University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Hit the Road to Old Dominion
October 03, 2016 | Football
Football heads to Virginia for Sat., Oct. 8 night game
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes | |
| Game Six | Massachusetts (1-4) at Old Dominion (3-2) |
| Date | Time | Friday, Oct. 7 | 8 p.m. |
| Location | S.B. Ballard Stadium; Norfolk, Va. | Directions | Football Fan Guide Gameday Parking | Stadium Seating Chart |
| Series History | Old Dominion leads, 1-0. Last: Old Dominion 48, Massachusetts 33; Oct. 1, 2011 |
| Live Statistics | Available on gameday |
| Watch Live | C-USA TV (Subscription Required) |
| Listen (Radio) | 105.5 FM WEEI (Western Massachusetts; joined in progress), 830 AM WCRN (Worcester) 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore; joined in progress), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Manchester, Providence) |
| Listen (Online) | WEEI Streaming Player | TuneIn App (mobile devices) |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Old Dominion | Conference USA |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | Old Dominion |
| @UMassFootball | @CoachWhipUMass | @UMassAthletics | |
| UMass Football | UMass Athletics | |
| Tickets | UMass Ticket Central |
Minutemen Hit The Road To Old Dominion
University of Massachusetts football takes to the road for the first time since the opening week of the season with a trip South to Norfolk, Virginia, to face Old Dominion University for a Fri., Oct. 7 contest at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. on C-USA TV. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the game was moved up to Friday due to the approach of Hurricane Matthew.
The teams have only met once prior, a NCAA Division I-AA contest on Oct. 1, 2011 at Old Dominion. The Minutemen fell 48-33 to the Monarchs in the contest, which featured back-and-forth scoring runs by both sides. ODU opened with 25 consecutive points before Massachusetts rallied back with 26-straight to pull in front, 26-25, approaching the end of the third quarter. However, Old Dominion responded with three straight touchdowns and a safety to go up, 48-26. The Maroon and White scored once more late in the fourth but could not complete the comeback.
Massachusetts and Old Dominion represent two of the youngest teams in the nation. Both squads have 13-member senior classes (including graduate students), tied for the fourth-smallest across the nation. As a result, 28 Minutemen made their first appearance over the opening five games while 25 Monarchs have done the same this season.
Off To The Races
Marquis Young needed only 13 career games to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark. A sophomore, Young hit the four-digit mark during play at No. 25 Florida with his 13th rushing attempt of the game. Young used 165 career carries to go over the 1,000-yard mark, an average of 6.07 yards per attempt.
He is the first UMass running back to eclipse 1,000 career rushing yards during the FBS era. Only two Minuteman freshmen accumulated better first seasons with the team: Steve Baylark (1,177 yards; 2003) and R.J. Cobbs (1,067 yards; 2002).
The Cedar Cliff Connection
UMass quarterback Andrew Ford and tight end Adam Breneman played together previously as members of the Cedar Cliff High School football program in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Ford made his first start for the Minutemen against FIU and targeted Breneman throughout the game, resulting in 10 receptions, 77 yards and one touchdown for the 6-foot-4 tight end. Six of those completions to Breneman went for first downs. Breneman and Ford connected six times against Mississippi State for 79 yards, making Breneman the most targeted receiver by Ford through two games.
Breneman is the all-time leading receiver in Cedar Cliff history and all-time leading tight end in Pennsylvania high school history (in all receiving categories).
Ford was the 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year, football's Mr. Pennsylvania and an Elite 11 QB as a senior. He set Cedar Cliff records in passing yards, touchdowns thrown and completion percentage.
Running Right Into The Record Book
Marquis Young has twice rushed for an 83-yard touchdown, doing so at No. 6 Notre Dame on Sept. 26, 2015 and again on Sept. 24, 2016 versus Mississippi State. Those rushing attempts tie Young for 10th all-time on the longest run from scrimmage by a Minuteman and make him one of only two UMass football players to appear twice on the list (Frank Alessio, 84 yards, twice, tied-sixth).
The Camera Adds Six Points
Bernard Davis caught a toe-drag touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State that was initially ruled to be incomplete due to Davis landing out of bounds. Following an official's review of the play, Davis was credited with the 19-yard score as replays showed Davis landed his left foot inches in-bounds before he and the Bulldogs' defender landed on the sideline.
It was Davis' second career touchdown pass and first since Sept. 25, 2013 against Maine. His previous touchdown also came at Gillette Stadium in the South endzone.
ESPN Top-10 Love For Williams
Jalen Williams' 31-yard juggling touchdown catch through the defense of two Mississippi State players while falling to the ground was tabbed the ESPN No. 4 Play of the Day on the night of Sat., Sept. 24. It was Williams' first of two touchdown receptions against the Bulldogs.
Making Sure The First Time Is Memorable
Sadiq Palmer's first collegiate reception went for a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State. In 2016, Palmer is one of 19 players (11 wide receivers, five tight ends, one fullback, one running back, one quarterback) who had their first career catch go for six points. He is one of only four freshmen to do so.
Two With Two
UMass produced back-to-back games with multi-touchdown receivers against Mississippi State (9/24) and Tulane (10/1). Jalen Williams had two on three catches versus the Bulldogs before Andy Isabella scored on a pair of 12-yard receptions against the Green Wave.
The last time a pair of Minutemen had two or more touchdowns in back-to-back games was in 2014 when Jean Sifrin caught two TDs at Colorado (Sept. 6) before Rodney Milles scored twice against Vanderbilt (Sept. 13).
Depend On The Tight End
Tight end Adam Breneman caught 10 passes against FIU covering 77 yards and one touchdown. It is the most receptions by a UMass tight end since Rob Blanchflower caught 10 ball for 100 yards and one score versus Central Michigan on Nov. 23, 2012.
In the last four games, Breneman owns 23 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns. It is the most receptions in that span and tied for the most yards with Andy Isabella (21 catches).
Forcing The Issue
Junior Ali Ali-Musa owns two forced fumbles in his first season as a Minuteman. Junior Da'Sean Downey has three in his five games played this year, his third year with the team. They represent all of Downey's forced fumbles as a Minuteman.
Ali-Musa's first was on running back Lamical Perine at No. 25 Florida. The second came against FIU when he ended the Golden Panthers' final drive with a forced fumble on quarterback Alex McGough.
Downey collected one each against No. 25 Florida (QB Luke Del Rio), FIU (QB Alex McGough) and Mississippi State (QB Nick Fitzgerald).
Knock 'Em Downey
Linebacker Da'Sean Downey had a pair of sacks covering 18 yards lost against FIU. It made him the first Minuteman with multiple sacks in one contest since Kassan Messiah (2.0-14) at Bowling Green on Oct. 10, 2015. The last Minuteman with more sack yards in a single contest was Michael Hanson (2.0-23) at William & Mary on Oct. 27, 2007.
Downey's 4.0 sacks in 2016 tie him with Justin Anderson (4.0-20; 2013) for the most in one season by a Minuteman during the FBS era.
The Grizzled Veteran
Redshirt senior Khary Bailey-Smith is the only Minuteman with appearances in each of the team's five FBS seasons (2012-present). Three additional members of the squad were true freshmen during the inaugural year at the FBS level in Bernard Davis, Vondell Langston and John Robinson-Woodgett. Bailey-Smith made two appearances in 2015 before suffering a season-ending injury that allowed him to redshirt. Davis, Langston and Robinson-Woodgett each redshirted one year without seeing time during it.
