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#15 UMass Football Returns to URI For Second Year in Row
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#15/15 UMASS (5-3, 2-2) at RHODE ISLAND (2-7, 0-5) #15 UMass Returns to URI For Second Year in Row • UMass is playing at Rhode Island for the second year in a row to equal out playing at McGuirk Stadium in consecutive years in 2005 and 2006. The Minutemen also seeking to end a two-game losing skid at Meade Stadium as the Rams beat UMass in 2004 and 2007. • The Minutemen are playing two teams from the state of Rhode Island in the same season for the first time since 1911, when UMass played URI and Brown. It is the first time UMass is playing back-to-back games against Ocean State teams since 1907 when they played at Brown and vs. Rhode Island. • UMass has won three of their last four games after beating Bryant last weekend. After back-to-back wins vs. Delaware (17-7) and at Northeastern (28-24) in early October, 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. • UMass is ranked for the 52nd 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 15th in both the Sports Network poll and 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 11:30 a.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.
UMass-Rhode Island Series History • The Minutemen have won 17 of the last 22 meetings between the two schools, including nine of the last 11 games. UMass has won the last eight games in Amherst, winning 41-16 on Oct. 21, 2006 and 14-6 and three years ago on Sept. 24, 2005. • Rhode Island has won the last two games in Kingston (27-24 in 2004) and (12-6 last season). Prior to last year, Rhode Island's only win since 1997, came in the last game at Meade Stadium on Oct. 23, 2004. • The series with Rhode Island is the most played one in UMass history as the teams have met 82 times. Next on the list is UConn, as the Minutemen and Huskies played 71 times from 1897-1999. • UMass' 45 wins are the most against any team as well. The second most wins are against, New Hampshire, as UMass is 42-25-3 against the Wildcats. • At Meade Stadium, UMass is 19-17 overall and 21-17 in games played at Rhode Island. Prior to that Rhode Island win in 2004, UMass won three in a row in Kingston. At McGuirk Stadium, UMass is 16-6 vs. the Rams. Overall in Amherst, the Minutemen (and Redmen) are 24-18-2 in the series. UMass has won eight straight games vs. Rhode Island at McGuirk, last falling in 1991, 17-14 . • Head coach Don Brown is 4-4 all-time vs. the Rams, standing 2-2 at UMass and going 2-2 while he was the head coach at Northeastern from 2000-03. New URI coach Darren Rizzi will face UMass for the first time.
Connections Of Note Between UMass/URI • Rhode Island athletic director Thorr Bjorn took over the Rams staff in the summer of 2007 after working at UMass for 13 years in a variety of roles. Most recently, he was the Senior Associate Athletic Director at UMass. Bjorn was a star football player for the Minutemen from 1987-89. • Rhode Island receiver and punter Shawn Leonard is the brother of 2007 UMass grad Jason Leonard, who was a defensive tackle and long snapper. • UMass tight ends coach Guido Falbo is in his fifth season with the Minutemen after two years as Rhode Island's wide receivers coach (2002-03).
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 35-12 record with four regular-season games remaining. They need just two 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).
McGuirk Magic • Since 1992, UMass has had a losing record at home only once, while posting a home mark of 71-24 (.747) 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 21 of its last 23 games at home after the Richmond loss and dropping the 2005 home regular-season finale to New Hampshire on Oct. 29. They are 28-4 dating to 2003.
Coen's Super Senior Season • Coen became the 21st passer in NCAA FCS history with 10,000 career passing yards and now stands 19th all-time with 10,300. He broke the mark in the first quarter against Bryant (10/25), when he threw for 389 yards in just over a half of football. Towson's Sean Schaefer went over the mark earlier this season and leads all active FCS passers with 10,520. 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 82 passes. Coen is third to Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (117) and Missouri's Chase Daniels (82) on the overall Division I list including both FBS and FCS. Harrell is also the career active leader in passing yards (13,829) and completions (1,217). Coen is sixth (10,300) and (765) 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 (85) and yards per offensive play (7.73). • 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 fifth on the list at 153.0. • Coen became UMass' career passing leader with 191 yards vs. New Hampshire (11/10/07). He now has 10,300 yards breaking the 10,000-yard plateau against Bryant (10/25/08) on a 35-yard pass to Jeremy Horne four minutes into the game. Coen 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 82 career touchdown passes and 765 completions to own both of those records. • Coen is UMass' career leader in pass efficiency (153.0), completion percentage (64.1), yards per attempt (8.56) and total yards per play (7.73). • The Rhode Island native has started the last 45 games in a row with UMass holding a 34-11 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 34-7 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 three times this year with 395 at Holy Cross (9/6), 339 at #7 James Madison (339) and 389 vs. Bryant (10/25). Coen now has 11 career 300-yard passing games. • The signal-caller has 16 TD passes this season, with three in each of the first three games and a career-high tying and UMass school-record tying five against Bryant. He has 11 career games with three or more TD passes and five games with four 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 is second in the CAA in rushing with 101.2 yards per game. He has 809 yards, on 160 carries and seven touchdowns. • He gained 100 yards in four games this season and ranks 19th 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 eight 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 49 receptions for 794 yards. He is first in the CAA in yards per game with 99.3, which is 13th in the NCAA. He is also first in the CAA in receptions per game and 20th in the nation with 6.2. • 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. He grabbed three balls for 93 yards against Bryant (10/25) for his third-most yards in a game this year. • Just behind Cruz on the list is Horne, who has 35 catches for 633 yards. He is second to Cruz in the CAA in receiving yards per game at 79.1, which is 32nd in the NCAA. Horne is 10th in the league in catches per game at 4.4. 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. • Playing on his 22nd birthday against Bryant (10/25), Horne piled up 182 receiving yards, the fourth-most in a game in UMass history to set a new career high. As part of the big day, Horne scored three touchdowns (16, 21, 54) to become the first UMass player with three TD catches since Brandon London's school record four in 2006. • 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 11 catches for 113 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. • Over the last four games, UMass has allowed just 269 yards per game after giving up more than 400 on average in the first four games. • 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 • Behind Jennings is fellow linebacker George Byrd, who has started every game at WILL. Byrd has 53 tackles and 5.5 TFLs for nine yards. • The SAM linebacker has been manned by both senior Andrew Resende-Gomes, who has 30 tackles and junior Anthony Rouzier, who has 23 stops. Rouzier has been limited due to a knee injury.
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 49 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 18 tackles in 2008 and a team-high seven pass break-ups to rank tied for eighth in the CAA. 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 51. Ellis showed strong in his first game as a starter in as he racked up a career-best 10 tackles against Albany (8/30). He has at least four tackles in every game this season.
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. • This season, UMass' defensive line got on track against Bryant (10/25) with four sacks after six total in the first seven games.
Robinson: Always A Threat On KR • This season, Robinson has not had the ball kicked his way. When it has come to him -- just 10 times, he has made opponents pay -- with a 25.2 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 1,236 career kickoff yardage is third all-time on the UMass charts. Next on the career kick return yardage list for Robinson is Tim Berra (1,295) from 1971-73.
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 fifth in the NCAA allowing just 0.75 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 20 games over the last two seasons, UMass has allowed only 21 sacks and UMass has had a 100-yard rusher in 14 of those 20 games. • Outside of Ducasse, the line was been a rotation of five players due to injuries. • Senior Ben Coblyn started seven 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 21 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 58 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 29-of-29 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 second in the nation in punting average with a 44.7 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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