University of Massachusets Athletics
Hit by a Case of Whiplash
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Mark Whipple mixes his high-octane pass offense with one of the top linebacking corps in the nation and 31 newcomers in his first year with the Minutemen.
When Mark Whipple was announced as the 26th head coach in the 115-year history of the University of Massachusetts football program back in December, he did not leave any doubt as to what he wanted to accomplish in Amherst. "The goal for myself and the goal for our team will be to take this program to a national championship," said Whipple.
The rebuilding process for the Minutemen gets underway this fall, when Whipple steps onto the sidelines armed with plans for transforming UMass into a consistent I-AA national power. His trademark "Whiplash" offensive system has turned heads at both Brown University and the University of New Haven, and he hopes to continue putting up gaudy numbers on the "UMass" side of scoreboards with the Minutemen.
To carry out the first stage of this turnaround, he will shape his first edition of UMass football around a few key players who shined as individuals during last year's disappointing 2-9 campaign. Senior middle linebacker Khari Samuel and senior tight end Kerry Taylor, co-captains of the 1998 Minutemen, will be expected to lead this team by example. Both have pro potential. Samuel is tabbed the eighth-best linebacker in I-AA by The Sporting News, while Taylor should flourish in Whipple's wide-open offensive attack after grabbing a team-high six touchdown catches in a run-oriented system last year.
| "The goal for myself and the goal for our team will be to take this program to a national championship." - Head Coach Mark Whipple |
Sophomore tailback Marcel Shipp will be the focal point of the Minuteman running attack after setting the UMass freshman rushing record last season (756 yards). Ask Whipple just how good Shipp can be and he just smiles. The smile has grown bigger since he discovered that Shipp is also a fine receiver out of the backfield.
Who is the man responsible for getting the ball to Shipp and Taylor? Say hello to Todd Bankhead. The junior college transfer from California came to the Northeast in January and grabbed the starting quarterback job during spring practice. He has the size, the arm and the touch to put up some big numbers through the air, something that has not been done around these parts in a long time.
Defensively, everything - yes, everything - revolves around Samuel. How good is he? Just ask a few coaches who have lined up against the Buck Buchanan Award finalist (top defensive player in I-AA) and All-America candidate.
"Khari Samuel is as good a linebacker as there is in the country," said Richmond head coach Jim Reid. Need a second opinion? "Khari Samuel is a dominating NFL-type football player. He's as good as it gets," said Buffalo head coach Craig Cirbus. Need a third opinion? "Khari Samuel is as good a defensive player as there is in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He makes big hits and big plays all over the football field," said New Hampshire head coach Bill Bowes.
Whipple will surround this existing corps of talent with an infusion of 31 newcomers, including Bankhead. Placing a heavy emphasis on gaining speed and play-making ability at the skill positions, his first recruiting class at UMass is highlighted by eight wide receivers and four defensive backs. Several of these individuals will be asked to crack the lineup immediately, most notably juco transfer Johnny Jeffery (cornerback), freshman Maikel Miret (offensive line), SMU transfer Jimmy Moore (wide receiver), juco transfer Pat Roskowick (defensive tackle) and freshman speedster Adrian Zullo (wide receiver).
Quarterback
It only makes sense. If you are going to run the so-called "west coast offense," you might as well have a California kid in charge. If you accept that premise, UMass is in good shape with junior college transfer Todd Bankhead at quarterback. Bankhead, a native of southern California, stole the show during spring practice in Whipple's pass-happy offense. A very accurate passer who moves well for his size, he completed 120-of-237 passes for 1,713 yards with nine touchdowns in his two years at Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, California.
"Todd Bankhead is a great kid and a good student of the game," said Whipple. "He really wants to get better and better. Todd gives us a little more experience in a passing offense. He still needs to mature with his leadership and decision-making, but that will come with more practice and experience. I feel real fortunate that he was here in the spring."
Junior Jeff Smith gives the Minutemen a solid backup to Bankhead. A well-tested veteran who has made big plays in the past, Smith showed some good signs of improvement in the spring. After an impressive true freshman campaign in 1996, he started the first five games last year before losing the job to Anthony Catterton. Smith completed 49-of-125 passes for 480 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions last year. Sophomore Ed Campbell and freshman Kelly Seibert, who like Bankhead enrolled at UMass in January and went through spring drills, provide depth at quarterback.
