It’s difficult to overlook Massachusetts defensive lineman Robert Kitching when he lines up at the nose tackle position for the UMass defense.
Standing at 6-foot-1, 310 pounds, the senior’s physical presence alones draws attention. But after a strong finish to his 2014 season and a standout spring, Kitching’s on-the-field play has further cemented him as one of the most important pieces on the Minutemen’s defense.
Kitching started in three of UMass’ 12 games last year and finished with 43 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss while playing in the shadows of regular starting lineman Daniel Maynes.
With Maynes’ graduation following the 2014 season, Kitching shined in the Minutemen’s spring game last year with seven tackles. According to UMass coach Mark Whipple, Kitching has carried this momentum into the first two weeks of fall camp.
“He’s really come on. He’s played well during (last) year but he was really kind of our best player the last two games,” Whipple said. “He carried that over in the spring and had a really good spring game. He’s a physical guy and you can really see his confidence.”
Minutemen defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo said the biggest difference in Kitching’s play has been his intensity level, which has allowed him to consistently make an impact in disrupting the opposing offense.
“The most important thing is he’s playing with more anger,” Sollazzo said. “It’s fundamentals and playing with intensity, that’s the key for the defensive line. He’s got good fundamentals but when he plays with intensity, he’s a whole different person.”
Sollazzo added that the overall performance of the Minutemen’s defensive line will dictate how UMass’ defensive unit will fare this year and that the line’s success starts with strength up the middle with Kitching.
“It starts with the nose (tackle),” Sollazzo said. “It’s going to be very important for him to have a good season. He’s got to really come on this season and be a consistent tough guy.”
While UMass boasts plenty of senior experience at linebacker and in its secondary, Kitching said he’s taking it upon himself to be the “anchor” of the defense, affirming Sollazzo’s assortment about the importance of his position.
Kitching added that he’s embracing his role as a consistently relied on option and a leader of the Minutemen’s young defensive line.
“I look to help my team in the best way possible. Being the nose, (that means) disrupting things,” Kitching said. “I’ve got to anchor the defense as much as possible, so I’m trying to be that guy for this defense and for the team.”
Kitching agreed with Sollazzo about the importance of playing with added intensity on every snap and said it will be needed to face inevitable double teams and added attention on him from other teams.
“Playing the nose, you’ve got to play angry,” Kitching said. “There’s a lot of double teams and a lot of things thrown at you so you have to play with aggression to get things done. I definitely attack this new year with a new mindset.”
Kitching and Whipple both said the main focus for the defensive line in 2015 is to apply more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and to stop the run on early downs. These were areas of inconsistency for the Minutemen last year, who finished 11th and ninth in sacks and rush defense respectively out of 13 teams in the Mid-American Conference.
“They have to pressure the quarterback more and obviously stop people on first down running the ball,” Whipple said. “(It’s important) to get (opponents) in long situations where we can get a pass rush and create turnovers.”
In addition to Kitching, UMass hopes its young corps of defensive linemen will help the team find greater success in these areas. Sollazzo noted sophomores Sha-Ki Holines and Peter Angeh and redshirt freshmen Jake Largay, Chris Carter and Joe Previte as linemen who have the potential to earn quality reps this year.
According to Kitching, having young depth at the position is an advantage the Minutemen didn’t have last year and will keep everyone in the rotation refreshed. He added that he’s taking his leadership role as a senior on the defensive line in stride.
“Sometimes it’s weird to look at it that way but they definitely do look up to me,” Kitching said. “Sometimes when I’m not feeling like going hard, I have to go for my teammates. It’s definitely a new position for me but I’m getting used to it.”
Anthony Chiusano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @ac_chiusano24.
