the McNeese State game, has now totaled 261 yards and six touchdowns on 56 carries this season.
FOURTH AND GO: During the NCAA Playoffs, UMass has been successful on four out of seven fourth down attempts. In the McNeese State game, the Minutemen had a fourth and 15 at the Cowboy 31 when Todd Bankhead hit Adrian Zullo for 31 yards and a UMass touchdown. In the quarterfinal game against Lehigh, UMass was successful twice on fourth and one. The first conversion was on a sneak by Bankhead at the UMass 28, while the second time Marcel Shipp ran for a one-yard touchdown on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter. Last week against Northwestern State the Minutemen converted once on fourth down, with Bankhead rushing one yard for a score on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter. For the season, the Minutemen have converted on 20 of the 35 times they have gone for it on fourth down this season for a 57 percent success rate. By comparison, UMass opponents have converted on only eight of 25 fourth down attempts, good for only 32 percent.
MACLAY PASSES 10,000-YARD MARK: Senior Andrew Maclay (Stroudsburg, Pa.), the top punter in UMass history, became the first player in the history of the Atlantic 10 Conference to punt for over 10,000 career yards during the win at Rhode Island. Maclay has now punted for a total of 11,074 yards in his four-year career at UMass. During the New Hampshire game, Maclay broke the all-time Atlantic 10 record for punting yards, which had been held by Steve Jones of Boston University (9,684 yards from 1984-88). Maclay currently holds school career records for highest punting average (39.0 yards per punt), most punting yards (11,074) and most punts (284). For the season Maclay has averaged 42.8 yards per punt (he ranked third in the A-10 and 13th nationally entering the postseason at 42.3), with 15 punts inside the 20 and 13 50-yard punts. He has averaged better than 40 yards per kick in a game 24 times in his career, including 12 games this season.
Maclay's School Punting Records
| Category | Mark |
| Career Punting Average | 39.0 |
| Career Punting Yards | 11,074 |
| Career Punts | 284 |
| Longest Punt | 78 yards |
| Single Season Punting Average (1998) | 42.8 |
| Single Season Punting Yards (1996) | 3,028 |
| Single Season Punts (1996) | 79 |
| Single Game Punts (vs. Richmond, 1996) | 13 |
| Single Game Punting Yards (vs. Richmond, 1996) | 489 |
| Postseason Single Game Punts (vs. McNeese, 1998) | 9 |
| Postseason Single Game Punting Yards (vs. McNeese, 1998) | 392 |
MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Several Minutemen stood among the A-10 leaders at the conclusion of the regular season. Marcel Shipp was second in rushing (177.2 yards/game), third in scoring (9.3 points/game) and fourth in all-purpose yards (212.5 yards/game), while Todd Bankhead ranked third in both total offense (264.1 yards/game) and pass efficiency (136.1 rating). Andrew Maclay stood third in the league in punting (42.3 yards/punt), while Jimmy Moore was third in receiving yards (106.1 yards/game) and fifth in receptions (6.2 catches/game). All-America candidate Khari Samuel led the league in forced fumbles with six, while ranking third in tackles per game at 10.9. Jerard White (Fort Washington, Md.) and Brian Smith were tied for the league lead in pass breakups with 13 each, while Kole Ayi ranked second in tackles at 11.5 per game. As a team, UMass led the Atlantic 10 in passing offense (284.5 yards/game), total offense (482.7 yards/game) and first downs (269). (Statistics from the McNeese State, Lehigh and Northwestern State games are not included in these totals.)
LAST-MINUTE MEN: In its first 14 games of the season, UMass has seen the outcome decided in the closing minute or overtime nine times. The Minutemen have gone 6-3 in those nine games, all of which were decided by six points or less. UMass defeated Richmond 22-17, downed Hofstra 40-35, topped James Madison 28-26, knocked off New Hampshire 27-26, beat McNeese State 21-19 and defeated Lehigh 21-19. The Minutemen fell at Delaware 33-30 and to Connecticut twice (44-41 in overtime on the road and 28-27 at home). Richmond is the only other team in the conference to have as many as five games decided by six or fewer points, falling to UMass (22-17), Rutgers (7-6) and Lehigh (24-23), while beating Rhode Island (20-17) and Northeastern (21-20).
NINE MINUTEMEN EARN ATLANTIC 10 HONORS: Nine members of the UMass squad were honored by the Atlantic 10 when it announced its all-conference teams on Nov. 23. Three Minutemen were first team All-Atlantic 10 selections, with Kerry Taylor at tight end, Marcel Shipp at running back and Khari Samuel at linebacker. Four other UMass players were second team selections in linebacker Kole Ayi, quarterback Todd Bankhead, center Deyate Hagood and wide receiver Jimmy Moore, while punter Andrew Maclay earned third team honors. In addition, Adrian Zullo was selected as the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year.