Running Back
The best news Whipple heard when he inherited the UMass program was that Marcel Shipp still had three years of eligibility remaining. One of the bright spots of last season, Shipp rushed for a UMass freshman record 756 yards, breaking John Johnson's mark of 729 yards set in 1990. He led the squad in rushing yards, rushing attempts (139) and all-purpose yards (1,209).
An exciting runner who should shine in Whipple's offense, Shipp averaged 7.3 yards every time he touched the ball last year (1,209 yards on 166 touches). He played in all 11 games as a true freshman, starting the last nine contests. In the season finale vs. Connecticut, he showed a glimpse of what to expect in the future by recording a career-high 218 all-purpose yards (110 rushing, 75 receiving, 33 kickoff return).
Flanking Shipp at the fullback spot will be an experienced two-man rotation of senior Matt Jordan and junior Jamie Holston. Between the two, they bring a combined 41 career games played into the season. Plagued by injuries the last two years, Jordan hopes to return to the form he showed as a redshirt freshman in 1995, when he rushed for 564 yards and three touchdowns. Holston has amassed 665 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in his first two seasons at UMass.
"Marcel proved what he could do last year, and he is just going to get better," said Whipple. "He has a great deal of toughness, is very consistent and is as fast as he needs to be. Matt Jordan may be the biggest key to the success of our offense. When he plays football, he's a very talented individual who can run, catch and block. I'm hoping something will click with him, and he'll have a real good senior year."
Depth-wise, running back is probably the strongest position offensively for the Minutemen. Senior Jim Pizano provides a dependable backup at tailback who can pop a big gain. His 96-yard touchdown at Rhode Island in 1996 ranks as the longest run from scrimmage in UMass history. True freshman Kevin Quinlan, the Boston Globe Player of the Year last season, should also compete for time.
"We have a lot of experience at running back, with four guys who have played and can do a lot of things," said Whipple. "One of Bankhead's assets is being accurate underneath, so we will try to take advantage of our running backs' ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. We'll have to be able to mix it up offensively, because I don't think we'll be dominant on the offensive line."
Tight End
Senior tight end Kerry Taylor should be a major factor in Whipple's offensive system. A preseason first-team All-Atlantic 10 pick by The Sporting News, he returns for his second season as the starting tight end after earning first-team All-ECAC and second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors last year. Taylor ranked third on the team in both receptions (22) and yards receiving (218), and led the squad in touchdown receptions (six) and points (36). Eight of his 26 career receptions entering his senior season have been good for touchdowns, an average of one touchdown every 3.25 catches.
"Kerry Taylor is the best tight end I've been around since I started coaching," admitted Whipple. "I've coached Paul Choquette at Brown (who earned first-team All-America honors and played in the Blue-Gray game in 1996), and Kerry is more athletic than Paul. The thing he can do is run well after the catch, so we need to get him in situations where we can take advantage of this."
Geoff Hauge, who makes the transition from defensive end to the offensive side of the ball, and true freshman Greg Ward will compete for time behind Taylor.
Wide Receiver
Things looked pretty glum at the wide receiver spot in early June. Doug Clark, the leading receiver on last year's team, decided to pursue an opportunity in professional baseball. It seemed Whipple's wide-open offense had just one receiver with any collegiate experience to throw the ball to in sophomore Steve Ley.
Although Ley figured to be the number one option for Bankhead downfield, he would need some company. But that's why colleges can recruit, so Whipple did. Along the way, he added eight receivers to his roster, six of whom will be eligible to compete for time in fall practice.
