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University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, September 23
Knoxville, Tenn.
12 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
0-5
13
at
17
[RV/RV] Tennessee
3-1 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
UMass
0
6
7
0
13
Tennessee
0
14
3
0
17
Football Nearly Upsets Tennessee On The Road, 17-13
September 23, 2017 | Football
Disruptive defense helps Minutemen battle at Volunteers’ Neyland Stadium
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Massachusetts football defense kept the Tennessee offense unbalanced throughout a near-upset for the Minutemen at Neyland Stadium, but the Maroon and White fell, 17-13. UMass totaled 12.0 TFLs – a single-game season-high – from 10 Minutemen combined, led by 2.0 each for Jarell Addo and Da'Sean Downey.
Bryton Barr led both sides with 12 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs, while Addo had nine stops and two pass breakups. Jesse Monteiro added seven takedowns – including 1.5 TFLs – and forced a fumble.
Marquis Young paced the run game with 76 yards over 14 carries, an average of 5.4 per rush. Bilal Ally added 49 yards over 10 carries without being dropped for a loss. Wide receiver Andy Isabella added 44 yards rushing on two attempts, including one that covered 42 yards.
Isabella added 46 yards receiving on three catches for 90 all-purpose yards. Young led the team with 96 all-purpose yards as he also had a pair of receptions for 20 yards.
Andrew Ford started at quarterback and finished 11-for-17 with 129 yards and a touchdown pass to Sadiq Palmer. Ford missed the fourth quarter due to injury and was replaced by Ross Comis, who went 2-of-5 for eight yards and had the first UMass touchdown of the day on a run play in the second quarter.
The Massachusetts defense held Tennessee in the opening quarter as the team's entered the second tied at 0-0. The Minutemen silenced one promising Volunteers drive at midfield when Jesse Monteiro forced a fumble on Tennessee quarterback Quentin Dormady and Tyler Hayes fell on the loose ball at the UMass 48 yard line.
The Volunteers were inches from going ahead by three late in the first quarter. Helped by a combined two-yard TFL from Jake Byczko and Steve Casali on 2nd-and-7, the Massachusetts defense stopped Tennessee at the UMass 27-yard line and forced a field goal attempt. Brent Cimaglia lined up for a 45-yard attempt, but pushed the ball right and bounced the attempt off the post.
After the opening eight drives of the game ended without points, the final three of the first half featured touchdown plays.
Tennessee found the endzone first on a John Kelly 12-yard run with four minutes, 33 seconds left in the half. It capped a drive that started on the Vols' 20 yard line and featured a 66-yard Dormady-to-Johnson sideline connection that set Tennessee up in the Minuteman redzone.
Massachusetts responded with a five-play, 75-yard drive in 96 seconds and moved back within 7-6 of the Volunteers. Young opened the series with a 39-yard scamper up the middle and followed two plays later with an 11-yard catch that put UMass at the Tennessee 11 yard line. Two more plays later, Ross Comis rushed five yards for the score – the reserve quarterback's first touchdown of the season. However, Michael Schreiner missed the extra point and UMass trailed, 7-6 with 2:57 to go.
The Volunteers mounted one final scoring drive via a nine-play, 75-yard series. Dormady found Tyler Byrd open in the back-left corner of the endzone and Aaron Medley punched through the extra point for a 14-6 Volunteers lead at the break.
Tennessee added to its lead with a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter. Following a Logan Laurent punt from the UMass endzone, the Vols took over at the UMass 40 yard line with a short field in front of them. Five plays later Medley converted for a 17-6 margin.
Massachusetts answered on the ensuing Minuteman drive. Ally and Palmer combined for 61 of the 75 yards needed to reach the endzone, with Palmer providing the toe-drag touchdown that made it 17-13.
The UMass defense forced five consecutive Tennessee punts, but the offense was unable to generate a fourth quarter attack as Massachusetts dropped to 0-5 on the season and the Volunteers improved to 3-1.
The Minutemen return home for their third game of the season at McGuirk Alumni Stadium with a contest against Ohio on Sat., Sept. 30. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. on NESNplus and Eleven Sports Network.
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).
Bryton Barr led both sides with 12 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs, while Addo had nine stops and two pass breakups. Jesse Monteiro added seven takedowns – including 1.5 TFLs – and forced a fumble.
