Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Minutemen targeting improved third down defense

The Massachusetts football team learned on Saturday against Colorado that part of sustaining offensive pressure was simply possessing the ball.

UMass totaled 24 minutes, 45 seconds of offensive possession en route to scoring 38 points in the 41-38 loss. It prolonged drives for the first time in the young season – including an impressive 12 play, 85-yard first quarter drive which resulted in a touchdown – and executed some of the principles of coach Mark Whipple’s aggressive pro-style offense. Saturday’s performance was a significant improvement over the first week against Boston College, when the offense struggled to score seven points.

Now, the goal is simple. Allow the offense more time to lay the foundation and gather some momentum. And that onus falls on the defense.

“I think (our defense) is frustrated,” Minutemen defensive coordinator Tom Masella said.

The frustration stems from an inability to finish drives defensively. UMass has lost the time of possession battle in both games this season and the defense struggled to stay afloat in the late stages of each one.

According to Masella, it’s not due to lack of chances. The Minutemen can’t get off the field on third downs and it’s hindering the entire unit’s performance. UMass allowed opponents to convert on 54 percent of third downs. Colorado and Boston College combined to move the chains 19 times against the Minutemen, a debilitating number for a defense short on depth.

To make matters worse for a scuffling defense, there isn’t any specific area to focus on.

“We had them in third and 8, third and 9, third and 10 five or six times, which is what you want,” Masella said. “We didn’t get off the field, whether it was a penalty, whether it was not keeping the quarterback in the pocket or not making a tackle.”

The mistakes were abundant. Minutemen outside linebacker Kassan Messiah – who lost his starting spot due to inconsistent play – committed an offside penalty on third and 4 as UMass trailed 34-31 in the fourth quarter. The play handed Colorado a fresh set of downs. Later in the same drive, Minutemen defensive back Jesse Monteiro committed a similarly frustrating penalty, as officials whistled the redshirt freshman for a defensive pass interference penalty on third and 21.

Colorado scored a touchdown on that drive and opened its lead to 41-31.

UMass missed a variety of tackles throughout the contest and prolonged drives on its own. The defensive play allowed the Buffs to gather momentum of their own and kept the Minutemen offense next to the water coolers.

“It’s been a full range for us and that’s been disappointing, that’s really been disappointing,” Masella said.

Freshman linebacker Da’Sean Downey, who made his first career start Saturday, said the letdown’s come from lack of attention to detail.

“You have to zone in and be focused,” Downey said. “You have to be mentally tough to get your assignment done.”

 

Shuffling the cards

Masella’s readjusted his depth chart at outside linebacker recently due to an assortment of ineffectiveness and injury.

Starter Trey Seals is still relegated to the sideline and a walking boot as he works back from a left foot injury. He suffered the injury against Boston College and missed the game against Colorado. The coaching staff wasn’t confident he would play against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Messiah, his opposite counterpart in Masella’s 3-4 defense, also isn’t starting. The coaching staff decided to move Lucas Amato over Messiah on the depth chart. While the staff still believes in Messiah, it’s clear the results aren’t up to par.

“I think he can be a really, really good football player,” Masella said. “I don’t think he’s played up to the level that he expects or we expect him too. But it’s not because of effort, it just hasn’t clicked for him yet.”

Both Amato and Downey made their first career starts at outside linebacker against Colorado.

 

Looking ahead

The Minutemen were originally scheduled to face Vanderbilt again in 2018, but a restructuring of the agreement between the two schools erased that meeting. Instead, UMass will face the Commodores for the final time on Saturday and Vanderbilt will pay the Minutemen $650,000.

UMass is also preparing for games at McGuirk Stadium.

The school will hang seven more commemorative banners inside the stadium and plans to turn Stadium Drive into a fan-friendly area on game day. The plan is to line the road with various tailgating activities for fans and to paint the UMass logo onto the asphalt leading up to the stadium.

 

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.

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