Saturday, September 26, 2009

I'm back for the live blog as
UMass takes on Stony Brook before its bye week. Again, I'm bumping
elbows with Matt Vautour, so I'll be sure to keep you updated with any
blog-worthy quips he floats my way.

Refresh for the latest updates, which will be posted at the top of the entry.

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As promised here are the Top 3 Bad-Pun Headlines of the Game:

1. Horne Plenty on Band Day
2. SBU needs Band-Aids on Band Day
3. Seawolves team as bad as Gray Wolves nickname

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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SBU

Passing
Coulter 14-23, 126 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing
Mateo 11-56
Cuttino 3-20
Contardi 8-15
Receiving
Gush 6-52, 2 TDs
Porter 3-42
Towns 3-18

UMass
Havens 12-24, 259 yards, 2 INT
Rushing
Hernandez 29-140, 3 TDs
Gonnet 4-37
Zardas 6-29, 2 TDs
Receiving
Horne 5-124
Sanford 2-42
Hernandez 1-34
Cruz 1-21
Krevis 1-20

 

FINAL

UMass 44, SB 17

Final stats coming up

4Q-2:57

Darren Thellen picks off a pass from SB backup QB Dan Sweeney. Thellen's first INT.

Octavius Hawkins now at QB for UMass.

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4Q-6:34
UMass 44, SB 17

Welcome to the game Cedric Gonnet, who dragged three defenders 23 yards on his first touch and had 4 carries for 37 yards on the drive before Cuko's 35 yard FG.

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4Q-10:22

Scott Woodward now in at quarterback for the Minutemen. Herenandez ran for four yards to open the drive and then was replaced by Cedric Gonnet. We'll see if that's the end of Hernandez's day. Also, it's Sanford and Talley at WR.

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4Q-15:00

First 5 rushing TD game for UMass since 10/7/06 against William and Mary when Steve Baylark had two and Tony Nelson had three.

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3Q-0:40
UMass 41, SB 17

Zardas with a great second effort at the goal line to score from four yards out. Zardas' second TD of the night. Second-ever two TD game for the fullback.

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3Q-2:30

Shane Viveiros picks off Coulter for the Minutemen's first forced turnover of the day. Returned it 25 yards to the SB 15. That's Viveiros' 1st career INT.

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3Q-4:01

Bailey back in for this drive with the UMass defense.

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3Q-4:19
UMass 34, SB 17

A few penalties made it fourth and goal from the 25. 42-yard field goal by Armando Cuko salvages what could have been a touchdown drive. Fifth FG of 40+ this year for Cuko.

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3Q-7:02

Overheard in the pressbox (not by Matt): "Is Tony Nelson going to be the Wally Pipp of UMass football?"

FYI-Hernandez at 24-125 and 3 TDs along with the 34-yard reception. Funny line, but the answer (to a joke question) is, of course, no.

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3Q-7:50

Ducasse is back in the game here.

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3Q-9:05

Ke'Mon Bailey comes out with an injury. We'll keep you updated on both he and Vlad. Starting to look like that bye week is coming at just the right time.

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3Q-10:01
UMass 31, SB 17

Hernandez breaks through for 36 yards up the middle for a touchdown, his third of the game. He's now at 22 carries for 120 yards. First career 100-yard rushing game for Hernandez.

During that drive, Horne made his fourth catch for 111  yards. That's his fifth career 100-yard game.

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3Q-11:48

Vladimir Ducasse stays down after a Hernandez run and is looked at on the field after the play. We'll keep you updated. 

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HALFTIME
UMass 24, SB 17

Stats
SB
Coulter 10-for-13, 100 yards 2 TDs, 0 INT
Cuttino 3 rushes, 20 yards
Gush 4 catches, 27 yards, 2 TDs

UMass
Havens 8-15, 178 yards, 2 INT
Hernandez 18 rushes, 70 yards, 2 TDs
Zardas 5 carries, 25 yards, 1 TD
Horne 3 catches, 85 yards
Hernandez 1 catch, 24 yards
Cruz 1 catch, 21 yards

 

2Q-0:18
UMass 24, SB 17

Cuko kicks a 30 yard field goal to push the lead back to seven.

