Sept. 16, 2002

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Game Day Quick Facts
The Teams: UMass (2-0, 0-0 A-10) vs. Northeastern (2-0, 0-0 A-10)
Date: September 21, 2001
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Place: Parsons Field (7,000), Brookline, Mass.
UMass Radio Network: Bob Behler, play-by-play; Bob Pickett, color; WRNX 100.9 FM, Holyoke, flagship
UMass Student Radio: WMUA 91.1 FM, Amherst
Huskies Radio Network: Rob Rudnick, play-by-play; Bruce Ryder, color; WJIB 740 AM, Cambridge, flagship
Series Record: UMass leads, 23-7-1
Last Meeting: UMass 17, Northeastern 10 (Nov. 3, 2001, Amherst, Mass.)

THE SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN: UMass holds a 23-7-1 lead in the all-time series with the Huskies, with the Minutemen winning the last 16 games between the schools. Northeastern has not defeated UMass since Nov. 19, 1983, when it posted a 31-14 victory at Parsons Field. Even though the Minutemen have dominated the series in recent years, a number of the games have been close. In the last 16 meetings between UMass and Northeastern, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less 11 times. The Minutemen hold a 10-4-1 advantage for games played in Brookline, all of which have been at Parsons Field. UMass' Mark Whipple is 3-0 all-time against the Huskies, while Northeastern's Don Brown is 0-2 against the Minutemen. (A complete breakdown of the series between UMass and Northeastern can be found on page 105 of the UMass football media guide, while scores from each meeting are located on page 116.)

THE STREAK: With its 16 straight victories against Northeastern, UMass has one of the longest streaks in Division I-AA of consecutive victories over an opponent in a series. There are only two other current streaks in the nation which are longer than UMass' run of 16 straight wins over the Huskies. Grambling State has defeated Prairie View A&M 25 straight years dating back to the 1977 season, while Western Illinois has downed Southern Illinois 18 times in a row since 1984. The NCAA record for most consecutive wins over an opponent in a series is 46, set by Yale against Wesleyan from 1875-1913.

UMASS HAS TWO 100-YARD RUSHERS AGAIN: For the second time in as many games, the Minutemen had a pair of 100-yard rushers against American International College. Redshirt freshman tailback R.J. Cobbs (Parsippany Hills, N.J.) led the way in his first game in a UMass uniform, rushing 23 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt freshman tailback Raunny Rosario (Lowell, Mass.) also had a big game, carrying 14 times for 104 yards and a score. The previous week against Central Connecticut State, sophomore tailback Jason Peebler (Modesto, Calif.) and Rosario gave the Minutemen a pair of 100-yard rushers. Peebler led the team with 126 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while also catching a nine-yard touchdown pass, and was named the Dinn Brothers UMass Athlete of the Week. Rosario chipped in with 116 yards and a score on 12 carries, to go along with two receptions for 15 yards, and was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week. The last time UMass had two 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games came during the 1994 season, when Rene Ingoglia and Frank Alessio accomplished the feat. In a 32-0 victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 17, Ingoglia rushed 30 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns, while Alessio added 15 carries for 109 yards and two scores. The following week, in a 20-14 home victory over Maine on Sept. 24, Ingoglia had 26 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Alessio chipped in with 24 rushes for 115 yards and a score.

MINUTEMEN LOOK TO START SEASON 3-0: With victories over Central Connecticut State and American International College, UMass has opened a year with two straight wins for the first time since the 1986 season. In 1986, UMass won its first four games before falling to Delaware in week five. The school record for most consecutive victories to begin a season is held by the 1975 squad, which opened the year with eight straight wins before finishing 8-2.

SACKING THE OPPOSITION: The UMass defense has put a good deal of pressure on opposing quarterbacks so far this season. In two games, the Minutemen have totaled 15 sacks for 89 yards. During last week's victory over American International College, UMass tied the school single-game record for sacks with 11 for 73 yards. The record was originally set by the 1995 Minutemen, who had 11 sacks for 88 yards in a 33-9 victory at Buffalo. The 2002 defense has been well balanced in putting pressure on the opposing quarterback, as three different Minutemen have recorded at least four sacks so far this season.

