The UMass football team played the alumni in a spirited Spring Game.
Former UMass running back Marcel Shipp takes a hand-off from former wide receiver DeShon Hardy during Saturday's Spring Game.AMHERST - For the University of Massachusetts football alumni, stepping on the field at McGuirk Alumni Stadium to compete against the current team for a half was a terrific experience.
Another half would have been torture.
UMass career rushing leader Marcel Shipp, who wore his familiar No. 5 jersey, said the game was a great idea but he wouldn't be playing in it again.
"Unless we get the offensive line together and practice for two weeks,'' Shipp, who played for Arizona in the NFL and most recently in the UFL. "I was getting ready to run for my life out there.''
The alumni were game, just out of shape for the majority of them. Shipp, who has played the last three years with Las Vegas of the UFL, said Saturday's game was the last time he would wear shoulder pads.
Other former UMass players have long since given up on playing, which made Saturday's game all the more fun.
"That was a blast,'' former All-American linebacker Kole Ayi said. "Most people don't remember the last time they put their helmet on, so this was really exciting and great to be back.''
The Alumni game finished 14-0 in favor of the present UMass team. Jordan Broadnax scored on a one-run run and Kellen Pagel connected with Marken Michel on a 61-yard touchdown pass. Brendan Levengood kicked both extra points.
Many of the alumni played both offense and defense, leading to even more fatigue, but there was plenty of fight in them until the final whistle.
"It was great to come back and strap it up with all the old teammates and run around a little bit and see what the current team had to offer,'' former lineman Cliff Bolden said. "It's not bad, not bad, I enjoyed it.''
It was a learning experience for the present Minutemen, spending time before and after the game with players that came before them.
"It was fun coming out here and playing with the alumni,'' UMass offensive tackle Stephane Milhim said. "I know some of those guys personally so I tried to get after them a little bit. They're not in great shape but they gave it their all and I'm proud of those guys.''
The second half saw the current team go head-to-head, the defense getting the better of the offense, the only scoring coming on a Levengood field goal.
"In the second half when the ones played the twos, I thought the defense was sharp, they did just a few things and they did them really really well,'' UMass coach Charley Molnar said. "Offensively we only did a few things that are in our offense and sometimes we executed and did really really well and other times we're a work in progress.''
From here, Molnar said it's up to the players to close out the semester strong academically, then work with strength and conditioning coach Bob Otrando on a plan for the summer. Much of the team is expected to remain here for the summer, working out and bonding together under senior leadership.
Saturday's game gave the players and the alumni, as well as the fans, something to remember for quite a while.
"It was even better than I thought it was going to be,'' Molnar said of the whole day. "The alumni were so appreciative of the whole event, but really what it did was give them a chance to bond again and see other guys they haven't seen in 20, 30 or 40 years.
"To hear their stories of the time they were here, the leadership stories they passed along to our senior class, were immeasurable as far as the value they had to our program,'' Molnar said.
To a man, the football alumni were on board with the program's move up to Football Bowl Subdivision and plan to give their support to making it a successful move.
"I've talked to coach Molnar a couple of times and he has big business, big plans to take this time in the right direction and finally get us on the level we're suppose to be,'' Bolden said.