ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The University of Massachusetts football team has played one Division I-A/Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team in 11 of the past 12 seasons.
In that time the Minutemen have been among the best programs in the Championship Subdivision (FCS) and the number of FCS over FBS upsets have increased, especially by Colonial Athletic Association teams.
But UMass has yet to add a high-profile head to its trophy wall. The Minutemen have suffered blowouts and heartbreakers, but the upset has remained elusive.
"You'd be lying to say it's just like any other game," senior linebacker Mike Mele said. "It's more motivation for us to work hard and try and win."
Unlike in some games between FCS and FBS teams, the Minutemen won't be at a big disadvantage size wise. UMass' offensive and defensive lines are both similar in size to their Wolverine counterparts. But whether its talent can match up is another issue all together. At No. 20, Michigan isn't the highest ranked FBS team UMass has faced but it certainly has the highest profile.
Michigan knows enough to be upset wary. Appalachian State, then the defending FCS champions, knocked off the Wolverines in 2007.
"People are seeing in the past several years how competitive these games are. They're getting more so every year," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "We certainly see how competitive it's going to be. We're not good enough to play poorly against anybody and win. It's going to be a huge game for them, but every game is a huge game for us. UMass is a very good FCS school and it has our players attention."
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