BROWER CONTINUES TO SHINE: Junior All-American Valdamar Brower (Florence, Mass.) looks to once again be among the nation's premier defensive linemen in 2002, after emerging as one of the biggest bright spots for the UMass defense last season. Brower had an outstanding game against American International College, totaling four sacks for 23 yards among his six total tackles. On the season, he now has 11 tackles, four sacks, two pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries. In 2001, Brower led the team and the Atlantic 10 with 10 sacks for 70 yards, to go along with 57 total tackles and 24 tackles for loss. He finished the season ranked second nationally in Division I-AA in tackles for loss, while standing fifth in sacks. Brower's top game last year came against Rhode Island, when he totaled 10 tackles, with a career-high six tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. Following the conclusion of the season, he received All-America honors from The Sports Network, the Associated Press, and Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette. In 2000, Brower led all UMass defensive linemen with 57 total tackles, while also recording five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Brower now has a career total of 125 tackles, including 19 sacks and 39 tackles for loss.

QUICK STRIKES: During the first two games of the season, the UMass offense has made a habit of putting points on the board quickly. On their 13 touchdown drives so far in 2002, the Minutemen have scored in two minutes or less 11 times. On those 13 drives, UMass has averaged 6.0 plays, 54.7 yards and 1:50 time of possession. The Minutemen have scored on single-play drives twice this year, with a six-second drive against American International College and a seven-second drive against Central Connecticut State. The longest touchdown drive of the season was a 17-play, 92-yard march in the fourth quarter of the AIC game, which took 6:07 off the clock.

WHIPPLE ENTERS WEEK WITH 105 WINS: Now in his fifth season as head coach of the Minutemen, Mark Whipple has 105 victories in his collegiate coaching career. Whipple owns a career record of 105-52 (.669) in 15 years as a collegiate head coach, including five seasons at UMass (33-19 / 1998-present), four years at Brown (24-16 / 1994-97) and six seasons at New Haven (48-17 / 1988-93). He is currently tied for sixth place on the all-time list for UMass coaching victories, and needs only four more wins to take over sole possession of third place. In 2000, Whipple became the first Minuteman coach in 20 years to lead his team to three consecutive winning seasons. The last UMass coach to accomplish the feat was Bob Pickett, who led the Minutemen to four straight winning years from 1978-1981. Whipple was the fastest coach in school history to record 20 victories, picking up the 20th win of his UMass career against Connecticut in 1999. He needed only 26 games to reach the 20-win mark. Previously, Mike Hodges held the record for fewest games needed to reach 20 wins, going 20-7 in his first 27 games as UMass head coach. Whipple also became the first coach in school history to win 20 games in his first two seasons.

ZULLO HAS ANOTHER BIG DAY: After not playing since October of 2000 due to injury, senior wide receiver Adrian Zullo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) has been outstanding so far in 2002. He made his return a successful one against Central Connecticut State, leading the team with six receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown, while also opening the game with a career-long 59-yard kickoff return. Zullo then had a team-best seven catches for 93 yards against American International College, while totaling 110 all-purpose yards. He has now posted 100-plus all-purpose yards 16 times during his collegiate career, including both games this season. In 2000, Zullo totaled 25 receptions for 398 yards and six touchdowns, despite only playing in the first five games of the season. That came on the heels of a 1999 campaign in which he caught 81 passes for 1,253 yards and nine scores, while averaging a school single season record 15.6 yards every time he touched the ball. As a freshman in 1998, Zullo was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year, after catching 29 passes for 479 yards and eight scores. Zullo has caught at least one pass in each of his last 21 games and has multiple receptions in 27 of 34 career contests. He already holds a number of UMass records, including career marks for both receptions and receiving yards. Here is a look at every school record currently held by Zullo:

