Nov 23, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Damon Wilson II (10) and linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (2) combine to tackle Massachusetts Minutemen running back CJ Hester (33) during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

No. 10 Georgia scores nearly at will, destroys UMass

Carson Beck completed 20 of 31 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns as No. 10 Georgia pummeled UMass 59-21 on Saturday in Athens, Ga.

Nate Frazier ran for career highs of 136 yards and three touchdowns, while Arian Smith caught three passes for 110 yards and a score as the Bulldogs (9-2) won their second straight game and 30th straight at home, dating back to 2019.

AJ Hairston completed 7 of 16 passes for 121 yards and a score for the Minutemen (2-9), who dropped their third straight. Jalen John ran for 107 yards and a score and Jakobie Keeney-James caught three passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Peyton Woodring kicked a 53-yard field goal to extend Georgia’s lead to 31-14 on the first drive of the third quarter. But UMass wasted little time responding, as Hairston hit Keeney-James for a 75-yard touchdown to get the deficit down to 10.

Georgia then finished its sixth straight drive with a score, as Frazier’s 9-yard run up the middle gave the Bulldogs a 38-21 lead at the 8:44 mark of the third quarter. After UMass punted, Georgia played add-on in its next possession, with Frazier scoring from 15 yards out with 1:39 left in the third to lead 45-21.

Frazier stamped his career day with his third touchdown run, a 2-yarder with 6:33 left, before Georgia capped the scoring with Chris Cole’s 28-yard fumble return with 3:28 remaining.

UMass took the game’s opening drive 75 yards down the field — aided by Ahmad Haston’s 38-yard run — and scored on CJ Hester’s 1-yard run with 9:15 left.

Georgia answered on its ensuing drive, as Beck’s 17-yard passing touchdown to Oscar Delp tied the game at the 5:05 mark of the first quarter.

Following a short punt by UMass, Beck connected with Smith for 49 yards, and a roughing-the-passer penalty put the ball at Minutemen’s 14-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-4 from the 8-yard line, Beck found Cash Jones for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead with 10:30 left in the second quarter.

On UMass’ next play from scrimmage, Raylen Wilson recovered John’s fumble on the Minutemen’s 28-yard line. Three plays later, Beck connected with Dominic Lovett for a 15-yard touchdown with 8:56 remaining.

UMass then scored after a 14-play, 75-yard drive, finished off with John’s 3-yard rushing score with 1:55 left in the first half.

Georgia answered quickly, as Beck’s 20-yard pass to Cole Speer set up a 34-yard touchdown pass to Smith with 43 seconds remaining, giving the Bulldogs a 28-14 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen head coach Don Brown looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Massachusetts 63-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

UMass fires coach Don Brown amid 2-8 season

UMass fired coach Don Brown on Monday after a 2-8 start to his third season.

Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will be the interim coach for the Minutemen’s final two games.

Brown’s record was 6-28, including 1-11 in his first year back with the program in 2022.

Brown, 69, previously served as head coach at UMass in the Football Championship Subdivision from 2004-08 and compiled a record of 43-19. He was also the program’s defensive coordinator from 1998-99.

“I am extremely grateful to Coach Brown for returning to UMass three years ago to help us build back a program he once coached to a national title game,” athletic director Ryan Bamford said. “Don should have immense pride in the outstanding contributions he has made to advance Massachusetts Football during his three stops in Amherst.

“Upon his return in 2021, we shared a common goal to help UMass football attain conference membership, something that was realized last spring. Largely due to his renowned coaching reputation, Don legitimized our FBS program and Massachusetts football has taken positive steps forward since his return. We are structurally positioned to accomplish our competitive goals as we move into a new league and a new college athletics landscape in 2025.”

The Minutemen lost 35-34 in overtime to visiting Liberty on Saturday after squandering a 20-7 halftime lead.

UMass, currently an FBS independent, plays at No. 8 Georgia on Saturday before finishing at home against UConn on Nov. 30.

UMass is scheduled to join the Mid-American Conference for all sports in the 2025-26 season.

Brown’s collegiate coaching career began in the early 1980s and includes stints as the defensive coordinator for Arizona (2021), Michigan (2016-20), Boston College (2013-15), UConn (2011-12) and Maryland (2009-10).

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) passes against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

No. 6 Penn State takes Big Ten break to face UMass

After rolling to three straight Big Ten victories by a combined 76 points, No. 6 Penn State will take a break from conference play when it hosts Massachusetts on Saturday in State College, Pa.

Another lopsided win appears likely for the Nittany Lions (5-0) despite coach James Franklin insisting that the Minutemen (1-6) are “maybe the most explosive team we’ve played this year.”

Penn State is healthy and eager to get back on the field following a bye week. The Nittany Lions haven’t played since rolling past host Northwestern 41-13 on Sept. 30 on the heels of a 31-0 rout of then-No. 24 Iowa.

A sturdy defense and balanced offense have helped steer the Nittany Lions to their unbeaten start.

In the Northwestern game, the Nittany Lions passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 134 yards and three scores.