SHIPP NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: TB Marcel Shipp heads a list of seven different UMass players who were ranked in the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders entering the postseason. Shipp was ranked third nationally in rushing and fifth in all-purpose yards. (Statistics from the McNeese State, Lehigh and Northwestern State games are not included in these averages.)
| Category | NCAA Rank | Player/Team | No./Avg. |
| Rushing Yards | 3rd | Marcel Shipp | 177.2 |
|
| 21st | UMass | 198.2 |
| Total Offense | 3rd | UMass | 482.7 |
| 15th | Todd Bankhead | 264.1 | |
| All-Purpose Yards | 5th | Marcel Shipp | 212.5 |
| Receiving Yards | 7th | Jimmy Moore | 106.1 |
| Passing Yards | 8th | UMass | 284.5 |
| Punting | 13th | Andrew Maclay | 42.3 |
| Scoring | 12th | UMass | 34.5 |
| 14th | Marcel Shipp | 9.3 | |
| 31st | Jimmy Moore | 7.6 | |
| Receptions | 18th | Jimmy Moore | 6.2 |
| 39th | Kerry Taylor | 5.2 | |
| Passing Efficiency | 23rd | Todd Bankhead | 136.1 |
| Kickoff Returns | 34th | Adrian Zullo | 24.7 |
THREE MINUTEMEN HONORED BY GRIDIRON CLUB: Two UMass players and head coach Mark Whipple were honored by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston at its annual banquet on Dec. 9. Senior LB Khari Samuel received the 60th George "Bulger" Lowe Award as the best defensive player in New England. Senior FB Matt Jordan was presented the Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award, which goes to a senior who has demonstrated excellence in the classroom and on the gridiron. In addition, Whipple was honored by the Gridiron Club as the New England Coach of the Year in Division I.
INJURY UPDATE: Senior tailback Jim Pizano (Exeter, Pa.) suffered a sprained knee in practice two weeks ago and did not play against either Lehigh or Northwestern State in the last two rounds of the playoffs. Pizano is questionable for this week's game against Georgia Southern.
THREE UMASS PLAYERS EARN ALL-NEW ENGLAND HONORS: UMass placed three players on the 1998 New England Football Writers Division I All-Star team. Khari Samuel was selected to the team at linebacker for the second year in a row. In addition, Kerry Taylor was named to the team at tight end and Andrew Maclay was selected as the punter. With three players named to the squad, UMass tied with Brown and Northeastern for the most selections among Division I-AA schools.
MINUTEMEN NEAR TOP OF A-10 IN ATTENDANCE: UMass averaged 12,811 fans per game at home this season, third in the Atlantic 10 Conference behind only Delaware (19,157 average attendance) and Richmond (13,629). The Minutemen drew 16,392 fans to their regular season finale against Connecticut, their largest home crowd since Nov. 26, 1974 when 16,900 showed up for the UMass-UConn game. The last time UMass averaged over 10,000 per game in home attendance was the 1994 season, when the average crowd at McGuirk Alumni Stadium was 10,138.
ABOUT THE EAGLES: Georgia Southern enters today's game as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. The Eagles have a perfect 14-0 record on the year and won the Southern Conference title with a perfect 8-0 mark in league games. Georgia Southern is making its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs and its 10th appearance all-time. The Eagles have an all-time record of 26-5 in the NCAA Tournament, having won national championships in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1990. This week's contest marks Georgia Southern's sixth appearance in the NCAA title game, with the Eagles only loss coming in 1988 to Furman (17-12). Georgia Southern has one of the top offenses in the nation, averaging 43.6 points and 498.3 yards per game. The Eagles rely heavily on their rushing attack, averaging 384.9 yards per game on the ground. Freshman RB Adrian Peterson leads the team with 2,445 yards and 32 touchdowns on 337 carries, while junior QB Greg Hill has run for 1,359 yards and 22 scores on 262 carries. Georgia Southern throws for only 113.4 yards per contest, but Hill completed 10 of 13 passes for 160 yards and four touchdowns against Western Illinois last week. Defensively, the Eagles are led by freshman CB Arkee Thompson with 135 tackles, eight interceptions and nine pass breakups. Senior DE Eric Davis has a team-leading 14 sacks among his 73 tackles on the year.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN HEAD COACH PAUL JOHNSON: Paul Johnson is in his second season as the head coach at Georgia Southern and has an overall career record of 24-3. Last season, Johnson took over a 4-7 squad and led it to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals. The 1997 and 1998 Southern Conference Coach of the Year, Johnson received the 1998 Eddie Robinson Award as the top coach in Division I-AA. Prior to his arrival at Georgia Southern, Johnson spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Navy and eight seasons as offensive coordinator at Hawaii. A 1979 graduate of Western Carolina, Johnson previously spent four years as an assistant coach for the Eagles from 1983-86.
EXTRA POINTS: Jerard White and Brain Smith are tied for the team lead in pass breakups with 15 each. Both players have a chance to break the school single season record of 16 breakups, which was set by Garrick Amos in 1987 ... The Minutemen have allowed only 41 points in the first quarter this season, while scoring 112 points of their own in the opening period. When Lehigh scored on its opening drive of the game two weeks ago, it marked the first offensive points UMass had allowed in the first quarter since the James Madison game on Oct. 10 ... UMass posted a 3-0 record against teams from the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. Last year, the entire New England Division combined for a 2-16 record against the Mid-Atlantic Division (this year the New England Division was 9-12) ... UMass is 5-0 this season when trailing at the half.