It’s a distraction that Massachusetts football coach Mark Whipple’s team needs to get past.
Then again, the R.J. Cobbs situation has been a distraction the entire season, so perhaps it’s now finally over. Cobbs was formally suspended for the season this week, but the sophomore tailback hasn’t taken a snap all season, handing the spotlight over briefly to classmate Raunny Rosario, and then to newcomer Steve Baylark, who was pressed into service after Rosario injured his knee in the first game of the season.
Cobbs was kept out of that first game due to “academic discipline,” and missed the next three weeks; but his status was never fully defined, rather accepted as a “if he’s there, he’s there” situation. Now, the sophomore’s season, one full of promise, is officially over, and the Minutemen must move on.
Although Whipple and the squad recognize the weight of losing Cobbs for the season, there’s no doom and gloom coming from the UMass camp, especially with the performance of Baylark behind it.
“I just addressed it Tuesday morning,” Whipple said. “It’s not a big deal, it is what it is. There’s no question he would have given us a boost, but you don’t worry about things you can’t control.”
Cobbs will practice with the team for the rest of the season, but his academics will come first before he can return.
“That was already in place from the first of the year,” Whipple said. “I addressed it with the team. We’re most concerned about R.J. and just see that he does the work he needs to do to stay on track to graduate. He’s been practicing and running the scout team, helping our defense.”
Their next task comes Saturday at 1 p.m., when they’ll host the New Hampshire Wildcats at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 Atlantic 10) come into the game off a 42-17 win over instate rival Dartmouth, but have been struggling against the Atlantic 10 this season, with losses against Villanova and at Rhode Island.
UNH has done well against UMass (3-1, 2-0 A-10) recently, though. The Wildcats have taken the last three meetings, and three of the last four in Amherst.
The Minutemen are coming off a 31-26 win over James Madison that only got that close at the end. The Dukes scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to get within striking distance, as 16 penalties called against the Maroon and White kept JMU in the game. The penalties were enough to cancel out the 140 yards that Baylark put in, although his two touchdowns were crucial in the victory.
Still, the penalties came against the Minuteman starters, and Whipple isn’t too concerned about a replay of last Saturday’s miscues.
“I’d be more concerned, but it was all of our best players. I told them it was personal; it almost cost us the football game. I’d like to think it was a one-game thing.”
The other demon the Minutemen will have to fight, should they find themselves up by 18 points late in the game as they were against James Madison, is complacency. While the Band Day festivities of last week’s game put 10,196 fans in the McGuirk stands, much of that number was missing by midway through the fourth quarter due to the comfortable lead.
Whether it was a result of the departing fans or not, UMass’ play downgraded significantly, allowing the Dukes to get back in it.
“I mean, everyone in the stands was leaving, everyone was saying this is over. And our guys haven’t been in that situation in a long time, and the problem is only if they haven’t learned from it. I doubt we’ll get in that situation again, but we’ll see.”
The top weapon on the UNH sideline is undoubtedly quarterback Mike Granieri. The junior is not only an air threat (17-for-26, 176 yards, two touchdowns against Dartmouth), but can hurt teams on the ground. His mobility gives the Wildcats an extra dimension that Whipple was careful not to dismiss.
“He’s playing as well as anybody in this league that I’ve seen,” Whipple said of the 6-foot-1, 210 lb. signal caller. “He understands what they want. He makes all the throws, and he’s very athletic in the run game, he’s making a lot of big plays running the ball.”
The Minuteman offense continues to improve, with Baylark the shining example of a UMass attack that faced early adversity and developed into a smooth-running machine. However, the 36 carries that the sophomore received against JMU will not be a trend.
“Last week, when the score was 31-13, there was no momentum,” Whipple said. “But [Baylark] was just dead tired, and we’ve never said we wanted to give him the ball 35 times.”
For his efforts, Baylark earned the A-10’s rookie of the week award.
The UMass receiving corps is also beginning to step up of late. Junior Jason Peebler had eight receptions for 116 yards last week, both career highs, and leads the team with 18 catches for 290 yards.
“I think [Peebler is] very much like our entire offense in that he’s getting better, but he has to focus more and become a better all-around player,” Whipple said. “But I think he’s talented, he’s faster than people think he is, so I think it’s helped his confidence, and it’s helped him get his legs back. He and [senior] Jimmy Howard are more than solid players in our league, and I think as we get better with practice, Jason will continue to make plays.”