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2Q-0:51

UMass makes a statement late in the half, going for it on fourth and inches at midfield and barely getting it on a Jon Hernandez run. Then, the Minutemen do what should be happening more often in this game -- getting the ball to Hernandez in open space and letting him make plays. He did just that on a 35-yard swing pass to the right side.

UMass currently has 3rd and 7 on the 9 yard line. Would be nice to punch one in here. 

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2Q-2:33
UMass 21, SB 17

Jordan Gush scores on a TD pass on the very first play from scrimmage. 15 yards from Coulter. Gush was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play.

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2Q-2:39

Kenny Tuiloma picks off Havens at the UM 42 yard line and brings it 27 yards down to the 15. Looks like Havens and Victor Cruz weren't on the same page with that route. We'll see if the defense can bail them out.

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2Q-9:34
UMass 21, SB 10

Impressive drive from UMass ends with another Hernandez TD, this time from 9 yards out. Hernandez now has 13 carries for 50 yards and 2 TDs. His second 2 TD game this year (Albany).

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END OF FIRST QUARTER
UMass 14, SB 10

First quarter stats:
SB
Coulter 6-for-8, 62 yards, 1 TD
Cuttino 3 rushes, 20 yards
Gush 2 catch, 11 yards
Porter 1 catch, 20 yards
Cuttino 1 catch, 14 yards

UMass
Havens 4-for-7, 106 yards, 1 INT
Zardes 4 rushes, 22 yards, 1 TD
Hernandez 6 rushes, 14 yards, 1 TD
Horne 2 catches, 65 yards
Cruz 1 catch, 21 yards
Krevis 1 catch, 20 yards

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1Q-2:04
UMass 14, SB 10

The Minutemen come right back and answer with a three-yard touchdown run by Jon Hernandez. Both Zardas and Hernandez have scored already.

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1Q-6:02
SB 10, UMass 7

The drive goes backwards, but the Havens pick gives SB a Wesley Skiffington 43-yard field goal and the lead.

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1Q-7:07

Havens intercepted on third down by Aaron West. Gives SB possession on the UMass 24 yard line. Bad throw and an easy pick for West, who stepped in front of the receiver.

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1Q-8:12
TIED 7-7

Jordan Gush scores on a five yard pass by Michael Coulter to even the score.

Who needs Edwin Gowins? Stony Brook got a nice return and then marched 48 yards for a touchdown behind Conte Cuttino (3 carries, 20 yards, 1 catch, 14 yards).

Nice job by Coulter, who has stood in late and taken some punishment in order to complete a couple of key passes, including a big third-down screen to Cuttino to keep the chains moving early. Coulter is 4-for-4 for 32 yards and one TD

NOTE: First first-quarter score by an opponent against UMass this season. 

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1Q-12:39
UMass 7, Stony Brook 0

Chris
Zardas runs in from 3 yards out on a right pitch on third and goal for
the touchdown. Armando Cuko adds the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

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NOTE:
Nelson had 14 straight starts before today's game. No word on why the
change wasn't listed on the pregame notes. Draw your own conclusions.

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1Q-14:50

UMass starts with the ball and Havens hits Jeremy Horne for a 49-yard gain on the very first play of the game.

LATE NOTE: Tony Nelson is out with an upper body injury. Jon Hernandez gets first career start.

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Pregame updates

*Stony Brook is without TB Edwin Gowins (arch) who is listed
as a backup, but leads the team with 200 rushing yards on 43 carries.

*For the second straight week Jared Chivers will start at
center in place of John Ihne (upper body). Ihne is still expected to
play. Brandon Flanagan will start for the second week in a row.

*It's Band Day here, with more than 4,000 band students from
more than 75 different high schools from the Northeast who will perform
at halftime and after the game.