On Saturday, Massachusetts will face one of their greatest tests of the season when they take on Mississippi State - one which features two top-20 national rankings for both teams and an opportunity for Massachusetts to prove its competitive edge against a Power Five opponent.
Pre-game rituals can help maintain focus and avoid distractions during a game, especially as pre-match thoughts arise about your personal state, performance expectations and opponent. By setting personal goals and creating pre-game rituals to stay grounded in the present moment and concentrate on just your task at hand.
UMass must utilize their collective efforts in order to restrict big plays and keep their opponents within the red zone. Their secondary will need to maintain gap control and discipline against any blitz attacks.
On the UMass offense's side of things, they will need to establish an aggressive ground game in order to ease pressure off of Michael Van Buren as quarterback. Exploit mismatches using multiple formations while including running backs into their passing game is also key for their success.
UMass defense must increase their efforts against pass offense, having allowed more points than any team this season. They must also improve tackling technique against bigger players while working to prevent fumbles.
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