Quarterback Drew Allar passed and rushed for touchdowns behind an offensive line anchored by savvy center Hunter Nourzad, who has been especially impressive to Franklin of late.

“His approach, his maturity; gosh, he’s getting an MBA right now from Penn State. … He’s just one of those guys who’s a really great example of the importance of maturity on your football team,” Franklin said.

UMass enters Saturday’s game on a six-game losing streak. The program’s lone victory this season came on the road as quarterback Taisun Phommachanh contributed 288 yards of total offense and a rushing touchdown in a season-opening, 41-30 win at New Mexico State.

The Minutemen are coming off a 41-24 home loss to Toledo in which they were outscored 24-3 after halftime. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had 20 carries for a career-best 157 yards and a score, while Phommachanh passed for 272 yards and two TDs.

UMass coach Don Brown stressed that his team will need to sustain a notable effort throughout the afternoon if it expects to tread water at raucous Beaver Stadium.

“The place is going to be packed,” Brown said. “Going to be over 100,000 people there. And got to be a big boy and put your big-boy pants on and go to work. It’s real simple. Focus your attention on the task at hand and just stay in the fight for 60 minutes. And that’s kind of the deal. That’s the approach you got to take. It’s not rocket science.”

Penn State cruised past visiting UMass 48-7 in the lone previous meeting between the schools, on Sept. 20, 2014.

Smith and Franklin coached together at Maryland in 2009, with Brown serving as the Terrapins’ defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach and Franklin fulfilling duties as offensive coordinator/assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.

Minutemen safety Tyler Rudolph transferred to the school after playing in 11 games for Penn State from 2019-21.

The Nittany Lions will close the regular season with six straight Big Ten games, beginning with an Oct. 21 visit to No. 3 Ohio State.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen running back Ellis Merriweather (7) is tackled by Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) and defensive lineman LT Overton (18) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M beats UMass to snap six-game slide

Freshman Conner Weigman passed for 191 yards and a touchdown as Texas A&M defeated UMass 20-3 and snapped a six-game losing streak on Saturday in College Station, Texas.

Weigman found Noah Thomas for 22-yard TD reception in the second quarter in his third career start for the Aggies (4-7), who had not won since Sept. 24.

Le’Veon Moss rushed for 72 yards with a 12-yard score — his first career touchdown — with 5:10 left in regulation and Randy Bond kicked a pair of field goals to round out the Texas A&M scoring.

Moose Muhammad made three catches for 75 yards after being suspended last week. Weigman completed 11 of 19 passes and also rushed for 66 yards.

Brady Olson was 9-of-22 passing for 55 yards, Isaac Ross caught four passes for 25 yards, and Kay’Ron Adams rushed for 58 yards for UMass (1-10).

While the Aggies had a 398-168 advantage in total yardage, the Minutemen recovered three fumbles, sacked Weigman three times and broke up four passes. Jalen Mackie had eight tackles and a sack for UMass.

UMass stopped the run early on the opening series, but a pair of 20-plus-yard Weigman tosses allowed Texas A&M to score first on Bond’s 27-yard field goal.

Cameron Carson kicked a tying 25-yard field goal for UMass early in the second, capping a 13-play, 72-yard drive.

Texas A&M began the second quarter with a fumble and a three-and-out. UMass also went three-and-out twice before Weigman’s 22-yard scramble set up the Thomas score to put the Aggies up 10-3.

Making up for a 47-yard miss at the end of the first half, Bond drilled a 35-yard field goal to make it a two-score game with 7:49 left in the third.

Bond’s 45-yard kick with 12:38 left was no good, ending the first drive of the final quarter. The Moss touchdown run came four plays after the Minutemen failed to convert a pass on fourth-and-7.

–Field Level Media

Florida State Seminoles running back Jashaun Corbin (0) looks over his shoulder as he makes his way down the field. The Florida State Seminoles leads the Massachusetts Minutemen 38-3 at the half Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.

Fsu V Umass1421

Florida State runs over UMass with 59 unanswered points

Five different players scored rushing touchdowns as host Florida State ran for 365 yards in a 59-3 blowout victory against Massachusetts in a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Seminoles (3-4) have their first three-game winning streak since the end of the 2017 season while the Minutemen (1-6) lost for the 23rd time in their past 25 games just two weeks after snapping a 16-game losing streak.

FSU’s rushing output was its highest since running for 478 yards in a victory over South Florida on Sept. 24, 2016.

It was the first time the Seminoles had five rushers score touchdowns in a game since 2013 against Nevada. The Seminoles finished with seven runs of 20 or more yards and 15 rushes of 10 or more yards. FSU finished with 586 total yards, compared to 241 for UMass.

Jashaun Corbin led the attack with 127 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. FSU starting quarterback Jordan Travis ran for 78 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts and completed 5 of 10 passes for 123 yards.

A fumble on the game’s opening kickoff set up the Minutemen’s lone score on a 45-yard field goal by Cameron Carson. The Seminoles responded with 59 unanswered points.