Single Game Receptions                  11 (vs. Villanova & Richmond, 1999)
Single Game Receiving Yards             210 (vs. Richmond, 1999)
Single Game Receiving Touchdowns        4 (vs. UNH, 1999)
Single Season All-Purpose Yards / Play  15.6 (1999)
Career Receptions                       148 (1998-present)
Career Receiving Yards                  2,319 (1998-present)
Career Receiving Touchdowns             24 (1998-present)

MINUTEMEN BRING IN ACADEMIC HONORS: Five members of the UMass team were honored last season for their work both on the field and in the classroom. Junior linebacker Jeremy Cain (Tamarac, Fla.), departed tight end Eddie Campbell, departed quarterback Matt Guice, junior linebacker Mark Kimener (Oakton, Va.) and senior placekicker Doug White (Claremont, Calif.) were all selected to the 2001 Academic All-Atlantic 10 Conference team, with both Cain and White being named to the squad for the second consecutive year. This season, look for White and senior wide receiver Neal Brown (Danville, Ky.) to be top candidates for Academic All-America honors. Both Brown and White currently carry cumulative grade point averages of 3.70 in the School of Management.

THE LAST MEETING - UMASS 17, NU 10 (11/3/01): Omari Howard rushed 15 times for a career-high 100 yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown with less than six minutes remaining, as the Minutemen posted a 17-10 victory over Northeastern at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. UMass' victory was its 16th straight over the Huskies, the third-longest active winning streak in Division I-AA. The game was a defensive struggle for most of the first half, with Northeastern breaking a scoreless tie on a Colin Gaynor field goal late in the second quarter. The Minutemen tied the score on a Doug White field goal early in the third period, before the Huskies regained the lead on an interception return by Art Smith. But UMass did not give up, and tied the score once again on a 60-yard pass from Matt Guice to DeShon Hardy on the final play of the third quarter. The Minutemen claimed their first lead of the day on Howard's touchdown run, then held off a late Northeastern drive in the closing minutes. The Huskies advanced all the way to the UMass five-yard line, before quarterback Shawn Brady was sacked by Valdamar Brower. On fourth and goal from the 15-yard line, Leroy Brooks broke up a pass in the end zone to clinch the victory. Guice completed 13 of 29 passes on the day for 209 yards and a score, while Hardy caught three passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. L.J. McKanas provided most of the Northeastern offense, rushing for 242 yards on 36 carries, but Brady completed only six of 19 passes for 58 yards with one interception. Mike Haynes led the UMass defense with 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss, a sack and forced fumble, while Brower added eight tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Adam Walter had 10 tackles to lead the Huskies, while Smith intercepted a pair of passes.

KROHN TAKES OVER AT QUARTERBACK: Junior Jeff Krohn (Phoenix, Ariz.) has had two solid performances since taking over as UMass' starting quarterback this season. In his debut against Central Connecticut State, he completed 15 of 30 passes for 198 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Krohn then threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns against American International College, hitting on 20 of 33 attempts. For the season, he has completed 35 of 63 passes for 491 yards with six touchdowns and only two interceptions. Krohn, who transferred to UMass from Arizona State University in January, came to the Minutemen after leading the Pacific-10 Conference in passing efficiency last season. He started nine games for the Sun Devils in 2001, completing 115 of 213 passes for 1,942 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Krohn also started nine games for Arizona State during the 2000 season, completing 125 of 254 passes for 1,751 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions. Over the course of his Arizona State career, Krohn completed 240 of 467 passes for 3,693 yards and 31 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.

CAIN A DEFENSIVE LEADER: Junior linebacker Jeremy Cain has started the 2002 season with two outstanding games. He led the team with 16 tackles in the season opener against Central Connecticut State, including one sack. Cain then had nine total tackles against American International College, including three sacks and five tackles for loss, and was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week. For the season, he leads the team with 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks. Cain, who moved to an outside linebacker spot this year, ranked third on the team with 78 total tackles last season, and stood third on the squad with 11 tackles for loss. This came despite missing nearly four entire games due to injury. Against Richmond in the 2001 season finale, Cain led the team with a career-high 17 total tackles, including 12 solo stops. In 2000, Cain played in all 11 games and recorded 45 total tackles as the first linebacker off the bench. For his career, he now has 148 total tackles, including 98 solo stops and 19 tackles for loss.

