With just two games remaining in both its season and in the Football Conference Subdivision, the Massachusetts football team will try and leave a lasting impression on the conference before it moves on to the Football Bowl Subdivision beginning next year.
Despite being ineligible for the playoffs, UMass (5-4) can still play spoiler in its final two matchups, the first of which will be against co-conference leading Maine (7-2 overall, 5-1 Colonial Athletic Association) this Saturday at Alfond Stadium.
The Black Bears currently share the top spot in the CAA along with New Hampshire and Towson, who also have 7-2 overall, 5-1 CAA records.
The Minutemen will try and make up for their inconsistent season with a win against Maine, which would have a severe impact on the playoff seedings.
It will not be an easy task, however, as Maine features the fourth-best scoring offense in the league with an average of 29.5 points per game that compares to UMass’ sixth-best 26 points per game.
Last year, UMass enjoyed a 39-24 home victory over the Black Bears on Nov. 6. Linebacker Tyler Holmes, then a junior, led the way on defense with two interceptions that he returned for touchdowns, marking the first time in UMass history a player had ever registered two pick-sixes.
Now in his senior season, Holmes is leading the team with 93 total tackles while fellow linebacker Perry McIntyre ranks second with 84. The duo is considered by many to be two of the top linebackers in the conference and they have helped keep opponents to 112.2 yards per game on the ground, good for second-best in the conference.
The stout rush defense will be tested against Maine’s running back, senior Pushaun Brown. Through eight games, Brown has eight touchdowns and has averaged 90.4 yards per game. In conference games, Brown averages just under 87 yards per game on the ground, good for sixth in the league.
Perhaps Maine’s best offensive weapon is senior quarterback Warren Smith, who has thrown 16 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Smith has averaged 251 yards per game passing and has a completion rate of just under 66 percent.
With 19 sacks, UMass currently ranks third in the conference. The pass rush will have to continue to be effective against Smith in order to prevent him from using his various weapons, which include three receivers that have over 300 yards receiving each and five receivers that have at least two touchdowns.
The Minutemen offense features senior tailback Jonathan Hernandez, who has the conference’s third-best rushing average with 108 yards per-game. The average stands behind only Towson’s Terrance West (132.5) and William & Mary’s Jonathan Grimes (127.3). Hernandez also has eight touchdowns which ranks second to West’s 18.
Who will be under center for the Minutemen remains unknown, as redshirt sophomore Kellen Pagel, the usual starter, didn’t play UMass’ last game against Villanova because of an upper body injury. Instead, redshirt freshman Brandon Hill got the start and threw three interceptions in the 35-17 loss to the Wildcats. The lone bright spot for Hill was his chemistry with senior wide receiver Julian Talley, who Hill hooked up with 11 times for 155 yards and a touchdown.
Whoever gets the start will be forced to face Maine’s very stingy pass defense, which currently ranks No. 1 in the conference by allowing 169 yards per game through the air. The Black Bears also have eight interceptions and both statistics could very well spell trouble for either Pagel or Hill, as both have showed inconsistency and a propensity to turn the ball over.
The game is set to start 12:30 p.m. at Alfond Stadium.
Following their matchup against the Black Bears, the Minutemen will return home for the final game of the season when they host James Madison on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.
Steve Levine can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Levine.
