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University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, October 21
Amherst, Mass. (McGuirk Alumni Stadium)
3:30 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
55
vs
20
Georgia Southern
Photo by: Thom Kendall - UMass Athletics
Record Offensive Day Leads Football To 55-20 Win Over Georgia Southern
October 21, 2017 | Football
Minutemen explode for program-best 670 yards of offense during 2017 Homecoming
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts football put on an offensive clinic with a program-record 670 yards en route to a 55-20 win over Georgia Southern at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday. The Minutemen also set FBS-era team records in points scored in a quarter (28, first) and half (48, first) in the victory.
Ross Comis (12-for-16) and Andrew Ford (9-for-12) combined for 350 yards passing and Bilal Ally led UMass on the ground with 116 yards on 16 carries. Three Minutemen had over 80-yard days receiving in Brennon Dingle (88), Adam Breneman (81) and Andy Isabella (81).
Defensively, the Minutemen forced five fumbles, recovering three, along with five Georgia Southern punts. Da'Sean Downey and Tyler Hayes each contributed eight tackles, while Jarell Addo had six stops of his own.
Georgia Southern appeared to be headed for the end zone on the first play from scrimmage. Eagles quarterback Kado Brown connected with Mark Michaud for a 71-yard scamper before Isaiah Rodgers forced the ball loose and set up Addo for the fumble recovery at the Massachusetts 3-yard line. On the ensuing 11-play drive, Comis found Breneman in the back left corner of the end zone to put the Minutemen on the board first and ultimately never look back.
Just over two minutes later, the Maroon and White tripled their lead on back-to-back one-play drives, beginning with a 68-yard connection between Comis and Isabella. On the following kickoff, Tedrick Lowery forced a fumble covered up by Jake Froehlich, giving UMass possession at the Eagles' 26-yard line. Comis immediately aired a touchdown strike to Jessie Britt for six points.
The Eagles got on the board when Brown sprinted 12 yards into the end zone with just over four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, but Massachusetts answered and bumped the lead back to three scores before the end of the frame.
UMass closed out the stanza with Ally's first career touchdown, a 19-yard rush. That sequence put the Minutemen ahead, 28-7, concluding a stretch of four consecutive scoring drives by Massachusetts. It was also the first of Ally's team-leading three rushing touchdowns on the afternoon.
On the first three series of the second quarter the Maroon and White found the end zone, countering a 41-yard field goal by Georgia Southern's Tyler Bass and a 10-yard rush by Brown, heading into the locker room with a 48-17 halftime lead. Just before the break, Lee Moses picked off Brown, giving UMass one final offensive opportunity and the team's fourth takeaway of the day.
Bass added a 34-yard field goal for Georgia Southern midway through the third quarter, finishing an eight-play, 11-yard drive. The only scoring in the frame, Bass' connection made it 48-20 Minutemen with 8:14 to go.
Massachusetts wrapped up the day's scoring in the fourth quarter on a 57-yard run by Ally. The sophomore snuck through the line before he turned on the jets and hustled down the left sideline. It moved the score to 55-20 for the remainder of the contest.
Brown totaled 148 yards passing on 4-of-9 attempts and was sacked three times, twice by Downey and once by Ali Ali-Musa. Wesley Fields had 12 touches on the ground for 62 yards Michaud logged 88 yards on a pair of catches.
The Minutemen return to action on Sat., Oct. 28 with a 3:30 p.m. game against Appalachian State at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
Single game tickets – including those for the Fenway Gridiron Series – are available for purchase now. Tickets to the remaining McGuirk Alumni Stadium games are available over the phone by dialing 866-UMASS-TIX, in-person at the Mullins Center Box Office during business hours or online here. All Fenway Gridiron Series tickets must be purchased here. For more information, please visit the UMass Football Ticket Information page.
Ross Comis (12-for-16) and Andrew Ford (9-for-12) combined for 350 yards passing and Bilal Ally led UMass on the ground with 116 yards on 16 carries. Three Minutemen had over 80-yard days receiving in Brennon Dingle (88), Adam Breneman (81) and Andy Isabella (81).
Defensively, the Minutemen forced five fumbles, recovering three, along with five Georgia Southern punts. Da'Sean Downey and Tyler Hayes each contributed eight tackles, while Jarell Addo had six stops of his own.
Georgia Southern appeared to be headed for the end zone on the first play from scrimmage. Eagles quarterback Kado Brown connected with Mark Michaud for a 71-yard scamper before Isaiah Rodgers forced the ball loose and set up Addo for the fumble recovery at the Massachusetts 3-yard line. On the ensuing 11-play drive, Comis found Breneman in the back left corner of the end zone to put the Minutemen on the board first and ultimately never look back.
Just over two minutes later, the Maroon and White tripled their lead on back-to-back one-play drives, beginning with a 68-yard connection between Comis and Isabella. On the following kickoff, Tedrick Lowery forced a fumble covered up by Jake Froehlich, giving UMass possession at the Eagles' 26-yard line. Comis immediately aired a touchdown strike to Jessie Britt for six points.
The Eagles got on the board when Brown sprinted 12 yards into the end zone with just over four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, but Massachusetts answered and bumped the lead back to three scores before the end of the frame.
UMass closed out the stanza with Ally's first career touchdown, a 19-yard rush. That sequence put the Minutemen ahead, 28-7, concluding a stretch of four consecutive scoring drives by Massachusetts. It was also the first of Ally's team-leading three rushing touchdowns on the afternoon.
On the first three series of the second quarter the Maroon and White found the end zone, countering a 41-yard field goal by Georgia Southern's Tyler Bass and a 10-yard rush by Brown, heading into the locker room with a 48-17 halftime lead. Just before the break, Lee Moses picked off Brown, giving UMass one final offensive opportunity and the team's fourth takeaway of the day.
Bass added a 34-yard field goal for Georgia Southern midway through the third quarter, finishing an eight-play, 11-yard drive. The only scoring in the frame, Bass' connection made it 48-20 Minutemen with 8:14 to go.
Massachusetts wrapped up the day's scoring in the fourth quarter on a 57-yard run by Ally. The sophomore snuck through the line before he turned on the jets and hustled down the left sideline. It moved the score to 55-20 for the remainder of the contest.
Brown totaled 148 yards passing on 4-of-9 attempts and was sacked three times, twice by Downey and once by Ali Ali-Musa. Wesley Fields had 12 touches on the ground for 62 yards Michaud logged 88 yards on a pair of catches.
The Minutemen return to action on Sat., Oct. 28 with a 3:30 p.m. game against Appalachian State at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
Single game tickets – including those for the Fenway Gridiron Series – are available for purchase now. Tickets to the remaining McGuirk Alumni Stadium games are available over the phone by dialing 866-UMASS-TIX, in-person at the Mullins Center Box Office during business hours or online here. All Fenway Gridiron Series tickets must be purchased here. For more information, please visit the UMass Football Ticket Information page.
Follow Massachusetts football on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@UMassFootball).
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