POTTER STARTS SENIOR SEASON STRONG: Senior linebacker Corey Potter (Doylestown, Pa.) is off to an outstanding start in his final season in a UMass uniform. He tied for the team lead with nine total tackles against American International College, with an interception, a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Potter also played well against Central Connecticut State in the season opener, making eight tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack. Last season, he ranked fifth on the team with 68 total tackles, to go along with six tackles for loss, an interception, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. Over the course of his UMass career, Potter has now recorded 180 total tackles, with seven sacks, 23 tackles for loss, four interceptions and seven pass breakups.

SANGER IS A WEAPON: Senior All-American David Sanger (Cocoa Beach, Fla.), who has already established himself as one of the top punters in school history, looks to have another outstanding season in 2002. Through two games, he has averaged 35.4 yards on five punts, with two kicks inside the 20-yard line and no punts being returned. During the 2001 season, he punted 68 times for 2,812 yards (41.4 average), with 20 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and ranked second in the Atlantic 10 and 13th nationally in punting average. He also had UMass ranked seventh nationally and second in the Atlantic 10 in net punting average last year. In 2000, Sanger punted 38 times, landing 14 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He also averaged 39.4 yards per punt, helping UMass to an Atlantic 10-best (and sixth in Division I-AA) net average of 36.8 yards per punt. Over the course of his UMass career, Sanger has now punted 173 times for 7,001 yards, and his average of 40.5 yards per punt ranks as the best in school history. Fifty-five of his 173 career punts have pinned opponents inside the 20.

HARDY MAKES CATCHES COUNT: Senior wide receiver and punt returner DeShon Hardy (Neptune, N.J.) continues to be a top receiving threat for UMass in 2002. Although he only has four receptions for 41 yards in two games this season, three of his four catches have been for touchdowns. Hardy caught touchdown passes of nine and 18 yards against Central Connecticut State, then had a seven-yard scoring catch against American International College. He is also the top punt returner for the Minutemen, bringing back five punts for 58 yards (11.6 yard average). In 2001, Hardy led the team in receiving with 47 catches for 692 yards and three scores, while being named the team's offensive MVP. He caught at least two passes in every game last season, while leading the team in receptions six times and in receiving yards seven times. Hardy has now caught at least one pass in 18 straight games and 23 of his last 24 contests. For his career, Hardy has 81 catches for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns, to go along with 76 punt returns for 592 yards. He is UMass' all-time leader in career punt returns, while ranking fourth in career punt return yards, seventh in career receiving yards and ninth in career receptions.

BROWN BECOMING A TOP RECEIVING THREAT: Senior wide receiver Neal Brown turned into one of the top wide outs for the Minutemen last season, and looks to continue his success in 2002 as a third starting wide receiver or as the first man off the bench. Against American International College last week, he had four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. In 2001, Brown caught at least one pass in every game and ranked second on the team with 37 receptions for 414 yards and two scores. He led the team or tied for the team lead in receptions for a stretch of five straight games, including a nine-catch, 118-yard game against New Hampshire in which he set career-highs for both receptions and receiving yards. Brown is now in his second season with the Minutemen, after transferring to UMass from the University of Kentucky in August of 2001. During his two seasons with the Wildcats, Brown caught 10 passes for 48 yards, including a two-yard touchdown pass at South Carolina in 2000.

