To commemorate the 10th anniversary of UMass' Division I-AA
Championship in 1998, I'm rerunning the game story from each game from
that season in its corresponding week this year. I'll add some
commentary on the old articles in in italics.

UM FUMBLES IT AWAY

AMHERST - Despite turning the ball over six times previously, with 45 seconds left in the game and trailing 28-27, the University of Massachusetts football team still had a chance to win with the ball at its own 45 yard-line.

But turnover No. 7 put the final touches on a tough day for UMass quarterback Todd Bankhead, as his pass was tipped by Connecticut's Jordan Younger and intercepted by Husky Jeff Delucia to seal a 28-27 UConn victory at McGuirk Alumni Stadium Saturday.

The loss cost the Minutemen (8-3, 6-2) the Atlantic 10 title, but while it was a heartbreaker, it proved not to be a backbreaker. Sunday, the Minutemen received an at-large bid to the Division 1-AA playoffs (see related story).

UConn's win marked a season sweep for the Huskies, who beat the Minutemen 44-41 in overtime on Oct. 17.

"It was a crazy game," said Minuteman coach Mark Whipple. "Our offense played well, but they just laid the ball on the ground too many times. It wasn't a lack of effort that we lost and it wasn't lack of confidence. I couldn't be prouder whether we won the game or not."

The 12th largest crowd in UMass history attended the game. The 16,392 fans were the most at McGuirk since Nov. 26, 1974.

"I want to give all the thanks and the credit to the people at UMass and the fans today," Whipple said. "I think you could really feel that they were into it."

The one-point margin of victory again came from UMass' place-kicking struggle, when Jason Cherry missed the extra point after the final Minuteman touchdown, but there was blame to be shared as an excessive-celebration flag on UMass forced Cherry to kick from 33 yards out.

"Jason hit it pretty good," Whipple said, "But he just hit it off to the right. We had a personal foul and I'm not sure what happened, but those officials were good.

UMass finished with 12 penalties for 111 yards.

The loss overshadowed a brilliant effort by the Minuteman defense, which was on the field for just one of the UConn touchdowns.

While special teams accounted for one, the other two came as a result of Bankhead miscues. He fumbled the ball four times in the game and threw two interceptions. One of each wound up in the end zone.

Marcel Shipp also had a costly cough-up. With 3:01 left in the game and the Minutemen seemingly marching toward the go-ahead touchdown, Shipp fumbled the ball at the end of a 17-yard run at the 20. Jamar Wilkins recovered it for the Huskies.

"That was the turning point," said UConn coach Skip Holtz, " because if he walks into the end zone, we were losing."

It marked a disappointing end to an otherwise stellar day for Shipp, who rushed for 257 yards on 38 carries.

UMass' opening drive gave no indication of the troubles that later would befall Bankhead. He directed an 80-yard drive that was capped by a 39-yard scamper by Shipp to put the Minutemen ahead 7-0 less than five minutes into the game.

UMass then surprised the Huskies with an onside kick that kicker Andy Maclay recovered himself. The Minutemen drove to the UConn 17 yard-line but Bankhead fumbled under pressure on third down.

Husky Ron Gamble scooped up the ball and took off the other way, but Minuteman speedy receiver Adrian Zullo caught him and stripped the ball loose. Cliff Bolden fell on it to give UMass the ball on its own 29. The Minutemen advanced the ball back to midfield but were forced to punt.

Anthony Carter tied the game for the Huskies with 3:19 left in the first quarter when he picked off a Bankhead pass at the UMass 37 and scored, but the Minutemen responded quickly.

After Zullo returned the kickoff 39 yards to the Minuteman 43, Shipp went to work. Gaining 30 of the drive's 58 yards himself, Shipp set up Jimmy Moore's 13-yard TD reception from Bankhead to make it 14-7. Moore finished with nine catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

The second of those end zone receptions didn't come from Bankhead. The quarterback handed the ball to Shipp, who handed the ball to freshman receiver Eddie Bowman on a play designed to look like a reverse.

Bowman's downfield heave toward Moore in double coverage was off line, but the senior receiver read it right, hauled it in and beat two defenders into the end zone to put UMass ahead 21-7 with 6:15 left in the half.

It was the Huskies who carried momentum into intermission however, as a Gamble sack freed the ball from Bankhead's grip at the UConn 37 and DeLucia picked it up and sprinted into the end zone to make it 21-14.

The momentum extended to the second half, when Jordan Younger, who was returning kickoffs for only the second time this year, broke away for a 92-yard TD to tie the score, 21-21.

Shipp regained the Minuteman lead early in the fourth quarter, but the missed PAT left the score 27-21.

UConn answered with its only offensive touchdown of the day, when quarterback Shane Stafford completed a 45-yard march with a 4-yard play-action toss to Carl Bond just inside the end zone. Jim McManus booted what became the winning kick to make it 28-27 with 12:04 remaining.

...10 years since that game...