Tag: UMass

Sep 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz gestures on field against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Ahmad Hardy (3 TDs), No. 20 Missouri pound UMass

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ahmad Hardy rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night as No. 20 Missouri pulled away from visiting Massachusetts in the second half for a 42-6 nonconference win in Columbia.

Hardy scored on runs of 5, 1 and 16 yards for the Tigers (5-0), which outgained the Minutemen 521-124 and gained 31 first downs to their 8. Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 26 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

AJ Hairston hit 11 of 31 attempts for 75 yards with a score and a pick for UMass (0-4), which managed just 19 yards on 16 rushes. The Minutemen have scored only 49 points this season, being held to 10 or fewer three times.

However, UMass was surprisingly competitive for a half after entering the game as 44 1/2-point underdogs. It took advantage of its one good scoring chance after Timmy Hinspeter’s 63-yard interception return to Missouri’s 21. Hairston cashed in with a 2-yard touchdown toss to Max Dowling, cutting Missouri’s edge to 7-6 with 4:31 left in the first quarter.

But the Tigers, who took the lead on Jamal Roberts’ 9-yard run at the 10:12 mark of the first, simply mixed Hardy’s runs with Pribula’s passes to keep the Minutemen off balance. Hardy’s 5-yard run with 35 seconds remaining in the first made it 14-6.

In the second quarter, Hardy powered in from the 1 with 4:45 on the clock, capping a 14-play drive that chewed up more than 7 1/2 minutes and putting Missouri ahead 21-6.

Hardy’s third touchdown, a 16-yard burst, came just 3:27 into the third and made it 28-6. Pribula tacked on a 9-yard scoring strike to Brett Norfleet with 56 seconds left in the period, two plays after Santana Banner intercepted Hairston and returned it to the 8.

Tavorus Jones finished the scoring on a 3-yard run with 13:09 left in the game.

UMass punter Keegan Andrews averaged 43.9 yards in 10 attempts, downing four kicks inside the 20.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) pitches the ball to running back Ahmad Hardy (29) against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Heavily favored No. 20 Missouri wary of winless UMass

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For No. 20 Missouri, the heavy lifting appears to be done until next month.

After starting 4-0 with two blowout wins and two closer games against tougher foes in Kansas and South Carolina, the Tigers appear to have a breather on the docket Saturday night when winless Massachusetts comes to Columbia for both teams’ last nonconference contest.

But Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz is cautioning about taking things for granted before the bye week.

“The biggest challenge is not to have relief syndrome, right?” he said. “To think because we won an SEC game, that we’re going to step out of conference, that you would decline in intensity or loss of focus or complacency.

“That really, for us, is the challenge. Instead, we need to work to improve the process. You see when guys lose, they tweet out ‘back to the lab.’ We need to be back to the lab after we win.”

Drinkwitz’s cautionary words seem like only a spoilsport’s rant at this point. The Tigers are 44 1/2-point favorites because they are averaging 46 points per game and facing a team that surrenders 38.7 points per game.

Missouri’s 298 rushing yards per game are fifth in FBS and its 554.2 total yards per game are sixth. Running back Ahmad Hardy already has rolled up 600 yards and six touchdowns in four games and averages 7.6 yards per attempt.

Penn State transfer Beau Pribula has completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 962 yards along with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Mississippi State transfer Kevin Coleman Jr. has become his main target with 27 catches, 278 yards and a touchdown.

The defense has been solid for the most part, though Drinkwitz said concerns arose about the secondary’s play during last week’s 29-20 victory over South Carolina.

“We have to be the best at what we do, and right now we’re trying to be a jack of all trades and a master of none,” he said. “That’s got to get cleaned up.”

Meanwhile, the Minutemen (0-3) have been idle since absorbing a 47-7 beating Sept. 13 at Iowa. They have managed only 43 points this year, 26 in a loss at home against FCS opponent Bryant.

That might be why first-year coach Joe Harasymiak is going to his third quarterback of the season, redshirt freshman AJ Hairston. Utah transfer Brandon Rose has battled injury and Yale transfer Grant Jordan hasn’t been able to generate big plays with his arm. That means Hairston, who started three games and played in four last year, gets his chance.

