A new era of Massachusetts football was finally ushered in on Saturday afternoon, as the revamped 2004 Minutemen officially concluded spring camp with the annual Maroon and White spring game at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
As heralded by new head coach and former Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Don Brown, defense dominated play for both sides in a game that featured only a single touchdown for each squad and just 275 yards on 64 plays.
Making a strong early case for playing time in UMass’ deep defensive backfield, sophomore cornerback Tracy Belton tallied three tackles, two interceptions and a pass breakup, while classmate and strong safety James Ihedigbo recorded five tackles, a sack and an interception as well.
Former 2002 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year R.J. Cobbs also returned to the field after missing all of his sophomore season due to academic issues. A 1,000-yard tailback in his freshman season, Cobbs has been moved into the defensive backfield to add athleticism to the unit, and made four solo tackles in the game.
Two areas of concern for a team that graduated seven defensive starters – defensive line and linebackers – also featured strong performances from players looking to get a leg up on starting jobs.
Sophomore defensive tackle John Hatchell posted five tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery, and redshirt freshmam linebacker Geno Brown and junior linebacker Brad Anderson both added five tackles apiece.
Returning starter Serge Tikum also saw action and recorded a tackle, and another regular contributor in 2003, defensive lineman Keron Williams, who added four stops. In addition, converted linebacker L.A. Love made his debut as a defensive end, chalking up a pair of tackles, including one for a loss.
Offensively, sophomore quarterback Tim Day took the majority of the snaps with the first team, completing 10-of-22 passes for 119 yards and 15-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Dominique Stewart.
Senior Steve Howell was good on 4-of-7 passes for 31 yards, while redshirt freshman Randy Polillio was perfect on the afternoon, completing all three passes he attempted, including a 15-yard touchdown pass of his own to sophomore wide receiver Rasheed Rancher on the game’s final drive.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver J.J. Moore had a game-best five catches for 66 yards, while senior fullback Rich Demers hauled in three passes for 11 yards out of the backfield.
Junior Raunny Rosario and sophomore Justin Montgomery both ran for a game-high 27 yards, on five and nine carries respectively, while highly-touted freshman tailback Bryan Smith gained 19 yards on six carries.
The Maroon and White will convene next as a full squad in August for the start of training camp. The 2004 UMass football season officially kicks off Saturday, Sept. 4, as the Minutemen will be on the road at Mid-Eastern Atlantic conference foe Delaware State.