WHITE ENJOYS CONSISTENT SUCCESS: Senior placekicker Doug White has been remarkably consistent for the Minutemen over the course of his career. He opened the season by scoring a career-high 10 points in the victory over Central Connecticut State, making all seven of his extra points and his only field goal attempt (from 21 yards). White then added a 36-yard field goal and three extra points against American International College. For the year, White has now scored 16 points, making both of his field goal attempts and 10 of 13 extra points. In 2001, he hit on seven of 11 field goal attempts and made 19 of 23 extra points, to lead the team in scoring with 40 points. In the 2001 victory over Northeastern, White also connected on a career-long 41-yard field goal. During the 2000 season, he connected on 10 of 11 field goal attempts, with his only miss being a 47-yarder against New Hampshire which was blocked, and ranked second on the team in scoring with 46 points. Over the course of his career, he has now hit 21 of 27 field goals and 68 of 77 extra points for a total of 131 points. White ranks fourth all-time at UMass in field goals made, and third in both extra points made and points scored among kickers.

UMASS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Minutemen will face their first ranked opponent of the 2002 season when they travel to Northeastern this week. UMass faced four ranked opponents during the 2001 season, defeating No. 15 Rhode Island 24-7, and falling 35-7 at No. 23 Delaware, 36-6 at No. 12 Hofstra and 37-7 at No. 20 Maine. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass now stands 10-11 against ranked opponents. UMass concluded the 2000 season with a 1-2 record against ranked opponents, downing No. 23 Villanova 38-17, and falling to No. 4 Delaware 31-19 and No. 10 Hofstra 51-36. The Minutemen posted an overall mark of 2-3 against ranked opponents in 1999, after going 6-3 against ranked teams in 1998. UMass' six victories over ranked opponents in 1998 set a school single season record.

MCGUIRK MAGIC: Since Mark Whipple took over as the head coach of the Minutemen prior to the start of the 1998 season, UMass has been tough to beat in the friendly confines of McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Minutemen have gone 19-7 (.731) at home from 1998 to present, improving their all-time record at McGuirk to 127-68-2 (.650). Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home record of 40-20 (.667) during that span. The Minutemen also have a mark of 13-4 at McGuirk Stadium against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents under Whipple.

MINUTEMEN NEAR TOP OF NCAA STAT LEADERS: Eight Minutemen are currently ranked among the NCAA Division I-AA statistical leaders, through games of Sept. 14. As a team, UMass currently stands second in the nation in both total offense and scoring offense. The rankings:

Category         NCAA Rank  Player/Team   No./Avg.
Total Offense            2  UMass            532.0
                        14  Jeff Krohn       253.5
Scoring                  2  UMass             47.0
                        27  Jason Peebler      9.0
                        27  DeShon Hardy       9.0
Rushing Defense          6  UMass             53.0
Points Responsible For   6  Jeff Krohn        18.0
Interceptions            6  Shannon James      1.0
                        37  Corey Potter       0.5
Scoring Defense          7  UMass              8.0
Rushing Yards            7  UMass            273.0
                        16  Raunny Rosario   110.5
Kickoff Returns          8  UMass             27.0
Completions             14  Jeff Krohn        17.5
Receptions              14  Adrian Zullo       6.5
Receiving Yards         14  Adrian Zullo      94.5
Passing Yards           15  UMass            259.0
Pass Efficiency         16  UMass            148.2
                        16  Jeff Krohn       146.1
All-Purpose Yards       21  Adrian Zullo     140.0
                        47  Raunny Rosario   124.5
Field Goals             26  Doug White         1.0
Punt Returns            35  DeShon Hardy      11.6

MINUTEMEN LOOKING TO GO OVER .500 ALL-TIME: This fall, UMass has a chance to put its all-time record over the .500 mark. The Minutemen enter this week's game with an all-time record of 481-484-51. The last time UMass had an overall record of better than .500 came following a 17-10 victory over Williston Academy on Oct. 8, 1887, which made its all-time record 11-10-3. In fact, UMass was once 87 games under .500 (218-305-46) in its all-time record, following a 20-6 loss to Boston University of Oct. 31, 1959. Since that date, the Minutemen have posted an impressive 263-179-5 (.594) record to close in on the .500 mark. (Thanks to Eric Gemunder of the I-AA College Football Weekly Preview for his input on this note.)

