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University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, November 4
Starkville, Miss.
12 p.m. ET
University of Massachusetts
23
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34
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#21/22 Mississippi State
Football Battles With Mississippi State In Near-Upset
November 04, 2017 | Football
Minutemen led at halftime, were within four of nationally ranked Bulldogs in final minutes during 34-23 loss
STARKVILLE, Miss. – University of Massachusetts football led No. 21/22 nationally ranked Mississippi State at halftime but was unable to overcome a late push by the Bulldogs as the Minutemen fell on the road at Davis Wade Stadium, 34-23 on Saturday.
Ross Comis started at quarterback for the injured Andrew Ford, who did not play against Mississippi State. Comis was 15-of-26 for 223 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Andy Isabella led the offense with 152 yards receiving, nearly 71 percent of the team's total passing yardage. It marked a career-high for the junior and his fifth career game with 100 or more yards.
Marquis Young posted 91 yards over 11 carries (8.3 per attempt). He also had 44 yards receiving on four grabs for 135 total offensive yards – second only to Isabella's 163.
Jarell Addo led both defenses with a career-high 13 tackles while the outside linebacker added a pass breakup. Jesse Monteiro added 12 stops – tying his personal best – while he had 1.0 TFLs and a pass breakup. Isaiah Rodgers was also disruptive in the secondary with a pair of interceptions and a TFL among three total takedowns.
On special teams, Logan Laurent went 3-for-3 on field goals and converted both of his extra points for an 11-point outing. It continued a streak of 14 consecutive made field goals for Laurent and moved him into a tie for second place all-time on the field goal percentage chart at UMass – tied with Doug White (.771; 27-of-35).
Comis' first drive ended with an interception returned for a touchdown by J.T. Gray as the Bulldogs struck to a 7-0 lead only 78 seconds into the game.
However, the Minutemen responded and put points on the Davis Wade Stadium scoreboard with a six play, 70-yard drive culminating in Laurent's first field goal of the day. Young sprung the drive with a 66-yard scamper where Young bounced between center and right guard before he cut left, raced toward the UMass sideline and turned up-field for a big gain to the Mississippi State eight yard line.
The Bulldogs followed with the first of their two first half field goals when Jace Christmann capped a 54-yard drive with a 28-yard conversion as Mississippi State pushed back ahead by seven with five minutes, 18 seconds to go in the opening quarter.
The score stayed even into the first break, but the Minutemen swung momentum in their favor with a fourth down stop as Sha-Ki Holines and Joe Previte met Fitzgerald at the line of scrimmage and dropped him there.
Laurent turned the defensive stand into points with his second field goal of the afternoon as the 6-foot-4 redshirt senior drilled a career-long-tying 48-yard try from the left hash mark and moved the Minutemen within 10-6.
One play later, Massachusetts took the lead at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time. Fitzgerald dropped back to pass and looked right, but Rodgers stepped in front of the attempt and returned it for a touchdown, his fourth overall interception as a Minuteman and his first returned for points.
Mississippi State briefly knotted the game at 13-all as Christmann hit from 25 yards on the final play of a 68-yard drive, but the Minutemen scored on their next possession to go up by seven.
Working with a second-and-14 at the UMass 31-yard line, head coach Mark Whipple regrouped with a timeout and Comis followed with a 69-yard touchdown play to Isabella as the Maroon and White moved ahead, 20-13 with 7:15 to go in the second.
Nick Fitzgerald guided the Bulldogs back in front with a pair of third quarter scores. He used an eight-yard rush off of left tackle to even the game at 20-all with 12:15 remaining in the quarter. Nearly eight minutes later, Fitzgerald rumbled in from 10 yards away from the 27-20 Mississippi State lead.
Laurent cut the deficit to 27-23 in the fourth quarter as part of a 10-play drive spanning 47 yards. A 15-yard run by Bilal Ally and a 15-yard targeting penalty on Bulldog Johnathan Abram helped Massachusetts reach the Mississippi eight yard line before the drive stalled and Laurent was called upon.
Two drives later, the Bulldogs made it a two-score game when Laurent booted a 56-yard punt to the Mississippi State 17-yard line, but Deddrick Thomas was able to shake off a defender, turn up the left sideline and race 83 yards for the special teams score. It boosted the Bulldogs lead to 34-23 with five minutes remaining.