In two relief appearances this year, Hairston has hit seven of 12 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

“I think he deserves it,” Harasymiak said. “He kept pushing forward (and) has been better with his preparation. So I’m looking forward to him getting his chance, getting his start. It’s because he put the right things in and the right work over that time period.”

Hairston has experience starting against SEC opponents. He got the call last Nov. 23 in a 59-21 loss at Georgia and threw for 121 yards and a touchdown. He made his college debut off the bench Nov. 2 at Mississippi State and hit seven of 11 passes for 62 yards and a score.

This will be the second meeting between UMass and Missouri. The Minutemen hosted the Tigers last October in Amherst and fell 45-3.

–Field Level Media

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) looks for a pass against Iowa State during the fourth quarter in the Cy-Hawk football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa

Mark Gronowski, Iowa aim to ignite offense vs. UMass

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Iowa and UMass each will try to rebound from close losses last week when they meet Saturday night in Iowa City, Iowa.

Iowa (1-1) dropped a 16-13 decision to then-No. 16 Iowa State on Saturday after the Cyclones made a 54-yard field goal with 1:52 to play.

UMass (0-2) is coming off a 27-26 loss to Bryant, which competes at the FCS level. It was the Bulldogs’ first victory over an FBS opponent.

The Minutemen likely will be without starting quarterback Brandon Rose, who sustained a shoulder injury against Bryant. UMass coach Joe Harasymiak said X-rays on Rose’s shoulder were negative, but he’s not sure if he will be able to practice this week.

The Minutemen also used graduate student Grant Jordan and freshman AJ Hairston at quarterback against Bryant. Jordan, who took the majority of the snaps, spent four years at Yale before transferring.

“I feel very comfortable in both,” Harasymiak said. “Both will compete this week and we’ll make a decision. Ultimately it’s what gives us the best chance to win the game.”

Iowa will be looking for more production from quarterback Mark Gronowski, a transfer from South Dakota State. Gronowski has completed 21 of 39 passes for 127 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his two games with the Hawkeyes.

“It’s a matter of him getting more comfortable, and us making him more comfortable,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

Iowa will be without tight end Addison Ostrenga, who sustained an Achilles injury during the loss to Iowa State. Ferentz said Ostrenga will be out for the season.

Ferentz said his team needs to keep moving forward.

“This week is like any week,” Ferentz said. “Our goal is to win the game and then secondly, improve and grow. See what we can do to move forward as a football team.”

Both Ferentz and Harasymiak served as the head coach at the University of Maine.

–Field Level Media

Defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak observes warm up exercises before Rutgers University football spring practice at Marco Battaglia Practice Complex in Piscataway, NJ Tuesday April 11, 2023. Ru02

Report: UMass hiring Joe Harasymiak as head coach

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UMass is hiring Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak as the new head coach of the Minutemen, ESPN reported Wednesday.

Harasymiak, 38, is expected to earn between $1.3 and $1.4 million annually, according to the report.

Harasymiak was the head coach at Maine from 2016-18, compiling a 20-15 record and winning a Colonial Athletic Association championship in 2018.

He played college football at Springfield College in Massachusetts before working as an assistant coach at Maine from 2011-15. Harasymiak was on the coaching staff at Minnesota from 2019-21 before joining Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers in 2022.

UMass parted ways with head coach Dan Brown on Nov. 18 after he compiled a 6-28 record in three seasons. Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery coached the final two games for the Minutemen (2-10).

UMass moves from independent status into the Mid-American Conference next season.

–Field Level Media

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) leaves the field after winning a NCAA college football game against Tennessee in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.

Carson Beck, No. 10 Georgia dial in on UMass

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Following a season-reviving home win over then-No. 7 Tennessee, No. 10 Georgia is mindful of avoiding a misstep against UMass on Saturday afternoon in Athens, Ga.

Georgia (8-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) climbed two spots in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings after its 31-17 win over the Volunteers last Saturday. On the heels of a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss on Nov. 9, the Bulldogs outscored Tennessee 31-7 over the final three quarters.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck delivered a much-needed 347-yard, two-touchdown performance in the win.

Beck, who had thrown nine interceptions in his previous four games, was turnover-free Saturday for the first time since Oct. 5.