Tops on his list of newcomers will be senior Jimmy Moore, a transfer from SMU, and one of the fastest recruits in the nation in true freshman Adrian Zullo. Moore brings 26 games of experience at the I-A level, where he recorded 34 career catches for 442 yards with four touchdowns at SMU. He has potential to do big things at UMass, as evidenced by his career-high eight receptions for 89 yards at Wyoming during his sophomore year. Zullo just got finished winning the national high school championship in the 100 meters (10.43 seconds) earlier this summer. His speed becomes even more potent when he puts on a football uniform, he posted 20 receptions for 386 yards with nine touchdowns during his senior year in high school. The MVP of the Florida Class 5A state title game, he also averaged 24.2 yards per kickoff return as a senior.
"Steve Ley should end up being the all-time leading receiver here at UMass before he's done," said Whipple. "He has that kind of talent, plus he is so consistent. You kind of forget that he still has three years of eligibility left. The biggest thing he'll prove is that he is a little quicker than he looks when he runs.
"As far as the newcomers are concerned, we've added a lot of speed and play-making ability," continued Whipple. "It's going to take some time for them to get used to the system, but we feel we've got some guys who will be able to help us in the future."
Redshirt freshmen Eddie Bowman and Eric Bross, juco transfer Sean Higgins, along with true freshmen Kion Copeland and Jason Morgan will all battle for playing time when fall practice begins in early August.
Offensive Line
Three of the five starters on the offensive line return from last year in junior left tackle Cliff Bolden, junior left guard Mike Wynne and senior center Deyate Hagood. This trio will be joined by sophomore right guard Tyler Lauback and senior Mim Hill, who makes the move from defensive line to offense. The starting five bring a combined 29 career starts and 47 games played on the offensive line into the 1998 season.
Wynne and Hagood will be the cornerstones of this year's unit. An Academic All-America candidate who sports a 3.95 GPA in accounting, Wynne was the only offensive lineman to start in the same position (left guard) in all 11 games last season. Hagood enters his second year as the starting center and has fully recovered from a sprained left ankle which forced him to miss the last three games of the 1997 season.
Bolden, Lauback and Hill have all spent time on both sides of the ball during their careers at UMass. Bolden gained more consistency as last year went on, starting the last six games of the season at left tackle. Lauback was productive when he was on the field, paving the way for Marcel Shipp to rush for 289 yards in Lauback's three starts last year (James Madison, Rhode Island and Connecticut). Hill returns to the offensive unit for the first time since he played three games as a reserve lineman during his redshirt freshman year in 1995.
Behind the starting five, there are several individuals who should be ready to contribute. Juniors Scott Shearer and Brian Riley along with sophomore Joe Frawley all saw game action due to the rash of injuries on the line last season. Offensive line coach Dave Hoover is also excited about the future of two redshirt freshmen in Corey Mitchell and Bryah Gifford, while Maikel Miret may be able to step in as a true freshman after winning the Florida Class 6A state high school heavyweight wrestling title last spring.
"I think we're better than average here," said Whipple. "The places we have to improve probably the most are at offensive line and receiver in order to be a strong offensive team. To grasp the new offensive style is going to take time. The hard part is everybody is a freshman again, but the line did get better in the spring. It was real important to have those guys together during spring practice."
Linebacker
For the third consecutive season, the Minutemen enter the spring with one of the top linebacking units in the conference, if not the nation. Joining All-America candidate Khari Samuel in the starting trio will be junior Matt Dawson and sophomore Kole Ayi.
Khari Samuel returns for his senior season at middle linebacker as one of the top defensive players in I-AA. 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. Samuel ranked second on the team and third in the A-10 with 123 total tackles, earning first-team All-New England, second-team All-Atlantic 10 and second-team All-ECAC honors. He enters his senior season ranked fourth all-time at UMass in career solo tackles (215), fifth in career total tackles (335) and ninth in career sacks (16.0).
"Khari is a tremendous force," said Whipple. "He's big, physical, has made plays in the past and gives us great leadership. He and Marc Megna (Richmond) are probably the two best defensive players in the league. Khari can be one of the best players in the country, if not the best player. Nobody wins any individual awards when you go 2-9, so it comes back to being a team game. If we have success, then he will reap some of the benefits afterward."
