 "Photo: Chris Shipley")
It's always been a big game for those involved. That's how this thing called a rivalry works. There's just something different about those games. More energy, more intensity, more of everything. It's two state schools dooking it out for bragging rights. It's conference foes fighting for a championship. It's players battling for a chance to play on past the regular season and move into the territory where legacies are crafted and legends are born.
"This is our biggest game of the season," said UNH junior defensive lineman Tyler Brown. "It's UMass; it's a big rivalry. It's exciting. I don't know if it's the crowd or what. It's just UMass. UNH players hate UMass, there's no real reason why, it's just something about this team, this game."
This rivalry, one of the oldest in sport, can trace its origins back over 110 years. October 2, 1897, that's the day the rivalry was born after a 10-4 UMass victory. Since 1952 the UNH vs. UMass showdown has been a constant force, as the teams have played each other in every season.
"This is UNH v UMass, we're looking forward to it," said UNH Head Coach Sean McDonnell.
As if the rivalry needed anything else to add to the stakes, the recent divisional and national dominance by both teams has turned this into one of the marquee matchups in all of college football, and that is no different this year, as both teams have remained constants in the national rankings.
"This is why you coach," said McDonnell. "It's a great rivalry that has really meant something the last few years. We have an opportunity to play the best team in the league, at their place, with a lot of playoff ramifications."
The Minutemen swept the season series last year, posting an impressive 28-20 victory over UNH in Durham, and then ending the Wildcats national championship dreams and season with a 24-17 NCAA quarterfinal victory last December.
This year, the scenario is no different as both teams will be fighting for their playoff lives Saturday at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
A win, and UNH keeps their playoff hopes alive. A loss, and the season ends a week from Saturday against Maine.
"Playoffs start for us this week," said starting quarterback and Walter Payton Award hopeful Ricky Santos. "That's how we need to approach it. If we lose, the seniors have one game left. We have to play our best and win. It's reality. We need to practice as hard as we can and prepare and leave it all on the field Saturday."
A week ago both UNH and UMass were on a roll and well on their way to making the playoffs. Two upset victories later, by Northeastern and URI, respectively, and the plot has thickened considerably, which is just fine for Santos and company.
"I think we're ready to play and I think we're going to win this game," said Santos. "I'm not shaken after last week. We're a confident bunch. We're going to come out this week and prove the doubters wrong and play a big game."
It will be a true battle of wills as one of the nations top offensive juggernauts in UNH meets up with one of the countries defensive powerhouses in UMass.
UMass enters the game ranked sixteenth in the nation in total defense and nineteenth in scoring defense. Their defense has only allowed eight passing touchdowns all year, and is coming off of a game in which it registered an unheard of three safeties. Not to mention the fact that they rely on one the most aggressive defensive attacks the Wildcats have seen all year, utilizing the blitz to confuse and disrupt offenses.
"Their defense does a great job getting after the quarterback," said Santos.
"It might be tough for us to throw the ball. They blitz a lot, they bring it from all different angles. This is a very talented football team, probably the best we've played all year, and we're going to need to play our best game against them."
"They come with a lot of crazy blitzes," added sophomore running back Chad Kackert. "We have to be ready for everything and hold onto the football."
The 'Cats will also face another stiff challenge on the defensive front as they prepare to face a talented UMass offense.
The Minutemen attack ranks 25th nationally in scoring offense and is led by junior quarterback Liam Coen, who ranks 15th nationally in passing efficiency.
"Liam Cohen has been as good a quarterback as there is in this league," said McDonnell. "We have got to make some plays on defense, whether it's pressure on the quarterback, tipping a ball, or force them into mistakes. Causing turnovers is very important."
Matt Lawrence and Tony Nelson combine to give the Minutemen a formidable rushing attack, something the Wildcats can be sure to see a large dose of after struggling heavily the past two weeks against the run.
"I think they want to put the ball in Matt Lawrence's and Tony Nelson's hands," said McDonnell. "They want to keep out offense off the field, score fast, and control the football. UMass has been a very very good football team the past few years."
If ever there was a time for a big game this is it. This is the stage to do it on. This is as they say time to "put up or shut up" and like it always seems to be with those kind of moments, it won't come easy.
"We don't like losing," said Kackert. "There's going to be a lot of emotion in this game. We just need to do what we do best."
"They [UMass] are going to be hungry and we need to come out ready to play hard," said a confident Santos. "We have some good character on this football team and hopefully it's good enough."
So this Saturday at noon when the two rivals meet for the 69th time, as T.O. would say, get your popcorn ready. This is as good as it gets in college football, and if the past is any indication, it should be a great one.
"It's UMass week, It's always going to be interesting," said Santos.
"We're ready for them."
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