“This team’s been in some tough situations this year,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “And they’ve never cowered down from those opportunities. They’ve shown resiliency, and they’ve battled back.”

After wrapping up its conference slate, the Bulldogs still need help in qualifying for the SEC Championship Game. Entering Saturday, Georgia sits behind a pair of one-conference loss teams in No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M. The Bulldogs are tied with No. 7 Alabama and No. 9 Ole Miss in the loss column but would lose the tiebreaker to each of those teams.

Smart dismissed the idea of worrying about hypotheticals ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

“The focus is on UMass,” Smart said. “I mean, it really is. So, why would I put energy or time into trying to figure out what the best pathway is, including the SEC Championship, when I’m worried about UMass? I just don’t think it’s a quality conversation.”

Georgia and Smart hope to see the injury bug go away. Leading rusher Trevor Etienne (477 rushing yards, seven touchdowns) was sidelined against Tennessee with a rib injury, while wide receiver Dillon Bell (405 receiving yards, four touchdowns) left last week’s game with an ankle injury.

“No update on Dillon really,” Smart said. “He’s got an ankle sprain. It’s stable. It’s not going to require any kind of surgery or anything. So, we’re hopeful to get him back, and same with Trevor.”

UMass (2-8) nearly pulled off its first FBS win of the season last Saturday, however a missed an extra point in overtime proved large in its 35-34 home loss to Liberty. Two days later, the school fired head coach Don Brown after compiling a 6-28 record in two-plus years in his second stint with the program.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shane Montgomery will take over as interim coach for the Minutemen’s last two games of the season.

“We’ve got two games left, two big games,” Montgomery said. “We still have a lot to play for. … There’s two ways you can go from here. You can either feel sorry for yourself and not improve daily, or you can keep improving. If you’ve watched us the last number of weeks, I think you see a team that seems to be improving. We’re excited about going down to Georgia.”

UMass, which has played Georgia once before — a 66-27 loss in the season finale in 2018 — already has faced off against a pair of SEC teams this season. The Minutemen fell to Missouri 45-3 on Oct. 12, and 45-20 to Mississippi State on Nov. 2.

In place of Taisun Phommachanh, who’s out for the season with lower body injuries, the Minutemen will start freshman AJ Hairston. Hairston thrown for 225 yards and a touchdown in two games.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) reacts after a touchdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the third quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

UMass vows to ‘keep fighting,’ visits struggling Mississippi State

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Mississippi State will look for significant improvement on defense as it attempts to end a seven-game losing streak when Massachusetts visits Starkville, Miss., for a non-conference game on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (1-7, 0-5 Southeastern Conference) rank last in the 16-team SEC in both yards allowed per game (477.7) and points allowed per game (36.4). No other team in the conference has allowed an average of more than 23.6 points per contest.

Mississippi State surrendered 673 yards of offense — 359 on the ground — in a 58-25 loss to Arkansas last Saturday. Quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. completed 22 of 31 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, but he was intercepted twice and also fumbled the ball away twice. The Bulldogs turned the ball over five times.

“We had shown great improvement in the three weeks before Saturday,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. “Saturday we did not play the way we needed to play on the defensive side of the ball. Getting back to playing with really clean eyes and having incredible communication will get us back to the way we played in the three weeks prior, and that is something we need to do.”

Quarterback Taisun Phommachanh turned in a strong performance to help Massachusetts (2-6) defeat Wagner, an FCS program, 35-7 last Saturday. Phommachanh passed for a touchdown and ran for two scores in the win.

Phommachanh has completed 126 of 221 passes for 1,541 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He’s also the team’s No. 2 rusher with 282 yards and three touchdowns on 101 carries.

“Taisun got his legs going a little bit,” Massachusetts coach Don Brown said. “That’s the best running day we’ve had. That was good to see. What we have to do is keep fighting, keep fighting, and we’ll worry about the scoreboard at the end of the day.”

This will be the second time Massachusetts has faced an SEC opponent this season. The Minutemen, who will join the Mid-American Conference next season, lost at then-No. 21 Missouri 45-3 on Oct. 12.