Dawson returns for his second season as a starter, after ranking fourth on the team last year with 80 total tackles. Included in this total were 39 solo stops, eight tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups. Dawson reached the double-digit count in tackles on three occasions last season. Ayi saw action in all 11 games at linebacker and on special teams. He was tops among freshmen and tied for eighth on the team with 43 total tackles (29 solo), including a sack and two tackles-for-loss. Ayi had his best performance of the season vs. Hofstra, when he filled in for an injured Samuel (left game in second quarter) and posted a game-high 12 stops (10 solo) with one tackle-for-loss.
| What Opposing Coaches Say About Khari Samuel "Khari Samuel is as good a linebacker as there is in the country." "Khari Samuel is a dominating NFL-type football player. He's as good as it gets." "Khari Samuel is as good a defensive player as there is in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He makes big hits and big plays all over the football field." |
"This is our strongest position on defense," said Whipple. "If you'd like to be strong anywhere on the field nowadays, it's at linebacker. Matt Dawson is very cerebral and doesn't make any mental mistakes. He is always around the football and now has a year of starting experience at the strong side. Kole Ayi is very athletic and makes plays all over the field. Playing with Khari, those two guys will end up getting better in a hurry. When you see what it takes to be one of the premier players in the country, it makes you better."
Not only is the starting threesome outstanding, but there are three additional players who could step in and get some snaps. Junior Dan Healey made the transition from the offensive backfield to defense in the spring and really came on strong. Sophomore Compton Webster showed flashes of promise last year before a torn meniscus in his right knee sidelined him for the final four games of the season. He fully recovered in the offseason and is ready to go. Redshirt freshman Pete Cariello is an excellent athlete and big-time hitter.
Defensive Line
Junior Chris Price makes the move from linebacker to defensive end and will anchor the defensive front four. Whipple moved Price down to get faster on defense, and believes Price is someone who can run people down, rush the passer effectively and bring a lot of the intangibles to the UMass defense. Price has fully recovered from a sprained left ankle which forced him to miss most of spring practice.
Senior Jamil Thomas and junior Aaron Parker, who had an impressive spring camp, are the likely starters at defensive tackle, while sophomore Dan Schneider earns the nod at the end position opposite Price. The trio brings a combined 47 career games played between them into the 1998 season.
Staying healthy is the biggest concern at this spot, because UMass will need to rotate several players along the front. Gritty senior end Joe Abasciano, the squad's Special Teams Player of the Year in 1997, should get some snaps, especially in nickel situations. Redshirt freshmen Joe Romero and Joel Sarapin, along with juco transfer Pat Roskowick, could also break into the rotation.
"Our first priority on defense will be to stop the run," said Whipple. "I don't believe this is a throw-first league. We'd like to force our opponents into passing situations, so we will have to improve our run defense on first and second down from last year. Especially in our first two games (Delaware and Richmond), we need to put them in a position to have to throw in order to be successful defensively.
"We're still a little bit light in the rear up front and that is a concern," continued Whipple. "Our down linemen are not as big as we'd like to see them. Hopefully our linebackers, with Khari Samuel at 240 pounds in the middle, will help out some. I'm still concerned about somebody just taking the ball and pounding it at us. We'll probably find out right away from Delaware and Richmond, that's for sure."
Secondary
One of the areas targeted for major improvement this fall is the defensive backfield, where UMass ranked last in the A-10 in pass defense (257.6 passing ypg) in 1997. It will be a contrast between experience at the corner spots and youth at safety for the Minutemen this year.
The trio of seniors Mike Smith, Tehran Hunter and junior Jerard White should see the bulk of the playing time at cornerback. Smith is a big-time hitter and strong cover man who brings 11 career starts and 23 games played into the 1998 campaign. Hunter had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at Buffalo last season, while White's transition from strong safety gives the Minutemen better size and speed at the corner position.
Sophomore Brian Smith assumes the starting spot at strong safety, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Robinson gets the nod at free safety. Smith saw action in all 11 games last year, both as a reserve cornerback and on special teams. He registered 12 tackles on the season, highlighted by a career-high five stops (four solo) and one pass breakup vs. Connecticut. Robinson, who redshirted last year, was a standout at Nottingham (N.Y.) High School who combines good size and speed with cover skills.