MINUTEMEN ON THE RADIO: All University of Massachusetts football games can be heard live on the UMass Football Radio Network, with WRNX 100.9 FM (Holyoke) serving as the flagship station. Bob Behler is in his fourth season as the play-by-play announcer, while former UMass head coach Bob Pickett is in his fifth year as color analyst and Eric Kopf joins the team this year as host of the pregame, halftime and postgame shows. This week's list affiliates on the UMass Football Radio Network includes WCAP 980 AM (Lowell / Boston), WATD 95.9 FM (Marshfield / Boston), WBRK 101.7 FM (Pittsfield) and WARE 1250 AM (Ware). In addition, WMUA 91.1 FM, the UMass student station, will carry most Minuteman football games during the 2002 season.

THE MARK WHIPPLE SHOW: Head coach Mark Whipple's weekly radio show, "The Mark Whipple Show," airs live from The Hangar Pub & Grill in Amherst each Thursday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. during the season on WRNX 100.9 FM. Bob Behler serves as the show's host. The show is open to the general public.

COACH'S CORNER WITH MARK WHIPPLE: Every Sunday night at 11:30 p.m., the Coach's Corner with Mark Whipple can be seen on WGGB TV, channel 40 in Springfield. The short segment, which runs at the tale end of the Sunday night news, features highlights from Saturday's game and a look ahead to the next week's opponent. The show will run through the end of UMass' season.

UMASS ON TELEVISION: The Minutemen will have one game carried on live television during the 2002 season. The lone television game currently scheduled is the Hofstra contest on Nov. 16, which will be carried by the Atlantic 10 Television Network (shown locally on Fox Sports New England). The Minutemen have a record of 10-6 in televised games since the beginning of the 1998 season, including a 7-3 mark against Atlantic 10 opponents.

UMASS ON THE 21ST: In this week's game against Northeastern, the Minutemen will be playing on September 21 for the ninth time in school history. UMass enters the game with a 6-2 mark on Sept. 21, including six straight victories, a 4-1 record in road games and a 5-0 mark in conference games. The last time the Minutemen played on this date came in 1996, when they posted a 23-17 overtime victory at Richmond. UMass' first game played on Sept. 21 came during the 1912 season, when it lost at Rhode Island 7-0.

MINUTEMEN AMONG THE A-10 LEADERS: Seven Minutemen are currently ranked among the Atlantic 10 leaders in various statistical categories, through games of Sept. 14. Tailback Raunny Rosario leads the league in rushing (110.5 yards/game), wide receiver DeShon Hardy is atop the conference standings in punt returns (11.6 yards/return), and redshirt freshman free safety Shannon James (Stratford, Conn.) is tied for first in interceptions (1.0 picks/game). Quarterback Jeff Krohn leads the league in passing efficiency (146.1 rating), while ranking fourth in both passing yards (245.5 yards/game) and total offense (253.5 yards/game), and wide receiver Adrian Zullo ranks first in the conference in receptions (6.5 catches/game) and kickoff returns (34.5 yards/return), while standing second in receiving yards (94.5 yards/game) and all-purpose yards (140.0 yards/game). Hardy and tailback Jason Peebler are tied for third in the league in scoring (9.0 points/game), while placekicker Doug White stands fourth in field goals (1.0 made/game). As a team, UMass leads the league in scoring offense (47.0 points/game), total offense (532.0 yards/game) and passing efficiency (148.2 rating), while ranking second in scoring defense (8.0 points/game), rushing defense (53.0 yards/game), rushing offense (273.0 yards/game), punt returns (11.6 yards/return) and kickoff returns (27.0 yards/return).

