AMHERST – The one positive for UMass through the first four weeks has been its play on special teams.
Isaiah Rodgers returned a punt for a touchdown last week against Charlotte and had averaged 27.7 yards per attempt entering Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina. The Minutemen have also been on their coverage units with strong tackles and good gap discipline.
And still Saturday was the best day for UMass’ four special teams units. The Minutemen pinned the Chanticleers deep in their own territory twice on kickoffs and executed a gorgeous pooch punt in the middle of the first quarter as George Georgopoulos floated his punt directly into Justin Lewis’ arms at the 2-yard line.
“We’ve played really good (special) teams over the last four weeks,” coach Walt Bell said. “Credit to our guys on special teams, they’re doing a really nice job.”
Yet it was Rodgers who stole the show for the Minutemen in the third facet of the sport. The senior averaged 40 yards on his six kickoff returns, with three of them ending inside Coastal Carolina territory. Every time the Chanticleers kicked it deep to Rodgers, the blocking lined up perfectly that the cornerback had a wide crease to sprint into and let his speed do the rest.
Rodgers now holds the career kick return yards record with 1,477 over 59 career attempts and his 240 yards Saturday were 12 shy of the single-game record set in 2011.
“We just preached all week to get on our man and put faith the guy back there, which was me,” Rodgers said. “I just speak to the guys before we go out there and tell them to do your job and focus on the details, and they just did their jobs.”
IT’S A FAKE – This week, UMass was practicing one of its fake punt plays more often than it normally does. And on the Minutemen’s first punt attempt of the game, Bell proved why.
UMass lined up to punt around midfield on its first possession and got the look it wanted from the Coastal Carolina return group. The direct snap to Jermaine “OC” Johnson Jr. was timed well and the freshman scampered for 28 yards and a first down.
“They’re a big middle return team, and basically what that means is you’re going to catch them in man-to-man,” Bell said. “You knew there was going to be one left on an edge and if they chased in motion that we would have what we wanted.”
KEEP YOUR CHIN UP – The halftime speech for a coach trailing by 35 points is a tricky situation.
Clearly there is enough that went wrong that the coach could go into the locker room and chew out his team for its performance on the field. But the coach could also take a more tactful approach and inspire his team more and focus on the motivational aspects of the speech.
In Bell’s case, he said he went into the locker room at halftime and reminded his team about the foundations of the new program and making sure the Minutemen uphold those principles in the second half.
“Halftime for us was really about making sure we do and act like we said we’re going to do,” Bell said. “That’s being relentlessly positive, that’s being supportive of our teammates, never being out of the fight, making sure we play every play as hard as we can play it. There are moments and times when I feel like we do that, and that’s general overall program development, that’s somewhere where we have to improve.”
Even in a blowout game, the Minutemen stayed positive on the sidelines and supportive of one another. They were able to execute two scoring drives late in the game with Randall West at quarterback with the score well out of reach. And the sideline was at its most animated when kicker Cooper Garcia bulldozed a Coastal Carolina return man in the fourth quarter.
In the face of tremendous adversity, UMass has found a way to stay positive and that is no easy feat. Rodgers said the consistent messaging from every coach and staffer in the building has made it easier for player to absorb the concept and put it into action.
“That’s just the message here from Coach (Matt) Shadeed to Coach (Luke) Paschall and Bell, that’s all they teach is keeping our heads up, playing hard and very smart,” Rodgers said. “When we come off the field, you have players just tapping you on the head and just saying, ‘Hey, keep your head up.’ I’ve seen a few players actually pull someone to the side and tell them to pick their head up.”
INJURY REPORT – UMass entered the game with a few notable injuries and picked up another hobbled team member in Saturday’s loss.
Center Jaylen Larry and left guard Ray Thomas-Ishman missed the game with undisclosed injuries that were sustained in last week’s loss at Charlotte. Bell said both of them tried to practice this week, but it was evident neither one of them would be able to go. Dalton Tomlinson took over at center for Larry and Helber Fagundes started at left guard in place of Thomas-Ishman.
The Minutemen were also without freshman defensive tackle Billy Wooden, who was injured this week in practice. That defensive line depth was further tested when fellow freshman Wilson Frederic left the game with a lower-body injury that forced him onto crutches on the sideline.