UMass had a chance to cut Florida State’s lead to 17-10, but Jammie Robinson intercepted Minutemen starting quarterback Brady Olson in his own end zone with 9:48 left in the second quarter. The Seminoles put the game out of reach with 28 points in the second quarter.

They capped the first half with Jarvis Brownlee Jr.’s second career interception, which he returned 70 yards for a touchdown.

Zamar Wise started the second half at quarterback and led the Minutemen on the ground with 60 yards on 12 carries. Olson completed 12 of 27 passes for 110 yards, but threw two interceptions.

Florida State redshirt freshman quarterback Chubba Purdy took his first snaps of the season in the second half and completed all five of his pass attempts for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) passes against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 47-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

UMass brings 11-game losing streak to Pittsburgh

While it’s uncertain how vital Pittsburgh’s celebrated depth will prove to be, it should be showcased against a Massachusetts program that hasn’t won a game in nearly two years.

The Panthers open the season looking to hand the visiting Minutemen a 12th straight defeat on Saturday.

After going 6-5 last season, Pitt boasts 21 seniors, including 13 “super seniors,” those whose eligibility did not run out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Panthers return roughly 11 starters from 2020.

“The culture here, I think, is great, and that’s why we’ve got guys that stick it out and play, and guys that come back and play a fifth year or sixth year or seventh year,” said coach Pat Narduzzi, who is 42-34 entering his seventh season at Pittsburgh.

Pitt averaged 29.0 points last season under quarterback Kenny Pickett, who enters his fourth year as a starter. He has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 7,984 yards during his four seasons at Pitt, and matched a personal high with 13 touchdowns in 2020.

He threw eight of those touchdowns over five home games.

Defensively, the Panthers hope to show some improvement from a unit that allowed 30 or more points five times last season. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis was second on the team with 57 tackles last season, including 14 tackles for loss and four sacks.

According to the school, Pitt’s 97 recorded sacks during the 2019-20 seasons were the most in the nation over that span.

None of that likely bodes well for UMass, which posted one touchdown while being outscored 161-12 in the four games it played — against Georgia Southern, Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Liberty — last fall. The Minutemen return more than 10 starters from that group, but face a daunting task as an independent program with the likes of Boston College, Coastal Carolina, Florida State and Army also on the schedule.

UMass is 1-17 since Nov. 10, 2018, and has dropped 11 in a row since a 37-29 home win over Akron on Sept. 28, 2019.

“We’ve got to do a nice job putting our players in position to make plays,” head coach Walt Bell said. “Utilize our personnel groups where we have strength.”

Colorado transfer Tyler Lytle is slated to start at quarterback for the Minuteman. The senior attempted just 13 passes in six games during his three seasons with the Buffaloes.

This will be the first meeting between the schools.

–Field Level Media

Nov 7, 2020; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd quarterback Grant Wells (8) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 16 Marshall routs UMass, 51-10

Brenden Knox rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Grant Wells threw for 228 yards and three scores as unbeaten No. 16 Marshall routed the visiting Massachusetts Minutemen 51-10 in their nonconference matchup in Huntington, W.Va., on Saturday.

Knox had 105 yards by halftime, topping 100 for his fifth straight game, as Marshall improved to 6-0.

The Minutemen (0-2), an FBS independent, entered as 43.5-point underdogs and are trying to put together a season after initially canceling their slate of games. They lost to Georgia Southern 41-0 on Oct. 17.

UMass freshman quarterback Will Koch went 12 of 18 passing for 99 yards and a touchdown. Samuel Emilus caught six passes but only for 29 yards, including a touchdown. The Minutemen had only 41 yards rushing.

Marshall scored on five of its seven first-half possessions, capped by a six-play drive completed in only two minutes. Sheldon Evans’ 11-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds left before intermission extended the Herd’s lead to 31-10.

On its first possession of the second half, Marshall marched 80 yards on 11 plays, finishing it off on a 13-yard pass to Xavier Gaines. The failed conversion kept the lead at 37-10, but not for long.

Koch fumbled on UMass’ next possession after a hit by defensive lineman Jamare Edwards. It was the only turnover of the game. Two plays later, Wells and Gaines connected again, this time for a 16-yard score, pushing the lead to 44-10.

Marshall wasted little time getting on the board, needing only four plays to cover 75 yards on the game’s first possession. The last 45 of those yards came on a romp off the left side by Knox for a 7-0 lead just 1:32 into the game.

The Minutemen tied the score on their second possession, going 80 yards on six plays, helped mightily by a 37-yard pass from Koch to Taylor Edwards after a double-handoff. Koch’s 2-yard toss to Emilus gave UMass its first points of the season.

Artie Henry caught five passes for 71 yards, and Gaines had seven for 66 yards for Marshall, which piled up 495 yards in total offense to 190 for UMass. The Herd entered the game allowing 9.4 points and 265 yards per game.

The Herd (3-0 Conference USA) are scheduled to return to league action on Nov. 14 against visiting Middle Tennessee.

–Field Level Media