FOURTH AND GO: Since the beginning of the 1998 season, UMass has made a habit of going for it on fourth down. In 2001, the Minutemen converted 11 of 27 (.407) fourth-down attempts. Most of UMass' fourth down success last season came at Marshall, where it converted four of six attempts. In 2000, UMass was successful 23 of the 34 times (.676) it went for it on fourth down. In 1999, UMass was successful on 23 of 37 fourth down attempts for a 62.2 percent success rate. In 1998, the Minutemen converted 21 of the 37 times they went for it on fourth down for a 56.7 percent success rate. UMass has now been successful on 57.4 percent (78 of 136) of its fourth down conversions since the beginning of the 1998 season. By comparison, UMass opponents have converted on only 36 of 93 fourth down attempts over the last five years, good for 38.7 percent.

BROWER BRINGS IN PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Junior defensive tackle Valdamar Brower earned a number of national honors heading into the 2002 season. He was named one of 16 candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually by The Sports Network to the nation's top defensive player. He was also a consensus preseason All-American, earning first team distinction from The Sports Network, Lindy's, Street & Smith's and Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette. In addition, Brower was named preseason first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference.

MINUTEMEN EARN PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to Valdamar Brower, five other members of the UMass football team earned honors heading into the 2002 season. Senior punter David Sanger joined Brower on the preseason All-Atlantic 10 Conference first team, while senior center Maikel Miret (Miami, Fla.), senior tight end Greg Ward (Doylestown, Pa.), senior placekicker Doug White and senior wide receiver Adrian Zullo all earned second team honors. Sanger was also a preseason second team All-America selection by Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette, with Zullo receiving third team honors and White garnering honorable mention distinction.

NORTHEASTERN HEAD COACH DON BROWN: In his third season as the head coach of the Huskies, Don Brown (Norwich, 1977) has led Northeastern to an overall record of 11-13. Brown spent the previous two seasons as the defensive coordinator at UMass, helping the Minutemen to the 1998 national championship and an Atlantic 10 title in 1999. He also spent two years as the defensive coordinator on Mark Whipple's staff at Brown University in 1996 and 1997. Brown has a career record of 36-19 in four years as a collegiate head coach, including a 25-6 mark at Division III Plymouth State from 1993-1995.

ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Northeastern enters this week's game with an overall record of 2-0, and was ranked 22nd in the nation by The Sports Network and 23rd by ESPN / USA Today, prior to games of Sept. 14. The Huskies shut out Division I-A Ohio 31-0 on the road in their last game, after defeating Division II Lock Haven 48-0 at home in their season opener. Northeastern has one of the nation's top defenses, having allowed no points and only 250 yards of total offense through two games. Senior strong safety Kurt Abrams leads the Huskies with 13 tackles on the year, while senior defensive end Steve Anzalone has added 12 tackles and two sacks. Senior linebacker Adam Walter is also off to a strong start this season, with eight tackles, a sack, an interception and two fumble recoveries. On the offensive side of the ball, Northeastern has averaged 39.5 points and 365.5 yards of total offense, including an impressive 240.0 rushing yards per game. Redshirt freshman tailback Anthony Riley leads the ground game with 142 yards on 28 carries, while senior tailback William Griffin has added 122 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Sophomore quarterback Shawn Brady has completed 17 of 35 passes for 236 yards and two scores, with sophomore wide receiver Quintin Mitchell catching a team high five passes for 74 yards.

EXTRA POINTS: Senior center Maikel Miret and senior linebacker Corey Potter will serve as the co-captains of the 2002 Minutemen ... Junior linebacker Mark Kimener, who ranked second on the team with 83 total tackles last season, opened the year with 10 tackles against Central Connecticut State, then added nine more tackles against American International College ... Redshirt freshman free safety Shannon James has started the season strong, totaling 17 tackles, two interceptions, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery through two games ... Junior linebacker Mike Ziccardi (Coral Springs, Fla.) has also played well in the first two games this season, totaling 14 tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery, which he returned for 26 yards ... Two former Minutemen are currently on National Football League rosters: second-year linebacker Kole Ayi of the St. Louis Rams and second-year tailback Marcel Shipp of the Arizona Cardinals ... UMass has scored in 82 straight games since a 34-0 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 30, 1995 ... The Minutemen have scored in 105 consecutive home games since a 17-0 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, 1983.