Oct. 2, 2012

In Monday morning's MAC Football Coaches Media Teleconference, UMass head coach Charley Molnar looks back at the Ohio game, previews the Western Michigan contest this Saturday and talks about the improvements he is seeing in his team as the season progresses.

On the most recent contest - a 37-34 loss to Ohio:
"It was a disappointing afternoon because our guys had a number of chances to win the football game and didn't take advantage of those opportunities. The bright spot is that we were in a position to win the game deep into the fourth quarter and had every opportunity to do so but we just didn't do the job."

On searching for the first win and whether or not the Ohio game was a morale victory:
"Our guys played to win [against Ohio] and were very quiet on the bus on the way home and very disappointed they did not win. I don't think anyone sees the game as a morale victory at all. This is the first time I'm even thinking of it like that."

Thoughts on the performance of the offense against Ohio:
"We are growing incrementally better every time we go out there and we have had different guys step up each and every game, which is good to see that we have a number of different guys who can perform each job. We still had a new starter on the offensive line playing left guard [Jamie Casselberry], so we continue to try to mix and match our available talent that we have.

"We started the same receivers a few weeks in a row now, so we are gaining continuity there. [Wide receiver] Deion Walker continues to improve. Rob Blanchflower is playing excellent at tight end right now, not only as a blocker but as a receiver and run-after-the-catch player. [Wide receiver] Alan Williams had probably the best day of his career as a senior. He [Williams] really had a nice afternoon and the offense continues to get better. Michael Cox was steady again [at running back]. Cox had a critical fumble in the game, but the defense rose up to the challenge and kept Ohio out of the endzone."

Previewing the upcoming contest at Western Michigan:
"They run a different style of defense. They're the first team we will play that bases out of the 3-4 defense and our team has not seen too much of that. We gave them some looks at that style during summer practice to get ready for other opponents as we go down the road but this will be the first time we get a steady diet of it.

"We will be going to a new location, so our guys will be looking around and we have to get them focused on the game. I know they always have a great crowd at Western Michigan and when I coached there I felt like we always had a great home field advantage each and every time we stepped on the field. Offensively I don't know if their quarterback is going to play or not, but they certainly have a big, strong offensively line - very much like a Big Ten Conference offensive line from size, strength and power standpoints."

On Western Michigan's offense, with a successful young WR and potentially two QBs:
"[Head coach] Bill Cubit always has great balance and always seems to have multiple playmakers. He always has guys who can run and catch, so we are just going to be disciplined on defense, read our keys, contain their quarterback and make sure we do not allow big plays to happen."

On what he hopes to see from the Minutemen this week:
"We need to continue to develop in the areas of toughness, disciple and in pure relentlessness, and I think we are growing in those aspects. If we continue to do that, just keep playing right through the fourth quarter and at the end of the game look up to see what the scoreboard says, we will see some good results."