When the Massachusetts football team takes the field at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium for the final time in 2004 on Saturday, it will indeed do so with a lot to prove.
Over the course of a season that has been dominated by change, slowed by transition and thrown off course by the worst of luck, Don Brown’s Minutemen have certainly experienced their ups and downs both on the field and off. There have been times where things have worked perfectly as planned, but for the most part the Maroon and White has had to endure a series of trials and tribulations that have tested the team’s collective mettle to the fullest. It has been a campaign not for the faint of heart.
Yet just as the Minutemen reached their low point – a 28-7 loss at James Madison on Oct. 9 – they somehow managed to regroup, and eventually recharge. Now, as the season winds down to a close, UMass is playing its best football of the Don Brown era, the type of football Brown and the team knew they were capable of playing.
Thus when Atlantic 10 North rival Hofstra invades Amherst this weekend for the third consecutive season, there will be more than simple bragging rights at stake. Coming off of a bye week, Brown’s Minutemen are keenly aware of the momentum they’ve gathered, and the progress they’ve made, but more importantly they realize the significance of the game for their seniors, playing in front of the home crowd for the final time in their UMass careers. With that, they also realize the need to go out in one last blaze of glory, on a high note, and with a win.
“There’s no question, this team has watched and felt itself get better over the course of each and every game,” Brown said. “It’s frustrating in a way to finally be clicking now that the season is ending, but it speaks a lot to the poise and character of this team to not pack it in when things weren’t going well, and to keep playing football.”
The task will not be an easy one for UMass on Saturday, as the Pride will enter play boasting the No.1 offense in the Atlantic 10. Led by first-year starting quarterback Anton Clarkson, head coach Joe Gardi’s run-and-shoot attack will put the pressure on UMass’ talented defensive backfield from whistle to whistle – a challenge that the defensive-minded Brown clearly looks forward to.
“As a defensive guy, I always like a challenge like this,” Brown said. “Hofstra wants to beat you with their throw game, and they’re going to keep coming at you until they’re successful. We need to put our guys in position to stem the tide on defense, and keep them from getting in a rhythm and picking us apart through the air.”
On the season Clarkson, who took over as the starter for Bobby Seck earlier this season, has put up the gaudy numbers expected from a Pride signal-caller. Taking advantage of the numerous four and five wide receiver spreads he often deploys, he’s completed nearly 60 percent of his passes in throwing for 1,863 and 18 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
Working without star receiver Marques Colston, who was lost mid-season due to injury, Clarkson has found reliable targets in returning starter Isaac Irby and fellow wideouts Charles Sullivan and Devale Ellis, each of whom has caught over 50 passes individually and have combined for a whopping 27 touchdowns.
“There’s no question, they have a lot of athletes at the skill positions,” Brown said. “They’re big guys who can really run, and they make plays. It’ll be up to our guys to be on their games.”
Ellis, who is second on the team with 58 receptions and leads Hofstra with 12 touchdowns, is familiar to the UMass squad, as he is the brother of UMass linebacker Bryan Ellis, a freshman who is red shirting during the 2004 season. Known for his exceptional speed and explosiveness, Ellis will provide matchup problems for the Minutemen wherever he lines up.
“He’s their big play guy,” Brown said. “They’ve always had guys who can beat you in a split second, and he’s one of those guys. We need to be sure we account for him wherever he is on the field.”
Despite being a predominantly pass-oriented team, Hofstra has also had success running the ball on the legs of Terry Crenshaw, who has carried 183 times for 856 yards and seven touchdowns in giving the Pride some semblance of balance on offense.
“Their running game can get overlooked because of how much they pass,” Brown said. “[Crenshaw] is a capable back with a lot of ability who we can’t afford to let get going. If they smack us around with the run, then that will open things up even more through the air.”
On the opposite side, Brown plans on using junior tailback Steve Baylark as he has in each game over the past month: early and often. After a slow start, Baylark has come on strong with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and has emerged as a steadying force for what has been an erratic offensive attack at times.
“There’s no secret to the fact that when we started giving the ball to Steve, we started winning,” Brown said. “He’s a great back who wants the ball, and we feel comfortable giving it to him knowing he can get us those tough yards.”
Also important offensively for UMass will be the play of their two senior offensive captains: wide receiver Jason Peebler and guard Rob Kane. Peebler, who started fast and has faded down the stretch after being hampered by injury, caught a touchdown pass in UMass’ last contest at Northeastern, a will likely be looking to make an impact in his final game in the maroon and white. Kane, meanwhile, has continued his steady play on the offensive line, and will once again be counted on to both open holes for Baylark and pretest quarterback Tim Day.
Both players efforts are noticed and appreciated by Brown, who admittedly would like nothing less than to send his first group of UMass seniors off with a win.”
“Without question, this game is for our seniors,” Brown said. “This is a chance for us to compete again and keep playing well, but it’s also a chance to send them off the right way and give us a winning season.”
