Kellen Pagel returns under center for the UMass season finale.
Kellen Pagel returns to action after missing the last two games when UMass hosts James Madison Saturday at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.AMHERST – An era will come to an end beginning Saturday at 1 p.m. when the University of Massachusetts plays its last football game at the Championship Subdivision level.
The Minutemen (5-5) are looking to end their 33-year affiliation with what was once called I-AA football with a win and a winning season.
James Madison (6-4) may have a little more incentive. The Dukes are in need of a win to be eligible for the FCS playoffs, something UMass could not play for even if its record was perfect.
This transitional year to Football Bowl Subdivision leaves the Minutemen ineligible for the Colonial Athletic Association title or the FCS playoffs.
Which means this is it for football this season for UMass, and this will be the last game played at McGuirk Alumni Stadium until at least 2014 as UMass plays home games exclusively at Gillette Stadium the next two years.
It may be Senior Day, but all but the freshmen for UMass are playing their last game in Amherst.
“Just like Rhode Island did to us last year, we had a chance to go to the playoffs and they beat us at home,’’ UMass senior offensive lineman Josh Samuda said. “It’s the same situation for (JMU), they’ve got to come here and try and win to go to the playoffs. I don’t really care if they go to the playoffs or not, I’m just trying to get my last win in college.
“There’s a lot riding on this game, it’s my last game so I’m doing everything to get a win,’’ he added.
Samuda will once again be protecting Kellen Pagel in the offensive backfield. Pagel, who won the starting quarterback job from Brandon Hill after the first game of the season, has missed the last two games because of injury.
Pagel returned to practice this week and took most of the first-team reps. He will be backed up by Ray Pendagast, a last-minute starter last week who performed well in the loss to Maine.
Hill was injured late in the Villanova game and could not play against Maine. Combined, Pagel and Hill have missed four games because of injury, and it appears Hill won’t be playing Saturday either, pushing that number to five.
“I’ve been blessed I guess,’’ UMass coach Kevin Morris said of healthy quarterbacks in the past. “Liam Coen played one year when he could hardly throw the ball but he played through it and was able to get through the games. (Kyle) Haven the next two years made it all the way through.
“We’ve been blessed to have the quarterbacks all the way through but certainly not this year,’’ Morris added.
Pagel’s mobility will be needed against a JMU team that ranks second in the CAA in sacks with 33. UMass is going to have to make headway through the air against this Dukes team that ranks first in the CAA in total defense (305 yards allowed), first in scoring defense (19.5) and first in rushing defense (98.2 yards).
On the other side of the ball, JMU likes to run, and run a lot. The Dukes have double barrel action in the backfield with Dae’Quan Scott (91.5 yards a game) and Jordan Anderson (68.2), and are second in rushing in the CAA with a 217.9 yards a game average.
James Madison welcomed back redshirt junior quarterback Justin Thorpe, out with injury since Sept. 24, last week in a win over Rhode Island. He rushed for 88 yards and passed for another 91.
The Dukes are last in passing in the CAA, but running the option out of the spread offense, passing the ball is the fourth option.
Turnovers, like in most games, will likely decide this game. The UMass defense has played very well over the last five games, but turnovers have stymied the offense and put the defense in a tight spot.
The Dukes are last in passing in the CAA, but running the option out of the spread offense, passing the ball is the fourth option.
Turnovers, like in most games, will likely decide this game. The UMass defense has played very well over the last five games, but turnovers have stymied the offense and put the defense in a tight spot.