After posting a season-high 59 points against the Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-7, 0-4 MAC), football (8-0, 4-0 MAC) travels to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., to square off against the Massachusetts Minutemen (1-7, 1-3 MAC) 11 a.m. Saturday. The last time these two teams met the Huskies laid a 63-0 pounding on the Minutemen. Sports writer Frank Gogola will break down the key players for the Minutemen.

Quarterback: A.J. Doyle

Sophomore quarterback A.J. Doyle took over the starting quarterback duties in the third game of the season after redshirt sophomore Mike Wegzyn, last season’s starter, had two poor showings to open the season. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Doyle has been serviceable, to say the least. In six starts and eight games played Doyle has completed only 56.5 percent of his passes for 1,045 yards, and he has thrown five touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He has shown some mobility but has rushed for only 130 yards on 49 carries.

Running Back: Jamal Wilson

Redshirt sophomore running back Jamal Wilson has solidified his role as the Minutemen’s starting running back, taking over for redshirt freshman Stacey Bedell, who has been slowed with an ankle injury. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back has played in seven games this season and has started in the last four games. Wilson has rushed for 261 yards and one touchdown in his four starts at running back. He has shown his versatility as he has recorded 11 receptions for 98 yards, which is fourth on the team.

Wide Receiver: Tajae Sharpe

Sophomore wide receiver Tajae Sharpe has emerged as the Minutemen’s No. 1 wide receiver after the team lost Deion Walker, last season’s leading receiver, to graduation. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound wideout played in 11 games, starting eight at wide receiver, as a true freshman and was fifth on the team with 20 receptions for 206 yards. Sharpe has played in all eight games for UMass this season, starting seven. The Huskie secondary will have its hands full with Sharpe, as he leads the team in receptions (46), receiving yards (474) and receiving touchdowns (three).

Offensive Line: Anthony Dima

Redshirt senior left tackle Anthony Dima is in his fourth season at UMass after redshirting during his true freshman year at Hofstra University. The 6-foot-7, 302-pound offensive lineman has been tasked with protecting Doyle’s blind side this season. The Minutemen have had consistency on the offensive line, as the same five players have started all eight games this season. They have allowed only seven sacks this season, which is tied for fourth in the MAC, but will have to go against a Huskie defense that is tied for fourth in the MAC with 24 sacks.

Defensive Line: Justin Anderson

Fifth-year defensive end Justin Anderson has been a force in the trenches, starting seven games and playing in eight. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive lineman graduated from the University of Maryland and was granted a fifth year of eligibility as a graduate student at UMass. Anderson leads the defensive line with 43 tackles and has posted one pass breakup, one pass defended and one quarterback hurry. The Huskies will have their hands full up front as he is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (4.5) and has recorded four of the team’s eight sacks.

Linebacker: Stanley Andre

Redshirt junior middle linebacker Stanley Andre is having an outstanding season for the Minutemen after switching from defensive end to linebacker at the start of the year. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker has been a tackling machine for the Minutemen, as he is eighth in the MAC with 8.9 tackles per game. Andre leads the team in solo tackles (29), assisted tackles (42) and total tackles (71). He is tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss and has recorded one pass breakup, one pass defended and 0.5 sacks.

Secondary: Devin Brown

Senior safety Devin Brown is making his presence felt in the Minutemen’s secondary during his first season starting at defensive back. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive back has done a little of it all for the UMass defense after playing mainly on special teams last season, his first season out of junior college football. Brown has posted double-digit tackles in three of the last five games and is second on the team with 69 total tackles and four passes defended. He has also recorded two interceptions, two pass breakups, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.

Special Teams: Trey Dudley-Giles

Sophomore defensive back Trey Dudley-Giles has made an impact for the Minutemen in the special teams return game. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound kickoff and punt returner has returned 23 kickoffs for 547 yards and leads the MAC with 23.8 yards per kickoff return. Dudley-Giles has also returned nine punts for 128 yards. While he has not scored on special teams, he has the potential to flip the field on the Huskies if they do not cover well when he has the ball in the return game.