1979 UMass Minutemen football team


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The 1979 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Bob Pickett and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The Minutemen came into the 1979 season on the heels of an appearance in the inaugural I-AA National Championship Game. Despite the high expectations, the team was still able to repeat as Yankee Conference Champions, though they did not earn a postseason berth. UMass finished the season with a record of 6–4 overall and 4–1 in conference play.

1979 UMass Minutemen football

Yankee Conference co-champion

ConferenceYankee Conference
Record6–4 (4–1 Yankee)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorJim Reid (2nd season)
Home stadiumAlumni Stadium

Seasons

← 1978

1980 →

1979 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Boston University + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 1
UMass + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Connecticut 3 – 1 – 1 3 – 6 – 2
New Hampshire 2 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 2
Maine 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 9 – 1
Rhode Island 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Associated Press poll
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15at Villanova*L 7–358,500[1]
September 22MaineW 38–143,990[2]
September 29at Harvard*W 20–715,000[3]
October 6North Carolina Central*
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 48–77,400[4]
October 13at No. 3 Boston UniversityNo. 10
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 20–610,800[5]
October 20Rhode IslandNo. 4
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 24–013,500[6]
October 27at ConnecticutNo. 3L 0–2410,677[7]
November 10Holy Cross*No. 9
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
L 18–206,300[8]
November 17at New HampshireW 29–08,750[9]
November 24at Boston College*L 3–4128,475[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  1. ^ "Villanova rolls, 35–7". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 16, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "UMass rips Maine; Pearson scores". The Hartford Courant. September 23, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Concannon, Joe (September 30, 1979). "UMass Zings Crimson, 20-7". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 70 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "UMass rolls, 48–7, against Central". The Sunday Republican. October 7, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Mass shuts down Najarian, rolls past Boston U. 20–6". The Courier-Journal. October 14, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "UM handcuffs Rhode Island, 24–0". The Morning Republican. October 21, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "UConn blanks UMass". Rutland Daily Herald. October 28, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Ahern, John (November 11, 1979). "Solomon Strikes Again: HC Stuns UMass". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "UMass grabs a share of crown". Boston Sunday Globe. November 18, 1979. Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Boston College 41, Massachusetts 3". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 25, 1979. p. D5 – via Newspapers.com.