# 2018 UMass Minutemen football team

The 2018 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the fifth year of head coach Mark Whipple's second stint at UMass and 11th year overall. The Minutemen divided their home schedule between two stadiums. Five home games were played at the UMass campus at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium with one home game at Gillette Stadium. This was UMass's third year as an independent. They finished the season 4–8.
On November 21, head coach Mark Whipple resigned. He finished with a record of 16–44 in the five years of his second stint as head coach and 65–70 in his eleven overall seasons. On December 3, the school hired Florida State offensive coordinator Walt Bell for the head coaching job.
UMass wide receiver Andy Isabella was named a consensus All-American at year's end.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Andrew Ford | QB | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | Marquis Young | RB | SR |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Andy Isabella | WR | SR |
| Butkus Award | Bryton Barr | LB | SR |
| Paul Hornung Award | Andy Isabella | WR/KR | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Andrew Ford | QB | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Andy Isabella | WR | SR |
| Manning Award | Andrew Ford | QB | SR |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 25 | 5:30 p.m. | Duquesne (FCS) | Warren McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA | ELVN | W 63–15 | 8,684 |
| September 1 | 1:00 p.m. | at Boston College | Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill, MA (rivalry) | ACCN Extra | L 21–55 | 30,112 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at Georgia Southern | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN+ | L 13–34 | 15,071 |
| September 15 | 7:30 p.m. | at FIU | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | beIN | L 24–63 | 14,695 |
| September 22 | 3:30 p.m. | Charlotte | Warren McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA | ELVN | W 49–31 | 10,086 |
| September 29 | 2:00 p.m. | at Ohio | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN3 | L 42–58 | 19,056 |
| October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | South Florida | Warren McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA | ELVN | L 42–58 | 7,988 |
| October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Coastal Carolina | Warren McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA | ELVN | L 13–24 | 11,134 |
| October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | at UConn | Rentschler FieldEast Hartford, CT (rivalry) | ESPNU | W 22–17 | 24,150 |
| November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Liberty | Warren McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA | ELVN | W 62–59 $^{3OT}$ | 10,338 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | BYU | Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MA | ELVN | L 16–35 | 14,082 |
| November 17 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 5 Georgia | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | SECN | L 27–66 | 92,746 |
| HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
    Schedule Source:
☆All Eleven Sports broadcasts will be simulcast on NESN or NESN+.

## Game summaries
### Duquesne

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dukes | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Minutemen | 21 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 63 |
The Minutemen's game against Duquesne was the first of the 2018 college football season, kicking off 90 minutes before Prairie View A&M–Rice.
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | DUQ | UMass |
| 1 | 13:57 | 1 | 32 | 0:08 | UMass | Brennon Dingle 32-yard touchdown reception from Andrew Ford, Mike Caggiano kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 11:35 | 2 | 77 | 0:45 | UMass | Andy Isabella 60-yard touchdown reception from Ross Comis, Cooper Garcia kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 1 | 6:20 | 8 | 87 | 3:01 | UMass | Bilal Ally 1-yard touchdown run, Mike Caggiano kick good | 0 | 21 |
| 1 | 0:50 | 6 | 28 | 2:58 | DUQ | 32-yard field goal by Mitch MacZura | 3 | 21 |
| 2 | 14:30 | 5 | 75 | 1:20 | UMass | Andy Isabella 14-yard touchdown run, Cooper Garcia kick good | 3 | 28 |
| 2 | 3:12 | 12 | 62 | 4:19 | UMass | Marquis Young 2-yard touchdown run, Mike Caggiano kick good | 3 | 35 |
| 2 | 0:05 | 9 | 66 | 3:07 | DUQ | Nehari Crawford 5-yard touchdown reception from Daniel Parr, 2-point pass failed | 9 | 35 |
| 3 | 12:22 | 6 | 54 | 2:38 | UMass | Andy Isabella 44-yard touchdown reception from Andrew Ford, Cooper Garcia kick good | 9 | 42 |
| 3 | 10:09 | | | | UMass | Interception returned 60 yards for touchdown by Brice McAlister, Mike Caggiano kick good | 9 | 49 |
| 3 | 3:33 | 8 | 81 | 3:40 | UMass | Ross Comis 1-yard touchdown run, Cooper Garcia kick good | 9 | 56 |
| 4 | 10:27 | 17 | 71 | 2:55 | DUQ | Daniel Parr 2-yard touchdown run, Mitch MacZura kick failed | 15 | 56 |
| 4 | 7:42 | 7 | 87 | 2:43 | UMass | Zak Simon 14-yard touchdown reception from Ross Comis, Mike Caggiano kick good | 15 | 63 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 15 | 63 |

### At Boston College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Eagles | 14 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 55 |

### At Georgia Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Eagles | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |

### At FIU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Panthers | 14 | 28 | 14 | 7 | 63 |

### Charlotte

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Minutemen | 28 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 49 |

### At Ohio

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| Bobcats | 14 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 58 |

### South Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 10 | 10 | 28 | 10 | 58 |
| Minutemen | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |

### Coastal Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chanticleers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| Minutemen | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |

### At UConn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 3 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 22 |
| Huskies | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |

### Liberty

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Flames | 14 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 59 |
| Minutemen | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 62 |

### BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Minutemen | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 |

### At Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 5 Bulldogs | 14 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 66 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 62 | Andy Isabella | WR | Arizona Cardinals |