By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — UMass has faced enough Power 5 opponents in recent years that just playing one, especially at home, isn’t likely to rattle the football team.
But getting from unfazed to victorious is a bridge the Minutemen haven’t been able to cross in four-plus years as an FBS program.
The Minutemen will try to end that stretch Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Mississippi State at Gillette Stadium.
“Any time you get an SEC team it’s a big game,” junior linebacker Da’Sean Downey said. “Playing the best competition you can play definitely makes you better.”
UMass coach Mark Whipple said his team should know what to expect.
“I don’t think it’s anything new for these guys. Obviously the SEC is the best league and the SEC West, they’ve got good players,” Whipple said. “I think the tape speaks loudly about who we’re playing.”
UMass hasn’t announced a starting quarterback for the game. Whipple said Ross Comis, who missed last week with a shoulder injury, is healthy enough to play, but wouldn’t commit to a starter. Andrew Ford played well in the Minutemen’s win last week against Florida International.
Linebacker Shane Huber is also a game-time decision.
The Bulldogs (1-2, 1-1 SEC) come in trying to build some momentum. Mississippi State stumbled out of the gate, falling to South Alabama, 21-20.
The Bulldogs led 17-0 at halftime and 20-7 going into the fourth quarter. But the Jaguars scored two touchdowns in the final quarter, including one with 57 seconds left to win.
MSU has played better since. It took down a struggling South Carolina team, 27-14 in Week 2, and hung with No. 20 LSU before falling 23-20 last weekend.
Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald leads the Bulldogs in rushing and passing. He has carried it 32 times for 219 yards. In the air, he’s 31-for-56 for 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interceptions.
Junior Damian Williams has seen action under center in two of the three games as well.
“You’ve got to be a lot more aware of the quarterback running the ball,” Downey said. “Everybody has to be on our toes and make sure we’re in the right spots in our gaps.”
Fred Ross has been the Bulldogs’ top receiver with 17 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
State coach Dan Mullen said UMass wasn’t easy to prepare for.
“It’s going to be a tricky road trip for our guys this week playing against a good UMass team. They’ve already played an SEC team and ACC team and played pretty well,” Mullen said. “They’ll try to create as much chaos as they can on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, they throw the ball pretty well. They’ve got an explosive running back and a different environment, obviously a long road trip for us going up to the Northeast.”
DATE SWAP— UMass has swapped the dates of two road games next year according to FBSchedules.com
The Minutemen will now play at Tennessee on Sept. 23 and are at Mississippi State on Nov. 4. Those dates had previously been reversed.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage