It was widely recognized when Don Brown was hired as coach of the Massachusetts football team that the days of five wide receivers and the throw-it-all-over-the-place-for-four-quarters offense of former coach Mark Whipple was going the way of the dinosaur.

After all, Brown and offensive coordinator Kevin Morris had made names for themselves within the conference utilizing an effective combination of running the football to set up the play-action pass and playing great defense in turning Northeastern into an annual contender.

Their plan was clearly to turn the Minutemen into a power football machine, using wrecking-ball tailbacks Steve Baylark and Rich Demers to run the ball behind a veteran offensive line and preach speed and versatility on defense to keep the opposition on its heels.

When Tim Day was tabbed as the starting quarterback prior to week one, he was essentially the final piece of the puzzle; a mobile quarterback with an accurate arm to manage the offense and get the ball out of his hands and into those of the team’s many playmakers.

The plan worked flawlessly at first, as Day set a new school record for passing efficiency in a 51-0 romp over Delaware State and paced the offense in a 30-point output against national runner-up Colgate.

However after three weeks of spotty ball control, a near-anemic passing attack and three consecutive losses, the new UMass offense is quickly moving past the problematic stage and into the realm of a potentially fatal flaw.

In those three losses the Minutemen have scored a total of four touchdowns, and in an Atlantic 10 conference where parity rules, that just isn’t going to cut it.

“It’s certainly something we need to correct,” Brown said. “We haven’t been able to establish the run like we’ve wanted to against some of the physical opponents we’ve faced in the last few weeks, and that’s hurt us in the passing game as well.”

This weekend, UMass returns to A-10 action for the remainder of the season, and the need to improve on offense is clearly imminent. For all intents and purposes, UMass must win out if it hopes to make the Division I-AA playoffs – a tall order given the top-to-bottom talent in the league. Yet for a team loaded with playmakers on both sides of the ball, it’s hardly a shot in the dark.

So as the Maroon and White gets set to take on a James Madison team ripe with holdovers from the group that surrendered 31 points to Whipple’s squad last October, the time for UMass’ core group of offensive players to step up has arrived.

“It’s time for our guys to go out and make plays,” Brown said. “We’ve had trouble putting points on the board over the last three weeks, and that obviously needs to change.

“We’re not going to get by scoring one or two touchdowns a game in this league.”

First and foremost, the onus falls on Day to ignite the dormant passing game. With Baylark having established himself as a known commodity carrying the football, it’s clearly been the team’s lack of consistent passing attack that has slowed No. 5 as teams have loaded up in the box to stop the run.

After throwing for 230 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Richmond three weeks ago, Day has quickly experienced a decline in his effectiveness. The following week against Delaware, the junior managed only 12 completions for 114 yards, as only two players caught more than one pass.

In last week’s 29-7 setback at Boston College, Day misfired on 18 attempts and managed only 121 yards, while nearly leading the offense to as many three-and-outs (nine), and punts (12), as he had completions (13).

One major reason for Day’s recent troubles has been the relative disappearance of wide receiver Jason Peebler. After posting three 100-plus yard receiving games in as many weeks, the all-conference star has caught just six balls in the last two games, with five of those coming last Saturday against the Eagles.

Additionally, after finding the end zone on a 50-yard screen pass against Richmond, Peebler has been kept off the scoreboard for consecutive weeks and hasn’t shown the same explosiveness that previously prompted Delaware coach K.C. Keeler to admit that he changed his defenses to account for the senior captain’s whereabouts.

One major reason for that may be the troublesome chronic hamstring problems that have plagued Peebler since he first hurt his leg in a 24-14 win over William ‘ Mary almost a year ago, but it also likely has a lot to do with team’s shifting their looks and coverages on defense to keep UMass’ elite playmaker at bay.

This is something that Brown believes JMU coach Mickey Matthews will employ this weekend

“[The Dukes] are going to account for him at all times,” Brown said. “They don’t want to get beat, and they know he’s capable of it. They’re going to do what a lot of teams have done against us, and make sure that their coverages keep him in front of them and try to direct the ball in other directions.”

With that in mind, it is not just Peebler who must step up in giving Day options with the football. After a breakout season in 2003 that entrenched him as the team’s No. 2 receiver this season, Dominique Stewart has struggled to get the ball this season. After catching four passes against the Spiders, the senior was held without a reception against Delaware and managed just one catch against BC, giving him eight total on the season without a touchdown.

Redshirt freshman J.J. Moore has also experienced a similar drop-off in production. After making an early splash with a touchdown against Delaware State, Moore managed only 24 and 20 yards receiving against Richmond and Delaware, respectively, and was held without a catch against BC.

While the group’s lack of production has opened the door for solid early play from sophomore Brandon London, there is clearly an urgent need to shape up as a unit. With James Madison playing its best football in years, the Minutemen will certainly be tested on the road, in front of a sellout crowd on Family Weekend in Harrisonburg.

However with Matthews using a 4-4 defense designed to stop the run, the opportunity for Day and the offense to turn things around and lead the Minutemen to a win is there for the taking. All that’s left is to go out and make it happen.

“We just need to get out there and play our kind of football,” Brown said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we know what we need to do. We’ve had a good week of practice, and the guys have really been getting after it. We just need to make sure that translates into a solid effort and a good performance on Saturday.”