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The Massachusetts Minutemen suffered a harsh reality check last Saturday at the hands of the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder where the Buffs used their impressive ground attack to stampede the Minutemen into submission to the tune of a 48-14 final.
UMass began this season with lofty expectations, however those were grounded rather abruptly after their game in Colorado. Now they must use what they learned in Saturday's defeat to try and slow down a Temple Owls squad that has started off 2-0 with statement wins over Penn State and Cincinnati and currently sits just outside the Associated Press Top 25.
UMass and Temple share a long history and rivalry on the hardwood when Temple was in the Atlantic 10 in the days of John Calipari and John Chaney. While it is highly unlikely that either head coach in this match-up with threaten the other's life in the post-game press conference, UMass would dearly love for this contest to become a yearly occurrence by landing a coveted spot in the American Athletic Conference after a brief spell as an independent. At its peak the UMass/Temple basketball rivalry was among the most heated in the NCAA, it would be nice to be able to revive that in football, as well as basketball.
Quick Game Info
Game location, time: Saturday, September 19 at 3:04 p.m. EST
Location: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.
TV: The game will be broadcast on-line on ESPN3. Click here to watch.
Radio: The game can be heard on the radio in Massachusetts and New England at 560 AM WHYN (Springfield/Amherst), 95.9 FM WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Manchester, Providence), and 830 AM WCRN (Worcester). You can stream the audio here if you're outside Massachusetts, or you can download the Tune-In Radio App for mobile listening. The Minutemen are not on 105.5 FM in Western Mass due to a conflict on WEEI with the Red Sox.
Players to Watch
Tajae Sharpe (WR, UMass) - Tajae Sharpe turned in an 11 catch, 138 yard performance last Saturday vs Colorado in what could easily be described as the lone bright spot for UMass on an otherwise terrible afternoon. He'll look to duplicate those numbers and maybe get into the end zone against a ball-hawking Temple secondary.
Marken Michel (WR, UMass) - Michel is sort of the Swiss Army knife of the UMass offense. He'll line up wide, in the slot, in the backfield, anywhere he can be a weapon. Against Colorado he did not have eye-popping numbers but he did catch a touchdown pass and open the eyes of more than a few people who didn't realize just how quick and versatile he can be. Look for Michel to be utilized more frequently as the season progresses.
Jahad Thomas (RB, Temple) - Temple's lead RB is currently on top of the AAC's rushing leaderboard after the season's first two games, and he ran for just under 200 yards this past weekend on the road against Cincinnati. After UMass' dismal performance against the run vs Colorado (59 carries, 390 yards) Thomas could potentially have a field day if the UMass front seven does not come to play.
Tyler Matakevich (LB, Temple) - Matakevich is the leader of Temple's terrific defense from the linebacker spot, a tackling machine that has a knack for big plays. He's tied atop the AAC with three sacks on the season, and has two INTs to his credit already as well. UMass and particularly QB Blake Frohnapfel will need to know where Matakevich is at all times on Saturday.