Mississippi State is seeking its first victory since it opened the season with a 56-7 win against Eastern Kentucky.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. (11) intercepts a pass during the first half against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

No. 21 Missouri cruises past Massachusetts

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Quarterback Brady Cook completed 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns as No. 21 Missouri routed Massachusetts 45-3 on Saturday in Amherst, Mass.

After suffering a 41-10 loss at Texas A&M in their previous game, the Tigers (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) muscled up against the independent Minutemen (1-6) in their final nonconference game.

With Missouri’s leading rusher Nate Noel sitting out with back tightness, Marcus Carroll stepped in to run for 91 yards and three touchdowns.

Receiver Luther Burden III rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on two carries and caught five passes for 59 yards for the Tigers before exiting the game in the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury.

Missouri outgained Massachusetts 461-237 and built a 231-95 advantage in rushing yards and 22-13 in first downs.

Minutemen quarterback Taisun Phommachanh completed 12 of 22 passes for 132 yards and an interception. Jakobie Keeney-James caught six passes for 80 yards.

On the second play from scrimmage, Burden broke a 61-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep play as Missouri took a 7-0 lead 57 seconds into the game.

Missouri moved 80 yards on 13 plays on their next possession to double their lead to 14-0. Carroll capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run.

The Tigers made it 21-0 less than 4 minutes into the second quarter. They moved 80 yards on nine plays with Carroll scoring from 4 yards out.

Jacob Lurie put the Minutemen on the board with a 28-yard field goal with 6 minutes left in the first half.

Missouri increased its lead to 24-3 at the half after Corey Flagg Jr.’s 80-yard interception return set up Blake Craig’s 42-yard field goal as time expired.

The Tigers made it 31-3 on Carroll’s 35-yard touchdown run with 10:09 left in the third quarter. Joshua Manning’s 63-yard scoring catch-and-run play upped the margin to 38-3.

Missouri made it 45-3 on Cook’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Brett Norfleet with 1:24 left in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

After first loss, No. 21 Missouri makes ‘no excuses,’ looks to rebound at UMass

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After absorbing an ugly 41-10 loss at Texas A&M last Saturday, No. 21 Missouri will try to rebound against host Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon in Amherst.

The Tigers (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) will face the independent Minutemen (1-5) after being outgained 512-254 in the rout by the then-No. 25 Aggies.

Missouri averaged just 2.3 yards per carry rushing while allowing Texas A&M to average 6.6.

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman came off the injured list and completed 18 of 22 passes for 276 yards.

“At the end of the day, it falls on my shoulders to make sure it’s better, and our focus is leading up to UMass,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “We make no excuses about it. Shouldn’t have mattered who was playing the quarterback position. We should have been better, and we need to focus this week on stopping this quarterback and figuring out our scheme so that we can execute at a higher level.”

Hosting Missouri is a huge deal for Massachusetts, which will join the Mid-American Conference next season.

“SEC, it gets no bigger than that. Our guys are going to have an opportunity to make history,” Massachusetts coach Don Brown said. “All they have to do is go out and compete, play at a high level, and good things will happen. Some of the opponents we have played recently helped us prepare for this game.”

The Minutemen went into overtime at Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 28 before losing 23-20, then were tied 13-13 at Northern Illinois going into the fourth quarter of their 34-20 loss last Saturday.

Dual-threat quarterback Taisun Phommachanh has completed 104 of 181 passes for 1,280 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions for the Minutemen this season. He is the team’s leading rusher with 253 yards and a TD.

Jalen John (210 yards, one touchdown) and C.J. Hester (208 yards, two TDs) have split the workload at running back.

Brown said he expects Missouri to test his defense with a ground game led by Nate Noel (471 yards, two touchdowns) and Marcus Carroll (190 yards, two TDs). Quarterback Brady Cook has run for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

“The biggest challenge is they are going to do what they do,” Brown said. “They have a style of run that they run. They run the slash play, which is kind of an off-tackle, speed, outside zone play. It is their No. 1 run play.

“They also throw the ball pretty darn well. They have a good group of receivers, so that will certainly challenge us. The run game and the play-action pass game, I think, will be the determinate on how we perform on Saturday.”

Missouri, however, didn’t establish an effective running game to set up play-action passing against the Aggies.