Marquis Young paced the run game with 76 yards over 14 carries, an average of 5.4 per rush. Bilal Ally added 49 yards over 10 carries without being dropped for a loss. Wide receiver Andy Isabella added 44 yards rushing on two attempts, including one that covered 42 yards.
Isabella added 46 yards receiving on three catches for 90 all-purpose yards. Young led the team with 96 all-purpose yards as he also had a pair of receptions for 20 yards.
Andrew Ford started at quarterback and finished 11-for-17 with 129 yards and a touchdown pass to Sadiq Palmer. Ford missed the fourth quarter due to injury and was replaced by Ross Comis, who went 2-of-5 for eight yards and had the first UMass touchdown of the day on a run play in the second quarter.
The Massachusetts defense held Tennessee in the opening quarter as the team's entered the second tied at 0-0. The Minutemen silenced one promising Volunteers drive at midfield when Jesse Monteiro forced a fumble on Tennessee quarterback Quentin Dormady and Tyler Hayes fell on the loose ball at the UMass 48 yard line.
The Volunteers were inches from going ahead by three late in the first quarter. Helped by a combined two-yard TFL from Jake Byczko and Steve Casali on 2nd-and-7, the Massachusetts defense stopped Tennessee at the UMass 27-yard line and forced a field goal attempt. Brent Cimaglia lined up for a 45-yard attempt, but pushed the ball right and bounced the attempt off the post.
After the opening eight drives of the game ended without points, the final three of the first half featured touchdown plays.
Tennessee found the endzone first on a John Kelly 12-yard run with four minutes, 33 seconds left in the half. It capped a drive that started on the Vols' 20 yard line and featured a 66-yard Dormady-to-Johnson sideline connection that set Tennessee up in the Minuteman redzone.
Massachusetts responded with a five-play, 75-yard drive in 96 seconds and moved back within 7-6 of the Volunteers. Young opened the series with a 39-yard scamper up the middle and followed two plays later with an 11-yard catch that put UMass at the Tennessee 11 yard line. Two more plays later, Ross Comis rushed five yards for the score – the reserve quarterback's first touchdown of the season. However, Michael Schreiner missed the extra point and UMass trailed, 7-6 with 2:57 to go.
The Volunteers mounted one final scoring drive via a nine-play, 75-yard series. Dormady found Tyler Byrd open in the back-left corner of the endzone and Aaron Medley punched through the extra point for a 14-6 Volunteers lead at the break.
Tennessee added to its lead with a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter. Following a Logan Laurent punt from the UMass endzone, the Vols took over at the UMass 40 yard line with a short field in front of them. Five plays later Medley converted for a 17-6 margin.
Massachusetts answered on the ensuing Minuteman drive. Ally and Palmer combined for 61 of the 75 yards needed to reach the endzone, with Palmer providing the toe-drag touchdown that made it 17-13.
The UMass defense forced five consecutive Tennessee punts, but the offense was unable to generate a fourth quarter attack as Massachusetts dropped to 0-5 on the season and the Volunteers improved to 3-1.
The Minutemen return home for their third game of the season at McGuirk Alumni Stadium with a contest against Ohio on Sat., Sept. 30. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. on NESNplus and Eleven Sports Network.
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).
Team Stats
UMASS
UT
Total Yards
281
319
Pass Yards
137
184
Rushing Yards
144
135
Penalty Yards
43
51
1st Downs
14
18
3rd Downs
3
7
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
30:28
29:32
2nd Quarter
UMASS 0, UT 7
UT - Kelly, J. 12 yd run (Medley, A. kick), 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:44
UMASS 6, UT 7
UMASS - Comis, R. 5 yd run (Schreiner, M. kickfailed), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:36
UMASS 6, UT 14
UT - Byrd, T. 8 yd pass from Dormady, Q. (Medley, A. kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:32
3rd Quarter
UMASS 6, UT 17
UT - Medley, A. 40 yd field goal 6 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:31
UMASS 13, UT 17
UMASS - Palmer, S. 13 yd pass from Ford, A. (Laurent, L. kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:41
Game Leaders
CMP
11
TD
1
YDS
129
INT
0
CMP
2
TD
0
YDS
8
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
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RB
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LB
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DL
/ Football
LB
/ FootballQB
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DL
/ FootballQB
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S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
RB
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