1998 UMass Minutemen football team
Encyclopedia
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 Amherst, 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 , 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.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
in the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team was coached by Mark Whipple
Mark Whipple
Mark Whipple is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League . Whipple served as the head football coach at University of New Haven , Brown University , and the University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and played its home games at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It was home to the UMass Minutemen football team through the 2011 season, and remains home to the UMass Minutewomen lacrosse team. The stadium is...
in Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of 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 , 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.