NCAA Football Preview - Massachusetts Minutemen

Aug 19, 2014 - 3:31 PM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -

2013 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Massachusetts Minutemen moved from the FCS' Colonial Athletic Association to the FBS prior to the 2012 season, and it was immediately apparent the Minutemen would need at least a few years before they could be competitive in the Mid-American Conference.

In two years at the FBS level, UMass has recorded two 1-11 seasons, with a grand total of two collective wins in conference play over those years. The Minutemen went 1-7 in conference play in 2013, and not one aspect of their game is to blame, but rather the entire product.

UMass' offense averaged an absolutely dismal 11.7 ppg and managed just 182 first downs all year and 281.6 total yards of offense per game. But that doesn't change the fact that the defense gave up 33 ppg and allowed 433.2 yards per contest to opponents while only recording eight interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.

The Minutemen have challenged themselves with tough scheduling since making the move up to the next level, which was once again the case in 2013. UMass was taken down by Wisconsin (45-0) in Week 1, lost to Kansas State (37-7) in Week 3, and was absolutely demolished by in-conference foe Northern Illinois (63-19) later on. One win over Miami (Ohio) in the middle of the season separated five- and six-game losing skids.

2014 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: The Minutemen made a coaching switch in the offseason to Mark Whipple, although in this case it's more like a coaching recall. Whipple was the head coach of the Minutemen from 1998-2003, when he took a 2-9 overall team and turned them into I-AA national champions in his first season. He left UMass and was most recently the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns (2011-'12). He once again inherits a Massachusetts team that performed poorly the season prior to his arrival.

"I think all the coaches are ready to get their hands back on the guys," Whipple said. "We had some good meetings in the summer and are really excited about coaching them and trying to get to the next level."

There was almost no offensive bright spot last season for the Minutemen, and they return seven starters to try and make some form of improvement in 2014. Quarterback A.J. Doyle saw the most action last season, but only threw for six touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions. He'll get a serious push from junior Blake Frohnapfel for the starting gig.

Jamal Wilson and Lorenzo Woodley return as the top two running backs on the roster. Wilson paced the team with 413 rushing yards in 2013 with just one score, while Woodley was close behind at 334 yards with two scores. Woodley's two rushing touchdowns was a team best.

Wide receivers Tajae Sharpe (61 receptions, 680 yards and four touchdowns) and Alex Kenney (Penn State transfer) will likely be the go-to playmakers for whichever QB wins the job, since tight end Rob Branchflower was selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. To make matters worse for the Minutemen offense, only two offensive line starters are back for another season.

DEFENSE: There were some individual standouts for UMass on defense, but nothing could add up to slowing an opposing offense down. Linebacker Stanley Andre will return for his senior season after leading the Minutemen in tackles (111) and tackles for loss (5.5) in 2013. He's the only remaining starter at the linebacker position.

Of UMass' six returning defensive starters from last season, four of them make out the defensive backfield. Cornerbacks Trey Dudley-Giles and Randall Jette are juniors and favored to win back their starting spots. They'll be largely responsible for bettering the 217.8 passing ypg UMass allowed to opponents last year.

Senior Daniel Maynes is the lone returner on the defensive line. He registered 29 tackles in 2013. He could be flanked by sophomores Enock Asante and Peter Angeh on the line.

Opponents were able to do plenty of damage in the run game, racking up 215.5 ypg on the ground against UMass last season. To improve this season, the unit will have to create turnovers and limit gains on first and second downs.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Junior Blake Lucas had a pretty rough go of it in 2013 in terms of handling place kicking duties. He's back in 2014 to try and boost his 3- of-10 field goal attempts, including 1-of-5 from 40-49 yards. The Minutemen will have to replace punter Colter Johnson, who booted 69 punts for a 37.3- yard average. Redshirt freshman Logan Laurent is the favorite to win the job. He received recruiting interest from North Carolina and East Carolina as both a kicker and punter.

OUTLOOK: Bringing Whipple back as the head coach is the right move for the Minutemen, who are searching for some type of answer to resolve two consecutive 1-11 seasons. The problem is that the program as a whole seems a bit directionless.

UMass will be leaving the MAC after the 2015 football season, and the landing destination is a bit of a mystery. It would have taken the program years to get settled in the conference and to legitimately compete for a conference championship. This upcoming season likely won't be much better than the past two.

The Minutemen have been decimated by non-conference opponents in the past, and this year almost assuredly won't be any different with Boston College, Colorado, Vanderbilt and Penn State on the slate. Then throw in matchups with Bowling Green, Toledo, Akron and Buffalo, and on paper it has the makings to be another down year.

But with teams like Miami (Ohio) and Kent State on the schedule, it's possible UMass could have its first multi-win FBS season in 2014. It should be a better year for the Minutemen, but not by much.

"As I said when I got here, we're just looking forward," Whipple said "We know we've got Boston College on Aug. 30. We can't afford to look backward."