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#17/16 UMass Hosts Bryant On Band Day, Saturday At 1 p.m.
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#17/16 UMASS (4-3, 2-2) vs. BRYANT (4-3) #17/16 UMass Hosts Bryant On Band Day, Saturday At 1 p.m. • After back-to-back wins against Delaware (17-7) and at Northeastern (28-24), the Minutemen had their 16-game home winning streak snapped last Saturday against No. 9 Richmond, 30-15. It was UMass' first home loss since Oct. 29, 2005. • Bryant is in its first year of a four-year transitional period to Division I from Division II. The Bulldogs started their varsity program in 1999 and are now in their first year playing against FCS competition. Bryant is playing a Northeast Conference schedule and will become official NEC members in 2012. • UMass is ranked for the 51st week in a row (every week since the first week of the 2005 season) in the Sports Network media poll. The Minutemen are just one of five programs in the nation to have been ranked every week since that point. They are joined by Montana, New Hampshire, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois. This week the Minutemen are 17th in the Sports Network poll and 16th in the FCS Coaches Poll. • Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the UMass Sports Network with Josh Maurer, in his first season as the new "Voice of the Minutemen." Former kicker Matt Goldstein will handle the color commentary, while WMUA's Mike Walsh will be covering the sidelines. The pregame show begins at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on WRNX (100.9 FM), the flagship of the network. It will also be carried by WCRN (830 AM), WATD (95.9 FM) and WCAP (980 AM) in the central and eastern parts of Massachusetts. The game can also be heard live online at UMassAthletics.com. Fans at McGuirk Stadium can pick up the live in-stadium broadcast at 89.1 FM.
McGuirk Magic • Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home mark of 70-24 (.745) during that span. In 2003, UMass went 7-0 at home to set the former record for most home victories in the 43-year history of McGuirk Stadium. • UMass has won 20 of its last 22 games at home after last week's loss and dropping the 2005 home regular-season finale to New Hampshire on Oct. 29. They are 27-4 dating to 2003. Band Day
The Series: UMass vs. Bryant • UMass is 1-0 against Bryant this fall. On Sept. 10, the women's soccer team defeated the Bulldogs, 2-0, at Rudd Field.
Connections Between UMass/Bryant • Bryant's WR Brendan Rice and DL Joshua Janes both played at La Salle Academy, the high school of Rhode Islando native Coen. Coen's father, Tim, also coached at La Salle. • Liam Coen is UMass' only Ocean Stater, while Bryant has 43 players from the Bay State on its roster. • Bryant's leading receiver, Ross Giffune, is the younger brother of former UMass track & field athlete and current ABC40 sports reporter Neille Giffune.
About UMass Coach Don Brown
UMass Football History Thumbnail
Senior Class Seeking Wins Record • The 2008 class led by senior captains quarterback Liam Coen, offensive lineman Sean Calicchio and cornerback Sean Smalls has a 34-12 record with five regular-season games remaining. They need just three wins to set the new mark. • The seniors are also seeking to lead UMass to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, which would set a new UMass mark. They are also looking for a third straight conference crown, which would be the first occurrence in the Yankee/Atlantic 10/CAA since Boston University in 1982-84. The last time UMass won three conference crowns in a row was from 1977-79, winning three Yankee Conference titles in a row. • Prior to 2006, twice before UMass had 31 wins in a four-year span done from 2002-05 (31-16), 1998-2001 (31-19).
UMass Dominating FCS & CAA Foes • The Minutemen are 17-3 in conference games over the last three seasons. The Minutemen finished at 7-1 in the CAA last season and were the last undefeated team in league play prior to the loss to Rhode Island. UMass went 8-0 in conference in 2006 (becoming the first undefeated team in league since Villanova in 1997).
