Athletic Department News

Dave Geringer [Contact]

Football Hosts MIT Saturday on Friends and Family Day

10/2/2008

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-An old-fashioned shootout could be in the works when the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's football team celebrates Friends and Family Day by hosting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a Northeast Football Conference Boyd Division game Saturday afternoon. Kickoff at Cressy Field is set for 3:00 p.m.

The Corsairs will enter the game with a 2-2 overall record and are 0-1 in Boyd Division play, having lost at Plymouth State last week. The Engineers are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in division play and are coming off a 43-42 victory at home against Nichols in a game decided on a 37-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining. MIT's only loss was a 42-38 decision at Framingham State when the Rams scored the winning touchdown with eight seconds remaining.

The Corsairs defeated the Engineers last year in Cambridge, 49-14 and have won the last eight games between the teams, going back to a 30-29 MIT win in overtime at UMD on October 9, 1999 when the Engineers tied the game with 10 seconds remaining, struck first in the extra period, and then blocked the extra point after the Corsairs scored. "I'm scared to death," said Robichaud. "They're really doing a nice job right now. They are 3-1, they average over 400 yards per game, and DeRon Brown is just an outstanding running back. They are a different team than they were a year ago. They have diversified their offense, they run a lot of different formations and a lot of different plays, and they do a lot of things well offensively."

Brown leads the NEFC in rushing, averaging 188.2 yards per game, nearly 33 yards per game more than Corsairs senior running back J.T. Harold (North Andover, MA/Austin Prep). MIT leads the conference in scoring, averaging 41.2 points per game, and is second in rushing with 301 yards per contest. UMass Dartmouth ranks fifth in scoring at 28.8 points per game and third in rushing, averaging 271.8 yards.

"We didn't play well at Plymouth State," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. "Our passing game was the best it's been all year, but we couldn't run the ball or stop the run. We've got to be able to stop the run this week against MIT. We've got to go back and work hard and re-dedicate ourselves, knowing that we still have a lot to play for, and we will have a tough opponent every week."

Robichaud said that discipline could be a key this week. "We've got to contain DeRon Brown, and I'm sure they are saying the same thing about J.T;" said Robichaud. "We have to get guys to take care of their own responsibilities. Everyone has to get off their block and make a play defensively, and not try to do too much. We have to avoid turnovers. They are always a huge part of the game."

The Corsairs will visit Western New England next week and return home to host Salve Regina October 18th on Homecoming Weekend.

UMASS DARTMOUTH FOOTBALL