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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Florida International
Football Returns to McGuirk With FIU Saturday
September 12, 2016 | Football
Minutemen host first on-campus game of the season at 3:30 p.m.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes | |
| Game Three | Massachusetts (0-2) vs. FIU (0-2) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, Sept. 17 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | McGuirk Alumni Stadium; Amherst, Mass. | Gameday Central Gameday A-Z | Traffic/Parking | Tailgating Policies |
| Series History | Massachusetts leads, 1-0. Last: UMass 24, FIU 14; Oct. 3, 2015 |
| Live Statistics | Sidearm Sports |
| Watch Live | NESNnational | NESNplus | ESPN3 |
| Listen (Radio) | 560 AM WHYN (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) |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | FIU |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | FIU |
| @UMassFootball | @CoachWhipUMass| @UMassAthletics | |
| UMass Football | UMass Athletics | |
The Massachusetts-FIU Scouting Report
University of Massachusetts football returns to campus with a Sat., Sept. 17 contest against Florida International University (FIU), broadcast on NESNnational and NESNplus.
The game is the second in the series between the Minutemen and Golden Panthers. UMass previously bested FIU, 24-14 in its first McGuirk Alumni Stadium game of the 2015 season (Oct. 3).
Now-Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe set the UMass record for receptions in a game (15) during the win over the Panthers. Joe Colton and John Robinson-Woodgett led the defensive effort, which kept FIU to just 3.0 yards per play. Robinson-Woodgett had a team-high nine tackles, including a nine-yard sack while Colton added eight stops, including a pair of TFLs.
A host of newcomers and young Minutemen impacted the strong showing at No. 25 Florida as Massachusetts played 10 first-time starters on offense and defense combined. The Maroon and White will continue to rely on their underclassmen as the team features one of the smallest senior classes in the nation. UMass 13 seniors or graduate students on the roster in 2016, tied for the fourth-fewest among FBS schools nationally.
Quick Snaps
- Sports four Minutemen splitting six national award watch list entries entering the 2016 season, including linebacker Shane Huber (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award), punter/kicker Logan Laurent (Ray Guy Award), tight end Todd Stafford (John Mackey Award) and running back Marquis Young (Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award).
- Plays FIU for the second time in program history and second at McGuirk Alumni Stadium including the 2015 meeting. UMass won the inaugural contest, 24-14 on Oct. 3, 2015.
- Does not have permanent team captains in 2016 and will use game captains throughout the season. A list of game captains is available on page 13 of the notes.
- Head coach Mark Whipple entered the 2016 season with 55 wins at the helm of the program, the second-most in UMass history behind only Vic Fusia (1961-70), who posted 59.
- Head coach Mark Whipple led the Minutemen into his 100th game as head coach when the team faced No. 25 Florida in the 2016 season-opener.
- Running back Marquis Young ran for 960 yards as a true-freshmen in 2015, the most yards for a UMass freshman since Steve Baylark (1,177; 2003).
- Running back Marquis Young put up 240 rushing yards and three touchdowns at Buffalo on Nov. 27, 2015. It was the 10th-most yards in on game in UMass football history and marked the second-most rushing touchdowns in a single-game in the team's FBS era.
- Freshman James Allen collected 785 kickoff return yards in 2015, the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
- Running back Marquis Young averaged 6.32 yards per carry as a freshman in 2015 with 960 yards on 152 attempts. It marked the 10th-most yards per carry in team history and the third-highest average by a running back with at least 150 carries.
- Return specialist James Allen posted 238 kick return yards - including a 97-yard touchdown - at Bowling Green on Oct. 10, 2015. It went down as the second-most in one game in UMass football history and the most notched by one player in a contest across FBS during 2015.
- Rookie standout James Allen reeled off a 97-yard kick return touchdown at Bowling Green on Oct. 10, 2015. It went as the seventh-longest kick return in program history.
- Kicker Logan Laurent booted a 48-yard field goal during the win over FIU on Oct. 3, 2015, tied for the fourth-longest conversion in UMass football history.
- Punter Logan Laurent averages 42.6 yards per attempt over 82 career punts, the longest distance averaged by a Minuteman with at least 50 punts in program history. Of those 82 attempts, 63 came during the 2015 season when Laurent was a redshirt sophomore.
- Safety Khary Bailey-Smith is the returning leading tackler with 170 career stops, including a career-best 62 over 12 games in 2014. Bailey-Smith opened 2015 with 21 stops in the first two games before he suffered a season-ending injury against Temple. A do-it-all performer, Bailey-Smith also owns 15 passes defended, eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and a pair of kickoff return touchdowns.
- Alumnus Tajae Sharpe became the highest-drafted Minuteman of the FBS era when he was taken 140th overall (fifth round, first selection) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft.
- Wide receiver Shakur Nesmith posted a career-best three touchdowns, 204 receiving yards and 15 catches as a redshirt sophomore in 2015.
- Wide receiver Jalen Williams returns to the lineup after he redshirted the 2015 season. Williams was an impact player in 2014 with four touchdowns, 307 receiving yards and 20 grabs in 11 games played.
- Rushed for 330 yards at Eastern Michigan on Nov. 7, 2015. It marked the first 300+ yard performance for the team since Oct. 9, 1999 against Northeastern.
- Limited FIU to 188 total offensive yards on Oct. 3, 2015, the lowest output by an opponent since the Minuteman defense held Northeastern to 145 on Nov. 7, 2009.
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 needed only 165 career carries to go over the 1,000-yard mark, an average of 6.07 yards per carry.
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 QB's New Best Friend At Tight End
Redshirt junior tight end Adam Breneman broke out against the Boston College defense with 69 receiving yards and a touchdown on three receptions.
He produced a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception in the first quarter - the first TD catch of the season for the Minutemen and longest since tight end Jean Sifrin rumbled for a 76-yard score against Toledo on Oct. 25, 2014.
Breneman entered the season with 186 career receiving yards on 15 receptions (three touchdowns) as a member of the Penn State football program from 2013-15.
ILB With The INT
Inside linebacker Shane Huber picked off Boston College quarterback Patrick Towles during the second quarter of the #BattleoftheBayState, Huber's first career interception as a Minuteman. He is now one of two active linebackers with an interception on the squad, including Da'Sean Downey, who hauled one in during the win over Buffalo on Nov. 27, 2015.
Tedrick The Tackler
Junior college transfer Tedrick Lowery notched 11 tackles in his UMass debut at No. 25 Florida. It was the most by a single player on either team. He had three solo stops and eight assisted takedowns.
Deploying The Fourth Down Football Mortar
In his second season as the punter, Logan Laurent already ranks among the best specialists in UMass football history with the career punt average and single-game punt yard records.
Over 82 career punts entering play against FIU, Laurent averages 42.62 yards per attempt. Brett Arnold ranks second at 41.35 yards per attempt (97-4011; 2007-08).
Laurent's most active day came in the #BattleoftheBayState against Boston College with 12 punts covering a program-record 547 yards (45.6 per attempt). Laurent dropped four of his punts inside the Eagles' 20 yard line while four traveled at least 50 yards.
Speedster Down The Sideline
Sophomore wide receiver Andy Isabella reeled in a 53-yard catch-and-run play down the Florida sideline at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It set a career long for Isabella, who entered the game with eight career receiving yards.
Isabella finished with three receptions for 95 yards at Florida, the most receiving yards for one player on either team. It reset his single-game bests for receptions and receiving yards.
First Time In The First Play
UMass featured 10 first-time starters on offense and defense at No. 25 Florida. This total does not include tight end Adam Breneman, who made his first start as a Minuteman but previously started for the Penn State program.
On offense, the new starters included Ross Comis (QB), Marquis Young (RB), Jack Driscoll (OL), Jake Largay (OL) and Raquan Thomas (OL).
On defense, Ali Ali-Musa (DL), Steve Casali (LB), Tedrick Lowery (LB), James Allen (CB) and Lee Moses (SS) marked the first-time starters.
Fresh Recruits Called Into Action
Seventeen members of the UMass football program made their first appearances as Minutemen during the 2016 season-opener at No. 25 Florida. These 17 include Ali Ali-Musa, Bilal Ally, James Bowe Jr., Adam Breneman, Colbert Calhoun, Jack Driscoll, Derek Dumais, Andrew Ford, Malik Lee, Tedrick Lowery, Brandon Mangram, Martin Mangram, Sadiq Palmer, Mario Patton, Travis Reynolds, Isaiah Rodgers and Raquan Thomas.
Five more Minutemen made their first appearances against Boston College: Leon Flanagan Jr., D'Shan Harley, Roderick Jones Jr., Bakhari Goodson and Tyshaun Ingram.