Coen's Super Senior Season • Coen is just 89 yards from becoming the 21st passer in NCAA FCS history with 10,000 career passing yards. Towson's Sean Schaefer went over the mark last week and leads all active FCS passers with 10,211. Prior to Schaefer, New Hampshire's Ricky Santos was the last with 10,000 career passing yards. There have been 50 passers in FBS with 10,000 career yards. • Coen is first on the career active touchdown passes list in FCS with a UMass record 77 passes. Coen is third to Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (112) and Missouri's Chase Daniels (80) on the overall Division I list including both FBS and FCS. Harrell is also the career active leader in passing yards (13,443) and completions (1,183). Coen is sixth (9,911) and (754 ) on those lists among all of Division I. He ranks second in all of FCS in those categories to Towson's Sean Schaefer. • Coen is also second in FCS career active leader in the following statistics: touchdowns responsible for (79) and yards per offensive play (7.54) • Heading into the Texas Tech game on Sept. 20, Coen was the active career leader in passing efficiency with 153.53 mark including both FCS and FBS of players with more than 20 games. He is now sixth on the list at 151.09. • Coen became UMass' career passing leader with 191 yards vs. New Hampshire (11/10/07). He now has 9,911 yards. He passed Todd Bankhead (7,018) with an 8-yard pass to Ian Jorgensen in the third quarter of the New Hampshire game last season. Coen became UMass' career touchdown passing leader on Oct. 27, 2007 in the 48-34 win at William & Mary. He tossed four scoring strikes at Hofstra (11/17/07) to pass Bankhead's 51 and Coen took over as the all-time completion leader that same game with 22, moving him ahead of Bankhead's 561. He now has 77 career touchdown passes and 754 completions to own both of those records. • Coen is UMass' career leader in pass efficiency (151.22), completion percentage (64.1), yards per attempt (8.56) and total yards per play (7.54). • The Rhode Island native has started the last 44 games in a row with UMass holding a 33-11 record in those games since he drew his first start against Albany on Sept. 17, 2005. Of those 11 losses, four games been to FBS teams, so Coen is 33-7 against FCS teams. • Coen was blazing hot to start the season, which picked up after a strong end to last season. Over six games (last three of 2007 and first three of 2008), Coen averaged 329 yards per game, throwing for 1,975 yards on 135-of-209. • Coen threw for 300 or more yards in five of the last nine games including two this year with 395 at Holy Cross (9/6) and 339 at #7 James Madison (339). Coen now has 10 career 300-yard passing games. • The signal-caller has 11 TD passes this season, with three in each of the first three games, giving him 10 career games with three or more TD passes. • Week two was huge for Coen, who was named the Sports Network National Player of the Week, ECAC Player of the Week, CAA Offensive Player of the Week and captured the Golden Helmet as the top player in New England. Coen threw for 395 yards, going 25-for-37 including three passing touchdowns. The Newport, R.I., native also ran for a one-yard score in the first quarter. The Walter Payton Award candidate tallied his ninth-career 300-yard passing game, as well as his ninth-career 3TD game. Coen's 25 completions rank 12th most in UMass' single-game record book, while his 395 yards through the air were the sixth-best single-game total in school history.
UMass Turns To Nelson • Nelson leads the CAA in rushing with 114.6 yards per game. He has 802 yards, on 157 carries and six touchdowns. • He gained 100 yards in four games this season and ranks 13th in FCS in average per game. Most recently, He piled up a career-high 175 yards on 37 carries at Northeastern (10/11). Nelson ran for 163 yards on 23 carries in the win over #16 Delaware (10/4). That includes his 109-yard game at #7 James Madison (9/13). Nelson also scored two touchdowns for the second week in a row with the pair at the Dukes. • Nelson was a stud in his first game as a starter at tailback as he gained 171 yards, a then-career-best vs. Albany (8/30). Nelson scored two touchdowns including a 64-yard rush, the longest running play by a Minuteman since R.J. Cobbs' 84-yard run in 2002. Nelson earned the first New England Football Writers Player of the Week Award after the Albany game. • Nelson followed that up with a 82-yard, two-touchdown effort at Holy Cross (9/6), in a game that the Crusaders were clearly stacking the line to try to stop the run.