"I think we'll play the pass better, just because our guys have seen it a lot more," said Whipple. "There is no doubt that when you see it more and more, you have a better understanding of passing concepts, understanding zone and man principles, working together and communication. The key will be learning to work as a unit. The three guys out there that have experience (Hunter, White and Smith) have to provide leadership and make some plays, because inside we are really young.
"We're looking for playmakers, guys who will make interceptions, knock the ball down and have a presence," continued Whipple. "We can't give up touchdown passes when we are trying to intercept the ball. We have to improve in this area from the year before, and I think the changes should help us."
Junior college transfer Johnny Jeffery should see some action at cornerback, while junior Dustin Reid and sophomore strong safety Bryan King are dependable reserves at their respective positions.
Special Teams
Andrew Maclay enters his final season with his sights set on becoming the top punter in school history. Last year, he broke the UMass single-season record for highest punting average (40.1), becoming the first player in school history to average over 40 yards per punt in a season.
Maclay, who will begin his fourth year as the starting punter, already owns seven UMass punting records. He also ranks second at UMass in career punting yards (8,293) and is tied for second in career punts (219). Last year, he finished fifth in the A-10 in punting, had six punts of over 50 yards on the season, and placed at least three punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line in five of the 11 games.
"I hope we won't have to see Andrew on the field as much this year," said Whipple of Maclay's 152 punts over the past two years. "He's a real good athlete, works hard and has experience. He can be a big weapon, whether we need to pin people down or kick the ball 40 yards per punt. Field position plays such a big part of the game, especially early in the year when teams aren't in sync."
Senior Matt Murphy begins the fall as the top placekicker. He has fully recovered from fracturing right (kicking) foot in February, which forced him to miss spring practice. Murphy has the ability to be a productive kicker, he just needs to develop more consistency. Maclay has the versatility to handle both the punting and placekicking duties, although Whipple would prefer if Maclay could stick to just punting. A trio of true freshmen, including Jason Cherry, Todd Dornlas and Bill Lovendale, will all try to attract some attention during fall drills.
Marcel Shipp and Jerard White should handle the bulk of the kickoff returns. Tehran Hunter begins his second season as the top punt returner, although Whipple may try to utilize a couple of the newcomers who have had success at this spot during their high school career. The holder spot is in good shape with Maclay performing that duty, while Khari Samuel will serve as the long snapper and Scott Shearer will handle the short snaps.
Closing Thoughts
For Mark Whipple, 1998 is an excellent opportunity to start the rebuilding process at the University of Massachusetts. Improvement will be the recurring motif throughout the year.
"Improvement is black and white," said Whipple. "We were last in offense, last in defense and last in the league last year. We don't expect to be that this year. We're trying to go from last to first. It's not going to happen in one week when we play Delaware. We just have to look at one game at a time, one day at a time and try to get better. I think our kids took that approach in the spring. Now it's time to go out and execute."
Although the Minutemen face a difficult task when they open the season at Delaware on a Thursday night, the schedule-makers may have done UMass a favor this year. By playing just one league game (at Richmond) during the first five weeks of the season (three non-conference games, including Delaware which does not count in the A-10 standings, and one idle week), the slate does allow Whipple some extra time to let his players become more familiar with the offense before conference play heats up. As far as kicking off his UMass coaching career with his first game at Delaware, Whipple prefers to look at the big picture.
"I think opening the year at Delaware is the best opener we could have," said Whipple. "I'd like to find out where we stand early on, and this will definitely give us a good indication. This is about building a program. Year in and year out they are one of the top programs in the nation. Until you compete against the best, you're not going to know. We will find out exactly what we have on September 3rd."
Starting over has become almost old hat to Whipple. This marks the fourth time he is putting in a new offense, and the third time he has been entrusted to take a program to a new level. He loves watching these programs turn into winners.
"The fun part of rebuilding for me is winning," said Whipple. "We've got a long ways to go. To be consistent week in and week out is the toughest thing. We do have enough talent and with the way our schedule falls, we can certainly win our league and host a playoff game. If things fall right, guys do the things they need to do and we get some help from some of our newcomers as we go on, we can make that happen."