“There needs to be a more considered, a concerted effort to find an offensive rhythm,” Drinkwitz said. “Whether or not that is creating or designing runs, we need to play with better rhythm. And looking back, whether it’s tempo runs, which I think we’ve been effective in, or design quarterback runs, it comes back to us finding our offensive identity.”

Missouri’s Cook completed just 13 of 31 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown while suffering six sacks against the Aggies.

“There were a lot of things that went bad,” Drinkwitz said. “Our inability to get into an offensive rhythm because of our lack of execution on third downs. We were predominantly in third-and-long, which allows them to get into a heavy blitz package, contributed to the issues there.”

Cook has completed 105 of 165 passes for 1,132 yards and five touchdowns this season. Preseason All-American Luther Burden III has 26 catches for 339 yards and four touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Jameial Lyons (19) pressures Massachusetts Minutemen quarterback Ahmad Haston (16) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Massachusetts 63-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Report: UMass joining MAC for all sports

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The University of Massachusetts is set to join the Mid-American Conference for all sports starting in 2025-26, ESPN reported Monday.

UMass currently competes as an independent in football and in the Atlantic 10 for most other men’s and women’s athletic programs.

MAC presidents voted on Monday to invite UMass as a new member and the school is expected to accept, according to the report.

The Minutemen would join the 12 current full MAC members: Akron, Bowling Green State, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.

UMass previously competed in the MAC for four seasons in football from 2012-15, compiling an overall record of 8-40 with a 7-25 mark in league play. The Minutemen finished 3-9 in 2023.

The Amherst, Mass., school has been a member of the A-10 for men’s and women’s basketball since the 1982-83 season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Amin Vanover (15) tackles Massachusetts Minutemen quarterback Taisun Phommachanh (3) in the back field during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Daequan Hardy returns two punts for TDs as No. 6 Penn State routs UMass

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Daequan Hardy became the first player in Penn State history to score two punt return touchdowns in a single game and the No. 6 Nittany Lions trounced visiting Massachusetts 63-0 Saturday afternoon in nonconference play at University Park, Pa.

Penn State (6-0) took a 28-0 halftime lead and more than doubled it in the second half, outgaining the visitors 408-109 in total thanks in large part to quarterback Drew Allar’s 16-of-23, 162-yard, three-touchdown effort.

Tight end Theo Johnson registered his second career multi-score game, catching a pair of third-quarter passes from Allar while totaling a team-high 66 receiving yards.

Hardy finished with 129 all-purpose yards, all on returns.

The Nittany Lion defense totaled seven sacks, including 2 1/2 by Adisa Isaac.

Taisun Phommachanh was only 6-of-14 passing for 25 yards for UMass (1-7), which managed only 26 yards in the first half.

George Johnson made two catches for 24 yards, and Kay’Ron Adams rushed for 31 on 14 carries.

The UMass defense stood tall on the first two series, including a Isaiah Rutherford forced fumble that resulted in the FBS-best first offensive turnover by Penn State all season.

However, a big special teams play got the Nittany Lions on the board as Hardy cut down the sideline for a 56-yard punt return touchdown with 4:17 left in the opening quarter.

Allar opened the second quarter with three straight completions before his 1-yard touchdown run two plays later helped Penn State cap an eight-play, 71-yard drive and double its lead.

After sacking Phommachanh twice on the ensuing series, the hosts drove 80 yards on seven plays and scored on Kaytron Allen’s 9-yard run with 6:20 left before halftime.

The Nittany Lions got great field position at the 35-yard line on their final drive of the opening half, and Allar’s 7-yard pass to Tyler Warren with 1:01 left made it 28-0.

The onslaught continued after intermission as Penn State’s first two touchdowns of the second half resulted in a connection between Allar and Johnson. The first was an 30-yard strike.

Hardy one-upped himself with a 68-yard punt return score with 3:57 left in the third.

A strong rushing attack added to the Penn State lead in the fourth. After a Keaton Ellis interception, Trey Potts’ 2-yard touchdown capped a four-play drive to open the quarter.

Relieving Allar, Beau Pribula broke free for a 31-yard score on the quarterback keeper with 8:28 left.

–Field Level Media