Receivers Step It Up • Entering the season, UMass' receivers had a combined 18-career receptions, 12 by Jeremy Horne, four by Joe Sanford, and one each by Victor Cruz and Ke'Mon Bailey. • Well six games into the season, there are answers including an all-time record performance by Cruz. At #7 James Madison (9/13), Cruz set a school-record with 262 receiving yards on a school-record tying 13 receptions. That yardage mark is fourth-most in conference history. Cruz was amazing in the second half as over the final 30 minutes, he had 11 catches for 248 yards. Through his first 10 1/2 games at UMass, Cruz had eight catches for 129 yards. • Cruz leads UMass in catches with 46 receptions for 701 yards. He is first in the CAA in yards per game with 100.1, which is 11th in the NCAA. He is also first in the CAA in receptions per game and 13th in the nation with 6.6. • Cruz had his second huge game in the win at Northeastern (10/11), as he had 10 catches for 139 yards. Both were his second double-figure catch game and 100-yard game. • Just behind Cruz on the list is Horne, who has 30 catches for 451 yards. He is fourth in the CAA in receiving yards per game at 64.4 and 12th in the league in catches per game at 4.3. Horne, one of Coen's go-to targets in the early going, had his breakout performance at Holy Cross (9/6) where he set career-highs in catches (10), yards (172), touchdowns (2), and long reception (47). Horne has his second 100-yard receiving game against #16 Delaware (10/4) with eight catches for 114 yards including a 40-yard bomb on the first series of the game. • In the season opener against Albany, Horne led the way with four catches for 37 yards including a game-icing 17-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Horne played his first year at Syracuse before transferring and caught 12 balls last season for 146 yards and scored three touchdowns. He showed a knack against top competition in 2007, scoring touchdowns against Boston College (9/29/07) and #4 Southern Illinois in the NCAAs (12/1/07). • Redshirt freshman Julian Talley has 14 catches for 183 yards. Talley logged CAA Football Rookie of the Week honors after teaming with Coen, in the Minutemen's 45-42 win on the road at Holy Cross (9/6). The Winslow, N.J., native had four catches for 71 yards against the Crusaders. Talley also had four catches at Northeastern (10/11) for 68 yards. • Sanford, who came to UMass as a quarterback in 2006 after a year at Virginia, has nine catches for 84 yards this season including a touchdown against Holy Cross (9/6). will be vying for one of the wideout spots as well. A big target at 6-3, 208 lbs., he is also one of the team's top stalk blockers and a force on special teams as well. He caught two passes for 31 yards at Holy Cross (9/6), including his first TD catch of the season. Sanford saw action in all 13 games in 2007, catching four balls for 71 yards, two of which for touchdowns.
A Defense That Won't Be Denied • The Minutemen got on track in a major way against one of the top teams in FCS history, Delaware (10/4). UMass held the Blue Hens to just 167 yards of total offense in a 17-7 win. Most impressive was that UMass allowed just 88 total yards following a game-opening 79-yard drive. In the second half, UMass gave up just 63 total yards and the Blue Hens completed just one pass for five yards. • Last year, the Minutemen were tough against the run and the pass, ranking 13th in the country in both pass efficiency defense (115.62) and rushing defense (115.62), numbers that ranked first and second, respectively, in the conference. In 2007, UMass ranked 13th in the country and first in the CAA in total defense in 2007, allowing 309.62 yards per game. UMass ranked first in the conference and 15th nationally in scoring defense last year, allowing just 19.15 points per game. • Over 26 games in 2005-06 the Minutemen allowed just 13.3 points per game. UMass ranked first in the nation in scoring defense for most of 2006 until the NCAA final, when they gave up 28 points to National Champ Appalachian State. UMass finished fifth in the country in scoring defense in 2006 after being first in 2005. Jennings Leads Top Tacklers • This season, the defense's top tackler has been middle linebacker Josh Jennings, who tops the team with 70 tackles to rank first in the CAA with 10.0 tackles per game. That mark also ranks 24th in the NCAA. He also has a team-high 6.0 TFLS for 18 yards. Jennings has been honored as the CAA's Defensive Player of the Week twice (Sept. 1 and Oct. 6). He racked up a career-best 16 tackles against #16 Delaware (10/4) to earn his second accolade. Jennings grabbed a share of the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week honor after making a career-high 13 stops in the Minutemen's 28-16 win over Albany (8/30) in Amherst, Mass. The New Britain, Conn., native also snagged his first career interception and returned it three yards. • Behind Jennings is fellow linebacker George Byrd, who has started every game at WILL. Byrd has 46 tackles and 4.5 TFLs for eight yards. • The SAM linebacker has been manned by both senior Andrew Resende-Gomes, who has 26 tackles and junior Anthony Rouzier, who has 20 stops. Rouzier has been limited due to a knee injury and missed the Delaware game.
