1998 UMass Minutemen football
NCAA Division I-AA national champion
A-10 New England Division co-champion
Lambert Cup winner
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
DivisionNew England Division
Record12–3 (6–2 A-10)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorDon Brown (1st season)
Home stadiumWarren McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,000)
Seasons
← 1997
1999 →
1998 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
New England Division
No. 1 UMass x^   6 – 2     12 – 3  
No. 9 Connecticut x^   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Maine   3 – 5     6 – 5  
New Hampshire   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Rhode Island   2 – 6     3 – 8  
Mid-Atlantic Division
No. 10 Richmond x$^   7 – 1     9 – 3  
No. 23 Delaware   4 – 4     7 – 4  
Villanova   4 – 4     6 – 5  
No. 17 William & Mary   4 – 4     7 – 4  
Northeastern   3 – 5     5 – 6  
James Madison   2 – 6     3 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1998 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team was coached by Mark Whipple and played its home games at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. 1998 was the most successful season in Minutemen history, as UMass won their first national championship in the NCAA DI-AA playoffs in Whipple's first year with the team. UMass entered the postseason as champions of the A-10, but were not expected to make a serious run for the title. They reached the final game ranked 12th in the nation, and were matched up with perennial powerhouse Georgia Southern, the top ranked team in the country. The Minutemen rushed out of the gates, scoring three touchdowns in the opening quarter, and won the shootout by a final score of 55–43. UMass finished the season with a record of 12–3 overall and 6–2 in conference play.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 37:00 p.m.at No. 3 Delaware
L 30–3320,744
September 121:00 p.m.at Richmond
W 22–1710,219
September 261:00 p.m.Buffalo*
W 51–2711,672
October 312:00 p.m.at No. 5 Hofstra*
W 40–355,308
October 101:00 p.m.James MadisonNo. 24
  • McGuirk Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 28–2614,202[1]
October 171:30 p.m.at No. 15 ConnecticutNo. 18
L 41–448,581
October 241:00 p.m.No. 22 VillanovadaggerNo. 19
  • McGuirk Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 36–2612,135[2]
October 3112:30 p.m.at New HampshireNo. 16
W 27–263,578
November 712:00 p.m.at Rhode IslandNo. 12
W 23–135,036
November 1412:30 p.m.MaineNo. 10
  • McGuirk Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 55–3410,355
November 2112:30 p.m.No. 9 Connecticut*No. 7
  • McGuirk Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
L 27–2816,392
November 287:00 p.m.at No. 6 McNeese State*No. 12
W 21–1911,349[3]
December 512:00 p.m.No. 13 Lehigh*No. 12
  • McGuirk Stadium
  • Hadley, MA (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals)
W 27–2112,108
December 122:00 p.m.at No. 2 Northwestern State*No. 12
W 41–3110,424
December 192:00 p.m.vs. No. 1 Georgia Southern*No. 12
ESPNW 55–4317,501

References

  1. ^ "Smith tip-top in UMass win". The Boston Globe. October 11, 1998. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "UMass able to hold on". The Boston Globe. October 25, 1998. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "UMass holds on for its playoff life". The Boston Globe. November 29, 1998. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.


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