The season continues for Massachusetts football against Maine in the Fenway Gridiron Series at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sat., Nov. 11 with a 4 p.m. kickoff. Follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassFootball.
Ross Comis started at quarterback for the injured Andrew Ford, who did not play against Mississippi State. Comis was 15-of-26 for 223 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Andy Isabella led the offense with 152 yards receiving, nearly 71 percent of the team's total passing yardage. It marked a career-high for the junior and his fifth career game with 100 or more yards.
Marquis Young posted 91 yards over 11 carries (8.3 per attempt). He also had 44 yards receiving on four grabs for 135 total offensive yards – second only to Isabella's 163.
Jarell Addo led both defenses with a career-high 13 tackles while the outside linebacker added a pass breakup. Jesse Monteiro added 12 stops – tying his personal best – while he had 1.0 TFLs and a pass breakup. Isaiah Rodgers was also disruptive in the secondary with a pair of interceptions and a TFL among three total takedowns.
On special teams, Logan Laurent went 3-for-3 on field goals and converted both of his extra points for an 11-point outing. It continued a streak of 14 consecutive made field goals for Laurent and moved him into a tie for second place all-time on the field goal percentage chart at UMass – tied with Doug White (.771; 27-of-35).
Comis' first drive ended with an interception returned for a touchdown by J.T. Gray as the Bulldogs struck to a 7-0 lead only 78 seconds into the game.
However, the Minutemen responded and put points on the Davis Wade Stadium scoreboard with a six play, 70-yard drive culminating in Laurent's first field goal of the day. Young sprung the drive with a 66-yard scamper where Young bounced between center and right guard before he cut left, raced toward the UMass sideline and turned up-field for a big gain to the Mississippi State eight yard line.
The Bulldogs followed with the first of their two first half field goals when Jace Christmann capped a 54-yard drive with a 28-yard conversion as Mississippi State pushed back ahead by seven with five minutes, 18 seconds to go in the opening quarter.
The score stayed even into the first break, but the Minutemen swung momentum in their favor with a fourth down stop as Sha-Ki Holines and Joe Previte met Fitzgerald at the line of scrimmage and dropped him there.
Laurent turned the defensive stand into points with his second field goal of the afternoon as the 6-foot-4 redshirt senior drilled a career-long-tying 48-yard try from the left hash mark and moved the Minutemen within 10-6.
One play later, Massachusetts took the lead at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time. Fitzgerald dropped back to pass and looked right, but Rodgers stepped in front of the attempt and returned it for a touchdown, his fourth overall interception as a Minuteman and his first returned for points.
Mississippi State briefly knotted the game at 13-all as Christmann hit from 25 yards on the final play of a 68-yard drive, but the Minutemen scored on their next possession to go up by seven.
Working with a second-and-14 at the UMass 31-yard line, head coach Mark Whipple regrouped with a timeout and Comis followed with a 69-yard touchdown play to Isabella as the Maroon and White moved ahead, 20-13 with 7:15 to go in the second.
Nick Fitzgerald guided the Bulldogs back in front with a pair of third quarter scores. He used an eight-yard rush off of left tackle to even the game at 20-all with 12:15 remaining in the quarter. Nearly eight minutes later, Fitzgerald rumbled in from 10 yards away from the 27-20 Mississippi State lead.
Laurent cut the deficit to 27-23 in the fourth quarter as part of a 10-play drive spanning 47 yards. A 15-yard run by Bilal Ally and a 15-yard targeting penalty on Bulldog Johnathan Abram helped Massachusetts reach the Mississippi eight yard line before the drive stalled and Laurent was called upon.
Two drives later, the Bulldogs made it a two-score game when Laurent booted a 56-yard punt to the Mississippi State 17-yard line, but Deddrick Thomas was able to shake off a defender, turn up the left sideline and race 83 yards for the special teams score. It boosted the Bulldogs lead to 34-23 with five minutes remaining.
The season continues for Massachusetts football against Maine in the Fenway Gridiron Series at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sat., Nov. 11 with a 4 p.m. kickoff. Follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassFootball.
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