Decorated Secondary • In 2007, the group played a leading role in UMass holding its opponents to the lowest passing efficiency (107.98) in the CAA and also their run support helped the Minutemen be the second-toughest team to run on in the conference (115.62 yds/g). • Smalls has been named a preseason All-American by many media outlets and currently has 20 tackles and two pass break-ups. After an incredible junior campaign that saw him rack up 49 tackles, half a sack, and two interceptions, including a 90-yard return for touchdown vs. Towson (9/5/07), Smalls received several awards, including: Sports Network Honorable Mention All-American, All-CAA first team and New England Writers All-Star. • A junior, Miles returns for his second season after transferring from Navy in 2007. Miles is fourth on the team in tackles with 43 this season. He leads UMass with two interceptions including a game-sealing 52-yard runback for a touchdown against #16 Delaware (10/4). At Northeastern (10/11), he also made the game-sealing play with a fumble recovery lost by Husky quarterback Anthony Orio with 1:30 left in a 28-24 victory. A preseason All-American by Draft Consensus, Miles recorded 67 tackles last year from his free safety position, good for fourth on the team. He also had 10 passes defended and forced four fumbles, second-most in the CAA. • The senior Robinson has 15 tackles in 2008 and a team-high four pass break-ups. Robinson was actually named All-CAA last season twice, as a first team cornerback and as a third team kick returner. He recorded three interceptions last season. • The newcomer to this year's starting unit is strong safety Brian Ellis, a converted linebacker. Overall in 2008, Ellis is third in tackles on the team with 44. Ellis showed strong in his first game as a starter in as he racked up a career-best 10 tackles against Albany (8/30).
Defensive Line Creates Chaos • The major tackler for loss on the defensive side is Hanson. He led the Minutemen in tackles for loss with 16 last season for a total of -83 yards, ranking second in the CAA. He also recorded seven sacks that sent the opposition 67 yards backwards. That total was second on the team to Burris' 9.5 and eighth-best in the conference. Hanson had a career-high 13 tackles against Villanova (10/13/07). • Collier recorded his first sack of the season against Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph (9/6). Collier had 4.5 sacks in 2007 and made 6.5 stops for losses. His big games came against Villanova (10/13/07), where he recorded 10 assists and half a sack, and Rhode Island (11/3/07), where he finished with 11 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and had half a tackle for loss. Collier also recovered two fumbles against Northeastern (10/20/07). He had 62 tackles for the season.
Robinson: Always A Threat On KR • This season, Robinson has not had the ball kicked his way. When it has come to him -- just nine times, he has made opponents pay -- with a 24.7 yard average. Robinson had a season-best 59-yard return at Holy Cross (9/6), on the only ball kicked his way. • 2007 CAA All-Conference third team kick-returner Robinson, who was an All-Conference second-team kickoff returner in 2006, is third all-time at UMass with a 24.7 career kickoff return average. • His 1,206 career kickoff yardage is third all-time on the UMass charts. Next on the career kick return yardage list for Robinson is Dennis Dent with 1,178 from 1975-78. • Robinson is third on the career return average list as well at 24.6.
O-Line Of Protection • Senior captain Sean Calicchio is the undisputed leader of the O-line. The All-CAA player makes the move from right tackle to center this season, where he will be responsible for keeping blocking assignments organized and snap the ball to roommate and close friend Coen. While Calicchio has been on the field this season, UMass has allowed three sacks. • The line was has been stellar early on this season, allowing just six total sacks; two on the final drive of the James Madison (9/13) game, one at Texas Tech (9/20), one at Northeastern (10/11) and two against Richmond (10/18). UMass ranks first in the CAA in fewest sacks allowed and ninth in the NCAA allowing just 0.86 sacks per game. • Tailback Tony Nelson has gained 100 yards on the ground in four games this season behind the mammouth line. • Ducasse, a native of Haiti, continues to flourish at left tackle. He won the spot protecting Coen's blind-side in the preseason in 2007 has only improved. In his 19 games over the last two seasons, UMass has allowed only 21 sacks and UMass has had a 100-yard rusher in 14 of those 19 games. • Outside of Ducasse, the line was been a rotation of five players due to injuries. • Senior Ben Coblyn started the first five games, between right guard and right tackle. The local native from Amherst, returned to football in 2007 after playing basketball at Boston University. At 6-8, he is the tallest Minuteman and at 300 pounds is an imposing and athletic figure. • Converted tight end Rob Getek, now a junior, has started five times on the right side. He made the move to tackle in the spring and is one of the team's most improved players according to Coach Brown. • Sophomore John Ihne started the opener at left guard, missed the second game and played nearly all of the James Madison (9/13) game at center after Calicchio was injured. He started at center at Texas Tech (9/20). • Redshirt freshmen Josh Samuda and Brian Ostaszewski has both filled in admirably this season. Samuda has started the last three games at left guard while "Ozzie" started at right tackle at Holy Cross (9/6). • The line did not allow a sack in the first two games this season. Over the last two seasons, spanning 20 games, UMass has had 14 100-yard rushers. • With giving up 17 sacks in 13 games last season, UMass has allowed just 60 sacks in 57 games since 2004.
