On Monday, Massachusetts football coach Mark Whipple was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. Now, he must apply what earned him that distinction to what might be his most difficult task this season.

After a befuddling turn of events that has the No. 5 Massachusetts football team on the road in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs, Whipple must now refocus his squad on playing football. Beyond that, he must also have it prepared to face off against the team with the nation’s longest winning streak: Patriot League champion Colgate.

“Bottom line is that Colgate is a very good football team,” Whipple said. “They have the nation’s leading scorer in Jamaal Branch and a very good quarterback as well.

“There’s no doubt about it; we’re going to need to come to play.”

For the Raiders, it all starts with Branch. Currently ranked seventh on Colgate’s career rushing list, the junior from Mashpee needs 182 yards to move into sixth place.

Last week against Holy Cross, Branch carried 30 times for 280 yards to break a 35-year-old school record for rushing yards in a game. He has also broken the school record for consecutive 100-yard performances this season with 11.

Last but not least, Branch is also the nation’s leading scorer, with 25 touchdowns on the year for a school-record 150 points. He also needs just 376 all-purpose yards to break the single-season school record.

“He’s just a really good back,” Whipple said. “It’s going to be up to us to stop him, and we’re going to have to be ready both mentally and physically. There’s no margin for error against a player of his caliber.”

The weapons do not stop there for the Raiders, however, as junior wide receiver Luke Graham is also putting together a strong season.

The Hamilton, N.Y. native has caught a pass in 26 consecutive games, and currently has 57 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

For his career, Graham sits fourth on Colgate’s all-time receiving yardage list with 2,190 yards, as well as fourth in career catches with 132. He needs just 12 more catches to move into third place.

J.B. Gerald gives Colgate another solid wideout as well, as he is second on the team in catches (56) and receiving yards (651). The Lanham, Md. native has also caught a pass in 24 consecutive games.

At the quarterback position, junior Chris Brown is 15-0 as a starter. He has completed 163 of 280 passes for 2,116 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 121 times for 414 yards and eight touchdowns.

Brown also finished fourth in the Patriot League in total offense, averaging 210.8 yards per game.

“[Brown] is a solid player,” Whipple said. “He’s another guy we’re going to have to prepare well for and be ready to compete against.”

Defensively, the Raiders are tough against the run. Currently third in Division I-AA in rushing yards allowed (89.8 per game), Colgate has held opponents under 100 yards rushing 41 times over the last eight seasons, and are 39-2 when they do so.

Defensively, the Minutemen will likely benefit from the return of senior lineman Doran Davis and junior cornerback Steve Costello, who have both been out for an extended period with a high-ankle sprain and an abdominal strain, respectively.

Quarterback Jeff Krohn, who left the regular season finale against Rhode Island with a head injury, will also return to action and should feel no ill effects of the injury.

Nonetheless, Whipple knows his football team needs to prepare to come to play on Saturday.

“Basically, we just need to focus on football and play our game,” he said. “Nothing that happened between administrators was in our control, so now we just need to get back to what we do and that’s compete.”

Saturday’s kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. at Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, N.Y.