Arnold and Cuko Kick Back To Form • Placekicker Armando Cuko had to wait behind two-time all-conference kicker Chris Koepplin for the last two seasons after starting as a true freshman in 2005. Cuko has been nearly perfect on kicks this season with 23-of-23 on extra points and making 6-of-8 field goals attempts. • Cuko kicked a career-best three field goals (22, 44, 38) against Richmond (10/18). The 44-yarder was a career-best. • Cuko made the go-ahead 38-yard field goal in the win over #16 Delaware (10/4). Cuko kicked a career-long game-winning 42-yard field goal to beat Holy Cross (9/6) in week two. That was his first kick of the season and his second game-winning kick. Back in 2005, he booted a 41-yarder to beat James Madison in the mud at McGuirk Stadium. • UMass' other reclamation project on special teams is punter Brett Arnold. A starter in 2007 as a junior college transfer, Arnold lost his job at the end of the season to back-up quarterback Scott Woodward. Now, Arnold has returned to start in 2008 and is third in the nation in punting average with a 44.6 mark. Arnold leads the CAA. • Both players have benefitted from the addition of new long snapper Travis Tripucka, who is a two-sport athlete, also playing defense on the men's lacrosse team. Tripucka, has been a welcome addition snapping to both players. He is the son of long-time NBA star Kelly Tripucka and grandson of NFL legend Frank Tripucka. His uncle Mark was a quarterback with UMass in the 1970s.
UMass Pick To 3-Peat As CAA Champs • UMass' senior quarterback Liam Coen and Maine's senior defensive lineman Jovan Belcher headlined the 2008 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference squad as both were selected as Preseason Players of the Year. Coen, who passed for 3,091 yards and had an efficiency rating of 156.3 in 2007, earned Offensive honors while Belcher, who led the league in sacks with 10 last year, picked up defensive honors. • Massachusetts, which has won two-straight league crowns, placed a total of five on the Preseason All-Conference squad this season. Coen was joined by offensive lineman Sean Calicchio on the offense. UMass filled three of the four preseason defensive backfield spots with safety Jeromy Miles and cornerbacks Courtney Robinson and Sean Smalls.
Quartet of Captains In 2008
Under The Lights • UMass played four night games under temporary lights at McGuirk and won all four games. The first game under the lights came in the 2000 opener, a 36-16 win over William & Mary on Aug. 31. That game was also the only other game played in August. • The Minutemen played the 2004 home opener under the lights -- Don Brown's first home game as UMass head coach -- a 30-20 win on Sept. 11, 2004. UMass played two home games under the lights in 2005, beating Albany, 40-0 on Sept. 17 and Rhode Island, 14-6 on Sept. 24. • Lights were installed for the 2006 NCAA I-AA Playoffs for UMass' 24-17 win over New Hampshire on Dec. 2. That game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. and the lights did not take effect until the second half.
Looking Back At 2007 • The Minutemen were a perfect 6-0 at home to extend their home winning streak to 14 games. The team hasn't lost a home tilt since the 2005 campaign. The Minutemen finished the season at No. 6 in the Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the Sports Network Poll. • For the second year in a row, the UMass football team was the most decorated team in terms of all-conference selections. Last year, UMass set an all-time league record with 20 members of the All-Conference team. UMass led the league with 17 All-CAA selections.
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